[DarkningStag]

As I tend to talk to much for some... a short question list, before the main post.

My computer's mother board needed a bios update to 'see' the processor I now have in it.

1. Is the mother board bios update installed on the mother board or on some part of the hard drive, like many other drivers/updates?

2. If I format and reinstall vista will this undo the update to the mother board bios?



Mother board Gigabyte MA790X-DS4
Processor AMD Phenom™9950 Quad-Core Processor 2.61 GHz
Ram 4.00 GB

Windows Vista 64-bit Operating System

I had a guy form a computer shop/repair build me a Computer a little over a year ago. Since then I have moved. When he got it all together it would not see the Phenom quad core processor, so he had to take the computer apart and install another processor to update the Bios for the Gigabyte MA790X-DS4. When that was done he put back in the quad core and it all worked fine. Nice and Stable, other than a power outage problem on my side.

Since then though my own use, I have installed/uninstalled many things surfed the web for info on many of the games I play. Slowly I have picked up errors here and there, weather form bugs, viral, or other problems I am unsure. I keep an external hard drive on witch I back up my personal files too.

I have used many viral, anti malware type programs to well do what they do lol. I never use more than one, uninstalling them once my computer starts acting up and moving on to a new one.

By acting up I mean; Over all slowing down using basic programs, start up time going form a little under a min to taking over 10 mins to just get to the windows logo screen, wont run x program after having ran it fine for many months, freezes up with no blue screen, locks up with blue screen, unexplainable activity on the internet (downloading/uploading without me doing anything on the net) hitting between 13kbs to 30kbs... and many other things that I just don't feel like typing out. The latest of witch is my McAfee AntiVirus Plus updating and needing to restart. After restarting and making it into windows, were it starts opening the start up programs, my quad core will max out one of its cores, and the hole computer stops and will not do anything. It does not go to the Blue Screen.

I can go into safe mode and using msconfig disable McAfee form starting up and it all runs fine when I restart. When I start open McAfee after windows has been up a while it works, till I shut down/restart again.

Any ways, I am thinking about just format ing the hard drive and reinstalling a fresh copy of vista form my cd drive and starting all over again, but I do not understand the bios thing. Will a format mess up the bios update that was need for my mother board to see my phenom quad core? I don't have the tools or now how to switch out the processor like the guy who built it did to re-update my bios, nor the 2nd processor to do it with...

So can I format and reinstall vista without it affecting my bios update?

Thanks in advance for any and all help I get.

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Hi DarkningStag

The bios update is flashed to a chip on the main board so reformatting will be a problem.

However I would suggest a trip to our malware forum to be cleaned up. They are busy, but work wonders.

I suggest you go to the Malware Removal and Spyware Removal Forum and run all the steps located in the START HERE. These self-help tools will help you clean up 70% of problems on your own. If you are still having problems after doing the steps, then please post the reguested logs in THAT forum. If you are unable to run any of the tools then start a new topic in the malware forum and put this in the subject line...I am unable to run any malware tools

If you are still having problems after being given a clean bill of health from the malware expert, then please return to THIS thread and we will pursue other options to help you solve your current problem(s).

Add a link to this topic so that malware tech can see what steps have been taken here

123runner

[123Runner]

Hi DarkningStag

The bios update is flashed to a chip on the main board so reformatting will be a problem.

However I would suggest a trip to our malware forum to be cleaned up. They are busy, but work wonders.

I suggest you go to the Malware Removal and Spyware Removal Forum and run all the steps located in the START HERE. These self-help tools will help you clean up 70% of problems on your own. If you are still having problems after doing the steps, then please post the reguested logs in THAT forum. If you are unable to run any of the tools then start a new topic in the malware forum and put this in the subject line...I am unable to run any malware tools

If you are still having problems after being given a clean bill of health from the malware expert, then please return to THIS thread and we will pursue other options to help you solve your current problem(s).

Add a link to this topic so that malware tech can see what steps have been taken here

123runner

[DarkningStag]

All items in the "START HERE" were preformed other than posting, and it found nothing. I don't know if it can in safe mode or not, but to make sure I followed the start here guide again and will be posting it Malware Removal and Spyware Removal Forum with all the logs.

Thanks for the help.

[123Runner]

The bios update is flashed to a chip on the main board so reformatting will be a problem.

This should have been "so reformatting WON'T be a problem".
Sorry for any confusion.
Thanks for the update.

[DarkningStag]

Ah alright, hum though now I have another question. Seeing I posted all them logs in the other thread and I don't know what my problem is.

Should I just go ahead with a format and then reinstalling vista or wait for someone to post a reply to http://www.geekstogo...ow-t274842.html ?

Thank you again.

[DaffyKantReed]

The BIOS is flashed to a chip called an EEPROM. Some very new motherboards will allow upgrading (aka flashing) the EEPROM without a CPU being installed. You will probably have to install an older CPU, flash the BIOS, then install the newer CPU. DO NOT flash the BIOS with a Windows based utility. Use Q-Flash or a DOS based utility from GB. Also, make sure the AC power doesn't go out whilst flashing. This will effectively brick your motherboard.

