mobo cause no display with AGP card?

Hey Rockster: I'm sorry, but I missed your question on Daughter's machine. It is up and running with D-link wireless network. I'm using it and the wireless network from her room now to write this post. Used a Shuttle AK32E board, everything went without a hitch. Son's machine also up and running with same Shuttle board, no machine problems, Lots of wireless problems, seems to be because of physical location, too many obstructions between machine and access point, conection keeps dropping. Bought 50' of Cat 5 cable yesterday.

Back to case at hand. Spoke to Soyo yesterday, our combined best efforts failed to solve problem. They request I take board out of case & try from there.

But, your advice makes sense to me, my experience with the PCI card has educated me to how sensitive these settings can be getting 8 drives to work together.

And how tricky getting it right is.

The current boot disk is the one that was installed using MaxBlast. That drive has since been formatted and reformatted time and time again in Windows, and a couple of times with Partition Magic and currently has a clean install of XP. Over new format. If the drive overlay is still there, it sure has staying power. This drive will boot the machine fine from IDE 1, as long as there are no drives connected to 3 or 4. Conected to channel 3, no other drives in machine, no boot, even though it is recognized in Raid BIOS.

Using cable select presents another problem, 3 of 5 drives are IBM, the other two the suspect Maxtors. Woe is me. Hitting the wall has become a bad habit. So has re-installing Windows, the last couple of times MSFT suspects me of being a pirate, I get the third degree by 'phone every time. They make me feel like a criminal. I have three copies of XP, all bought and paid for. Makes me want to go back to 98SE or start using Linux.

My original copy of XP was bought as a pre order before XP was even available, I can't even tell you how many times it has been installed, this is the third MOBO.

I have decided to follow your plan. I'm going to delete the partitions on one of the IBMs, leave it unformatted, clear CMOS connect as master to channel 3, no other drives except CD, boot from XP CD, see if it can format and install XP, if yes, add one drive at a time. See if backup programs can see all drives from their boot CD.

If that doesn't work, I'll take the board out. Go from there.

Again, many, many thanks, I appreciate the hand holding more than you can imagine, I would have given up a long time ago without the help of all the great people on this board.

Martin

 

OK ..... let me not "over-spook" re: IBM HDD's - I thik it was one particular size that caused problems and a simple switch to master and slave was all that was required. Personally, I'd try CS on everything HDD -wise and only revert to master-slave if necessary.

I'm going to look for some highpoint links for you re: importing drives that were formatted and/or had OS installations done in another machine and were moved.

 

This is the bottom of my computer experiences. And I thought that PCI IDE card was tough. Cake walk compared to this combo board. I don't know how things could get worse, but they probably will.

Rockster, as you suggested, I tried to do a clean install of XP with one un-maxblasted drive on channel 3, no other HDDs. After starting XP CD with latest Hypoint drivers, (f6'd), Windows sez " who are you kidding, you ain't got no drives attached" or something similar. Windows wanted to install it's own RAID drivers, Highpoint says don't.

I did do a clean install of XP on IDE 1, which is why I can write this on my own machine instead of daughters. Of course, I had to reactivate again, predictably. At one point, I was able to get the machine to boot from the RAID controller, but for some reason on the next boot I got: "boot disc failure" and was not able to get it to boot there again.

Otherwise, nothing has changed. I have done it all, nothing will work. I've been at it since 6:30 this morning until now, got absolutely nowhere. I am giving up on this MOBO. That PCI IDE card is begining to look pretty good. At least, it worked for a while.

I surrender, it has me beaten.

Martin

 

The Drive Overlay will still be there if all you have done is partition and format. You need to use
fdisk /mbr (from a boot floppy)
or low-level format to get rid of it (Maxblast has an option to clear the MBR also known as sector/track 0, but then wants to reinstall the stupid DO).

A lot of your problems sound like the ones I had when I did BATTLE with the Maxblast DO, especially the "blinking cursor" (the point where the DO should load) and the loss of drives as soon as the configuration is changed.

