PROBLEM 1-
I've looked everywhere on the Net but cannot find the needed BIOS update driver.
Can someone help me with this specific motherboard???
Here is the string:
11/18/1998-i440BX-W977TF-2A69KL1DC-00
On boot I see the following:
The above OEM string with #BD2-18
Award Modular Software 4.51PG
Lucky Star Technologies Inc.
The system is an INTEL PENTIUM II with i440BX chipset (82440BX/ZX), 64 MB RAM. It has a 4 GB hard drive but I want to put 80GB in it.
PROBLEM 2-
With the above machine, when putting in a PCI card with USB ports, the machine freezes as soon as I want to handle any file (copy, move...). I think the MB doesnt support USB, could that be? Is there an upgrade possible for this to be solved?
80GB: 11/18/1998-i440BX-W977TF-2A69KL1DC-00
Does it look like this?
Is it correctly described here?
http://www.eksi.kz/eksi_comp/6bx2.htm
Do the jumper settings and nomenclature match here?
http://www.embeddedlogic.com/TH99/m/I-L/36006.htm
If so, then this is what you need:
ftp://ftp.sct.gcom.ru/drivers/mb/bios/LS/6bx2/
Is it correctly described here?
http://www.eksi.kz/eksi_comp/6bx2.htm
Do the jumper settings and nomenclature match here?
http://www.embeddedlogic.com/TH99/m/I-L/36006.htm
If so, then this is what you need:
ftp://ftp.sct.gcom.ru/drivers/mb/bios/LS/6bx2/
About settings and layout of the mobo, I'm not sure, that I have to check.
But I've already come so far as you said, downloading the 9kb6-1.bin file for the 6BX2 mobo.
And now I've done the following already before:
-downloaded AWDflash.exe
-put the .bin file and flash util on a floppy
-rebooted with the floppy and executed the flash
-backed up the original BIOS...
Then I saw the saved BIOS file: it was about 384 kb !?
I checked the new downloaded .bin file: about 128 kb !?
So the ORIGINAL bios file saved to floppy is more or less EXACTLY '3' times bigger than the just downloaded file (you pointed me to).
As I suspected the new file did not match and will not load into the BIOS rom chip.
Do you have a clue what can be done next?
But I've already come so far as you said, downloading the 9kb6-1.bin file for the 6BX2 mobo.
And now I've done the following already before:
-downloaded AWDflash.exe
-put the .bin file and flash util on a floppy
-rebooted with the floppy and executed the flash
-backed up the original BIOS...
Then I saw the saved BIOS file: it was about 384 kb !?
I checked the new downloaded .bin file: about 128 kb !?
So the ORIGINAL bios file saved to floppy is more or less EXACTLY '3' times bigger than the just downloaded file (you pointed me to).
As I suspected the new file did not match and will not load into the BIOS rom chip.
Do you have a clue what can be done next?
Dont get me wrong, I'm willing to check the jumper settings and mobo layout to compare against the description links you provided, but maybe the additional info I described above indicates other action(s)...?
When you compare the photo against your actual board, also look for a printed model number or manufacturer on the board. It may not be there. Not all boards have this information printed on them. If it is present then usually the information you are looking for is printed in white and is usually the largest print on the board.
The photo is not really detailed enough to show a model number but it looks a little bit like there MAY BE a printed model number on the PCI slot side of the AGP slot; MAY BE. But as I said, the photo is not really detailed enough to show a model number with any certainty, so it could be anything. But if this is your board you may be able to identify some other feature in this area of your physical board that you might be able to say looks like that feature in the photo.
Also, I would not attempt any more updates until you can be more certain that you have matched the correct board with the intended update. If you manage to flash something through that is wrong, you may make it difficult or impossible for yourself to recover this. And even when you do perform any update, make sure you first do a backup onto a checked known good floppy disk. I often use a new floppy if available/possible and give the floppy a format before preparing it for a BIOS update to see that it formats smoothly and without errors, which gives me some added confidence that the disk is in good condition and will not fail or corrupt at the point which the critical BIOS image files are stored.
The photo is not really detailed enough to show a model number but it looks a little bit like there MAY BE a printed model number on the PCI slot side of the AGP slot; MAY BE. But as I said, the photo is not really detailed enough to show a model number with any certainty, so it could be anything. But if this is your board you may be able to identify some other feature in this area of your physical board that you might be able to say looks like that feature in the photo.
Also, I would not attempt any more updates until you can be more certain that you have matched the correct board with the intended update. If you manage to flash something through that is wrong, you may make it difficult or impossible for yourself to recover this. And even when you do perform any update, make sure you first do a backup onto a checked known good floppy disk. I often use a new floppy if available/possible and give the floppy a format before preparing it for a BIOS update to see that it formats smoothly and without errors, which gives me some added confidence that the disk is in good condition and will not fail or corrupt at the point which the critical BIOS image files are stored.