User manual ASUS P4PE-X

[. . . ] P4PE-X User Guide Motherboard E1303 Checklist First edition V1 May 2003 Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. [. . . ] The following prompts appear if you typed Y. Flash Memory: SST XXXXXXX (Y/N)?Press Y to update the main BIOS area. DO NOT shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS area!When the update process is done, the message, "Press a key to reboot" appears. Press any key to reboot the system with the new BIOS. ASUS P4PE-X motherboard user guide 2-3 2. 1. 2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS Creating a bootable disk AFLASH. EXE is a Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new BIOS file to the programmable flash ROM on the motherboard. To determine the BIOS version of your motherboard, check the last four numbers of the code displayed on the upper left-hand corner of your screen during bootup. Type COPY D:\AFLASH\AFLASH. EXE A:\ (assuming D is your CD-ROM drive) to copy AFLASH. EXE to the boot disk you created. AFLASH works only in DOS mode. It does not work in the DOS prompt within Windows, and does not work with certain memory drivers that may be loaded when you boot from the hard drive. Reboot the computer from the floppy disk. BIOS setup must specify "Floppy" as the first item in the boot sequence. 4. In DOS mode, type A:\AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH. If the word "unknown" appears after Flash Memory:, the memory chip is either not programmable or is not supported by the ACPI BIOS and therefore, cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility. 2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS information 5. Type a filename and the path, for example, A:\XXX-XX. XXX, then press <Enter>. Updating the BIOS Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard and you are sure that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless updating may result to more problems with the motherboard! 1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or FTP) (see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION on page viii for details) and save to the boot floppy disk you created earlier. At the "A:\" prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>. Type the filename of your new BIOS and the path, for example, A:\XXXXX. XXX, then press <Enter>. To cancel this operation, press <Enter>. ASUS P4PE-X motherboard user guide 2-5 6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the update. 7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash ROM. This minimizes the possibility of boot problems in case of update failures. When the programming is done, the message "Flashed Successfully" appears. 8. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue. If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT turn off the system because this may cause boot problems. Just repeat the process, and if the problem persists, load the original BIOS file you saved to the boot disk. If the Flash Memory Writer utility is not able to successfully update a complete BIOS file, the system may not boot. [. . . ] Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. Because motherboard settings and hardware options vary, use the setup procedures presented in this chapter for general reference only. Refer to your OS documentation for more information. 3. 2 Support CD information The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website for updates. The support CD that came with the motherboard contains useful software and several utility drivers that enhance the motherboard features. 3. 2. 1 Running the support CD To begin using the support CD, simply insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer. Click an item to install Click an icon to display more information If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support CD to locate the file ASSETUP. EXE from the BIN folder. [. . . ]