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I just got an ECS p4m800pro-M v2.0 motherboard. It came with the older bios 061004, which works fine except for the fact the the reported cpu temperature is incorrect. I am having trouble updating the bios to the next level (061214), which corrects the cpu temp problem. Here is a link...
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Pr...
Using the afuwin.exe flashing program, and accepting the defaults for it and then depressing "flash", appears to reflash the bios correctly and reboot. However on the reboot after the ide drives are detected I get this:
"floppy controller error
cmos checksum bad
press F1 to enter setup"and at that point I am unable to proceed as neither the keyboard nor mouse is responsive. However if I unplug the keyboard, I get this:
"floppy controller error
cmos checksum bad
press F1 to enter setup
checking nvram..."which indicates that the bios keyboard driver was causing a lockup. Anyway after checking nvram it proceeds to boot, though of course without a keyboard. But then within windows I can use the mouse to reflash back to the previous bios, which gets me back to a working machine.
Note that my machine does not have a floppy drive installed.
This could be a bug in the new bios, however its also possible that there is another solution, so I thought I would ask for ideas. Thanks
Are you using a USB keyboard? It appears the flash is being done correctly. The normal course of events is to enter the BIOS upon reboot to reset the proper settings. Try using a PS2 keyboard. How are you flahing the BIOS? From a bootable CD or from Windows? One other point, have you verified the bin file you are using is for your EXACT MBoard, including version?
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Are you using a USB keyboard?
No, only ps2.
It appears the flash is being done correctly. The normal course of events is to enter the BIOS upon reboot to reset the proper settings. Try using a PS2 keyboard. How are you flashing the BIOS?
From windows, I have no bootable CD.
From a bootable CD or from Windows?
Jumped ahead of you there. We both are aware that there is not a bootable floppy drive or usb drive here.
One other point, have you verified the bin file you are using is for your EXACT MBoard, including version?
Yes good point that is the key question, and so I put it in my first sentence up at the top of the first post. For years now computing.net should have replaced their intro post requirement (at least for the hardware section) from os/cpu to motherboard make model and version, so it is good that you brought it up. But anyway I already mentioned it earlier so check it out. I have a p4m800pro-m v2.0 and the ecs link to its bios downloads is on the link above. Flashing bioses on wrong motherboards tends not to work, just like when you try to install a wrong device driver. But yes I have the right version. This floppy error stands out but I do not have a floppy in the house.
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This may or may not be relevant to you but I have this same MOBO though a different version. There was a typo in the instructions for the BIOS flash. I was able to complete the flash. In later communication with ECS, they recommended clearing CMOS right after a BIOS flash using the jumper on the MOBO.
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The default BIOS setting would be for a floppy controller to be configured so the floppy error is to be expected. Is the BIOS file you are having trouble with a really new release? Are you Oclocking?
You are flashing from within Windows. Are you then performing a system shutdown and then entering the BIOS upon the next startup to reset the settings?
Flashing from within Windows isn't a good idea IMO.
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Are you then performing a system shutdown and then entering the BIOS upon the next startup to reset the settings?
No overclocking and the flash utility automatically restarts the system, so I do not have the option of shutting down. Immediately after said restart the system is unresponsive to the keyboard so I cannot enter bios. And its only when the keyboard is unplugged that it gets to the nvram and windows load.
In later communication with ECS, they recommended clearing CMOS right after a BIOS flash using the jumper on the MOBOI just tried this, turning the power off after the bios flash, resetting cmos using the jumper, and it continues to not see the keyboard with this bios. It is only when the keyboard is unplugged that it can boot.
One other thing to consider are the bios flash options. Here are the (default) options I am using.
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While there's no reason why updating the BIOS from Windows shouldn't work, I personally place more faith in BIOS flashes done via command (floppy) mode - sometimes that can even prove fallible.
I recall helping a friend out with a BIOS flash sometime last year and after so many attempts, decided to call the motherboard manufacturer and was taken aback when the told me, the know about the problem we were having and to just go ahead and flash the board's BIOS twice over :-(
Anyhow, did you by any chance try the HALT settings - I'd suggest changing it "HALT" on no errors or something similar to that & see what gives.
Good luck!
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Hi guys,
Just thought I'd mention I'm having the same problem, only i can't boot up with the keyboard unplugged - i get "NTLDR is missing" which I understand to be failure to find the boot manager or the like. So I can't flash back. Which leaves me in the **** really....not giving up though, I'll post back if I manage to fix it. Nice to know I'm not alone, I'm not sending the MOBO back to ECS just yet.
I'm going to try the physical CMOS clear, I didn't leave it for ten minutes when I did it, only a few. Maybe i can get as fas as booting from a cd.
