Accessing BIOS on Intel SE7520AF2 Server Board

[futureal]

This is probably a long shot on here but I'll ask anyway.

I am working on configuring a dual-Xeon system on one of the new(er) Intel SE7520AF2 motherboards and I'm having fits trying to do something really basic--get into the BIOS!

My understanding of the board is that it has both the traditional AMI BIOS, as well as an EFI shell. I can get to the shell, but I am not very well versed in EFI, and can't find a good command resource on it (in fact, I'm not even sure if it can do everything I was hoping to do in the BIOS).

Like most of today's systems, it displays a silent boot screen with the Intel logo, but when I hit ESC to display the messages, or F2 to go to Setup (what I assume is the AMI BIOS) it doesn't respond. I can watch the diagnostic codes and it appears to be normal, but I can never get to the AMI screen. If I hit F2 repeatedly after the silent screen clears, it takes me to the EFI boot loader.

Am I missing some critical fact here? Am I just stupid?

Thanks!

 

[joelslaw]

can i just ask what keyboard you are using. I know it sounds stupid, but if you are useing some keyboards (like logitech elite) you have to use a special button (like "f-lock") befor the f keys preform normally. That's all I got right now, but gimme a sec. (reading support documents on the intel site, see if I can find something there)

 

[joelslaw]

i'm stumped! Ypu can e-mail intel tech support from here:
http://supportmail.intel.com/s...s-emf/welcome.aspx?id=
I'll keep looking, but I think they're your best bet.

 

[joelslaw]

sounds like you can just type help at the efi command prompt for a list of commands (or so I just read)

 

[joelslaw]

I found everthing you would (probably) ever want to know about efi. (at least, it's the last time I ever wanna read about it ) Also, so for not putting this all in one post. I'm just posting as I find stuff. And lastly, I think I remember hearing one time that if you try to boot without a hard drive pluged in, the machine won't boot (obviously) and might give you an error message telling you to push ____ to enter the bios. It's worth a try I guess.
OH right, right the link:
http://www.intel.com/cd/ids/de...a/eng/20536.htm?page=1

 

[futureal]

Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

I did mess with EFI a bit but I'm not sure I entirely trust myself with it, yet. After reading a lot of background on it, it's certainly a good idea, and I wish somebody had come up with something like it years ago. No more DOS boot disks, and so on and so forth.

I'll try a different keyboard when I get back to the office. I left it building the RAID 5 array, which will probably take another 6 hours! I can make the thing function just fine without getting into the BIOS, but I'd like to disable some of the features that I won't be using (onboard RAID, network boot steps, and so on and so forth).

I'll post again here when/if I figure it out.

 

[Googer]

I have an Intel board and the acces to the bios is always the same. Press F10 or F2 (both work) immediatly after hitting the power. My BIOS Supports it but I have had Trouble with USB keyboards and getting into the bios for the first time. Get a PS/2 Keyboard and Throw out the USB P.O.S. IBM Model M Rocks!
http://www.pigdog.org/modelm01.html
http://www.3m3718.com/modelm.php

 

[joelslaw]

i read the help files on his board, it should be f2.

 

[Googer]

Correct, My documentaion says F2, but F10 works also. F10 works on most intel motheboards that I have tried.

 

[futureal]

Thanks for the help, looks like it *was* the keyboard. I had a sneaking suspicion that might have had something to do with it, but I didn't have a non-USB board here at the office on Monday. I brought a PS2 keyboard from my home office and it went straight to the BIOS.

On the topic of the Model M keyboards, I have a slightly newer old IBM keyboard, I don't think it's an M but I've been using it for about 7 years now. It has this solid feel to it that you just don't get out of the cheap plastic ones on the market today (including the more recent IBM boards). I'll have to track down the model number when I get home, I didn't see it on those pages.

Anyway, linux is happily installing now. Thanks!

 

[Googer]

I hate USB that is why my AOL Screen Name IS usb SUCKS.

 

[Googer]

My Model M is from 1984, but I wish i could find a slightly newer one, with updated electronics. I can't hold down more than 3 keys at a time and believe it is the controller.