Need Q-bios help

[Glyynda]

I hope someone out there can help. This may be a stupid question, but it has me stumped. I have never flashed bios before, but my Gigabyte GA-7IXEH has the option of using Q-BIOS flash utility. I downloaded the update from the Gigabyte site, and started Q-BIOS. It seemed pretty straight forward, until I got to the portion where you type in the file name of the new bios. The file name will not fit in the allowed space. The file is bios_7ixeh_f3 but there is not enough allowed space to type it in. Can I just rename the file to make it work? I have heard so many horror stories about fried motherboards that I have been afraid to try this before.

[Mntsnow]

Have you extracted the bios file yet from the download? Because if you have the actual bios file will be named: 7IXEH.F3

The file you downloaded was
http://tw.giga-byte.com/Download/Download.asp?DownloadPath=/MotherBoard/FileList/BIOS/bios_7ixeh_f3.exe

The exe is actually a SELF decompressing archive (unzipping archive) Your not seeing the actual ".exe" file extention as you most likely have the option turned off to see "known file types"..but anyways...You need to first extract the actual files from that "zip/exe" file which will actually have 3 files inside of it..you need to then copy the "7IXEH.F3" file to the floppy and then reboot and enter your bios and then hit the F8 key to start the Q-bios update procedure :)

Enjoy! and btw...Welcome to XtremePcCentral

[Glyynda]

Thanx mtnsnow. I unzipped the file to a floppy, tried to run Q-bios again, typed in the correct file name, (7IXEH.F3) but it only says 'file not found'. I'm not sure what is going on with this machine, but am quickly learning the true meaning of FRUSTRATION. I put an 80 gig WD hard drive on and can't install my OS. From what I understand this motherboard bios can't handle a HD that large without flashing the bios. Thanks again for your help. If you have any other suggestions, I'll be glad to try them. I've run out of things to try! Glyynda

[Cowboybooter]

What is the boot sequence in the old BIOS? Will it automatically seek the floppy?

:)


Bob

[NDC]

Are you typing exactly as shown below?:

load 7IXEH.F3

[Glyynda]

Hi! Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. Thanks for all your help. I have been trying to work around flashing the bios but no luck. Here is the current status. I still have no OS installed, I don't think that MOBO will support an 80 gig hard drive OR WinXP, so I installed a 30 gig WD hard drive and have tried to install Win98 and WinME. It will not handle either, When I tried to install Win98, it would hang and tell me that setup had detected a corrupt setup .CAB file, set up will attempt to fix it, but it was unable to do that. I did finally install ME, but was so unstable that I wiped the hard drive again. Every time I would reboot, it would drop the drivers and any windows updates that I had installed.

At this point the thing will not boot from the start up disk. It gets to the screen that says 'preparing to start your computer please wait...
Then it says 'the diagnostic tools were sucessfuly loaded to Drive D. But I can't access Drive D.

I'm scared to try to flash the bios with this nutty system even if I could get as far as the a prompt! What do you think? Is this hopeless? Thanx again, Glynda

[Glyynda]

p.s. yes I was typing it in exactly as you typed it, but no luck! And I did change the boot sequence as required, it would search the floppy but give me the file not found message. I think the thing is possessed!

[Mntsnow]

Glyynda,
Do you have a computer shop locally that can help you get the system bios flashed? If not and you still want it flashed send it to me and I will flash it for you at no charge you just pay for the shipping both ways...Or maybe there is someone closer to you that can help...

[Glyynda]

Thanx mtnsnow. I have finally gotten back to an a prompt. it will still not install any version of windows, locks up during the installation and will not go further. Can I just use a Windows 98 Start up disk to get to a: then insert the floppy with the downloaded bios and run the flash from there?

[Glyynda]

no, this one is a 30 gig WD

[NDC]

Ooops, i just noticed that on your previous post and edited mine the same time you posted yours...

[NDC]

just use a Windows 98 Start up disk to get to a: then insert the floppy with the downloaded bios and run the flash from there?


Yes, you can.... Just make sure to press F8 when you see the floppy disk read and boot from the Win98 boot diskette. The reason for this is you cannot load TSR programs such as himem.sys when doing a BIOS update.

Press F8 and then you will get a menu of choices. When you do, select Safe Prompt Only

[Mntsnow]

You will also need the flash utility if trying to do is stickly from the floppy rather than using the Qbios utility

[NDC]

Download the BIOS from the link below and extract it by double clicking on it and copy the two following files to the Windows 98 boot diskette or to a blank diskette..

1. 7IXEH.F3
2. FLASH853.EXE

Download the BIOS file here (http://www.giga-byte.com/Download/Download.asp?DownloadPath=/MotherBoard/FileList/BIOS/bios_7ixeh_f3.exe)

[Glyynda]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I finally gave up in frustration and took it to a local repair shop yesterday. They worked for nearly four hours and never could get the bios flashed or Windows installed. I don't feel quite as stupid as before. I still don't know what is going on with my machine, but at this point it is over my head to deal with. They are going over the hardware now to see what could be causing the crazy problems. Thanks again, I really appreciate all your help. Glynda

[Mntsnow]

Sorry to hear of the headaches :( but glad to have ya around

[MRCOMPUTER]

Time to replace the memory...;)