How to use Phoenix BIOS Editor v2.2

See what you can find out about the bios first.. if you can see what version that would help a lot.

NICE!!  I will have to use this as well.

The Laptop is a [Deskbook] So it uses the same type of HD as a PC.
-------
OK. I downloaded the program mentioned above from: Jamie
This is what I have found it.


======================
BIOS INFO
BIOS Version = PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0 Ver 1.00PARTTBLH
BIOS Date = 05/22/03


Property      Value
Version      Rev.A
Serial Number      9146TZ10063110008FK000
      
Chipset Vendor      Intel Corporation
Chipset Model      845G/GL/GV Brookdale Host-Hub Interface Bridge (A1-step)
South Bridge      82801DB/DBL (ICH4/ICH4-L) LPC Interface Bridge
SMBus      Intel Corporation 801DB/DBL SMBus Controller (ICH4/ICH4-L A1 step) @1880h
      
CPU      Intel Pentium 4
Cpu Socket      Socket 478 [WMT478/NWD]
Processor Upgrade      Slot 1

The bottom 1/2 where is shows:
Property   Value

That is from the Motherboard.

So:

Motherboard INFO
==============
Property      Value
Version      Rev.A
Serial Number      9146TZ10063110008FK000
     
Chipset Vendor      Intel Corporation
Chipset Model      845G/GL/GV Brookdale Host-Hub Interface Bridge (A1-step)
South Bridge      82801DB/DBL (ICH4/ICH4-L) LPC Interface Bridge
SMBus      Intel Corporation 801DB/DBL SMBus Controller (ICH4/ICH4-L A1 step) @1880h
     
CPU      Intel Pentium 4
Cpu Socket      Socket 478 [WMT478/NWD]
Processor Upgrade      Slot 1

In SIW go to system info does it show manufacture and product name? Also check the bios and make sure large disk support(48-bit lba) is enabled.

System INFO
========(Not all shown, removed Drives)=======

Property      Value
Serial Number      9146TZ10063110008FK000        
Infrared (IR) Supported      No
Machine Type      AT/AT COMPATIBLE
UUID      00B9A0D3-495A-D711-8512-ED1385D5B3C4
      
Disk Space      500Gb Drive Here
      
Physical Memory      2039 MB Total, 1474 MB Free
Memory Load      27%
      
Virtual Memory      3933 MB Total, 3337 MB Free
      
PageFile Name      \??\C:\pagefile.sys
PageFile Size      2046 MB
In use      239 MB
Max used      275 MB
Registry Size      24 MB (current), 114 MB (maximum)
      
Profile GUID      {33a285c0-b3d4-11dc-a6ef-806d6172696f}
      
The system clock interval      15 ms
      
Warning!      Accuracy of DMI data cannot be guaranteed
==================

In the BIOS Part. it does not show rather or not it is enabled.
I know that in my BIOS, it only shows 137Gb for the drive.

Anything else, please let me know.
I am looking at the Maxtor Tools right now, As I read that they should enable it in the BIOS for me.
I will find out hopefully soon.

A few thoughts:

First, the 845G chipset will support 48-bit logical block addressing (and thus your 500GB drive) if you use the latest Intel drivers for it:  http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/iaa/#anchor1

This will NOT update the BIOS support ... but Windows 2000 or XP can properly support the drive even if the BIOS code does not (although you have to be careful that you don't use other 3rd party disk tools in that case).

Second, WAS this drive working in your laptop originally?   Based on your other question, it sounds like you were using it ... and created all the partitions you mentioned in your other question ... and then had some problem with it.   Is that correct?    Or was the drive used in a different system and you're just now trying to move it to the laptop?

Finally, you won't be able to add 48-bit LBA support by just modifying any drive parameter blocks in the BIOS.   Unless you can find a BIOS update that adds 48-bit support, you're not likely to be able to update the BIOS level support.   But as I noted, Windows 2000 or XP will still support the drive just fine as long as you have chipset-level support ... which you do with the 845G motherboard.

The easiest way to use this drive is the approach I suggested in your other question:  Install Windows 2000 in a small partition (8GB is plenty) on a disk smaller than the 28-bit LBA limit (i.e. a 120GB or smaller disk);  update it with SP4 & the current Intel drivers;  add the EnableBitLBA key; and then image the result (to an external drive).   Then install the large drive, and restore that image to the first partition on the 500GB drive.   The system will then boot just fine and will "see" the disk correctly.    No BIOS update needed :-)

"... I am looking at the Maxtor Tools right now, As I read that they should enable it in the BIOS for me." ==> NO !!   You do NOT want to install any overlay code.   This causes far more disk issues than it resolves ... and it won't add support in the BIOS (except via a BIOS overlay that I can assure you you do NOT want to do).

