BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

[nate42nd]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

The guide says it's best to use FAT32. I have formatted my USB flash drives so many times....if I choose restore device to default it chooses FAT. I want to format a drive in FAT32. What is the best unit allocation size? Does it depend on the size of the drive? I have one 16GB. It's already FAT32 and it's allocation size is 8192. So would a 2GB drive be 1024? Thanks for any more info on flashing.

I am also wondering at what point during the process you should remove the flash drive or if it matters. I have been told to yank it right after flashing before reboot.

[nate42nd]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To, Qflash Guide"

Now let the computer rest with this jumper on for 10-20 Minutes, this will ensure that the battery gets drained, and the CMOS is cleared. Some people will tell you it will only take a few seconds or a minute or two, but I find that to be false and it may indeed lead to a corrupt BootBlock and or a Bricked motherboard.

So best to not try to cut corners when it comes to Clearing the CMOS, wait the full 20 Minutes

When the 20 minutes is up, remove the jumper from the "Clear CMOS" pins, put the battery back in if you removed it, and close your case up. Plug the Power Supply back into the wall and restart the system. Then please follow above advice and Load Optimized Defaults, set DDR2 Voltages and Reboot.!

I am confused, if you leave the battery in and drain it.....you would need a new battery on hand. Why do this if you can simply remove the battery? What am I missing here?

Also, at what point do you remove the USB flash drive (if using that method) during the flash procedure? Is it okay to leave it in until finished and boot into Windows?

Thanks for any clarification, I just want to do everything right. There are many more ?? but these are two I can think of now.

[FL00D]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Hello,

I have a GA-MA770T-UD3P (rev. 1.0) and it has a minor problem: no matter what I do there's 15secs delay before POST with my new HDD. I thought the latest BIOS(F4) might sort out this problem but I don't know what that BIOS actually fixes. I'm afraid that all it would do is change the CPU stepping which I do not want at all since it may spoil the tuning potential of my CPU (as it happend once after updating bios on another mobo). So could someone please let me know a website that has info on what these BIOSes fix? That's all I found on Gigabyte's website: "F4, 2009/09/21, 1. Update CPU ID (Support AGESA 3.5.3.1 code / AM3 C3 CPU). The problem is that I've seen several cases when the new BIOS actually fixed a whole lot of problems but they were not listed.

All answers are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Lsdmeasap, when you load optimized defaults, it sets everything right then. Is there a need to save and exit? If so, do you need to boot into the OS or just back into the BIOS.

Also, at what point (using the USB flash drive method) do you put in and take out the USB flash drive? Does it matter? I am getting conflicting information on these questions.

Edit:

I finally saw in the guide to save and apply optimized defaults then boot back into BIOS to set HD options, then if not running RAID boot into Windows (or other OS)

I am still wondering exactly when to "yank" the USB drive. Maybe it does not matter but I have been told to "yank" it before resetting and after the flash. (which I have done on all 6-7 flashes) Is this the correct way to do it? Am I using risky practices? Thanks

If you are not using RAID you can just save and apply optimized defaults, then reboot to windows. If you are using AHCI you will need to be sure to set AHCI first, that's all.


The USB Must be left plugged in when you reboot to flash, sometimes it will get picked up if you plug it in later but not always. Best to just leave it in until you are done flashing. I would leave it in until you are back in the BIOS or windows again after the flash, but yes you can remove it when the flash is over and you have rebooted

The guide says it's best to use FAT32. I have formatted my USB flash drives so many times....if I choose restore device to default it chooses FAT. I want to format a drive in FAT32. What is the best unit allocation size? Does it depend on the size of the drive? I have one 16GB. It's already FAT32 and it's allocation size is 8192. So would a 2GB drive be 1024? Thanks for any more info on flashing.

I am also wondering at what point during the process you should remove the flash drive or if it matters. I have been told to yank it right after flashing before reboot.

FAT parameters do not matter, it can be any FAT (FAT/FAT112/FAT16/FAT32). So you can leave it however you have it now, it just can't be NTFS is all

I am confused, if you leave the battery in and drain it.....you would need a new battery on hand. Why do this if you can simply remove the battery? What am I missing here?

Also, at what point do you remove the USB flash drive (if using that method) during the flash procedure? Is it okay to leave it in until finished and boot into Windows?

Thanks for any clarification, I just want to do everything right. There are many more ?? but these are two I can think of now.

