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biostar MB-8500TAC FX chipset?

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 1:42 am
by jlee
can you help me with a bios upgrade with the mb-8500tac. the number is 51-0000-001223-00111111-101094-INTEL-FX-F and listed as BIOSTAR MB-8500TAC... I actually upgraded it with a bios and everything seems to work but now I cannot seem to use the serial modem that came with the computer... Can you give me a suggestion on what I should do? I tried looking at the biostar-usa.com website but it gives the bios for the mb-8500tec for the page on 8500tac. I looked at the biostar taiwan site but it tells me to look for the chipset umc or SMC but I see a UM8? Can someone help? Thanks for any suggestions.

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 2:15 am
by ajzchips
The Taiwanese site is telling you to take a look at your super I/O controller chip. It's located behind your PCI slots (between these and the motherboard edge, a few inches below the keyboard connector).
Check whether it's UMC or SMC.

problem flashing

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 8:22 am
by jlee
I think i know what the problem is now. because i use the umc flash in the biostar-usa.com site for the MB-8500TAC page but actually has the bios for the MB-8500TEC i02bu722.rom. I'm not able to flash the computer now with an ami flasher using the biostar taiwan page of version 818. I tried version ami32.exe ami53a.com ami634.com amifl632.com and it stalls in reading the .rom file... can someone help me with this? The ami flasher isn't letting me flash the correct rom for the motherboard (i02bua29)

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 8:32 am
by Rainbow

uniflash didn't work

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 8:52 am
by jlee
didn't work... in fact it didn't even give the option to flash the bios. instead to make a backup.

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2002 9:01 am
by Rainbow
What's printed on the BIOS chip (under any labels like AMI)?

finall update but serial mouse still does not work

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 12:57 am
by jlee
I manage to update the bios using the changing rom file to amiboot.rom and using ctrl+home (was in the motherboard manual). I found this method after giving up on the whole ami flash program.

Anyway my serial mouse that was always used with computer no longer is being detected? I disabled ps/2 mouse support and stuff (tried almost everything in bios config) so i'm still left with a computer without mouse control.

Can someone give me a suggestion on fixing this? I've concluded the following if anyone can help me out with.

I'm short the original bios for my motherboard.
I don't have the "optional" (from the manual) ps2 cable.(anyone know where I can get this? or how much?)
I dont' really want to spend the 40 dollars for a com pci card or other card (I recently checked my local compusa. expensive) though it is my last and final resort (anyone recommend a card?).

If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Try to include the price or other misc info. Thanks.

one more thing

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 1:05 am
by jlee
From the update I can see the option for usb support?? Can someone give me an idea on how to do that? (there was no usb when the computer came out) It would not be difficult to get a usb mouse so that's another option though I don't quite udnerstand the support for usb or where to plug it in the board... Any info would be great. Thanks.

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 11:02 am
by NickS
Which I/O chip do you have and which version did you flash ?

correct bios, still same problem

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 2:51 pm
by jlee
I flashed the correct bios for my MB-8550TAC. The updated one reads I02BUA29.com for the UMC chipset. The computer did not come with the optional ps2 mouse cable and the update seems to have made my serial mouse dead.

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 3:20 pm
by ajzchips
Did you do as suggested before, and took a look at what I/O chip you actually have?

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 4:22 pm
by jlee
are you following the thread? When I stated it was a UMC chipset that is what I mean by the I/O chip...

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 4:35 pm
by ajzchips
I only insisted because:
a) flashing the BIOS release for the wrong I/O chip will disable your serial ports, among others.
b) UMC also manufactures cache chips, and some people confuse these with the I/O chips.

Also, you could try clearing CMOS (with the jumper), as this gets rid of residual after-flash garbage.

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2002 7:11 pm
by NickS
jlee wrote:are you following the thread? When I stated it was a UMC chipset that is what I mean by the I/O chip...
You *never* actually stated that *your* motherboard had a UMC chipset. Check the thread. We're only trying to help.

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2002 12:51 am
by jlee
NickS wrote:
jlee wrote:are you following the thread? When I stated it was a UMC chipset that is what I mean by the I/O chip...
You *never* actually stated that *your* motherboard had a UMC chipset. Check the thread. We're only trying to help.
I would like to apologize to ajzchips if he believes in the slightest that i'm not appreciative of his comments and suggestions which he has given either in reminders or possible simple resolutions. My most recent post might have given the wrong impression.

Nicks, I'm sure you like to know all the facts before giving out a reliable solution but that's not what I really need. I'm a technie... If you post something and give me a possible solution or course of action, I would sincerely appreciate it but if you constantly post just to ask waht i/o chip i have and what version flash i'm using... that really doesn't help me and I do not like answering your question and waiting another day for another question, etc. etc.