Hallo, experts, please help me!
My new 120 GB Samsung HD SV1203N in a Siemens Xpert PIIII 700 Mhz is not properly recognized in slave mode, only 32 GB are reported. I use Win98 SE, a 1st 20 GB HD as master at 1st port and 2 CD-drives on 2nd IDE port.
The data are:
PC: Fujitsu Siemens
Model: VT82C693A
Mainboard: Biostar M6VBE-A Vers. 1.x
Chipset: VIA VT82C693 Apollo Pro Plus Chipset
BIOS: V 4.51PG Award Modular Bios
BIOS Date: 11/29/99
BIOS ID String: 11/29/1999-693A-596-8671-2A6LGB09C-00
OEM Signon: VBE-A 0407A
Award Plug and Play BIOS Extension V1.0A
Chipset: VIA 82C691 REV 68
Super I/O: SMC 60X REV 0 FOUND AT PORT 3F0H
Curiously (for me), setting the jumpers at the new HD in different slave positions (as indicated by Samsung in the taiwan website for ?32 BG capacity modes? produced a) hang of BIOS, b) recognizing all drives but only up to 32 GB, c) recognizing only the CD-drives at 2nd IDE-port. In BIOS, I set to HDD Auto detection mode.
What to do?
Thanks in advance
120GB: Biostar M6VBE-A Vers. 1.x
Sounds like a BIOS upgrade is required, but the following is worth checking.
1) Does the 120GB HDD have a 32GB limiting jumper?
2) Does the 120GB HDD detect as full capacity when it is the only drive on the cable?
3) Is it the BIOS that reports only 32GB or Win98SE?
I have not checked but if a BIOS upgrade is required I would be surprised if an upgrade that fixes the problem is not supplied on the manufacturer's website.
Note you accidentally posted PIIII instead of PIII.
1) Does the 120GB HDD have a 32GB limiting jumper?
2) Does the 120GB HDD detect as full capacity when it is the only drive on the cable?
3) Is it the BIOS that reports only 32GB or Win98SE?
I have not checked but if a BIOS upgrade is required I would be surprised if an upgrade that fixes the problem is not supplied on the manufacturer's website.
Note you accidentally posted PIIII instead of PIII.
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Denniss
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ftp://ftp.biostar-usa.com/bios/M6VBE-A/Vbe0727a.bin
More or less official M6VBE-A Bios (from Biostar USA FTP-site) without 64GB BUG as seen in the latest official version from 2 or 4/2000
Or use our patched version based on the last official Bios
More or less official M6VBE-A Bios (from Biostar USA FTP-site) without 64GB BUG as seen in the latest official version from 2 or 4/2000
Or use our patched version based on the last official Bios
Well, I will give you the answers, Ritchie:
1) The small sheet (installation guide) for the new Samsung HDD shows 2 master-slave configurations: IIII oooo (jumpers current)
General setting: Master I--- Slave ----
32 GB Clip Pin setting: Master II-- Slave -I--
At first trial I used I--- for 1st HDD and -I-- for new HDD, and both were recognized but only up to 32 GB.
Then I removed the jumper from the new HDD ( ---- general setting slave) and none of the HDDs is reported in BIOS detecting, only the 2 CD- drives are detected on sec. port, but in the list some moments later both HDDs and the CD drives are listed (new HDD with 32 GB). In Partition Magic the same information, I have installed a Partition of 10 GB in this 32 GB and it works well and is usable (HDD is not defect).
2)If the 120 GB HDD is the only drive, I found: using it as slave, the BIOS hangs and reports: Primary master HD fails. If used as master, it hangs and the message is: primary slave HD fails.
3) I think the BIOS does not find the correct HD size and reports it so. But I have not enough insight, which are the contributions of the OS or BIOS into the problem I have. Moreover I have the impression, that the BIOS is rather a tricky piece of software, which does not always the same (perhaps it has a memory, and uses wrong values again and again in spite of reacting to changes in the hardware.
Assumed, the BIOS is wrong for large HDs, do you think, I should use the update from Biostar Taiwan site ( vbe0323b.bin from 4/2000) or the one from Deniss (US-Site) vbe0727a.bin , or where is your patch ?
Thanks and a sound BIOS!
1) The small sheet (installation guide) for the new Samsung HDD shows 2 master-slave configurations: IIII oooo (jumpers current)
General setting: Master I--- Slave ----
32 GB Clip Pin setting: Master II-- Slave -I--
At first trial I used I--- for 1st HDD and -I-- for new HDD, and both were recognized but only up to 32 GB.
Then I removed the jumper from the new HDD ( ---- general setting slave) and none of the HDDs is reported in BIOS detecting, only the 2 CD- drives are detected on sec. port, but in the list some moments later both HDDs and the CD drives are listed (new HDD with 32 GB). In Partition Magic the same information, I have installed a Partition of 10 GB in this 32 GB and it works well and is usable (HDD is not defect).