Battery removal is only needed if you are having issues clearing the CMOS, otherwise you do not need to remove it. And no, it would not need to be replaced, it will charge back up as soon as you put it back in and power up the board

Hello,

I have a GA-MA770T-UD3P (rev. 1.0) and it has a minor problem: no matter what I do there's 15secs delay before POST with my new HDD. I thought the latest BIOS(F4) might sort out this problem but I don't know what that BIOS actually fixes. I'm afraid that all it would do is change the CPU stepping which I do not want at all since it may spoil the tuning potential of my CPU (as it happend once after updating bios on another mobo). So could someone please let me know a website that has info on what these BIOSes fix? That's all I found on Gigabyte's website: "F4, 2009/09/21, 1. Update CPU ID (Support AGESA 3.5.3.1 code / AM3 C3 CPU). The problem is that I've seen several cases when the new BIOS actually fixed a whole lot of problems but they were not listed.

All answers are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

What is your new disk, and what were you using before? What are you setting in the BIOS for hard drives? Can you post a few pics please?

[FL00D]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

What is your new disk, and what were you using before? What are you setting in the BIOS for hard drives? Can you post a few pics please?

Hello Lsdmeasap,

At this very moment I have a WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM, 32MB. The rest of my cfg is the following: Gigabyte MA700T-UD3P, PhenomII 905e @3.6GHz, 4GB Kingston DDR3 HyperX 1600MHz@1500MHz, Sapphire 5870 1GB, FSP Everest 500W 80PLUS. When this sort of "delay" started I had a Samsung F1 1TB 7200RPM, 32MB. And before that one I had a Samsung 80GB and a Sapphire 4890 1GB OC instead of the 5870. With my old HDD (and graphics card, but I strongly doubt that that would cause any problem) there was only like ~5secs delay before POST. And now there's ~10-11 with my current cfg.
What settings are you interested in exactly? 'Course I can post a pic but of which menu in BIOS?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

I would like to see your AHCI/RAID Disk setup page. Where you using IDE mode before and are now using AHCI maybe? Was this older disk IDE and new is SATA?

[FL00D]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

I would like to see your AHCI/RAID Disk setup page. Where you using IDE mode before and are now using AHCI maybe? Was this older disk IDE and new is SATA?

No. I've been using IDE mode with all my HDDs so far. Never tried AHCI. The older 80GB Samsung was SATA as well as the new ones, though the new ones are probably SATA3(or 2) and the old one was SATA.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

K, well can you please show me that page "Integrated Peripherals" just to be sure.

Have you tested your disk with the manufacturer's diagnostics tool? Did you check for and remove any jumpers on the back of the drives? Some new SATA II drives ship with a jumper, which will limit the drive speed to SATA I

[FL00D]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

K, well can you please show me that page "Integrated Peripherals" just to be sure.

Have you tested your disk with the manufacturer's diagnostics tool? Did you check for and remove any jumpers on the back of the drives? Some new SATA II drives ship with a jumper, which will limit the drive speed to SATA I

No jumpers on the back of my HDD. I think my problem has nothing to do with the HDD or the BIOS settings. It's a mobo related problem... Never mind. :)

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Well please show me your BIOS settings like I asked, maybe I can help you if one is set wrong

[nate42nd]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Lsdmeasap, it would help thousands if you made a 5 minute video next time you flash your BIOS. I have looked everywhere for a video and cannot find one. I decided to make a video of my own and put it on YouTube for mt own future reference so I don't forget ant details. It would be cool to have a video made by you....the expert.....on page one.

I made a video of me flashing my P55 using Q-flash if anyone wants to find it on YouTube. It's just marked flashing using Gigabyte Q-flash. I wish I had one when I was learning for the 1st time.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Hmm, nice idea! I may have to do that one day when I get a second!

[nate42nd]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

I just flashed a EP45-UD3L with F7 BIOS. Everything went well. I booted into the BIOS and loaded optimized. The next time I rebooted it said "recovering BIOS" and went crazy with random text. I reset the machine and the new BIOS was there. This isn't normal is it? It's a new build and seems to be working fine now with the BIOS I flashed.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Yes, please redo it all again now! And this time let it do it's thing, NEVER Shut off a motherboard when you see the words BIOS anything on the screen!!!!

What is happening is with the version of BIOS you flashed the backup BIOS chip is automatically updated to a newer version with a newer version of Qflash. So this is normal, and you should not have interrupted it and I suggest you reflash and let it do it properly this time.

This only occurs with certain BIOS updates, so that Qflash may continue to work.

Instead of Reflashing you may also try pressing ALT + F12 at startup and if your current version allows it the same process will begin again and the backup BIOS will be flashed, but I do advise a reflash since you interrupted it.

I do think they should have worded it differently myself, recovering BIOS (Which it says), is far from flashing backup BIOS (Which it does), that would put much less fear into users who see it!

*Edit*

I will try to remember to add a note about this procedure to the main post this week sometime.

[nate42nd]

Re: BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Okay, I hate to flash it again since it's working but I will take your advice.

It did finish "recovering" and the random text went on for like 5 minutes. I though it was some sort of error "loop".

If I flash it again, if I see the same thing, I will just let it go.

The Alt+F12 trick.....I don't know about. I hope re-flashing will do it okay.