Your chipset already supports the disk ... the issue is simply that the BIOS doesn't.   It's a bit of work to get everything installed correctly in that situation (it would actually be pretty easy if you didn't want to keep all of the data currently on the drive) ... but it's much better than using a drive overlay.

I use this Laptop when I travel to work.
So the drive that is in it, gets heavily used.

I might think about redoing it later on down the road to another drive
Smaller about a 120Gb.
BUT, if possible, I do what to upgrade the BIOS to see the drive.
So that I will not experiance any problems when I am out on the road.
As I do not take all my equipment and disk(s) with me.

Also.
  The drive is working great. And it is a new drive, it is my Christmas Present to myself.

Thanks for your info Gary.
I am just hoping that I can get a BIOS Upgrade for it as well.
As I do not want to have to worry about doing the Mirror as you suggested
Unless I absolutely have to.

Carrzkiss

"... it is a new drive ..." ==>  In that case it's easy to do what you need.   But I'm also a bit confused by that statement ... because in your other question you indicated "... The Drive is broken into 18-partitions. ... Data is stored on each of the partitions."

So ... where did the data come from ???

... and do you need to keep that data???

If not, it's very simple to do what you want:

(1)  Install the drive.

(2)  Install Windows 2000, creating a small partition (30GB is plenty -- but anything less than 128GB is okay) for the OS and programs.   Update to SP4, install the latest Intel chipset drivers, and add the EnableBigLBA key, and then reboot.

(3)  In Disk Management you can now create another partition for your data using the rest of the drive (Windows will "see" it just fine).

It is a new drive.
Partioned out into 18-partitions.
Not confusing at all.
---------
Where did the data come from?
I moved it over from the old drive via USB Drive Cable.
------------
It is already installed on C:\ Drive on a 20Gb partition.
Everything is already done on the drive.

This is a simple question.
I need to find either a BIOS Upgrade for my board, if available.
So that it will recognize the actual size of the drive instead of the 137Gb when it is a 500Gb.

I know about the registry setting.
That is what I already did in order for Win2k SP4 to see the entire 500Gb drive.

Gary, I know you mean well, but you are telling me the same thing that I already have done
When I installed the drive on 12-26-07.

Please, to any one, that knows how to use the "Phoenix BIOS Editor"
Please let me know how to do the BIOS Image.
And or, if anyone can point me to a BIOS Update, that would be wonderful.

Thanks to everyone for your assistance in this matter.
Carrzkiss

If "... Everything is already done on the drive" it should boot with no problem.   According to your other question you were having the symptom that "...  It only see's 4-partitions.  ...  And they are all showing = Unknown or damaged drives."

I took that to mean the system wouldn't boot.   Is that not correct?

If it boots, what does Windows (NOT the BIOS) "see" as the size of the drive?   It SHOULD see the correct 500GB drive if you've got the correct Intel drivers, the Win2K service packs, and the EnableBigLBA registry key.

If that's the case, it's not at all clear what your issue is.   All you have to do is Image the system partition and save the image => if you ever need to "reload" Win2K you just restore the image and you're done ... complete with the appropriate large drive support; all drivers; all updates; and all your applications.

If that's not the case, the sequence I noted above will resolve this ... and then you can re-build the partition structure and copy the data over from your old drive again.

As for your BIOS support ... the BIOS Editor program requires an image of the new BIOS you want to flash => but to determine what exact BIOS you will need requires more details on your current BIOS.   The BIOS Setup program should have an identifying BIOS string with more information than you've listed here.   Can you get into the setup program okay?   Typically Phoenix BIOS Setup programs are entered with a 3-key sequence at bootup => Ctrl-Alt-Escape, Ctrl-Alt-Insert, or Ctrl-Alt-S.   Have you tried these?

Since the BIOS will not recognize the drive as the full 500Gb
When you boot from the Win2k/sp4 CD
You only see "4" Unknown partitions.

The BIOS HAS too see the drive for what it truely is, in order for it to see all
The partitions.
In this case, it is not seeing but 137Gb of the 500Gb drive.
And BIOS makes the Win2k/SP4 disk "think" that it is see Damaged (or) Unformatted drives.

That is the problem.
The system is running fine right now, as long as nothing happens to the OS
To cause a reinstall.
Once I have to do a reinstall, then that is going to be where the problem will come in at.

Simple BIOS. is the F2 key on this system.
And the Drive is seen as: 137Gb there.