YOU NEED TO GET RID OF IT!! Suggest searching Maxtor website for instructions, but you may not find any. Email Maxtor and ask for instructions. I managed to get it done with a bit of chopping and changing because firstly a boot floppy could not see the drive (tried slaving like Rockster suggested ... no drive) and secondly I had to use Maxblast to repartition and format after the L-L format (BTW that drive works great now).

I will see if I can find some info on removing it, but it is probably what I have suggested.

Matt

Note, I have never used "fdisk /mbr ". I always use the manufacturer's utility to work on a HD because I know they will recognise the drive properly.

 

Uninstall EZ-BIOS

Quote:
At times, the EZ-BIOS (installed via MaxBlast) may not be required to maintain the capacity of hard drive(s) in a computer. A good example of this scenario is when an end user upgrades their hardware (i.e., motherboard/BIOS upgrade, installation of a BIOS card or EIDE Controller card with onboard BIOS) in their respective PC. End users MUST uninstall (remove) the EZ-BIOS if such an upgrade is implemented.


I think we're on a winner now!

Matt

 

Mattman, you have more staying power than I do. I had intended to give up on this board. Got RMA from Soyo. But I can muster up enough energy to try again. Last time I booted from floopy, with Spinrite, it could not see any of the disks on the machine. So I dont know what good any more work will do, but I'll take one more last shot.

I can't do anything right now, my sister in law is extremely ill, Septicima and Lukemia. she lives in Florida. We are leaving tonite to see her and say our last goodbyes. Will be gone until Tuesday.

When, God willing, we get back, I'll take one more shot at it. But I have already plugged un-maxblasted drives into 3 & 4 with same results. I'll post back when I return.

Thanks again for staying with this one.

Martin

 

Sorry to learn of your Sister-In-Law's health - may god bless. Give us a shout upon your return - I feel for you going round in circles on this MB, but it really isn't that tough - you just got off to a bad start. We're going to flash your bios to that kvx42aa6 when you get back and your going to use V 2.341 highpoint drivers.

 

Very, very sad to hear about your sister-in-law. This is a bad time for you and the computer playing up would only make it intensified.

Take it easy. Don't let little things get you down.

Let us know how the drives go when you get round to it. I feel you will have some success when you straighten-out the MBR's. Rockster's plans look good too.

My thoughts to you and your family.

Matt

 

Hey Guys: Back from trip, Appreciate your kind words of sympathy, Sister-in-Law in better shape than we were led to believe by her son, begining to believe is was a plot to get us to visit. First time I ever saw someone who supposedly on their last gasp cleaning, shopping and cooking. She has been very ill though, chemotherapy, plus every drug you ever heard of. All that aside, I hope she lives forever, she is a good person.

Back to the matter at hand, getting this machine to boot with drives connected to channels 3 & 4.

Let me see if I understand your (collective) suggestions, and tell you what my thinking is.

1. Uninstall EZ Bios.

If it is installed, I don't know where. It does not show on screen during boot. I recall it doing so previously, a long time ago. I have 5 HDDs. I know maybe one, maybe two were installed using MaxBlast, but I'm not sure which ones. With all the switching around, I've lost track. And as you may know, this is not the MOBO in use at the time MaxBlast was used. Goes back 2 boards ago. If it is still alive on this system, how in the world do I find it??? Trying to follow instructions on Maxtor's site (thanks Mattman) would require each drive to be connected, I guess I could do this in sequence as slaves to "C ". Good grief, what a mess. Plus, Maxtor says use MaxBlast 1., Only 3. available at site, I have downloaded it.

2. Install new Hypoint drivers version 2.341

I have version 2.342 installed. I loaded these drivers after install of XP home.

On install of XP Home, using F6, with drive connected to channel 3, only drive connected, Windows cannot see drivers on floppy, cannot see drive on channel 3.

3. Flash BIOS to version kvx42aa6

I have not flashed the BIOS on this board, will look on next boot to see version, will post back on edit.