I'm running XP, dual 2.8 CPU.
Good luck johnoh.
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OtheHill,
my bad i didn't specify that, i do have a floppy installed but get the same floppy controller error as john.... and i've unplugged it.
Dare I use uniflash?.....
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I hooked up another HD with XP on it, but
it rebooted in the middle of booting and
then we get the menu where the default
option is "start windows normally" so I
can't boot in safe mode. Don't think
there's much point in trying yet another
one...just attempted running uniflash under
WINE in knoppix but it wouldn't.
What else?, what else... :( trying with a
USB keyboard is all I can think of. Anybody
got a better idea?.....thanks in adv for
all feedback...
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Went down and bought a usb keyboard, and when booting it stops in the same manner. Unplug the keyboard, and it boots past the nvram check.
THIS MEANS WAR... next i'll find and download a streaming copy of a ms compatible OS, try burn it straight to cd in knoppix... and then boot that up, and FINALLY flash back the bios to an earlier version. I'll post again if it worked.
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Iggy
Clear the CMOS and boot to your floppy. If you have the cabling correctly the default is to have a floppy drive.
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I exchanged my mobo at the store and all syumptoms are identical. However now ECS is telling me that they have not tested the p4 531 on it (my cpu). The mobo's v1 supported cpus area a superset of the v2 cpus.
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you know john, I'm having this exact same problem with the same motherboard. i originally was running the bios made in august 2006, then i flash the new bios from october 2006, but when i flash the bios from 12/14/06 (the bios in questoin that all of these errors stem from), i get identical errors and halt: floppy controller error yada yada ya. In fact, i was about rdy to mash my mb with a large stone until i found that when i unplugged the keyboard, the system actually booted to windows. when i plug the kb back in windows freezes. i'm confident that ecs just blows. anyway, i'm going to try flashing from A: drive (i've been flashing /w winflash supplied by ecs). maybe it's the windows flash that causes the problem??? who knows. i'll reflash and let you know . . . gl brother
i love computers but hate ecs
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I have a very similar problem.Whenever i try to boot up i get an error message that states i have a bad checksum and I get another error about the date and time. I go into the Bios to change the date and time and hit save but when i reboot i get the same error. I have reset the cmos with the jumper, i have removed the cmos battery and tried to flash the bios all have failed . When I boot up without a keyboard, I can get to my hard drive! That is weird. I have tried to flash the Bios but it doesnt work . I have all the files from the download on a disk and I can get to AFUDOS but when i type the ROM version with the switches per the instructions I get some error messages. Please help this is driving me crazy. Thanks in advance.
ps.
I have tried to contact ECS, am waiting for reply.
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Otherhill: I understand you're trying to be helpful but your "standard" advices which in most cases would work, do not apply in this case. I've been building PCs since the 80's and this symptom is very specific to the mentioned board. I, too, have experienced the same with no permanent solution to the problem. ECS definitely has released a a problematic bios update (which often happens not only for ECS but for all major motherboard mfgs.). The only response I got from ECS is that they will look into the problem in detail. I haven't heard from them yet.
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ecsowner, I already came to that conclusion due to the other folks in this thread that seem to have similar BIOS issues. I wish you luck.
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!!!!! SOLUTION!!!!!!
I have been having the same problem. The problem comes from the fact that there are 2 different pvm800 motherboards that use 2 different bios. Version 2.0 (mine, just bought from frys), does not have an "s" at the end of the file name. I put on the wrong bios and lost keyboard access, etc....This is what I did...
I could not get past the "f1 to enter setup" prompt, my keyboards were useless. I installed a PCi USB card and plugged a PS2-USB convertor into it and my keyboard. The keyboard STILL did not work, but the card was recognized by the bios and the PC would attempt to boot. No matter what, it would not boot from a USB floppy, and I COULD NOT do anything to change it from booting to Hard disk first. It ACTUALLY BOOTED VISTA, my graphics were black and white and devices had all changed...and unfortunately VISTA was useless to help my situation. Anyway, I disconnected the hard drive to force it to boot from CDROM. IT WOULD BOOT CDs! So.... to make a long story short, I created a bootable CDrom with an autorun that would execute the bios upgrade automatically. It was successful, and I now have the correct 10/04 bios.
quick step by step...
ASSUMING YOU CAN GET PAST THE F1 PROMPT AND YOUR PC TRIES TO BOOT....and have another PC with which to create a bootable cd.1. disconnect your hard disks to force it to boot to CD
2. create a bootable cdrom as per the instructions here:
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/cdromsi/
3. Copy the bios files to the appropriate directory
4. edit the autorun file as explained in the bootable cd instructions with the following line:
afudos.ROM /p /b /n /c /x /reboot
5. make your cd and boot the other pc with it!
