120GB: 05/07/98-i440BX-W83977-P6BX-A+

[rmdaber]

I have an ECS P6BX-A+ (Rev1.1a) m/board. I'm trying to get it to run a Western Didital (WD120JB) 120gb HDD, but unfortunately I'm not suceeding - BIOS update required.

I have searched for an update, and thought I had found what I wanted on ECS's US site. I downloaded version 5.6 and flashed with Awd66. Basically it won't flash, I get an error:

Program file part number does not match with your system

Although the site does not indicate it, I think 5.6 is for a 2MB BIOS. I think my BIOS must be 1MB.

Strange thing is that when I use Awd66 to save a copy of my current BIOS the file size is 256kb - the same size as version 5.6.

I've looked through the old postings on this site, and found that its_red posted a similar problem on 17 Jan 2003. You appear to have solved the problem for him/her, may be my problem has a similar solution.

Can anyone help?

[Ritchie]

I have checked that board on the ECS website also.

ECS changed URLs on me.

What I discovered though after I got to the site is that if you select the rev 2 board the same BIOS update is listed for the rev 2 board as for the rev 1 board - 5.6 - seems all the same. So apparently that update is not exactly for your board and after you find the 1MB version for your rev 1 board you probaby end up with something that doesn't offer 120GB HDD support.

So given this information definitely do NOT attempt by any means to force that flash through.

Sorry I didn't have better news for you.

[ajzchips]

Both board revisions use the very same V5.6 BIOS. This is just a confirmation message.

[Ritchie]

Both board revisions use the very same V5.6 BIOS. This is just a confirmation message.

That makes life a little easier for rmdaber except that, assuming a BIOS can either be 1MB or 2MB version but not for both, he is still left with the problem that it may be 2MB and unsuitable.

Maybe contact ECS and find out if it is a 1MB or 2MB (5.6) and whether you can use 120GB.

[NickS]

Strange thing is that when I use Awd66 to save a copy of my current BIOS the file size is 256kb - the same size as version 5.6.

It appears he *has* a 2Mbit BIOS.

[rmdaber]

Hmmmmm!

If, as it appears, I do have a 2MB version, then does anyone have any suggestions why V5.6 won't flash?

[NickS]

Can you post the full BIOS ID string (bottom left of memory count screen)?
"Program part file number does not match" does not indicate a size mismatch; it usually means that the BIOS ID string is different. Some manufacturers changed this ID with each version of the BIOS. In this case you have to force the flash or use Uniflash or similar.

[rmdaber]

Full BIOS string reads:

05/07/1998-i440BX-W83977-P6BX-A+


Not sure whether it helps, but directly under the Award logo the screen reads:

P6BX-A+ Ver2.4 05/07/1998

By the way, I've just tried to flash the BIOS again, and I have found that if I'm quick on the keyboard I can get past the "Program file part number does not match with your system" screen, to one which warns "File sizes do not match". At this point the machine hangs.

[Rainbow]

Run UniFlash (http://www.uniflash.org) but don't flash yet, just see what flash memory type does it detect. Or peel the sticker from the BIOS chip and see what's printed on the chip.

[Denniss]

Your flasher complains because of the Name change form P6BX-A+ to P6BX-AP .

Flashing with Uniflash to the new Bios should be no problem - make sure Uniflash shows 256KByte or 2M as Flashrom size

[rmdaber]

Rainbow and Denniss,

I've run Uniflash, to extract BIOS chip info, and it produced the following:

(DAC1,FFFF) flash rom chip: WINBOND W29x010/011/012/5V series
organisation: 1024 pages of 128bytes (128k)
PCI chipset: Intel AGPset 440BX/ZX

Does that help?

[rmdaber]

Rainbow and Denniss,

The 128k line from the Uniflash report got me wonderring, so I decided to get Uniflash to create a backup of the current BIOS image. Instead of the 256kb file produced by Awd66, Uniflash produced a file of 128kb.

Strange!

If I assume Uniflash is correct, then it looks like I have the 1Mbit BIOS.

[Ritchie]

Sounds like if you want to update this BIOS you have to take some kind of gamble on what the BIOS size is.

Assuming that a 256 version will not flash into the 128 BIOS, one DODGY way of doing this would be to:

Try flashing the 256 version with Uniflash.
If an error comes up and the file does not flash or it fails half way through, then flash the 128 version BEFORE rebooting, so that the 256 does not take effect.

But anything you try is a gamble and may result in a BIOS crash with whatever care you take. If you don't want to lose the board this way then I recommend sticking with whatever hard drive it will accept and building a new system designed to accept larger disks.

[Rainbow]

UniFlash says CLEARLY that it's 128KB so 256KB will NOT fit there. If you peel the sticker from the BIOS chip, it should say Winbond W29EE011 or ASD AE29F1008 or something like that there.

[NickS]

I'm clearly not paying attention. rmdaber pointed out that I patched that very BIOS for its_red and it worked for his HDD, but I haven't put it up on the site

BIOS ID string: 05/07/1998-i440BX-W83977-P6BX-A+
Old BIOS OEM string: P6BX-A+ Ver 2.4 05/07/1998
New BIOS OEM string: P6BX-A+ Ver 2.4 05/07/1998 patched for 128GB HDD

So I'll put it up at the link in my signature - use the "untested" link for the moment but it will not be in brackets.