I am so confused.

Martin

Edit: Bios version is k7vx4-2aa4

Flash it now????

Edit 2: I just took delivery on two 40 gig Seagate drives, intended for installation in daughter and son's machines. Thinking try in my machine with 1 on channel 1 and one on channel 3, see if Windows install program can see drive on 3?

What do you think??

Edit 3: downloaded MaxBlast 3, Instructions say to click options as way to get to delete EZ BIOS, MaxBlast 3 will not boot machine, get error message:

"Can't load BDOS kernel file: A:\IBMDOS.COM System Halted."

Instructions on WebSite say won't work without at least 1 Maxtor drive in system, Connect Maxtor drive, get different set of error messages, ending with "enter valid command (eg: C:\Command.com) Enter C:\Command.Com, get "Bad Command, command interpeter cannot load." Piece of sh**.

Are you sure I shouldn't surrender????

 

Yes Yes Yes if you have the new drives available. This will tell you if it is the current MBR setup that is causing the problem and if fresh drives will work properly. Set them up as a trial at least.


Try downloading Maxtor 3 again, but may have to fdisk /mbr or low-level format the bad ones to get them fixed, they are not helping you the way they are. The new drives could be used for holding data if you L-L format.

L-L format may be risky, but the other alternative is 4 or 5 drives that are unusable or giving you endless problems.

Matt

 

Glad to hear Sis is better than expected. Now, if your machine doesn't recognize drivers at F6 of XP Home install, STOP right there. Do not try to go any further. HALT - QUIT - CEASE - turn off your machine F3 to exit installation.

This confirms what I've been thinking all along and if you go back to perhaps my first post or two, I'm sure I said it before - you have to have the right drivers and the right bios or else nothing you do is going to work. Where did you get the 2.342 drivers - they don't match the Highpoint bios you are using - end of story - you can try a couple of hundred new drives and you're still going to go nowhere.

Go to the SOYOUSA site and download the bios file I referenced 2aa6. (I think its kxbp2aa6.zip) While you are there, get the Highpoint Drivers which match that bios - 2.341. Make a boot disk with Dr DOS, AWDFLASH and your extracted bin files. Make another disk (floppy) with your extracted 2.341 drivers. Flash the bios - clear CMOS - reset BIOS - (you won't be bootable after the flash until you clear CMOS on this board). Then start a clean install and use the 2.341 drivers after the F6 prompt. Put your HDD's on 3&4 and don't worry about it - forget about IDE #1 for the time being. This will resolve your problems although you may have to clean up those other drives with the MaxBlast BS on them before Windows or your highpoint controller will play friendly with them.

Good Luck and quit being so darn stubborn. Computers don't make errors, what they do, they do on purpose!

 

Excuse me if I sound short - just trying to bark some sense into that Bulldog skull. I know its mighty frustrating, but this is any easy board to set up. I've done 6-7 of these in the last month and am just trying to tell you what works.

If you want I'll send you disks and more detail - your call.

Regards ....

 

Rushed off that last post before going to work. I too, am glad to hear your S-I-L is going better than expected.
Take note of Rocksters advice before mine. I have a fair bit of experience with drives, but not these motherboards or RAID for that matter.

Matt
(Edit: But won't discount the necessity of some drastic action, especially at the "I am defeated" stage ).

 

Hey guys: I may appear to be hardheaded and stubborn, and maybe my wife would agree with you, but think you are confusing hardheadedness and stuborness with my stupidity and confusion.

Please keep that in mind as this goes on, and on, and on.

I re-installed the high point drivers version 2.341. I got the .342 drivers from Soyo. I got the version # reported from device manager. I updated drivers using exact same disk, now, device manager says 2.341, mystery to me.

I tried to flash bios, kvx42aa6 (42aa8 also available), get error: "drive write protected ". This is on existing, not new drives. I'm wondering if Drive Image or Partition Magic figure in to this equasion. They are resident on this system.

