A7N8X (ver 1.04) Can't flash BIOS, can't load Windows

I have assembeled the parts of a new system.

A7N8X (ver. 1.04) 1001.E BIOS, 2100+ XP, 512 MD Corsair PC 3200 C2 XMS DDR, WD 80GB HDD 8MB cache, Lite on CDRW 48-24-48, Antec True Power 430, Chaintech TI-4200 8X 64MB DDR, SK-7 and SmartFan II (AS III), Enermax CS-10181 Case with seven 80 mm case fans, and Windows XP Home with SP1.

According to the Hardware monitor in the BIOS the MB is 25C and the CPU is 50C at idle. Seems like the SmartFan II does not push enough air.

The start up screen shows the WD HDD correctly as the primary master, and the CDRW as the secondary master, but Windows can’t find any drives! Can’t load windows. However, once Windows did complete part of its setup, then did something and no more progress.

Under the Advanced Chipset Features of BIOS:
CPU ext. freq, = 133
CPU freq. multi. Setting = menu
CPU freq. multi. = 13.0
Sys. Perf. = user defined
CPU interface = optimal
Mem freq. = sync
Resulting freq. = 133
Mem. Timings = user defined
SDRAM active precharge delay = 7
SDRAM RAS to CAS delay = 3
SDRAM RAS precharge delay = 3
SDRAM CAS Latency = 2.5
FSB spread spectrum = 0.50%
AGP spread spectrum = disabled
CPU Vcore setting = menu
CPU Vcore = 1.600v
DDR = 2.6v
AGP = 1.5v
AGP 8x support = enabled

I can’t flash the BIOS either. I have made a bootable floppy copied AWDFLASH.EXE and an8b1002.bin to it. Place the disc in the A drive started the computer, the A DOS prompt comes up, I get the AWDFLASH file to execute, put in the an8b1002.bin to flash, save the old BIOS file as old.bin, then it asks for me to select “Y” to flash or whatever . . … nothing more occurs. I have waited several time for up to 35 minutes.

I have been at this now for about 10 hours. I am out of ideas.

Thanks in advance to those who offer help

Just replaced my board's battery. The one which came with the board had a voltage of 2.88; new one tests at 3.23 volts.

This has not helped.

Following the advice of Mambo, I disconnected the HDD and CDRW from the IDE controller, inserted my bootable floppy with AWDFLASH.EXE and the an8b1002.bin. Restarted and . . . .
It worked! I now have BIOS 1002 installed.

Now to see if this does anything about Windows not finding any installed drives on my computer.

Thank you Mambo.

Sounds like you got it licked. There is a even newer bios out called the 1002A. I'm still running the origional "C" bios.

Scott

Unfortunately, Windows still says it cannot find any drives installed on the computer.
Wonder if I have a bad drive?

Going to try to install it in another computer.

Put the new HDD in old computer. It was fine. Put the new Corsair PC 3200 memory in new computer it is fine THERE! Put my Geil memory in #1 slot of the A7N8X and it started up perfectly!

So it is the Corsair DDR PC3200 C2 XMS that the Asus board did not like!!!!


Thanks for all your help.

You might want to try running memtest86 on the stick. If it's bad, RMA it to Corsair and they'll get you another stick. Their customer service is great!

~THT

Were you running the geil and corsair in dual ddr mode, cause it's picky and almost requires matching sticks of same brand and model. That may have been part of it.

I was not running in dual ddr mode. I had one stick of 512 Corsair PC3200 C2 XMS on the A7N8x origianlly; that did not work. I now have the one stick of Geil PC3500 512MB in the #1 memory slot working.