ASUS P8P67 Pro RAM Issues and BIOS Flash (Fix)

[GZFant]

Changed from and earlier thread..

**Please read entire post if you have the same hardware and are having similar issues.

*Cliffs available at bottom =D

I wanted to document my trials and tribulations for half the morning so I may be able to help others with my issue.

Firstly, it started with my ASUS P8P67 Pro and Corsair Vengeance 8GB kit (2x4GB). The computer posted fine and loaded into Windows 7 64bit for the first 3 or for restarts/shutdowns. Then the DRAM OK LED started to light up and the computer would restart a few times before going into windows. Well, I thought it was my RAM so I put a stick at a time in the A2 memory slot (recommended slot for single RAM config according to ASUS P8P67 Pro manual). One stick worked better than the other, so I was about to take it back to Fry's and get an exchange when I ran into the ASUS/Anand/google searched forums with many people having the same problem.

Certain people posted a fix: clearing the CMOS and restarting seemed to be the ticket. Well, seeing as though many people did this and it helped, I proceeded to as well. Cleared CMOS and booted back in setting my DRAM Frequency to 1600MHz. All was well until I got into Windows and my Chipset drivers had been wiped out. Naturally, I went straight to the ASUS website and downloaded the drivers and proceeded to install one by one. I installed up to the Realtek Audio drivers when it asked me to reboot and I did so only to return to Windows start screen being completely black. Restarted again, same thing. Third time I restarted into BIOS, placed in my Win7 disk and did a System Restore to an earlier point. All is well, drivers are back, RAM is running at rated speed but, the BIOS had reverted to Revision 0407 from Oct. 27, 2010.

"Well hell, I'll just flash the damned thing and be done", or so I thought. Following the guide to flash from a USB stick didn't turn out because having the USB drive in while in BIOS would cause an instant restart and create a restart loop when it hit the BIOS splash screen. At this point I didn't know what to do because I have always read that you NEVER EVER EVER EVER flash the BIOS from the Windows environment. So, finally, I called ASUS tech support and had an easy time fixing all problems.

Cliffs with fixes straight from ASUS Tech Support:

1st - If you are running the current ASUS 1003 BIOS(have not tested 1053 Beta), the simple fix to the RAM restart problems is:
A. Boot to BIOS
B. Set AI Autotuner from Auto to X.M.P. (This will correct RAM timings and voltages to appropriate manufacturer settings)
C. Restart

2nd - ASUS' proper method of flashing:
"Contrary to popular belief!"
-Asus Tech Support:

A. Go to http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
B. Find your motherboard and choose OS
C. Download latest/newest ASUS BIOS (1003 or 1053 Beta)(place file on desktop or wherever you can find)
D. Download ASUS AI Suite II
E. Install ASUS Update
F. Run ASUS Update and find the current BIOS .rom file.
G. Flash and you will be prompted to restart.

If you are skeptical about flashing from Windows environment, that is your own personal preference. Furthermore, I am not guaranteeing this method for ever single person out there but these are the instructions from ASUS Motherboard Technical Support.

I hope this can help the few or many that are having problems!

 

[d4a2n0k]

You edited your post while I was replying so got confused.

The P8P67 pro manual recommends you use slots A2 and B2 when using two sticks of memory. That is slot 2 & 4 so you might not have to worry.

 

[d4a2n0k]

I could not flash my bios from the USB stick either but mine was a different problem. It was telling me that the bios I was trying to flash was not a UEFI bios so it wouldnt do anything. I started reading around and others had the same problem and were able to flash using the AI Suite in Windows. I tried that and it worked perfectly.

 

[BoomerD]

It's recommended to NEVER use ASUS Update to update your BIOS. It causes more problems than it fixes...and may not be covered by your warranty.

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...id=1&model=P5B+Premium&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...=1&model=P5W+DH+Deluxe&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

EXFlash/EXFlash2 are far better than ASUS Update...and MUCH safer.

 

[GZFant]

You edited your post while I was replying so got confused.

The P8P67 pro manual recommends you use slots A2 and B2 when using two sticks of memory. That is slot 2 & 4 so you might not have to worry.

Heh yea, figured the original out.