Per your collective suggestions, will connect new drives as cable select on channels 3 and 4 and attempt new install of XP, try to F6 2.341.

Step 1. Shut down and clear CMOS
Step 2. connect new drives channel 3 & 4 cable select.
Step 3. Flash BIOS
Step 4. Boot from Windows install disk
Step 5. load 2.341 drivers by F6. if not recognized quit and come back to board.
Step 6. cross fingers
step 7. install XP home
step 8. shut down and clear CMOS
step 9. re-cross fingers
step 10. re-boot

Will post back results. (probably be using daughter's machine)

Martin

 

Hi Guys: Faithfully followed the outline in my previous post.

Sorry to report, no results. System refuses to boot, either from HDD, CD or Floppy with blank HDDs or with boot drive connected to channels 3 and/or 4. No matter what drivers, what disks, what boot order, whatever.

Since I cannot boot from floppy with drives connected to 3 or 4, I cannot update bios for new drives.

Since I can't boot from CD, I cannot attempt an install of XP on the blank drives.

Further, when booting to XP using IDE channel 1, cannot update BIOS, get error message: "Drive is write protected" It does not say what drive this error message refers to. HDD "0" at IDE "0" ?


One mystery solved, 342 driver loaded from Soyo CD, instructions on web site say use these drivers if controller to be used as IDE, not RAID. Dosen't matter, cannot boot with either 241 drivers or 342 drivers.

I have been configuring and reconfiguring, clearing CMOS, changing boot order, installing, uninstalling drivers, switching drives, and anything else you can think of since 7:00 AM, it is now 12:24 PM.

I quit. I'm giving up. going to RMA this board.

Thanks for all your help.

Martin

Edit: One thing I have not tried is clean install of XP on blank drive on IDE channel 1. If I can accomplish that, maybe I can update bios. then maybe machine will boot with drives attached to 3/4. Thats a whole lot of big maybes! Comments?

If I do this and have to reactivate Windows again, which I will, I'm sure, I'm really going to be upset. Just the thought of the third degree they put me through...........

 

News Flash - you don't need any hard drives in your machine at all to flash the BIOS. This has nothing to do with what is or isn't on your hard drives, where they are or what kind they are - nothing - notta, notta.

OK, we need to step back and simplify this a bit. I thought you had some experience flashing a BIOS, but you know how the word assume breaks down = ass-u+me.

First we have to make a disk for flashing and we are going to use DRDOS - download this to a folder on a good machine and then put a floppy in that machine's drive A and double click the downloaded DRDOS file from within the folder - it will automatically self extract to the floppy. Its called DRDFLASH.EXE Link is here:
http://www.sudhian.com/showfaqs.cfm?fid=2&fcid=23

Secondly, use the same link and download AWDFLASH and copy it to the same floppy (send to A: or copy and paste) after you have downloaded this to a folder on a good machine.

Third, download the correct BIOS file from SOYOUSA - note: it will be zipped - then extract the files within it to the same floppy (not to worry - it will all fit) - (Unzip to A) Link for the correct BIOS is here - You want the kxbp2aa6 (it matches your 2.341 drivers and I can vouch for it as a good working BIOS)
http://www.soyousa.com/downloads/se...n+XP,+T-Bird,+Duron&col2=46&col3=BIOS+Upgrade

Fourth, make sure that you have BIOS virus protection turned off (disabled) in your BIOS settings and make sure 3.5" 1.44MB floppy is selected as your first boot device in the bios.

Fifth, with the machine turned off, insert the floppy and turn on the machine - it will boot using the DRDOS files. Then at an A prompt type "dir" without the quotes - look for and write down the exact name of the bin file including the underscore _ and exact letter spacing. Then go back to an A prompt and type "AWDFLASH" without the quotes. This will open the Bios Flash utility, you will then be prompted for the BIN file name - go ahead - you have it written down. Now, follow all instructions until it says success and then keep following instructions - do not shut down midway or you will be totally unbootable until you get a new chip. Upon completion, you will be instructed to exit - think its F1, then you can CNTRL-ALT-DEL and then shutdown.

