So when I have a bootble USB stick inserted, my BIOS still gives a F***; 
it doesn't even pop up the boot device selection menu when I press the 
key during POST that should bring up the menu; it still boots from the 
hard disk. Even if I tell it to /do/ boot from USB, and /never ever/ try 
booting from hard disk.

Unless I insert some CD. It doesn't even seem relevant /what/ CD. It 
doesn't even seem to get accessed. Possibly one of those transparent 
plastic dummies you frequently find at the bottom of CD-R cakeboxes 
would do...

*WTF?!*

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I would bet on a "not yet implemented feature". Try to update the BIOS 
to the latest version.

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Saul Luizaga wrote:
> I would bet on a "not yet implemented feature". Try to update the BIOS 
> to the latest version.

I would laugh, but...

I bought a motherboard. It says in the box, in big red letters, that it 
has a SATA RAID function, and a Dual BIOS function. But after hours of 
trying, neither of these features actually work!

Updated to the latest BIOS version, and suddenly both of these features 
work perfectly.

In other words, the product in the box does not possess the features 
they claim it possesses. WTF?

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Invisible wrote:
> I would laugh, but...
> 
> I bought a motherboard. It says in the box, in big red letters, that it 
> has a SATA RAID function, and a Dual BIOS function. But after hours of 
> trying, neither of these features actually work!
> 
> Updated to the latest BIOS version, and suddenly both of these features 
> work perfectly.
> 
> In other words, the product in the box does not possess the features 
> they claim it possesses. WTF?

Sometimes, to meet dead lines I suppose, Manufacturer launch products 
that will require later download software update and/or firmware upgrade.

  Also, sometimes a product model has 2 or more sub-models (you can see 
"missing" components on the circuit board) which can work with common 
drivers/firmware/BIOS then you have to make an update/upgrade for a 
model with some extra features.

If you were a PC Tech, this wouldn't be a WTF :-) it happens all the 
time. Well at least has an easy and fast solution which is what it 
counts to be a practical product.

Cheers.

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>> In other words, the product in the box does not possess the features 
>> they claim it possesses. WTF?
> 
> Sometimes, to meet dead lines I suppose, Manufacturer launch products 
> that will require later download software update and/or firmware upgrade.
> 
> If you were a PC Tech, this wouldn't be a WTF :-) it happens all the 
> time. Well at least has an easy and fast solution which is what it 
> counts to be a practical product.

Interesting. I was under the impression that it's illegal to claim a 
product can do X when in fact it can't. Apparently not...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Orchid XP v8 schrieb:

> Interesting. I was under the impression that it's illegal to claim a 
> product can do X when in fact it can't. Apparently not...

Well, as the update proves, the product /can/...

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>> Interesting. I was under the impression that it's illegal to claim a 
>> product can do X when in fact it can't. Apparently not...
> 
> Well, as the update proves, the product /can/...

Sure. Assuming you can figure out how to make an MS-DOS boot disk, load 
the BIOS image from somewhere (not from the HD, because there aren't any 
DOS drivers for the RAID controller), and reflash the BIOS. It's not a 
trivial undertaking.

I'm reminded of the synthesizer I saw reviewed. The reviewer was rather 
critical of the fact that 1) it crashes a lot, and 2) in order to edit 
*all* of the parameters, you need to use the Mac-based editor program, 
which costs additional money...

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Invisible wrote:
> Sure. Assuming you can figure out how to make an MS-DOS boot disk, load 
> the BIOS image from somewhere (not from the HD, because there aren't any 
> DOS drivers for the RAID controller), and reflash the BIOS. It's not a 
> trivial undertaking.

Yes, is not trivial but once you know how to do it is easy, you can put 
everything on a CD you don't need anything else:

Make a Boot-CD with a burning app., I use Nero 6.6 (yeah is old but fast 
and reliable), then add a 8.3 folder and put the BIOS and the flash 
utility, burn it at the slowest speed possible (I recommend 1X) always 
with very on. Nero 6.6 uses DR-DOS, which has NTFS drivers, among other 
drivers, in case the flash utility needs to load the BIOS with write 
rights (is dumb, I know, BIOS are not written but that's the way the 
flash utility works in rare occasions, if you have only RAID try a USB 
Flash sitck). That's it, just skip (F8) some drivers that you don't need 
(keyboard, display, NTFS, FAT32, USB, etc) in case the flash utility 
gives a "Out of memory" message error.

  If you still need more memory it gets a little complicated but it can 
be solved if you're patience enough:
- Download a virtual floppy 
(http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html), is fairly simple, 
"create a floppy" on the HDD, boot formate it with WinXP (will create a 
WinME boot floppy). Here you might want to edit 'autoexec.bat' and/or 
'config.sys' to save even more memory (remember to save the floppy). Go 
to your burning app. and indicate it to use the created floppy on the 
virtual drive, and from here is just the same as before.

Modern BIOS now are like drivers, the BIOS updater runs on the given OS 
and it just need a reboot, is really easy.

Sometimes a BIOS update is necessary for the MoBo to perform at peak 
speed, I have experience this first hand with a couple of Intel D865 
MoBos, they increased their speed by a fair 50-80%, they're slow out of 
the box, so don't be afraid to update your BIOS.

> I'm reminded of the synthesizer I saw reviewed. The reviewer was rather 
> critical of the fact that 1) it crashes a lot, and 2) in order to edit 
> *all* of the parameters, you need to use the Mac-based editor program, 
> which costs additional money...

That would be a most troubled product, bad luck I guess.

Cheers.

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