Short summary:
Installing Gigabyte?s XPress 2 software on GA-965P-S3 can render the hard drive unusable if Xpress 2 fails to operate properly. The BIOS can no longer be set to boot from a device other than the hard drive (if is installed). I confirmed this from Gigabyte tech support. The computer will no longer boot from this hard drive. Tech Support suggests buying a new hard drive.
Full Description:
I had my GA-965P-S3 system up and working in XP Pro. Every time I booted the system it would stop with command line prompt, ?Please Install Xpress Recovery2 from Gigabyte CD Title. Press any key to continue". It made me press a key before I could boot into Windows XP.
I finally installed Gigabytes Xpress 2 software because I figured that would solve the problem. I was wrong! Once installed the system would only boot into Xpress 2. There was no way to get to XP anymore. Of course it was the weekend so I could not call tech support.
I tried:
1) Setting the system to boot off CD or floppy. It only boots to Xpress 2.
2) I tried pressing F12 to select the boot device. No matter whether I selected CD it would still boot into Xpress 2.
3) Deleting the program by putting the hard drive in another system so I could reformat the drive. It still boots into Xpress 2 but now the program does?nt run anymore. It gets to the Busybox prompt (Xpress 2 is a Linux program evidently). It has only the builtin commands available.
4) Remove the partition with Partition Magic (on another computer). Put a new partition on drive. Still boots to Xpress 2.
5) Installed XP Pro onto drive using another computer. I figured this would rewrite to Master Boot Record. On the other computer this drive boots up to XP Pro. On my Gigabyte it still boots to Xpress 2.
6) I tried reflashing the BIOS (using the built in QFlash program) to version 8, 6, 3 and 2.
It still boots to Xpress 2.
On Monday I called tech support. They suggested to try lots of things which did not work. The tech checked and found out that once Xpress2 is installed it will always try to boot through it regardless of whether the BIOS is set to boot to CD, or Floppy first. Since my Xpress has been removed and only the loader remains, it fails. THERE IS NO WAY disable this through the BIOS. I asked her to report this as a BIOS bug. You should always be able to set a new boot device to recover. She suggested I get a new hard drive. I was not pleased.
Installing Gigabyte?s XPress 2 software on GA-965P-S3 can render the hard drive unusable if Xpress 2 fails to operate properly. The BIOS can no longer be set to boot from a device other than the hard drive (if is installed). I confirmed this from Gigabyte tech support. The computer will no longer boot from this hard drive. Tech Support suggests buying a new hard drive.
Full Description:
I had my GA-965P-S3 system up and working in XP Pro. Every time I booted the system it would stop with command line prompt, ?Please Install Xpress Recovery2 from Gigabyte CD Title. Press any key to continue". It made me press a key before I could boot into Windows XP.
I finally installed Gigabytes Xpress 2 software because I figured that would solve the problem. I was wrong! Once installed the system would only boot into Xpress 2. There was no way to get to XP anymore. Of course it was the weekend so I could not call tech support.
I tried:
1) Setting the system to boot off CD or floppy. It only boots to Xpress 2.
2) I tried pressing F12 to select the boot device. No matter whether I selected CD it would still boot into Xpress 2.
3) Deleting the program by putting the hard drive in another system so I could reformat the drive. It still boots into Xpress 2 but now the program does?nt run anymore. It gets to the Busybox prompt (Xpress 2 is a Linux program evidently). It has only the builtin commands available.
4) Remove the partition with Partition Magic (on another computer). Put a new partition on drive. Still boots to Xpress 2.
5) Installed XP Pro onto drive using another computer. I figured this would rewrite to Master Boot Record. On the other computer this drive boots up to XP Pro. On my Gigabyte it still boots to Xpress 2.
6) I tried reflashing the BIOS (using the built in QFlash program) to version 8, 6, 3 and 2.
It still boots to Xpress 2.
On Monday I called tech support. They suggested to try lots of things which did not work. The tech checked and found out that once Xpress2 is installed it will always try to boot through it regardless of whether the BIOS is set to boot to CD, or Floppy first. Since my Xpress has been removed and only the loader remains, it fails. THERE IS NO WAY disable this through the BIOS. I asked her to report this as a BIOS bug. You should always be able to set a new boot device to recover. She suggested I get a new hard drive. I was not pleased.
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