Asus M3A32-MVP DELUXE Bios problem - Help!

[Reece]

Hi, I have a problem with my motherboard not booting sometimes, this can be from either switching on, hitting reset, or even a warm boot such as shutting down/restart.:-? Happens about once a week, just hangs, I wouldn't worry except that I end up with HDD errors, I checked the bios history and this problem plus others have been fixed, my bios is 5 versions old!:oops:
I get very nervous at the thought of flashing the bios, have done it in the past ok but still paranoid!!!:03:
Could anyone offer any advise, the motherboard can be found here:
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
Details:
M3A32-MVP DELUXE
AM2+
XPThere is very little info on how to flash this model:
http://support.asus.com/technicaldocuments/technicaldocuments.aspx?root=198&SLanguage=en-us
Any advise welcome.:yep:
Thanks.

[Wolfehunter]

Here is the readme sorta,

http://support.asus.com/technicaldocuments/technicaldocuments_content.aspx?no=960&SLanguage=en-us (http://support.asus.com/technicaldocuments/technicaldocuments.aspx?root=198&SLanguage=en-us)

Follow those instructions. That should help update your rig's bios.

*Using built-in EZ Flash to flash BIOS Please be informed that not all motherboards support EZ Flash, please use DOS flash utility to update BIOS if your motherboard does not support EZ Flash.

http://support.asus.com/images/asus_download_arrow002.gif 1. Download the latest compressed BIOS from ASUS website which matches your motherboard model.
http://support.asus.com/images/asus_download_arrow002.gif 2. Extract and save the file in a floppy disk or a USB drive, and leave the floppy disk/USB drive inserted.
http://support.asus.com/images/asus_download_arrow002.gif 3. When the system is at POST after boot-up, please press "Alt" + "F2" to enter EZ-Flash, alternatively (only available on late model motherboards) you may press "Delete" to enter BIOS setup and access EZ-Flash from the "Tools" option on the navigation bar.
http://support.asus.com/images/asus_download_arrow002.gif 4. Once program is initialized please highlight your respective floppy/USB drive letter, and proceed with the extracted BIOS file in the device. For more details or alternate ways to update your BIOS, please refer to the link below http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

Step 1.
Please select Tools > ASUS EZ Flash 2 > YES
http://support.asus.com/images/IMG-EZFlash-01.gif

Step 2.
Please wait for checking system BIOS.
http://support.asus.com/images/IMG-EZFlash-02.gif

Step 3.
Please insert unzipped BIOS in selected path drive so system can detect the file.
http://support.asus.com/images/IMG-EZFlash-03.gif
Step 4.
Please wait for system to check BIOS file.
http://support.asus.com/images/IMG-EZFlash-04.gif
Step 5.
Click "Yes" to update BIOS after system has finished checking.
http://support.asus.com/images/IMG-EZFlash-05.gif


I hope this helps. :03:

You need the latest Afudos BIOS update tool V2.38 for XP and install this. Then run this program. It should update you bios.


M3A32-MVP Deluxe BIOS 1604
01. Fix the problem that Memory speed will be limited at 800Mhz if set the value of "Memory Clock Mode" to "Limit" or "1067" in bios.
02. Set the value of "Processor Frequency Multiplier" option in bios up to 35 for certain AM2+ CPU.
03. Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website at: http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx
This is your latest bios I believe with the info you have given me.

[Reece]

Thanks Wolfhunter, yes the 1604 is the latest version, I will try backing up my old version first & see how that goes,:hmmm: the ASUS download supplies a flashing utility AFUDOS.EXE only, will download and see if that is easier, or if it comes with any readme's, nothing with the bios version, finding documents on any of this stuff is rare!!:-?
Well here goes, if you don't hear from me for awhile you know the flashing failed!!:oops::wah: then I will either have to find out more on bios recovery or buy a new motherboard!!:doh:
Bye!!:salute:

[Reece]

Done!!!:yeah:
I was going to use the inbuilt EZ Flash utility but it has a warning "EZ Flash 2 does not support NTFS format" wasn't sure what this meant so I opted to use the AFUDOS utility, all went well.:up: The new bios has some other options that are not in the manual of course, they are:
Processor-NB Frequency Multipl [Auto] (There is also the FSB Frequency)
Secure Virtual Machine Mode [Enabled]
ACPI SRAT Table [Enabled]
C1E Support [Disabled]
Processor Downcore [Disabled]
Anyone have any ideas as to what they are?:hmmm:
I will download the latest manual and see if that says anything, most probably not, explanations on bios settings are rather vague!!:yep:
Thanks again Wolfhunter.:yep:

[Arclight]

"Processor-NB Frequency Multipl" ties the Northbridge clockspeed to the FSB with a multiplier. Overclocking option, probably best to leave at auto.

"C1E Support" is "CPU enhanced halt": a powersaving option in system halt state. When in halt state CPU frequency and voltage are reduced to save power.

Not familiar with the others.

*Processor Downcore (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?p=6098496)
Secure Virtual Machine Mode (http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=12&threadid=108661)
ACPI SRAT Table (http://www.techarp.com/showfreebog.aspx?lang=0&bogno=351)

[Reece]

Thanks Arclight, will leave the 2 you mention as default, I have the FSB overclocked to 240 & the multiplier to 13.5, PCI-E frequency to 102, though I am still having some problems with computer resetting while idle in windows for some reason, may set clocks back to Auto to see if this problem stops.:yep:

[Arclight]

Well, if you're overclocking a component you can try increasing voltage slightly (1 step at a time, test for long time), to get it stable. Also disable stuff such as C1E at least untill you get it stable; as said, it can drop the voltage on your CPU. Not very handy if you're trying to find a stable setting.