Yep, ASUS Update in Windows was flawless for me.

 

[GZFant]

It's recommended to NEVER use ASUS Update to update your BIOS. It causes more problems than it fixes...and may not be covered by your warranty.

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...id=1&model=P5B+Premium&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...=1&model=P5W+DH+Deluxe&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

EXFlash/EXFlash2 are far better than ASUS Update...and MUCH safer.

FYI your links are from 2007... Things are very different now. Furthermore, ASUS Technical support is not allowed to go into their own forums "because of all the misinformation that is thrown about."

I trust a technical representative from the motherboard manufacturer over a user's post from 2007.. no offense.

 

[BoomerD]

FYI your links are from 2007... Things are very different now. Furthermore, ASUS Technical support is not allowed to go into their own forums "because of all the misinformation that is thrown about."

I trust a technical representative from the motherboard manufacturer over a user's post from 2007.. no offense.

Have it your way...from 2007 or not, ASUS Update is still NOT recommended...but, hey, it's your MOBO, not mine.

 

[Hogan773]

Have it your way...from 2007 or not, ASUS Update is still NOT recommended...but, hey, it's your MOBO, not mine.

Yeah sorry I think I'd trust ASUS tech support in Jan 2011 for a board that is brand new in Jan 2011 vs a forum post from 4 years ago. Kinda like taking your new Prius to an old car mechanic who works on 70s Chevys and asking him to diagnose the electrical drive system.

 

[Conscript]

Yeah sorry I think I'd trust ASUS tech support in Jan 2011 for a board that is brand new in Jan 2011 vs a forum post from 4 years ago. Kinda like taking your new Prius to an old car mechanic who works on 70s Chevys and asking him to diagnose the electrical drive system.

I think the bigger issue is that Asus is not going to stand by their warranty for using their software to apply a critical bios update, then why should you stand by the doftware? That being said, things are alot less dire nowadays, where it seems almost every mobo has 2+ bios' or some other safety feature. The bottom line is though, bios flashing is a tried and true method with little to no risk, versus putting your faith in software flashing that has had issues in the past. Of course they'll tell you to use it...but should it fail, they don't know you, don't want to know you...why risk it?

 

[atasp8]

I agree with BIOS/USB Flashing instead of using the windows updater.

Had a bad experience a few years ago where the default setting of auto OC on the ASUS board probably caused it to fail updating the BIOS when using the windows updater.

Crashfree also wasn't as mature back then and I had no way to recover.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Going USB and EZ Flash is a no brainer. I have flashed a BIOS one time in my life and it was that way, so simple even my dead grandma could do it.

 

[GZFant]

I have to agree with both sides here. I've had to flash bios' in the past and did so with floppy disks with no problems. I've also had to flash with a USB when the floppy was not available. I remember flashing on an old, finicky 939. I called ASUS tech to get some help and the gentlemen on the phone swore by floppy disk flashing. Asked me wtf I was doing with their windows flash utility on my desktop lol.. So I went out and bought a cheap floppy drive just for that. Seven years later, having been a member here since '03 and reading all the bricked flashes from floppies, USBs and Windows Software, I said "meh". Why not? Maybe I was lucky. Maybe that's the way it is now and people are holding on to the tried and half-true..

Maybe this is all a dream...

 

[kipni]

OK, here i go

my setup
Intel 2600K
Asus P8P67 PRO Rev.3.0
Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1600C9
Asus ENGTX570 DCII/2DIS/1280MD5

my problem is similar, but worse

i bought the parts 8 months ago and assembled everything booted, installed windows 7 64 bit ultimate and it worked fine.

Now i get the red dram light that stays on.

I wanted to try the things you guys all proposed, but booting with only one stick of Ram is not possible (not in A1, A2, B1, B2) only thing is get then is standby led flashing green together with other leds flashing red.

So only thing that does'nt goes in the green standby flashing is the two sticks of RAM in A2 and B2 (like suggested) but this goes into red DRAM Light.

I tried the memOK several times no solutions.

I want to Clear RTC RAM but i think that isn't working for me. Always the same DRAM light, i never can go in the bios to change things like ram frequency, ...

what can i do?