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Trying to install new hard drive. Bios is too old. Please help.

C

csgirl

Junior Member
I am trying to install a 60 gb hard drive and my computer is not detecting the new drive. I have found out that my BIOS is too old and won't support the hard drive. Where do I go to get the upgrade on the BIOS and how do I install it? How do I know if my computer supports the flash BIOS?

BIOS ID: P6BX
BIOS DATE: 05/07/98
BIOS SIGNON: 05/07/1998-i440BX-W83977-P6BX-A+
BIOS TYPE: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
SUPER I/O: Winbond 977TF rev 0 found at port 3F0h
CHIPSET: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 2
OEM SIGNON: P6BX-A+ Ver 2.4 05/07/1998

Please help me! I am not very good with hard ware! Thank you so much!!!
 
If it is a maxtor that could still be troublesome...I had problems like that with an older kt133 board...

Can you take it to a newer computer and format it and setup the partition there??? I found that as a round about way of getting by my issue...

Edit: also back on the maxtor topic...I believe they have a special installation procedure for situations like yours...make sure you follow it...I did but still had issue with the maxblast software...
 
IMO, the easiest & most sensible way to get the max performance from that hdd is to put it on a pci ata 66/100/133 card!
it will see the full size of the drive as it has its own bios & run the hdd at its max rated UDMA mode.
 
I am running a UMAX computer. The new hard drive is an IBM Deskstar. I am also playing with an 80gb Western Digital. I want at least one of these drives to work.

The 60gb IBM Deskstar does not come with any installation guides or disk that comes with it. I got it at Fry's. However, I found it at www.ibm.com.

The Western Digital does have papers but here is how ghetto my computer is. My floppy drive (a) doesn't work. I have a second floppy drive (b) and that works but the computer won't boot up from (b). I have tried using the installation but according to Western Digital I don't need the install disk b/c I'm running Windows 2000.

 
I got the 60gb IBM Deskstar to work however the jumper settings on the drive is set to 30gb clip slave.

Windows 2k only recognizes 31.5 gb. Why? Is the jumper settings the reason?
 
Thanks for your comment vailr! I just want to be real sure because I'm really afraid that my system will fail to boot up.

1. bxa+15b.zip is the correct file to download? This is for a 1mb bios. How do I know if I have a 1mb or a 2mb bios?
2. Also the version is 1.5b. Why are you picking this version instead of the others?

Basically vailr...how did you come to the conclusion that the bxa+15b.zip is the correct file?

Again thanks for your help
 
http://www.ecs.com.tw/download/p6bxap.htm
This is the page for all the bioses available for your board.
You really need to find out which revision your board is before choosing which to download.
Sometimes the board will have a "Rev 1.02" for example or just "1.00" on a corner of the PCB. Sometimes on the front, sometimes on the back - inwhich case you would have to remove your mobo 🙁
Some boards have the revision somewhere in the middle of the mobo!
One thing to bear in mind is that if your board is an OEM specific board you may find that the retail bios from ECS will not be compatible due to slightly different config 🙁
If i were in your shoes id be tempted to go out and get a ATA66 add-in card to play safe.
That BX board, even when compatible is not going to allow your new HD to perform too well.

Wish you luck whichever way you choose to go.

rockhard =)
 
OK: Look at the bios versions. The only one matching what is in your initial post
"OEM SIGNON: P6BX-A+ Ver 2.4 05/07/1998" is found among the "1 MB" bioses.
So pick the subsequent bios of the same "1 Mb" size, which is dated most current to today.
Which is the bios file "bxa+15b.zip", dated 2/28/1999.
Edit: No reason to have 2 3.5" floppy drives
Or is one of them a 5 1/4" floppy disc drive?
Or a "combo" drive?
The WD hard drive may need the WD utility run from the floppy disk.
This utility is for disabling ATA66 access for older boards, such as your BX board, which only support ATA33.
 
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