One of my older spare systems has the same issue -> BIOS only sees 137GB of a 320GB drive.   But it works perfectly ... and I simply keep an image of the fully configured OS.   In fact, I had a 250GB drive fail and replaced it with the 320GB about a year ago --> took 15 minutes to physically replace the drive and restore the image.   The fact that the BIOS doesn't recognize the full size of the drive is no problem => the only thing you have to be cautious of is to not use any 3rd party disk utilities that use the BIOS disk support.

Bottom line:  there's no reason to EVER have to do a reinstall --> just image the "clean" OS now and a "reinstall" will simply be an image restore.

If you can find the serial # on the laptop(it's not what SIW is reporting i already tried) this site should give us the required info to find a bios update to get 48-bit lba support in the bios.
https://secure3.tx.acer.com/FindSystem/FindSystem.aspx?title=Information

Thanks Jamie.
 I took my laptop completely apart. and could not find nothing for a serial #
I found all the ID Labels for my components (Modem, IEEE, Ethernet ...exc....)
Though there is a Serial # on the back of the computer.
It is not the proper one to enter into the ACER link site that you provided above.

========
I am in my BIOS right now.
And have selected to "Manually" Enter the data myself.
To see if that will ix the problem.
I just need some Information and advice before I go through with it.

This is what I am seeing right now.

===========PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility===========
Type = [User]
            CHS Format
Cylinders:          [16383]
Heads:               [      16]
Sectors;            [       63]
Maximum Capacity:   8455MB

             LBA Format
Total Sectors           268435455
Maximum Capacity:  137GB

Multi-Sector Transfers:    [16 Sectors]
LBA Mode Control:           [Enabled]
32 Bit I/O                           [Enabled]
Transfer Mode:                 [Fast PIO 4]
Ultra DMA Mode:               [Mode 5]

=========================================
Can someone assist me on this, Setting it up to see the 500GB Drive.

Thank you
Carrzkiss

Hey guys.
Found my system on eBay.be

http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ACER-PROMETIUM-Pentium-IV-2-8-grz-100-Go-HDD_W0QQitemZ250198201541QQihZ015QQcategoryZ100675QQcmdZViewItem

My Serial # is:      9146TZ10063110008FK000

I am contacting ACER right now, to see what I can find out from them.
Hopefully they will be able to assist me with an Update.

But just in case.
I would still like to know about the information that I provided above.

Thank you all.
Carrzkiss

>> Please, to any one, that knows how to use the "Phoenix BIOS Editor"

I don't think using the bios editor is going to help you, unless you know some serious coding
Like gary said, you need a bios file to load in the editor. Or get the Phoenix Flash program to save the current one to a file.

Here is me doing an AMI BIOS Editor, which should be similar to Phoenix
Introduction to BIOS hacking
http://www.expertsrt.com/articles/coral/Intro-to-BIOS-Hacking.html

I have to get some sleep now, but I will check back tomorrow if you still what some info on the subject.

Hopefully ACER can give more info on the system i can't find much on Prometium. The only info is on one laptop the MS2124. It's not actually an ACER laptop, ACER just made the motherboard. Where Prometium doesn't seem to be in business anymore this may make getting a bios update impossible.

I know Jamie.
That is the scary thing about it.
Fingers crossed though.

Have a good one, will keep you all posted.

Anyone with information on how to edit the "Sectors" and so forth
To show the drives accurate size in the BIOS?

<Sigh>  As I've told you several times in this and the previous question, as long as you have chipset support in the OS you'll "see" the drive just fine from the operating system => apparently that's already the case, since you indicated "... The system is running fine right now, as long as nothing happens to the OS."

The far-and-away best solution to your concern about possibly needing to reload is to simply IMAGE the OS, and keep that copy of the image handy (on an external disk; a set of DVD's; etc.).

As for editing the '... "Sectors" and so forth ...' => you can't access your disk in cylinder/head/sector format.   ANY disk larger than 7.88GB (1024 cylinders, 256 heads, 63 sectors) must use logical block addressing.   The issue you're having is that your BIOS is using 28-bit logical block addresses;  to access disks larger than 137GB you need support for 48-bit addresses.   As I've told you before, you can't resolve that with a simple parameter change :-)

Thanks Gary for the information on the Sectors.
As for the OS seeing the Disk correctly is all good and well.
But if the BIOS does not recognize the drive size for what it truely is.
That is defeating the purpose.
Regardless of a [IMAGE] of the drive being done.
That really defeats the purpose of what the BIOS is suppose to do in the first place.
In hopes that I will get some information on an Update for the BIOS from ACER
Is high hopes. I will still hope.