2)If the 120 GB HDD is the only drive, I found: using it as slave, the BIOS hangs and reports: Primary master HD fails. If used as master, it hangs and the message is: primary slave HD fails.
3) I think the BIOS does not find the correct HD size and reports it so. But I have not enough insight, which are the contributions of the OS or BIOS into the problem I have. Moreover I have the impression, that the BIOS is rather a tricky piece of software, which does not always the same (perhaps it has a memory, and uses wrong values again and again in spite of reacting to changes in the hardware.
Assumed, the BIOS is wrong for large HDs, do you think, I should use the update from Biostar Taiwan site ( vbe0323b.bin from 4/2000) or the one from Deniss (US-Site) vbe0727a.bin , or where is your patch ?
Thanks and a sound BIOS!
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Denniss
- BIOS Guru
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For our patched Bios see Link in my signature .
The Bios I linked (and have tested with a 80Gb disk on my M6VBE-A) is directly from Biostar but it seems to be not oficially linked from their sites .
Please doublecheck jumper settings with the table you should have printed on the HDD or on Samsung website .
Make sure you use an 80-wire IDE-cable and connect the blue end to mainboard and black end to master drive
The Bios I linked (and have tested with a 80Gb disk on my M6VBE-A) is directly from Biostar but it seems to be not oficially linked from their sites .
Please doublecheck jumper settings with the table you should have printed on the HDD or on Samsung website .
Make sure you use an 80-wire IDE-cable and connect the blue end to mainboard and black end to master drive
Thanks for replying gersom.
Just remember to remove the 32GB clip when you install a compatible BIOS and you should be fine.
If you have a choice of which BIOS to go for - I am not sure myself but probably would lean towards the patch.
Just remember to remove the 32GB clip when you install a compatible BIOS and you should be fine.
If you have a choice of which BIOS to go for - I am not sure myself but probably would lean towards the patch.
Hey, some new (and sorry, rather lengthy ..) report and questions about this damned BIOS:
1) Whatever I change in cable or jumper settings, there is no online-message of the BIOS about finding the 1st port HDs. But if I go into BIOS setup, HD auto detection, it seems to find the HDs (32 GB only), and afterwards in the list with ram, devices, etc. both HDs appear.
2) I changed the 40-pin cable (do I need an 80 pin cable?) connectors from slave to master and vice versa, because the end was plugged to slave and the middle to master, put the 32 GB clip jumper to the new HD, and the system was totally slow. It took about 10 to 15 min to be ready. No working possible. I rearranged the plugs, win98 started normally fast, but now the USB-connection to my 56K-modem was dead, unknown hardware. After removing the USB plug at the rear of the PC and connecting again, WIN98 reinstalled the modem and now it works again.
3) Well, so far about the imponderabilities of that sh.. system. You have 3 suggestions for a better BIOS for me: from the Taiwan site, from US-Site or the patched one from Wims-rainbow software. The latter, is for a M6VBE-A BIOS from nicks for 128 GB Hds, with almost the same BIOS-ID, only the date 03/23/2000 differs from my date of 11/29/1999 and the OEM sign is different. Is that important? Does it work? Ritchie suggested this patch.
4) Some questions about the flashing procedure: I need a boot diskette with the flashing exe and the new BIOS code. There are different versions of awdflash.exe in the web, partly without any indication of the version, which one to use? From some BIOS sites about flashing (e.g. http://www.soyousa.com/kb/kbdesc.php?id=35, or very detailed http://www.flazh.de/bios/update.htm) I found a number of parameters for awdflash. Which to use, e.g. those /cc, /cd, /cp? Is it necessacary to delete the indicated CMOS, DMI, PNP(ESCD) (I don't Know what they are good for, report just what I have found in those help pages).
Hope, that your advice at last will lead me to success. Or should I buy a new controller for the HDs, new cables? Questions after questions ...
1) Whatever I change in cable or jumper settings, there is no online-message of the BIOS about finding the 1st port HDs. But if I go into BIOS setup, HD auto detection, it seems to find the HDs (32 GB only), and afterwards in the list with ram, devices, etc. both HDs appear.
2) I changed the 40-pin cable (do I need an 80 pin cable?) connectors from slave to master and vice versa, because the end was plugged to slave and the middle to master, put the 32 GB clip jumper to the new HD, and the system was totally slow. It took about 10 to 15 min to be ready. No working possible. I rearranged the plugs, win98 started normally fast, but now the USB-connection to my 56K-modem was dead, unknown hardware. After removing the USB plug at the rear of the PC and connecting again, WIN98 reinstalled the modem and now it works again.
