80GB: 11/05/97-SiS-5598-(P5ST-A)C-00

BIOS update, EIDE card, or overlay software? (FAQ Hard disk recognition)
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

Following up a search only on "P5ST A" brings up a query at motherboards.org which mentions it as a Time OEM motherboard (aaargh!):
Colossus was a brand put out by the Time Group UK. Time has two sis5598 boards.
The MicroATX is the Gemlight GMB-P57SAX which equals a DTK PAM-0070.
There is a Full ATX which is the P5ST-A made by either ECS or Gemlight on which we have no info to date. Check board surface for any of these markings.
The likelihood of Time having anything helpful is about as big as a mosquito's brain...
cmk
BIOS Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:55 pm

You're losing me chaps. I've got the file from Nick. Am I to run that?

Cheers
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

Rainbow wrote:This board has no G3 in the BIOS ID. I think this is ECS P5ST-A (the BIOS OEM string is ECS-like too).
The GMB-P5ST-A might be or might be not the same board.
You're right, I was using the BIOS ID supplied by CMK which was a reverse look-up from plasma-online.de . So do you have a newer BIOS for the ECS P5ST-A ? I can't find the board at ecsusa.com.

I've patched cmk's BIOS using awd64gb for him to test.
cmk
BIOS Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:55 pm

Chaps. Additional.

I looked at the query Nick linked to at motherboard.org and it references Colossus machines. Now this machine I'm working on is a Colossus machine. I didn't mention it as I thought it was a clone and Colossus was just the case name. It seems not.

Hope this helps in the search.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

cmk wrote:You're losing me chaps. I've got the file from Nick. Am I to run that?
The file I sent is the same BIOS that's in the motherboard at the moment, patched to remove the Award 32GB and 64GB bugs. It *should* work OK, but there's always a risk in flashing any BIOS. At least you have an off-site backup of the present one :)
http://www.timesupport.com/ don't give you any BIOS for free, I don't think they'll have an update based on past performance and the only manual they have is for the DTK Micro ATX mentioned in the motherboards.org case.
cmk
BIOS Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:55 pm

Cheers Nick. So if the first part doesn't work then where does that leave me?

Also 32gb to 64gb bug. HD I'm wanting to install is 80gb. Am I right in thinking it'll only see 64gb?
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

If you flash the BIOS with the new file and the machine stops working, options are pretty much as listed in the FAQ on "My motherboard is dead" in the Wim's BIOS main site. In the worst case you pay someone to re-flash the original BIOS into a (new) ROM, e.g. badflash.com. Badflash posted that they have experienced high failure rates in reflashing certain chips ("H.T." labelled, for example) whereas others have been fine. Search for posts by author badflash for more info.

The alternative approaches to flashing the patched BIOS are using the HDD manufacturer's disk management utility and getting a PCI HDD controller (Maxtor/Promise/whatever) with its own BIOS on board which will support big drives and possibly give you a better transfer rate. Both of these cost money, but if the machine is essential that may be acceptable. Or maybe you clip the capacity at 32GB using the jumper :?

Your decision. Goodnight!
cmk
BIOS Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:55 pm

Hmmm seems I've exhausted your help. Apologies if I've taken it too far. It's a tricky one as you've said and quite an old machine. Sorry if I've offended but I've been lost for a while on it and this place has been the only source of help. It's only natural that I keep trying for help even if I do have to keep asking because I don't understand all you are advising.

Hopefully if I need more help you will be available. Please advise if so.

Thanks for your help so far all of you. It's seriously appreciated.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

@cmk: Good morning... no offence, just that I've about run out of advice now. You could check the markings on the BIOS chip to decide whether it's one of the dodgy ones mentioned by badflash before you decide whether to flash.
cmk
BIOS Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:55 pm

Chaps,

Sorry I've not got back to you before now but I've been a bit on the busy side. I just wanted to say a big thanks to all who helped especially NickS whos file worked a treat.

I've another query but I'll post that in the relevant section.

Thanks again one and all.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

Thanks for the feedback....
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