Need (GA-8VM533 DL F2a) BIOS Update badly. Please HELP!!

Questions that don't belong in the other forums.
Wayfarer
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:34 pm

With all the information below you'd think I'd easily have found my BIOS update. I thought so too. After three days of intensive searching the web and mind you i think i do the search thing pretty effectively, this is my last resort. So help me out willya guys??!!

(a) One thing is for sure...the motherboard is the GIGABYTE GA-8VM533 Motherboard
(Socket 478, P4 Motherboard *VIA P4M266A & VT8235 Chipsets *MicroATX *533MHz *3xPCI *1xAGP 4x *2xDDR (max.2GB) *ATA 133 *VIA VT6103 Lan *AC97 Via VT1616 sound *Integrated Graphics 32MB max *2xUSB2. cs1310)

(b) Boot Up Screen shows : 12/03/2003-P4M266A-8235-6A6LWG0CC-00 and GA-8VM533 DL F2a

(c) AIDA System Info Tool gives:
1. Flash Memory Type: SST 39SF040
2. Flash Memory Size: 4M Bits (00000-7FFFF) [which should be 512K cos thats what the BIOS Update tool Q-flash suggests]
3. BIOS Model Version Information: GA-8VM533 DL F2a
4. BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
5. Award BIOS Message: GA-8VM533 DL F2a
6. System BIOS Date: 12/02/03 Video BIOS Date: 12/27/02

Can anyone explain what the DL means in the BIOS message GA-8VM533 DL F2a? I did find the updates for the GA-8VM533 motherboardboard at the gigabyte website but none had a DL series. Also the update came with the award flash program which used a file whose filesize was 256K instead of the 512K it was supposed to be. The file was also not in the .bin format which the updates should be in.

I really need the update as my photoshop crashes like crazy every single time and I'm about going the same way too.
Denniss
BIOS Guru
Posts: 3153
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2002 8:16 pm
Location: Near Hannover (CEBIT) Germany
Contact:

Do you have a Retail mainboard or an OEM-board off a branded system like Gateway, Dell or similar ?

With your crashes please check your RAM - maybe it's faulty. Maybe your Photoshop installation is broken,too. Or your System is infected with one or two or more Virus, Worm or whatever
Wayfarer
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:34 pm

Hi Denniss thanks for the suggestions. My M-board is retail and my PC assembled. I dont think its my RAM cos I had that checked out according to m-board specifications plus reinstalling Photoshop didnt solve the problem and I've the most up to date virus scanner whose scan didnt show nothing. Tnx anyway. I'll be getting in contact with technical service at the gigabyte site so I hpe that solves the problem. Keep it going. Ciao!
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Su ... 8VM533.htm
F6 2004/3/25
Support new INTEL P4 CPU
Add LAN bootrom
Fixed system fail in running Photoshop
Looks like a known bug. The versions downloaded from the Gigabyte website all say something like:
(8vm533) EVALUATION ROM - NOT FOR SALE
You would have to rename the file from .F8 to .BIN; I am still concerned that there appears to be a difference in size.
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Could you try saving a copy of your BIOS and verify if it actually is 512KB?
Denniss
BIOS Guru
Posts: 3153
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2002 8:16 pm
Location: Near Hannover (CEBIT) Germany
Contact:

http://www.mcu-memory.com/datasheet/sst/39sf040.pdf
-> The 39SF040 is a 4MBit chip with 512KB capacity.

Looking at the unusual DL string and the different size Flashrom it may be possible someone sold youe this Board as Retail but Origination is a system like Dell.

Please have a look at the model number printd onto your board and please ask Gigabyte support - they should know whether it's OEM or not.
Wayfarer
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:34 pm

Azj-dude i did just that and it shows 512Ks

Nicks- I was at the gigabyte website there before i did this post n had already downloaded the updates (every one of them... f2 to f8, and all 256Ks btw) without much thinking. When I tried the Q-flash utility with these it only gave me a size mismatch error.

Denniss you are absolutely correct when you say The 39SF040 is a 4MBit chip with 512KB capacity and the DL is most unusual. Now I did contact Gigabyte Technical Service saying my board was a GIGABYTE GA-8VM533 Motherboard Rev 1.0 with S. No. 04018VM5333001515
and my problems related to it. All they did was ask the same questions again asking me to confirm the id of the m-board, rev no. etc. I guess i'll just have to wait this one out. I'm confused. Time out!
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Could you send me, NickS or DennisS a copy of your saved BIOS so we can take a look at it? Our emails appear in our buttons below.

The thing is you "might" simply have a 4Mbit chip in your system, but half of its contents are simply "00h" or "FFh", meaning "blank"... who knows?
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Side comment -

Running into this on another BBS. The person says they have a COMPAQ with a GIGABYTE motherboard. The BIOS reads as follows -

BIOS ID: 08/24/1999-SiS-530-2A5IMG09C
OEM Sign-On: GA-5SMM REV.1.2b CQ

So I think the CQ here stands for COMPAQ...perhaps as Denniss mentions the DL is for Dell.

I'm guessing it *might* be unwise to flash the GIGABYTE BIOS into either motherboard...correct?
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Perhaps replacing the BIOS chip (unless soldered) with a 256KB version and using the latest "standard" Gigabyte BIOS might work.

But, the board might have some additional onboard stuff which requires more ROM space, justifying the 4Mbit chip... dunno...
Wayfarer
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:34 pm

My BIOS Rom seems to be soldered to the board. Bummer!!

Thanks for that insight KachiWachi. But i do need an update or I can kiss this computer goodbye. And then what do I use? the typewriter and television?

AZJ if the rest of the Rom's blank like you say...what could that extra space be used for? And why do I get the incorrect filesize error? At least it should be able to use 256Ks rite?

I'll send u guys a copy of my saved BIOS Rom if thats any help. I do really appreciate your help in helping me find a solution to my problem guys.
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

If your BIOS is indeed soldered to the board, then it's of utmost importance to identify its vendor, or whom Gigabyte OEMed it to.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

Wayfarer wrote:AZJ if the rest of the Rom's blank like you say...what could that extra space be used for? And why do I get the incorrect filesize error? At least it should be able to use 256Ks rite?
"This page intentionally left blank" ?
The flasher will look at the size of the binary image and the size of the flash device and complain if they do not match - just a safety check to prevent you flashing the wrong BIOS.
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Send us that saved 512KB copy. We'd like to take a look at it.
Wayfarer
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:34 pm

Hi guys, sorry i was offline for so long. T'was the college Centenary Celebrations which had me real busy and no time whatsoever to get online. Wellhere I am again and I was able to garner that the board is a Gigabyte TITAN board. Is that any help?
Post Reply