3) Well, so far about the imponderabilities of that sh.. system. You have 3 suggestions for a better BIOS for me: from the Taiwan site, from US-Site or the patched one from Wims-rainbow software. The latter, is for a M6VBE-A BIOS from nicks for 128 GB Hds, with almost the same BIOS-ID, only the date 03/23/2000 differs from my date of 11/29/1999 and the OEM sign is different. Is that important? Does it work? Ritchie suggested this patch.
4) Some questions about the flashing procedure: I need a boot diskette with the flashing exe and the new BIOS code. There are different versions of awdflash.exe in the web, partly without any indication of the version, which one to use? From some BIOS sites about flashing (e.g. http://www.soyousa.com/kb/kbdesc.php?id=35, or very detailed http://www.flazh.de/bios/update.htm) I found a number of parameters for awdflash. Which to use, e.g. those /cc, /cd, /cp? Is it necessacary to delete the indicated CMOS, DMI, PNP(ESCD) (I don't Know what they are good for, report just what I have found in those help pages).
Hope, that your advice at last will lead me to success. Or should I buy a new controller for the HDs, new cables? Questions after questions ...
Hallo,
I found 1 more source for a BIOS update at: http://www.fsc-pc.de/support/softwarepo ... &BIOSP=342
, where a BIOS for my VBE-A0407A is available. from 7.4.2000. What do you suggest?
Thanks for help
I found 1 more source for a BIOS update at: http://www.fsc-pc.de/support/softwarepo ... &BIOSP=342
, where a BIOS for my VBE-A0407A is available. from 7.4.2000. What do you suggest?
Thanks for help
If the patch is the only BIOS image that will work with 120GB, then you have no choice to use it if you want to fully recognise a 120GB HDD. Unfortunately it is use at your own risk and it may be untested.
However, the best BIOS image to base a patch on is the latest available BIOS for your mainboard, preferably sourced from the manufacturer. If BIOSs are available from other sources you will need to use your better judgement.
Since Dennis has tested an 80GB HDD on his own system, that BIOS is probably the safest choice from that point of view, but still use at your own risk.
However, the best BIOS image to base a patch on is the latest available BIOS for your mainboard, preferably sourced from the manufacturer. If BIOSs are available from other sources you will need to use your better judgement.
Since Dennis has tested an 80GB HDD on his own system, that BIOS is probably the safest choice from that point of view, but still use at your own risk.
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Denniss
- BIOS Guru
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Get the latest 7/2000 Version from Biostar FTP or use our patched version - both are known to work with HDD up to 128GB
Last edited by Denniss on Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hallo, here are new informations:
After some more inquiry I am rather confused. Support from Fujitsu-Siemens (fsc-pc.de) told me that the BIOS-update from their site does not support HDs over 32 GB. And Biostar Taiwan told me: "M6VBE-A can not support such as a big HD, it only supports up to 32GB HDD. This is because the chipset limitation issue."
Therefore I am in doubt, if the Biostar-US update (see former posts) or the patch from Wimsbios work well. Can you explain this? One more offer in e-bay from a guy named bios-dealer for a new BIOS chip with the latest BIOS version (it is the BIOStAR Taiwan version) promises HD assistance up to 128 GB (for 12,80 €). Cannot believe that after all! What are your expert opinions? Perhaps it is best to buy a new ATA100 controller (perhaps a Combo controller for USB2, Firewire and ATA100).
Thanks for help
After some more inquiry I am rather confused. Support from Fujitsu-Siemens (fsc-pc.de) told me that the BIOS-update from their site does not support HDs over 32 GB. And Biostar Taiwan told me: "M6VBE-A can not support such as a big HD, it only supports up to 32GB HDD. This is because the chipset limitation issue."
Therefore I am in doubt, if the Biostar-US update (see former posts) or the patch from Wimsbios work well. Can you explain this? One more offer in e-bay from a guy named bios-dealer for a new BIOS chip with the latest BIOS version (it is the BIOStAR Taiwan version) promises HD assistance up to 128 GB (for 12,80 €). Cannot believe that after all! What are your expert opinions? Perhaps it is best to buy a new ATA100 controller (perhaps a Combo controller for USB2, Firewire and ATA100).
Thanks for help
-
Denniss
- BIOS Guru
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Wrong Info and partially wrong .
HDD support is Bios-specific and not chipset specific .
If someone pays for a new Bios supporting HDD over 128/137GB then he'll get it if he pays enough .
Both the latest FSC and Biostar Bios support HDD up to 64GB but the Biostar Bios on the FTP-site and our patched Bios support HDD up to 128GB because the Bugs in these version have been removed .
HDD support is Bios-specific and not chipset specific .
If someone pays for a new Bios supporting HDD over 128/137GB then he'll get it if he pays enough .
