BIOS Updates forum

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:39 pm**

I've been trying to find an update for the bios on an old motherboard i've been trying to get working. I am trying to get it working with a 120 GB hard drive. In normal mode the hard drive isnt recognised at all, but with the jumpers set to 32GB mode the hard drive is recognised. Hopefully a bios upgrade will allow the full 120GB to be used.

I know the motherboard from a sticker on the actual board and the description here matches.

The A-win website (http://www.a-win.com.tw) doesn't mention motherboards anywhere so I can only assume they no longer support them.

This is all i've been able to glean from the actual pc.

Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG

A-WIN AW-P2BX BIOS Revision 2.2 (2WL) .E

Extention v1.0A

04/16/1999-i440BX-W977TF-2A69KX4DC-00

Can anyone shed some light onto where I could find a BIOS update? Would it be possible to upgrade with a bios from another manufacturer?

Sorry, I couldnt run the Unicore Bios Agent as i'm running Linux

Thanks

EDIT: Sorry didn't see the self booting version -

Program: eSupport.com BIOS Detect v1.2 July 21, 2003
BIOS Date: 04/16/99
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 04/16/1999-i440BX-W977TF-2A69KX4DC-00
OEM Sign-On: A-WIN AW-P2BX BIOS Revision 2.2 (2WL).E
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: Winbond 977TF rev 0 found at port 3F0h
CPU Type: INTEL(R) CELERON(TM)
CPU Speed: 400 Mhz
CPU Max: 400 Mhz
BIOS ROM In Socket: Yes
BIOS ROM Size: 256K
Memory Installed: 128 MB
Memory Maximum: 128 MB

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:58 pm**

as you are using linux: just clip the hdd to 32GB so you're able to boot it. linux would never ask the bios for the correct size of the hdd but rather question the hdd itself via the ide controller. so just make sure your bootpartition is within the 32GB barrier so that the bios can see & boot it. as soon as your kernel is loaded the whole 120GB hdd will be detected (just take a look at you dmesg).

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:16 pm**

Even with a boot partition less than 32GB the pc wont boot. It gets as far as auto-detecting the hard drive and it just stops. even with a blank drive, no partitions, the pc just stops dead.

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:25 pm**

Lemonbrook, would you like to backup and email me your BIOS? I'll see whether it can be patched, as I am having difficulty finding any A-WIn BIOSes at all.

Posted: **Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:16 am**

Sent, Thanks very much

Posted: **Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:41 am**

"In normal mode the hard drive isnt recognised at all, but with the jumpers set to 32GB mode the hard drive is recognised."

sounds to me like: clip it and it will work...at least the bios detects 32GB and boots fine. anyways get the bios patched..

wanna see something strange? hook up your 120GB hdd and DON'T set it up in the bios (no manual setup, no automatic setup..just..nothing). boot a nice and shiny linux cd and get your hdds detected. guess what the ide query will find? surprise, surprise..

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:43 am**

Hmm, this isn't so simple. The normal extended components apparently aren't in this BIOS, just the "original.tmp" basic BIOS stuff:

Code: Select all

D:\Hardware\A-Win>..\award\cbrom113 p2bx22.bin /d
CBROM v1.13a
Copyright (c) Award Software, Inc. 1995-1997 All Rights Reserved.


              ********   p2bx22.bin BIOS component ********

 No. Item-Name         Original-Size   Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=============================================================================
  0. System BIOS       20000h(128.00K)1442Fh(81.05K)original.tmp

  Total compress code space  = 16000h(88.00K)
  Total compressed code size = 1442Fh(81.05K)
  Remain compress code space = 01BD1h(6.95K)

Our automatic patcher can't find the things it expects to find. I'll send you a version patched with apple_rom's "bp" to try (at your own risk as usual).

Posted: **Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:13 am**

Could this be the same board?
http://www.supportbios.info/modelo.asp? ... &Idioma=EN

Posted: **Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:01 pm**

ajzchips wrote:Could this be the same board?
http://www.supportbios.info/modelo.asp? ... &Idioma=EN

Hmm, P2BX vs P3BX?

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