Sixth, unplug power, open case and remove power cable from MB connector. Now move CMOS jumper from pins 1&2 to pins 2&3 - Wait about 5-10 seconds and put it back on 1&2. Reconnect power cable to the MB inside the case. Reconnect main power - turn the machine on and keep hitting the DEL key to get back into BIOS - reset everything in your BIOS. F10 your way out and then we'll discuss your hard drives - your 2.341 Highpoint drivers MUST be installed following an F6 prompt during initial XP setup - no drivers, no HDD recognition on IDE 3&4.

Phew -------------- Good Luck. And, if you fail - not to worry. We'll cross that bridge if it happens and its going to cost you 3 days and $20-25.

Again, good luck my friend ...........

 

Hey Rockster: Well, I can see that your patience knows no bounds. I have several times reached my frustration tolerance level, only to be brought down to earth by you and mattman.

OK, I'll keep trying. I have flashed BIOS many times on different boards in the past 5 years, I have yet to have one go as this one has.

Just to let you know, I have attempted to flash with Windows start up disk, awdflash and kvx42aa6. With drive on 1 & 1, I get "disk is write protected" after typing in awdflash kvx42aa6 at the "A" prompt.

With drive on 3, cannot boot from floppy. Machine quits after RAID BIOS detects drives, RAID BIOS screen stays up with flashing cursor. Also, "control H" only works w/o drive on 3 & 4.

I have downloaded all as per your post, am about to make Floppy.

Will proceed as per your suggestions.

Will post back results.

Thanks again.

Martin

 

Good evening all:

I have followed reccomendations to the letter. I still cannot flash the BIOS.

I have downloaded 2 different BIOS bin files, one from Sudian Media referred by Rockster and one from Soyo's site.

From Soyo: kvx42aa6 bin, Results: "Disk is write protected "

Sudian Media: kxbp2aa6 bin, Results: "cannot find source file "

These error messages appear in the BIOS flash program window after entering the file name and pressing enter. Entered exactly as appearing in A:dir.

All files downloaded and unzipped directly to "A" or "send to" if not zipped. All files appear in "A" when opened in "My Computer "

Any more ideas?

Thanks for all your help.

Martin

 

put the whole zipped file kxbp2aa6.zip on the floppy and unzip it to the same floppy - the link I supplied you to the file is directly from SOYOUSA -

A Windows Startup disk won't work for flashing your BIOS. If you follow my directions, you're home free - I've given you all the links and named the specific files and procedures. My offer still stands to send you disks. You can also email Jack@badflash.com, tell him what BIOS you want, your MB & BIOS chip and he'll send you a brand new chip with the right BIOS.

Again, I'm of the impression that you have a SOYO KT333 Dragon Ultra Platinum Motherboard. Note - different MB's have different BIOS files. Note - you must have more than just the bin file on your "flashing floppy" - you need all of the uncompressed files from the zipped bios along with DRDOSFLASH and AWDFLASH.

Again, follow the instructions carefully and don't deviate. You can do it - save your creativity for that manual you're going to write.



Edit - you haven't followed my instructions too well if you downloaded a BIOS file from any place other than the SOYO link I provided for same. The Sudian links were for DRDOSFLASH and AWDFLASH only - better reread exactly what I said.

 

Hey Rockster: Getting feisty?? Impatient like me? The only thing I haven't done is copy and unzip inside floppy. I'll do that next.

The board is kt400 Dragon Ultra Platinum edition. The BIOS on Soyo web site is kvx42aa6 there is also aa7 & aa8. I'm trying with aa6 as you said for driver match to highpoint 2.341.

I'm not trying to boot from awdflash, but booting caldera dos boot diskette which also holds awdflash and BIOS bin file.

So after copying to floppy and uzipping on floppy I'll post back.

Hey, I'm not quitting 'cause you and mattman have stuck with me and I appreciate it.

Martin