BIOS Updates forum

AWESOME Forum! Great to be here.

I have a pIII processor running XPsp1 on an old [Tiny Computers] MSI-6154 [doesn't say VA after this on board] Ver 2

Belarc advisor says:
Board: MSI appollo pro 1.0
Bios: American Megatrends 1.0x 09/07/99

The boot screensays:

Released 06/23/00
AmiBios 1999
A615401 V2.88 28062000

Now, I'd really like to SAFELY have it see 120 gig drives and bigger would be cool.

I'd read everything here on the MSI-6154 and gone to Rainbow as well and can't guess what to do. Doesn't seem to be a bios for it though I bet I'm wrong... hopefully!

it's a VIA chipset with a PIII though there's not a VA on the motherboard badging.

Keen to hear from any guru on this...

Many thanks!

tweed

Tweed,
the AMI BIOS does not have a bug that can be patched to allow big disks, so if it does not support them now and there's no later BIOS, you're pretty much scuppered.

Can you take a back-up copy of the BIOS and email it to me and Edwin? With Time/Tiny disappearing down the plughole, it could be useful to make sure there are some archive copies of the BIOS around.

These days, the best option for large disks if the BIOS does not support them is to buy an add-in PCI controller (with on-board BIOS, of course) which will probably also allow UDMA modes that the motherboard cannot support. That means shelling out money... as does buying a replacement BIOS from one of the third-parties around.

With board this old it may be possible to crossflash to Award Bios if model number and revision number match.

As you post VIA chipset and Rev 2.x it should be possible to use the MS-6154VA Rev 2.x Bios MSI offers.