Shut up! Shut up!

[Dresden]

A large percentage of the time I power my system on the POST display notification beep goes crazy, like a ligitimate error has occured, and 4.7 is displayed on the POST, which is completely insane seeing as all the hex codes start in the 8's. My OS runs fine, yet the beeps continue. FORTUNATELY this is easily countered by restarting my system manually.

Any ideas?

Thanks fellas-

Norton

 

[digitalwanderer]

Systems specs?

 

[Dresden]

Systems specs?

Abit Fatal1ty AA8XE Mobo
Intel P4 3.6
4 gb kingston DDRII ram
ati x1900 XTX
Sound Blaster XFI

If you require more, please let me know

 

[Mize]

Have you flashed the latest BIOS?

 

[Dresden]

Like installed the latest version you mean? Please forgive me, but as far as BIOS is concerned, I'm like a 6 year old.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Well which bios do you currently have installed? That would be a great start.

 

[Mize]

When you first post the bios version should be in the lower left corner. The date is the most helpful part.

I've no clue what a post code 4.7 is, but it could be anything. Might be as simple as needing an updated bios to work properly with your video card or RAM.

 

[Mize]

The latest bios is here:
http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/b...ory=204&model=239&product_name=Fatal1ty-AA8XE

Looks like March 2006

 

[Dresden]

Well which bios do you currently have installed? That would be a great start.

Some default malarkey that came with the board. I heard the Fatal1ty had some issues regarding the XFI initially, but it was resolved with a BIOS driver. I'm at my work currently, but I'll check as soon as i get home.


And Mize thank you for the link you provided. I'll check it out immediately.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Piece-o-advice: If you've never flashed a motherboard before, DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!

I'm not trying to scare you off of flashing since sometimes it just has to be done, but it does have some serious/scary fuck-up risks if you don't do it right....make sure you know how to do it right before you do it.

 

[Dresden]

Piece-o-advice: If you've never flashed a motherboard before, DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!

I'm not trying to scare you off of flashing since sometimes it just has to be done, but it does have some serious/scary fuck-up risks if you don't do it right....make sure you know how to do it right before you do it.

Oh dear... Any online tutorials available for us lesser intellects?

 

[Mize]

Some newer motherboards have "flash from windows" utilities, but most require you to boot into DOS and do everything from the command line. The only real risk is if there is a power outage half-way through a flash. In that situation you're basically hosed (unless you have a UPS). You can swap out the bios chip or piggy-back a compatible one, but recovery isn't remotely simple.

That said, I've never had a power-outage during a flash

 

[Mize]

It looks like you're in luck. The first item on your motherboards DL page is "flashmenu" - a windowns flash utility!

Here's the info on it:
http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/bios/flashmenu.php

Basically it means you just download flashmenu, install it, then download your latest BIOS, save it somewhere you'll find easily (I use c:\bios) and then use the windows utility to flash it.

You still have the power-outage issue, but you won't have to make a dos boot floppy or any of that nonsense. Flashing takes about 30 seconds so it's not THAT risky

FYI, you will use your bios settings.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yeah, I didn't mean to scare you...I just wanted to make sure you knew this was something not to be taken lightly.

I still hold my breath during flashes, I just get anxious.

 

[Mize]

Yeah, I didn't mean to scare you...I just wanted to make sure you knew this was something not to be taken lightly.

I still hold my breath during flashes, I just get anxious.

You need to get an UPS.
(*I* need to get an UPS too! Hell, I have about 70 of them at the office and none at home!)

 

[Pete]

If you're going to flash within Windows, then make sure you make a backup copy of your current BIOS and have at least two copies of the intended BIOS. I tried flashing from Windows with a less than perfect MB utility (if the flash fails due to a defective downloaded copy, shouldn't it prompt me or even automatically backup and reflash with the original?!) and ended up with a useless MB that had to be mailed to Asus to be reflashed.

So, download the new BIOS twice, and maybe even d/l a copy of your current one. Plan ahead.

A UPS can be helpful, and they're so cheap after rebates every so often that there's really no reason not to own one. I've gotten APC and Belkin 500VA units for ~$15 after rebates and taxes.

 

[SugarCoat]

9 times out of 10 my failed POST with beeps occur do to it being angry at the memory. Also dont ignore the beeps, its your computer talking to you. Keeping a list of what codes mean can be helpful. (Award bios is most common these days)
http://www.amptron.com/html/bios.beepcodes.html


Flashmenu has never given me a problem (3 boards at least 10 flashes). I dont backup because i dont have an A: Drive which is essentially what you need if you fail a flash. Even then you're problably stuck without video. But like i said Flashmenu is quite reliable and you wont have an issue. Winflash on the otherhand scares me. Things that do happen on some boards (after a new flash) can be no video signal and/or it gets picky about your memory config. I've had to play around with both components before i was able to boot after the flash a couple times as well. Select the option to default your CMOS within the flash program to avoid encountering that issue most times.

 

[Dresden]

9 times out of 10 my failed POST with beeps occur do to it being angry at the memory.

Funny you should mention that. Apparently my 4 gigs isn't entirely recognized. Windows only recognizes 3.3 of the 4. I figured, for whatever stupid reason, it was a service pack issue.

 

[KimB]

Funny you should mention that. Apparently my 4 gigs isn't entirely recognized. Windows only recognizes 3.3 of the 4. I figured, for whatever stupid reason, it was a service pack issue.

No, it's a 32-bit issue. 32-bit Windows can only allow program access to up to 3GB of RAM, and even then each 32-bit application can only see 2GB of that.

In other words, there's next to no point in purchasing more than 2GB of RAM for a 32-bit Windows system.

 

[SugarCoat]

Funny you should mention that. Apparently my 4 gigs isn't entirely recognized. Windows only recognizes 3.3 of the 4. I figured, for whatever stupid reason, it was a service pack issue.

You need this as long as your pentium is one that supports 64-bit.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102065

or wait for Vista. And you cannot upgrade from your current windows with that. Has to be a fresh install so you would have to backup anything you wanted. Otherwise half your memory is essentially useless.