Award Bios 4.51 Upgrade Please Help

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jazds
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Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

Hi all,

I've spent the last week sifting through the net and reading forums like this but I seem to be getting no-where fast so would really appreciate some help.

:?

I'm trying to find an update for my Bios - Award Software Inc. V4.51PG Firmware : V2.4 Date : 11-Feb-1999 06/16/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4AC-00

I've just updated to Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2 and using an Intel Pentium II.

I've downloaded a few programs to provide me with info on my system but I'm coming up with blanks on what I need.

Can some one give me some plain English advice?

Regards,

Jarrett
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ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

That's a Microstar board. Several boards have the same BIOS string, so you'll need to check the OEM ID in order to identify it correctly.

Example: on the same screen where you've got "06/16/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4AC-00" you'll see something like "W6119MJ V2.4 021199"

MS-6119 would be the board model.

www.msi.com.tw
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jazds
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

hi ajzchips,

Thanks for that info...

I have the following W6147ms V1.0B4 072198 15:57:48 showing.

I'm still struggling to understand all this. I've visited the MicroStar website but can not find any relevant links.

I have established my Bios and Motherboard - been to several websites that mention my bios but have nothing on there about motherboards or matching the two...

Bios: Award Software Inc. V4.51PG Firmware : V2.4 Date : 11-Feb-1999 06/16/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4AC-00

Motherboard: Micro Star W6147ms V1.0B4 072198 15:57:48

Is there anything out there that will link the two and provide me with the correct Bios update or do I need to know something else?

Please help, all advice greatfully received.

Thanks,

Jarrett
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jazds
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Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

:oops: I posted a new topic without realising what I was doing (sorry new to this forum), appologies to all....

I have now found that I have a MicroStrar motherboard and after a though search of their website found the following Bios update options -

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/b ... 108&kind=1

I am assuming that the second from top update is the most suitable as I don't have the blue sticker on the board described in the V1.8 option - could someone advise me on this as I risk my entire system doing this but its essential for my RAM upgrade and new my new hard disk -

BIOS Type Award® BIOS File Sizes 203KB
Version 1.7 Update date 1999-5-7
Update Description -Fixed the Password-clear Bug.
- Update the latest CPU Microcodes.
Special note ,
Download w6147v17.exe

I have established my Bios and Motherboard - been to several websites that mention my bios but have nothing on there about motherboards or matching the two...

Bios: Award Software Inc. V4.51PG Firmware : V2.4 Date : 11-Feb-1999 06/16/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4AC-00

Motherboard: Micro Star W6147ms V1.0B4 072198 15:57:48

Regards,

Jarrett
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Denniss
BIOS Guru
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Location: Near Hannover (CEBIT) Germany
Contact:
Contact Denniss

Please verify you really have a MS-6147 by looking at your board. It should be printed between the PCI slots.

What's puzzling me is the M4AC of your Bios-ID should belong to MS-6119/6121 but not 6147 (uses M4EC).

The W6147ms V1.0B4 does either look like something Beta or it's an OEM Bios for a system builder like Maxdata, Premio or others
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jazds
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

hi Denniss,

Thanks for your message.

It is definatly a 6147 the exact wording on the board is -

MS 6147 Ver: 1 BX7

On startup it is -

W6147MS V1.0B4 072198 15:57:48 Pet II

Using "Driver Guide Toolkit I got the following...

OEMComputer

Manuf: Microstar Int Co., Ltd

Sy Model MS6147

Sy Type X86-based PC

Processor x86 Family 6 Model 5

Bios: Award Software 4.51 PG, 16/06/1998

SMBios Ver: 2.1

Boot Device: HardiskVol1

Hope you can advise on the update options from Microstar -

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/b ... 108&kind=1

Regards,

Jarrett
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jazds
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Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

Current situ is I attempted update and got the following error message -

"The program files part number does not match your system" the flash utility then froze.

I'm attempting to flash off the hard drive and not a floppy is this correct?

Should I ignore the error message? Is Verion 1.8 correct?

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/b ... 108&kind=1

If it isn't where an I going wrong?

This is taking weeks I would really appreciate some advice.

Previous message info...

ajzchips wrote:

Version 1.8 can be flash, regardless of your motherboard revision (be
it "C" on non-C). If it isn't "C", then you simply won't be able to use
certain Coppermine processors, but you will benefit from the BIOS improvements.

Regards,
AJZ

PS: please stick to the forum.

>From: Jarrett Smith <jazds@yahoo.com>
>To: ajzchips@hotmail.com
>Subject: Bios Help
>Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 16:25:58 +0100 (BST)
>
>Hi ajzchips,
>
>You replied to my message on the Bios Forum and it was
>much appreciated. I am writing to you as no one has
>yet replied to my latest message and I am desperate to
>get my PC fully functional but concerned I may destroy
>the motherboard if I update the wrong bios.
>
>http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7188
>
>Basically I the following motherboard
>
>MS 6147 Ver: 1 BX7
>
>On startup it is -
>
>W6147MS V1.0B4 072198 15:57:48 Pet II
>
>Using "Driver Guide Toolkit I got the following...
>
>OEMComputer
>
>Manuf: Microstar Int Co., Ltd
>
>Sy Model MS6147
>
>Sy Type X86-based PC
>
>Processor x86 Family 6 Model 5
>
>Bios: Award Software 4.51 PG, 16/06/1998
>
>SMBios Ver: 2.1
>
>Boot Device: HardiskVol1
>
>The update options from Microstar are -
>
>http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/b ... 108&kind=1
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>Jarrett
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ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

The first official release, according to MSI's site, is 1.1. Since your 1.0B4 is older, it must have been a first attempt at trying to use a BIOS for another MSI board to get it working.
The error message you got is quite normal, due to the different BIOS ID, but according to all of the info you provided, your board must be a true MSI board, so I would personally go ahead and flash.

Using the /Py switch in the AWARD flasher, you can circumvent the error message.
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jazds
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Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:21 am

Hi,

Just a quick update on my Bios update - I went ahead and managed to flash my bios.

It wasn't trouble free - the bios was updated successfully but my system wouldn't boot - there was an NTLDR problem and after I resolved that a long list of missing dll's and sys files that basically rendered troubleshooting virtually impossible. I tried booting from the XP disk and also Repairing but even that didn't work and most of Dos did not function.

Don't ask me why or how, I'm still scratching my head.

The good news is I have re-formated my hard drive and re-installed windows. Most of my data was backed up and in a way I'm happy to have a cleaner system.

Thank you to those who kindly offered their assistance. If anyone can shed any light on the resulting problems mentioned above I would be most interested to read them.

Hope this thred may be useful to others.

Thanks for the forum.

Jarrett
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