[Reece]

After going through all that it just done it again!!:damn:
Oh well, where did I leave the axe!:dead::doh::88)

[Arclight]

That board doesn't have dual-bios, does it? I had my board overwrite my BIOS with the "default" back-up once, after doing something horrible to it. :doh:

[SteamWake]

Hey uhhh before you go flashing bios and all have you considered the power supply?

[Reece]

SteamWake Said:
Hey uhhh before you go flashing bios and all have you considered the power supply?
I have SteamWake, I spent a little more money on it, the old generic one died so upgraded to a Vantec ION2+, not the most expensive but reviews were pretty good, I suspect that the reset may be too short/early, at the moment when I have to do a reset or switch on I hold the reset button down for a couple of seconds before releasing, if the problem goes away I might pull it apart, trace the line & up the capacitor size, just have to see how it goes, thanks for that bit of info it means that my thinking may be on the right track!!:up:

[SteamWake]

Huh some of my machines dont even have a reset button. The button is there but not attached.

In order to re-boot you press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds.

[Stormende]

What exactly the puter does? Does it make it to the bios - start up screen where it says: Asus blah, blah or you get just a black screen and nothing else?

Try to enable the beep test while booting, if there is a problem detected when the puter is booting, it will beep a certain # of times and the # of beeps is a code you can compare (check your motherboard 's pdf manual for the explanation) telling you what part of the booting process went wrong. Your problem seems to be more HD or maybe memory related than a faulty or outdated bios. Asus is one of the best mobos I have ever had and it is very user friendly. Afudos rocks btw oh there is another program that will periodically check for driver's updates, all of the mobo's drivers not only the Bios.

[SteamWake]

Heh reminds me of my all time favorite error message.

"Keyboard error or keyboard not present. Press any key to continue."

:O:

[Stormende]

Check this, I do remember the system I built long ago had a similar problem and after spending quite a few days, I found the cause was a faulty IDE cable, I used the one that came with the mobo but it was soooo chinese... err sorry I mean cheap.

Change it and re test, hopefully you will fix it.

Right, SteamWake or the message: Please insert the next floppy disk and press any key to continue... When you are installing from a cd.

:har:

[Reece]

When this problem occurs the computer lights up, hard drives come to speed etc but no beep, no video etc totally dead, if it gets to the beep it is ok, what part of the boot sequence I'm not sure, happens about once a week or so, the HDD's are SATA, only the DVD drive is IDE.:hmmm:

[Stormende]

I assume the puter is not over clocked, right?

Reset the Cmos (check the pfd manual for instructions or remove the battery from the mother board for a minute or so and try again.

If it fails then when the puter acts up do not turn it off, remove the cover and do a wiggle test (shake gently all of the cables) ad see if there is a beep or the puter tries to reboot by itself again.

Mine has 2 Sata and 2 IDE, 4 HD 250GB each. Could not trash them that easily.

:D

[longam]

Well you could do the hard test.

Boot the MB with only the keyboard, mem and video card hooked up and add each component one at a time until you can repeat the problem. It will give you 'no OS found' error, but the MB should still boot the Bios.

If its random that will be real hard to put your finger on. Case in point, I had an ASUS board that did the same thing. One day I swapped out a HD and found I had bent one of the SATA drive pins and the drive still worked. After fixing that no more problems. It did the same thing, no beep just hang there until I cycled the power.

[Reece]

I have it over clocked but problem is there even with bios defaults, the annoying thing is that it only happens every so often, I suppose that is better if I can't find the fault.:oops: Will continue to hold the reset down, if it happens again I will try moving things around, might even try a pci diagnostic card, they are around $15 on ebay.:yep:

[SteamWake]

When this problem occurs the computer lights up, hard drives come to speed etc but no beep, no video etc totally dead, if it gets to the beep it is ok, what part of the boot sequence I'm not sure, happens about once a week or so, the HDD's are SATA, only the DVD drive is IDE.:hmmm:

Dude that really sounds like a power supply issue.

[Reece]

Dude that really sounds like a power supply issue.Very possible, will have to try a few things before the problem is resolved I'd say, if at all.:-?

[Fincuan]

Some time ago I experienced precisely the same kind of problems: When starting up it would most of the time just give a black screen with all the lights lighting up. It would POST succesfully after anything between five to ten attempts, or not at all. If I restarted after reaching Windows there were no problems. If I shut it down and then tried to start there would be the same problem again.

The culprit to all this turned out to be a faulty mem module, which would sometimes stop the booting at mem check. I diagnosed it by removing the mem modules one at a time until things worked out, then threw them away and bought new ones. What helped here was a set of lights behind the case that flash in different patterns if there's an error during booting. They would "lock" at memcheck, which pointed me to that direction. No problems anymore :yeah:

[CaptainHaplo]

The key here is your failing POST. POST (Power On Self Test) inventories and verifies specific things. If your getting NO post beep, then its one of 2 things - power, or memory.

I lean toward memory at the moment, given what has been stated above.
Pull the memory totally out of the board and try and recreate. If you get no memory found beeps, then readd it. It could be something as simple as your sticks not being seated firmly, or one starting to die on you.

Fincuan is probably right, because post will inventory the memory available and it may be hanging. As of now, thats where my money would be.

[Reece]

Thanks, will try that, have 2x2gig sticks.:yep: