New venice build, flashing the bios questions

Not sure if this should be here or in the gigabyte forum, but since it seems to be a problem with the chip, will post here.

Helping a friend with a new build, got all the parts, put together, but now can not flash the bios to use the Venice chip.

Mobo: GA-K8NXP-SLI
Chip: AMD Rev E (Venice) 3200+

Problem: Windows install only recognizes the chip as a 200 MHz, won't boot from floppy, and windows won't recognize the SATA hard drive. The onboard raid utility sees the hard drive correctly, but when attempting to install windows, it does not see it.

I have tried creating a bootable floppy so I can flash the bios, I have tried using the recovery console to try and use the floppy drive to flash the bios. Am formating an old 20gig IDE drive atm to see if maybe I can do a windows install on it, but am not optimistic. Am almost to the point of thinking I will have to buy a winchester or clawhammer just to get these 2 boards flashed (building 2 comps).


So, any other ideas or suggestions? If need any other information I should be around some. Thank you for any assistance you are able to provide.

JKrepps said:

windows won't recognize the SATA hard drive. The onboard raid utility sees the hard drive correctly, but when attempting to install windows, it does not see it.

Click to expand...

That is correct, nothing wrong. Windows XP (and nothing to do with ANY of the hardware) does not support SATA out of the box. You must install the SATA drivers before you install windows (you hit F6 to install 3rd party drivers durring XP install).

And yes, you can use an older IDE hard drive to flash the bios, but you still will not be able to use the SATA drives. Also the reason you can not boot from the floppy is beasue only the BIOS can 'see' the drives.

K, thanks for the info. Just found out both of my old IDE drives are bad><

So, as long as I can post, I should be able to install windows, and then can flash the bios from windows?

My question is, if the floppy drive is not sata, why can the current bios not "see" it?

(Noteing that the bios does appear to detect the drive)

Now, off to find windows SATA drivers.

JKrepps said:

My question is, if the floppy drive is not sata, why can the current bios not "see" it?

(Noteing that the bios does appear to detect the drive)

Now, off to find windows SATA drivers.

Click to expand...

The drivers ususally are on a floppy that comes with the mb, or "open" the CD (not the auto run, but go into my computer and Open it). You will usually see a folder on the CD that has the drivers. Just put them onto a floppy, it is usually the RAID drivers.

You say your bios can not 'see' your floppy but then you say it appears to detect it?

Hmm, quite right, that did not sound right.

Ok, if I go into the bios, it auto detects the drive. If I use the recovery console, i can go to the A drive (but running a dir does errors out (will get the actual error there if needed)). If I tried to boot off of a floppy so i can flash the bios, it ignore it (I have boot sequence set to floppy, cd, hdd atm)

Hope that clears up what I mean.