6. Voila!ECS - kiss my arse! I knew I shouldve spent a little more for a better mobo. This bios is still very buggy....but working!
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Thank you nugsy! It worked for me too. One thing to watch out for - the command in step 4 should say "061004.ROM" like this:
afudos 061004.ROM /p /b /n /c /x /reboot
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First thing: Nugsy, you da man!
You gave me hope that I might get this fixed.I made a CDrom boot disk, per the instructions, following them to the letter, as best as my poor understanding allows.
I have the v2.0 board, for certain.
Bios version I used is `061004S1`. Is this the incorrect one for the v2.0 board?
With ps2 keyboard un-attached, and the HDD hooked up, I can get as far as my home networking password loggin. The mouse (usb, or ps2) isn`t working. With the HDD disconnected, I can get dos prompt, but without a keyboard what can I do?
Any help would be a godsend!
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Jackaroe,
First, that is the incorrect bios. The bios filename is.rom. It does NOT have an "s" at the end. (That is the problem I ran into).
To clarify, the bios for Ver. 2.0 of the p4m800pro-m mother board is "061104.rom"
It can be downloaded here:
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWeb/Produc...Next,
In step 4 of creating the "bootable DOS cd-rom", it instructs as follows:# Now you can customize things like:
* Adding programs and files to "cds\cdromsi\files\" folder. These will appear in the root of your CD-Rom filesystem.
* Change the file "cds\cdromsi\files\autorun.bat" you can add any commands you want, like starting some application that is located on the CD-Rom.----
If you did not do this, then what you need to do is:
After downloading the bios zip file...
1. copy.rom AND AFUDOS.exe to "cds\cdromsi\files\", where you installed bcd.
(NOTE: to be safe, you may want to copy ALL files, as thats what I did "just in case". But, I'm pretty sure it only needs those 2 files)2. edit "cds\cdromsi\files\autorun.bat" by adding the line:
"afudos.ROM /p /b /n /c /x /reboot"
(Thanks fnord for the clarification)
3. Follow step 5 of the bootcd instuctions to burn the CD
4. On the problem PC, disconnect the Hard Drive(s...all of them), but leave the CD/DVD connected. I assume you have no problems booting from CD normally...
5. Boot from your new CD and it will automatically update the bios. I recieved an error, but the update was still successful. It did not automatically reboot though. Be patient...it may take a bit before it starts booting the CD, and of course be sure the update is done if you have to manually reboot.
6. Reboot and re-setup you BIOS (it will be wiped...time, and all settings, etc...)
ALSO, you may want to read the PDF file that comes with the bios. It will give you a better understanding of whats going on or what I'm saying if it doesnt make sense.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
btw...just curious, what city you live in Jackaroe? I used to talk PC with a jackaroW (i think it was a W)...
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hmmm... I just noticed everytime I typed the bios file name without quotes, it erased the numbers. ...as such.
..no quotes: .rom
with quotes: "061004.rom"Anyway, I think you can still make sense of the last post. Anytime it says XXX.rom (where XXX is anything but "061004", than it should be "061004.rom".)
Happy trails!
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Ok, I want to make sure I have this right, In the folder Clean20/cds/clean/bootdisk I have Autoexec (not edited), Afudos, Autorun (edited as instructed), and Fdos (edited as `Autorun` was).
I need to burn just the contents of this folder to CD as an iso drive image (Nero V5.5)?
What confused me before was the 061004s1.zip that unpacked to `061004.rom`.
I`m using the one that you linked to, now.
Question: Afudos and Fdos (both)? Fdos came in the .zip file with the correct .rom.Btw, i`m in Sacramento, Ca, never used the `Jackarow` name.
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Tried using a image of the files I listed above, except did not include `Fdos`.
With Keyboard and HDD disconnected.
Boots to the CDrom, Caldera DrDos runs.
The boot screen shows the Ameritrends 10/4/06 bios version.
Eventually I get a dos command prompt that looks like: [DR-DOS] A:\> (Blinking cursor).
Some available options are listed above the command prompt, but without the keyboard....Power-button shutdown, re-connect keyboard and HDD, reset cmos jumper, turn off power supply at the switch for 5 min: Bios shows correct date, `Del key to run Setup` (doesn`t work), Freezes after `No Floppy Controler`/`F-1 to Setup` Still no keyboard function.
I need to go back to work, will check back, later. Rest assured that if I get this working again, the very 1st thing I will do is post back to let you know.
I`m going to try to order a relacement bios chip, just to cover my bases.
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No, your files are in the wrong place. They should be in "cds\cdromsi\files\" off of the directory where you installed bcd. Make sure you are following the instructions for this version of the bootCD...