According to the docs on the Gigabyte site, your AMD Phenom 9950 should be supported by the F5 BIOS, released Oct.31,2008.

See Page 66 of the manual for Q-Flash details. A local shop will likely swap out the CPU for you for a minimal fee.

[123Runner]

Slowly I have picked up errors here and there, weather form bugs, viral, or other problems I am unsure

This is why I asked you to post in malware. In doing so they can clean you up and you might be able to avoid a reformat.
The end decision is yours. If you want to reformat, then let us know. Keep in mind that all programs will need to be innstalled and you will also have to get all the board drivers from the appropriate web site.

DaffyKantReed

You will probably have to install an older CPU, flash the BIOS, then install the newer CPU.

You have confused me because the OP already had the bios flashed to the latest. The question was "where is the bios update stored"? so the bios should not have to be flashed again.

[DarkningStag]

Things got to the point I could not get to the boot menu or use the windows vista dvd.. So I took out the hard drive and stuck it in my extral hard drive and used a 2nd computer to format the drive.

I got Windows Vista 64 bit installed and loaded the Gigabyte 6-quad/s-series amd 7-series Discrete Utilities DVD (I think this had the drives for the mother boards Chip sets/Serial-ATAII/Raid Network/Audio Drivers, I think it came with the mother board), the Sapphire Installation Driver CD that came with my video card, the Hanns-G Installation disk for LCD display, and the Driver Solution for my Keyboard and mouse. I can't get the mouse to scroll as of yet. I think I need to use one of the other 3 options for mouse drives on that disk.

I am still hunting for the sound card's disk so I can have sound again, for what ever reason after a power outage the on board sound no longer works.

The Device Manager does not show any unknown hardware, so I am unsure of what else I might need. I just finished with all the windows updates.

I am unsure of were to look to find out what else I might need or were to look other than Device Manager and the 'Control Panel > System' witch shows it sees 4.00 GBs of Memory (RAM) and AMD PHenom™ 9950 Quad-Core Processor 2.60 GHz, witch is right on both counts.

Anyways got to go Computers needs to restart again for updates.

Thank you both for your information.



P.S.

I changed my other post in the viral sub forum, so that no one would go into all them logs. Not sure if I need to do more there or not, just did not seem right for someone to go though all that seeing it was format ed. >.< what is the past tins of format Keeps telling me 'formated' is mis-spelled.

[DaffyKantReed]

@123Runner:
I was not certain if the BIOS was flashed to some newer version or if the Dual BIOS system was somehow reverting to an older version.

DarkningStag wrote:
"My computer's mother board needed a bios update to 'see' the processor I now have in it."

I may have focused my attention on this part of the original post.

[123Runner]

For your sound, if you know the manufacturer then you can go to the website to get the drivers.
PCWizard2010 in my signature will help identify components for you.

Letting them know in the malware forum was a good step. They will appreciate it.

It sounds like you are almost done. Let us know how things work out and if we can assist with anything else.

[DarkningStag]

I found the driver for my sound card, rocket fish's web site was not so easy to find with web search.


Only problem I have now is my mouse wont scroll up and down, when you roll the weal. The disk I have has two drivers one for a 3 button and a 5 button mouse. I put in the three button one first, witch I can't get to scroll.

Last night I put in the 5 button drive and it worked right until I restarted my computer now I can't scroll again. I am not sure if it reset to the first one or... ?

Is a mouse with left/right click buttons and a wheal a 3 or 5 button mouse?


Edit.
Seems some programs I can use the mouse wheal and others I can not.

Edited by DarkningStag, 22 April 2010 - 11:21 AM.

[DarkningStag]

I got the mouse set up right now. Thank you for all the help. I love PCWizard2010, though I never knew who hot things got.

I have an open air house so with 90 F plus out side the house it is about the same temp inside the house.

My Processor was running at 37 C to 48 C
MB at 44 C
Power unit at 86 C
ATI card at 59 C

Is this an alright gaming temp ?

I am not sure how good or bad this is, or if this is the right sub forum to ask in lol. I do a fair bit of gaming, witch only loads the processor to around 30 % or so.

[123Runner]

I don't game so I can't answer that question.

[DaffyKantReed]

Processor was running at 37 C to 48 C
MB at 44 C
Power unit at 86 C
ATI card at 59 C

Video card temp is marginal, but should be OK. If you put your outside the case behind the power supply, how warm does the air feel to you?

[DarkningStag]

Sorry for the long time away.. I installed Fox Fire and some how I lost my fav lists. Took awhile to find this place again.
It got to were one of the fans kicks up way to high for my liking as it sounds, eh... how to explain... It seems different form the rest of the fans.. seems harder/harsher. Seeing it only did it when I played my games in the heat of the day, and the Video card fan seems to be the source of the sound. I quit playing in the heat of the day, went to play a night when most others are offline.

The air coming out of the pc feels fine, I decided to be safe I quit gaming in the hottest part of the day, to avoid any damage.