40GB: 02/24/1999-SiS-530-2A5IMB09C-00

arcadesdude · Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:02 pm

I would like to use a Seagate 40GB hard drive but I think a BIOS update is in order. The drive has power and is connected correctly but auto hdd detection in the bios hangs/freezes so I think this old computer from 1999 cannot read the 40GB hard drive and so I am here to find the bios update for this computer. The jumper settings are set correctly and the cable is hooked up correctly. Therefore I think it is the BIOS.

(I'm trying to hook the old 4gb drive as primary/master (which is recognized) and have the new 40gb drive as secondary/slave (which is NOT recognized) and copy the old files to the new drive and use the new drive.)

(The current hard drive it uses is a 4gb hdd, just for reference as to what the current bios does recognize).

Program: Unicore BIOS Wizard Version 1.9
Program: Unicore Chip Detect v0.72 2000.03.10
BIOS Date: 02/24/99
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 02/24/1999-SiS-530-2A5IMB09C-00
BIOS Eval: SAA0222B
Chipset: SiS 530 rev 2
Superio: NSC 351 rev 2 found at port 2Eh

If you need any more hardware specs I can provide them but I believe the above is sufficient to find the update to this bios.

So I'm looking for the filename/bios name that is the exact update I need (or a patch with exact name for that patch) and the name of the bios updater needed (probably the standard award flash utility.)

Thanks for any help on this,

Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:28 pm

Biostar M5SAA

http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/main ... /bios.php3

You'll know which flasher to use after reading this page fully:

http://www.biostar.com.tw/support/bios/index.php3

arcadesdude · Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:57 pm

Thank you very much for the help. I suppose the most important part of identifing the file to use is the BIOS Eval string. I tried searching for this myself and got alot of convoluted results. I will report back the results here.

Results:

The new bios update works! The drive is now recognized by the bios (but not in windows my computer (but its in the device manager...) so I'm working on that now.)

Thanks again!

Sat Dec 28, 2002 1:33 am

partitioned and formatted it? You need to do that first before windows knows what it is...

arcadesdude · Sat Dec 28, 2002 5:32 pm

Well I forgot to partition/format it because I assumed it was in standard fat32, but I guess not. The Hdd came from my old satellite reciever (Dish Network PVR (DISH-501). It's the obvious that eludes me so

Updated Results:

It's working now! I first tried fdisk to partition it but there were some limitations to that util and it only thought my [new] drive was 4gb. I used Seagate's DiscWizard (starter ed.) utility and it went very smoothly. The new 40gb drive is now my main drive!

It's MUCH MUCH quieter. (The old drive was so loud I jokenly labeled it TOO LOUD so when you did a dir it would say: Volume in Drive C: is TOO LOUD). The new drive's name is QUIET

It's MUCH faster. The old drive was a real speed bottle neck, but this new one is zippity fast. (Old was around 3200 rpm new is 7200 rpm).

It's MUCH MUCH bigger. I now have 33gb free as opposed to 1.4gb free on the old one.

Now the old one is the backup drive.

Thanks so much for the help on this. It's great to see the internet has sources like this were people will take time to help others.