And regardless of you telling me in this post and in the other post.
You are telling me something that I "Do Not" want to do.
And "Should Not" have to do, and that is Create an IMAGE of the drive C:\
Which is something that I am not prepared nor that I want to do in this case.
In other cases yes, but not in this one.
If by chance, I am unable to get the proper Update for my BIOS, I will install
Another HD into the Laptop that is recognized, and go from their.

So please, I know that you mean well Gary.
But I do not want to settle for Imaging my Drive.
That is out of the question on this issue.

Take Care and thank you anyway.

"... As for the OS seeing the Disk correctly is all good and well. " ==>  This is true because (as I've noted several times) the OS uses its own chipset-level drivers rather than the BIOS disk access code.    This does not "... defeat the purpose of what the BIOS is suppose to do ..." => the BIOS is still used for all other hardware-interface actions; and controls the system boot, etc.

The ONLY issue with your current setup is that you wouldn't be able to boot from a partition beyond the first 137GB of the drive --> but this is clearly not a problem.  (for performance reasons, you want the OS to be in the first part of the disk anyway)

I'm not sure what your reluctance is about imaging your drive ... but good luck with getting it set up as you like.   I'd suggest you simply replace the 500GB drive with a 120GB drive so you don't need to worry about the logical block addressing issue.   But it's interesting that you'd prefer process B instead of process A below:

Ways to restore the OS if it becomes corrupted:

Process A  ==>  Restore a previously made Image of the fully loaded operating system.  Done :-)

Process B  ==>  (1)  Reformat the OS partition.
                          (2)  Install Windows 2000
                          (3)  Update to SP4
                          (4)  Add EnableBigLBA Registry key
                          (5)  Do all Windows Updates
                          (6)  Install all applications that you use
                          (7)  Do all updates to the applications just installed
                          (8)  Tweak all personal settings; start menu; desktop; etc.

Total time to fully reload the OS:   Process A  --> ~ 10 minutes
                                                      Process B  -->  Many hours  (better part of a day)

The issue really isn't that you "... Should Not have to do ..." an image ==> an Image is something you absolutely SHOULD do for every system after it's fully loaded, "tweaked", and running smoothly ==> that has nothing to do with whether the system supports 48-bit LBA or not ... it's simply good practice.    Why you would want to go back through the process of a full system reload when you can have the exact same result in 10 minutes is an interesting question.

I fully understand what you are saying Gary.
But due to the question.
This is not what the question is for.

Though you do have a good point. And yes I do, do Mirrors on our servers.
And it does save a lot of time from having to do a full install.

But, once again, that is not what this question is about.

have a good one.

An image is NOT a mirror.   Different concept altogether => a mirrored drive protects against a hardware failure;  an image protects against corruption of the data (virus, spyware, bad install, runaway executable, etc.), hardware failure, or any other failure that requires a reloading of the OS.   Note that software corruptions (virus, spyware, bad install, etc.) would also be mirrored on a RAID-1 array.

Given what you want to achieve ... and your reluctance to follow the suggestions that will let you achieve it ... I'd suggest you simply replace the 500GB drive with a 120GB drive.

>> But, once again, that is not what this question is about.

OK
Let's live dangerously then.

If you can not find a BIOS UPDATE anywhere, or or at least one that enables 48-bit addressing, you will have to do it yourself (with help from those that know).
This will be done by figuring out which module handles the disk addressing, and re-coding it.
If nothing else, you will have to figure out how to save a copy of your current bios to a file, so you can work on it.
The Phoenix Flasher should be able to do this, or you can get one of several free apps that will.

http://rom.by/index.php?title=Wiki
note:
This site is not in English, but has links to what looks to be the most recent of the AMI, Award, and Phoenix Bios Editors and Flashers.
Look on the Right side of the page.

Poking through these sites will help you get an idea of how to re-code the bios.
This is NOT for the 'faint of heart'.

http://www.rebelshavenforum.co  (has some hardcore bios hackers. )

http://biosmods.com
 
http://forums.biosmods.com/

www.rebios.net


These are examples of MMTool ( for AMI ). But will show you what it is about:
This does more than just change and save settings. You can Extract, Insert, and Modify whole Modules of the bios file. You can also change the Text Strings that show in the bios when you go into it durning bootup, and even add a cpu to the list of chips it recognizes.
Very Dangerous Stuff if you mess up.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/02/20/asus-p5b-deluxewifi-ap-motherboard-slp-20-bios-and-cert-download-for-vista-oem-activation/

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/02/17/windows-vista-oem-activation-crack-by-patching-slic-into-motherboard-bios/comment-page-1/