AWARD BIOS Problem on new M/Board

Award BIOS halts at configuration screen after listing Primary Master HDD. Secondary & Slaves not listed, CPU correctly identified & RAM checked OK. Cursor continues to blink under last char. but no further action happens, and I have to turn off. Prior to this the BIOS has correctly identified all fitted drives (Primary Master = HDD, Primary Slave = None, Secondary Master = CD-ROM, Secondary Slave = None, Floppy Drive = 1.44MB 3 1/2". Any idea what might be wrong?

I've tried reading the manual and following it to the letter re jumper settings and BIOS config but no success. Also tried swapping IDE cables around and re-jumpering drives to be seen as master/slave, primary/secondary etc. Exhausted all the combinations but still no joy.

Has anyone got an idea I could try? (Yeh, I already know I could chuck the PC in the trash and buy a new one )

 

Hi Plodr,
I've been following this lead:

With this result.....

Does a drive just co-incidentally die when unplugged from a m/brd?

Thanks for the pointers so far. Any more thoughts?

 

Hi, When a drive is not detected on boot many attempts are made to detect it. May take several minutes. Maybe you are not waiting long enough. Would only confirm that the drive has a problem. If the bios is not set to AUTO on some rigs this happens until you either set it to AUTO or have the BIOS set it. Maybe?

Good Luck, Jim

 

Hi Jim,
Yep, everything's set to auto in bios, athough I have tried every other combination of settings (apart from "manual" as I don't have all that cylinder info etc), always with the same failure. So you think I'm not waiting long enough? That is a possibility as I'm used to BIOS just whipping thru' so I haven't left it to run for more that a minute. I'll try that now.

 

This is what I see:

Award Software, Inc.
System Configurations
_______________________________________________________
CPU Type : PENTIUM II-MMX Base Memory :
Co-Processor : Installed Extended Memory :
CPU Clock : 350MHz
_______________________________________________________
Diskette Drive A : 1.44M, 3.5 in. Display Type :
Diskette Drive B : None Serial Port(s) :
Pri. Master Disk : LBA ,UDMA 2, (note- flashing u/score & hang)
Pri. Slave Disk :
Sec. Master Disk :
Sec. Slave Disk :
_________________________________________________________

 

I've been watching this same screen for about an hour now.......

 

Two hours now...... It's still hung at the same point as below. Have I been patient enough or will it take longer? I'm off now to do something more interesting, as there's a patch of wet paint in the porch that I can look at while it dries!