Both the latest FSC and Biostar Bios support HDD up to 64GB but the Biostar Bios on the FTP-site and our patched Bios support HDD up to 128GB because the Bugs in these version have been removed .
Hallo
all together! I mulled over for 2 weeks what to do. At last (yesterday) I decided to update my BIOS with that version from Wim's BIOS. As I think it give you valuable feedback, I will report:
1) Prepared a DOS-disk with awdflash 8.30 and the BIOS bin-file.
2) Started PC and invoked flashprogram.
3) Got information about BIOS-ID and flashtype WINBOND 29C020/5V
4) Saved my old BIOS to oldbios.bin on disk
5) Agreed to flash, error message: The program file's part number does not match with your system. What?
6) After several trials, and using another BIOS update (from US-ftp-BIOSTAR), always the same message.
7) An expert told me, that the flash utility might be too modern for my old BIOS.
Got awdflash.exe Vers. 7.52c from Fujitsu Siemens website.
9) Tried again with this version and WIMS BIOS patch
10) No error at alll, successfull update
11) Removed disk. removed 32 GB limiting jumper from new 120 GB HD, boot PC, go to BIOS setup and set BIOS defaults. save
12) 120 GB are recognized, all systems go, as ever!
13) In Partion Magic, the HD is available with 120 GB, free to partition!!
After all, I thank all guys here for their advice and discussion, bye!
all together! I mulled over for 2 weeks what to do. At last (yesterday) I decided to update my BIOS with that version from Wim's BIOS. As I think it give you valuable feedback, I will report:
1) Prepared a DOS-disk with awdflash 8.30 and the BIOS bin-file.
2) Started PC and invoked flashprogram.
3) Got information about BIOS-ID and flashtype WINBOND 29C020/5V
4) Saved my old BIOS to oldbios.bin on disk
5) Agreed to flash, error message: The program file's part number does not match with your system. What?
6) After several trials, and using another BIOS update (from US-ftp-BIOSTAR), always the same message.
7) An expert told me, that the flash utility might be too modern for my old BIOS.
Got awdflash.exe Vers. 7.52c from Fujitsu Siemens website.9) Tried again with this version and WIMS BIOS patch
10) No error at alll, successfull update
11) Removed disk. removed 32 GB limiting jumper from new 120 GB HD, boot PC, go to BIOS setup and set BIOS defaults. save
12) 120 GB are recognized, all systems go, as ever!
13) In Partion Magic, the HD is available with 120 GB, free to partition!!
After all, I thank all guys here for their advice and discussion, bye!
Hallo
all together! I mulled over for 2 weeks what to do. At last (yesterday) I decided to update my BIOS with that version from Wim's BIOS. As I think it give you valuable feedback, I will report:
1) Prepared a DOS-disk with awdflash 8.30 and the BIOS bin-file.
2) Started PC and invoked flashprogram.
3) Got information about BIOS-ID and flashtype WINBOND 29C020/5V
4) Saved my old BIOS to oldbios.bin on disk
5) Agreed to flash, error message: The program file's part number does not match with your system. What?
6) After several trials, and using another BIOS update (from US-ftp-BIOSTAR), always the same message.
7) An expert told me, that the flash utility might be too modern for my old BIOS.
Got awdflash.exe Vers. 7.52c from Fujitsu Siemens website.
9) Tried again with this version and WIMS BIOS patch
10) No error at alll, successfull update
11) Removed disk. removed 32 GB limiting jumper from new 120 GB HD, boot PC, go to BIOS setup and set BIOS defaults. save
12) 120 GB are recognized, all systems go, as ever!
13) In Partion Magic, the HD is available with 120 GB, free to partition!!
After all, I thank all guys here for their advice and discussion, bye!
all together! I mulled over for 2 weeks what to do. At last (yesterday) I decided to update my BIOS with that version from Wim's BIOS. As I think it give you valuable feedback, I will report:
1) Prepared a DOS-disk with awdflash 8.30 and the BIOS bin-file.
2) Started PC and invoked flashprogram.
3) Got information about BIOS-ID and flashtype WINBOND 29C020/5V
4) Saved my old BIOS to oldbios.bin on disk
5) Agreed to flash, error message: The program file's part number does not match with your system. What?
6) After several trials, and using another BIOS update (from US-ftp-BIOSTAR), always the same message.
7) An expert told me, that the flash utility might be too modern for my old BIOS.
Got awdflash.exe Vers. 7.52c from Fujitsu Siemens website.9) Tried again with this version and WIMS BIOS patch
10) No error at alll, successfull update
11) Removed disk. removed 32 GB limiting jumper from new 120 GB HD, boot PC, go to BIOS setup and set BIOS defaults. save
12) 120 GB are recognized, all systems go, as ever!
13) In Partion Magic, the HD is available with 120 GB, free to partition!!
After all, I thank all guys here for their advice and discussion, bye!