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/cdromsi/
The instructions start below the table of contents.
You need to have all the bios related files in that directory. The FDOS.BAT is simply what you need to put in the autorun.bat file (so you don't need to copy it). Edit the autorun.bat and then burn the CD as per step 5. ...
"change to the BCD folder and run "bcd cdromsi" to build your ISO image and burn it to your CD writer". Do this from a DOS prompt. Have your blank CD in the drive before executing the command, and it will burn your CD (yes, from the dos prompt).
Ok...if your are able to boot to CD, you should be able to get this to work. The reason you are getting just a prompt is becuase the files were not in the right place, so there is no autorun.bat being executed, etc.
The bios will show the correct date even with the wrong bios...there are both dated the same.
let me know how it goes....
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nugsy,
It's interesting that the bios you've linked above directs to a different version motherboard (P4M800PRO-M2 vs. P4M800PRO-M). Despite the difference, the bios works fine w/ P4M800PRO-M V.2.0 (I also purchased it from Fry's deal). It appears that M2 version does not support DDR but the bios does not care it seems. I'm going to try updating the bios w/ the latest M2 bios from another site (11/06 bios).
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Tried creating the CD using Bart's method and it didn't work - "ROOT FAT KERNEL GO!" message when booting up. Also seen other threads with the same issue. Am I missing something?
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First of all, Thank you to ALL those that provided excellent input and especially those who came up with the fix!!!!!!
You've saved me from having to back to Fry's the second time and them a piece of my mind.
I got the Fry's deal E4300 with P4M800PRO-M V.2.0 MB. Assembled and boot up but no video, swapped out bunch of stuff and no luck. Brought it back to the store and they can boot it up, they said go to ECS website and update the BIOS. How the hell to I update the Bios when I can't even get a video? Luckly, I found an old P4 that will give me video and started to update with the "061004S.ZIP" and just like others, I cannot use the keyboard to access cmos to set "optimization option".
I downloaded "061214S.ZIP" and tried your auto flash method and it work now!
Here's my solution:
1) Got a USB flash drive and copy the content of a DOS boot disk into it (98 or ME boot disk work too).
2) Extract the "061004S.ZIP" content into the USB flash drive (I move all files to the same directory or level)
3) Created an autoexec.bat file at the root directory. If you're not familiar, here's how I did it quick and dirty..... copy the "FDOS.BAT" then reanme to "AUTOEXEC.BAT", edit the file with notepad by deleting all existing data and wrote a line:
"afudos 061214S.ROM /p /b /n /c /x /reboot"
exit and save.
4) Plug the USB drive into the MB/system and boot, without the keyboard plugged in.
5) System will detect USB drive, boot into DOS and execute the autoexec.bat automatically, cmoss update and reboot. Note: you might needs to give it about 2 minutes to detect the USB drive.
6) After reboot, you I can use the keyboard to get into cmos again.I thought I would share this as another option to the CD's method which was confusing to me and I could not access the "how to" link.
Good luck and hope this will help others as those who had helped me.
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Well, I didn`t have any luck with the `fix` outlined above, but it`s probably my fault.
I failed to mention that my OS is win98se (stop laughing!).
I called Fry`s, explained the problem, and since I had only had the MB for about 2 weeks they swapped out the chip for free.
Thanks for all the useful help! I learned way more than I ever wanted to about bios updateing. :)Thanks;
Jackaroe
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Hi
I just packed up the Fry's E4300/P4M800Pro-M package. I was kind of wondering what it would do after reading the negative post. I even looked for the board with more missing pins like one post suggested. Mine is like everyone elses EXCEPT the bios is dated 12/14/2006. Keyboard and everything works fine. Am finishing using Ghost V9 to copy a clean install of XP Pro to the drive with updates. Boots perfect and ecverything works! I'm using DDR 400 mem (2) sticks of 512 and an old 60G maxtor drive.
Shooting Matches are better than Pissing Matches
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I just checked my bios version and its 080012 12/14/2006 SM Bios Ver 2.3. Did I get lucky? Like I said in the previous post everything works great! Maybe tommorow I'll try an easy overclock to 300Mhz x 9 to get to 2700Mhz. I think thats as fast as this board will let it go. I have a E6600 on a Gygabite ga965p-ds3 board and it will go 3420 from its orig 2.4 real easy.
Shooting Matches are better than Pissing Matches
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Hi everyone! Wow, I purchased what I thought was a super deal at FRY's too...the ECS P4M800PRO-M with the Pentium D 805 for just $78. I am still putting all the hardware in the box when I read your threads..now I feel a little nervous. Should I return it or will it work?
Bitting my fingernails until they are just stubs....
Dirk
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