Large HDD Bios request MS-6159

Grimlok · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:26 am Post subject: Large HDD Bios request MS-6159

Hello, Is it possible to get a modded bios to support Large HDD of this old board...

MSI MS-6159
HDD - Segate 500gig

BIOS Type: AMI
BIOS Date: March 24th 1999
BIOS ID: 61-0324-001169-00111111-071595-440LX-1440L000
BIOS OEM: A6159P2 V1.2 032499 - V1.2
Chipset: Intel 440EX/LX rev 3
SuperIO: Winbond 977EF rev 1 at port 03F0

Also Does anyone know where the flash protect jumper is on this board?

cp · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:17 am Post subject:

maybe a patch isn't needed. read this:
http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/topic8931.html

for the flashprotect: try uniflash with the -unlock option.
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Grimlok · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:11 am Post subject:

Thanks for the reply, I have already used the search function, didn't wanna come accross as a noob, But That really doesn't help me, the os drive is an 8gig segate I had floating round, (Outta an xbox) and the 500gig came outta a NDAS enclosure and has 400gigs of movies and TV shows on it.

The problem is the bios hangs at 2 places, 1) when it gets to auto sensing the 500gig, it simply sits there, (Does the same in bios config) 2) when I punch in user defined setting in the bios config it only lets me punch 4 digits in for number of cylinders.

If the 500gig isn't attached, No dramas, boots fine, but it refuses to post with it attached.

edwin · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:45 am Post subject:

This may be a good candidate for a seperate add-in card with it's own bios with support for large harddisks...
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Grimlok · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:12 pm Post subject:

Im actually thinking it might be a candidate for a trip off the edge of a building, The box cost me nothing. I was attempting to use it as a NAS type box and pack it full of large drives that would Samba Share on my network to media devices.

It's not even worth adding a IDE Card too, I just thought if it could be done I would have a crack at it.

I did manage to flash the AMI Bios from MSI's site onto it, it has A PackBell/NEC OEM bios on it. The AMI bios reads the Cylinders/Heads right but crashes at sectors and treats the drive as a 40gig. I would assume this doen't matter once it get's into the OS but for some reason the AMI bios packs a hissy every time I change settings in the bios and save them, even if it's just the time, and then wont post.

I can get it to post, but it has a cry when it finds the 500gig. I user define the 500gig as a 40gig, but then it has a cry when it goes to boot.

I'm looking for another source for the AMI bios rather than MSI's website.

Grimlok · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the replies. The latest version of the bios is faulty from MSI's site, flashed back to an earlier version bios, turned off looking for the large drive, and let XP pick it up.

Working as an el cheapo NAS as we speak. Cheers guys.

cp · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject:

just set the bios to NONE for all ide channels except your boot hdd (which is ofcourse NOT the 500GB HDD). the bios won't see the 500GB hdd and will boot happily ever after...well, once XP is loaded the BIOS is disabled anyway and the correct values are read in - even for the channels set to NONE by the bios.

NAS? do you know FreeNAS? nice html interface, 32MB bootspace required (ex.: 32MB CF at the IDE port), has it all (tm) and it's free :)
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