Detailed instructions for use are in the User's Guide.
[. . . ] P4S800
User Guide
Motherboard
E1860
Checklist
Revised Edition V4 January 2005
Copyright © 2005 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. [. . . ] Type COPY D:\AFLASH\AFLASH. EXE A:\ (assuming D is your CD-ROM drive) to copy AFLASH. EXE to the boot disk you created.
AFLASH works only in DOS mode. It does not work in the DOS prompt within Windows, and does not work with certain memory drivers that may be loaded when you boot from the hard drive. Reboot the computer from the floppy disk.
BIOS setup must specify "Floppy" as the first item in the boot sequence.
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4. In DOS mode, type A:\AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH.
If the word "unknown" appears after Flash Memory:, the memory chip is either not programmable or is not supported by the ACPI BIOS and therefore, cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility.
5. Type a filename and path, for example, A:\XXX-XX. XXX, then press [Enter].
Updating the BIOS
Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard and you are sure that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless updating may result to more problems with the motherboard!
1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or FTP) (see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION on page viii for details) and save to the boot floppy disk you created earlier. At the "A:\" prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>. Type the filename of your new BIOS and the path, for example, A:\XXXXX. XXX, then press <Enter>. To cancel this operation, press <Enter>.
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the update.
7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash ROM. This minimizes the possibility of boot problems in case of update failures. When the programming is done, the message "Flashed Successfully" appears.
8. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.
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If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT turn off the system because this may cause boot problems. Just repeat the process, and if the problem persists, load the original BIOS file you saved to the boot disk. If the Flash Memory Writer utility is not able to successfully update a complete BIOS file, the system may not boot. If this happens, call the ASUS service center for support.
2. 1. 3 CrashFree BIOS 2 (BIOS Auto-recovery Procedure)
The CrashFree BIOS 2 feature allows users to boot the computer from a floppy disk and update the BIOS using AFLASH. EXE or EZ Flash Utility in case the original BIOS fails or gets corrupted. If the user doesn't have a bootable floppy disk with the original BIOS, an auto-recovery procedure can be performed using the support CD. It is strongly recommended to save a copy of the motherboard's original BIOS along with the AFLASH. EXE utility to a bootable disk. (See section 2. 1. 2 to create a bootable floppy disk)
Using the support CD
1. The support CD will automatically detect whether the BIOS is corrupted. If the BIOS data or codes are corrupted, the message "The BIOS was corrupted! [. . . ] This feature is supported by the onboard audio AC'97 CODEC, and requires an optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or CD-RW).
1. Instant Music Lite does not work if you installed and enabled an add-on sound card. Instant Music Lite only supports PS/2 keyboard.
To enable ASUS Instant Music Lite:
1. Connect the analog audio cable from the optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or CD-RW drive) to the 4-pin CD-In connector (labeled CD1) on the motherboard. [. . . ]