Asus Formula IV Chipset/BIOS update? Help please :)

[nexium]

I have a beast of a computer(in my eyes lol). I am running...

Asus Formula IV
AMD 965BE CPU
16GB OCZ RAM
Crappy 500gb sata 7200 rpm HDD
ATI Radeon 6950

Basically what is happening is...
I did a clean install, format and such. Installed all of the drivers I could but I am confused on how to install the Chipset drivers and flash the bios. I do not have a floppy drive. Only a flash drive and external DVD burner.

My biggest issue is...
It takes FOREVER to load windows. I only have weatherbug on start-up. All other unneeded programs are off the start-up list. It literally takes 15 seconds to get to the Windows loading screen. Then another 20 seconds to get to the blue Windows loading(user log-in crap) and another 3 minutes to load the desktop. I only have 12 icons on the desktop.

What is going on? Could the ram be bad? Could the chipset/BIOS drivers need to be updated? I only have my DVD Burner, Logitech G15 keyboard, Logitech G9x mouse and a Microsoft webcam plugged in through the usb ports.

Also, does anyone know how to update the ATI Radeon 6950 to the 6970(is it worth it?)

[nexium]

I think it posted this thread twice? No idea why lol.

[nexium]

Anyone?

[ShyguyXPC]

give people time to post, or even see the thread, this isn't like an active discussion on a Messenger program or some sort of "Live" Tech support.


Start up times seem normal for everything up to Windows Login, but loading of Desktop seems slow, for 3 Minutes with nothing really installed.

As to Installing Chipset drivers, you install those like you do any other driver software, from with in windows.


Bios updates are something altogether different. Though many manufacturers, Asus included usually have a Bios Update utility to update the boards bios from with in Windows. Though most "guru's" advise to boot up and update from a floppy, USB Drive, or CD, outside of windows.



Updating the 6950 to a 6970, depends, I don't remember all the specifics, but it depends on the card, if you have a "Reference" Design Radeon 6950 2GB card, it should be as easy as replacing the Firmware for the card (aka GPU Bios).

Some of these cards had a Switch with a Dual Bios Function, that would allow you to maintain the original 6950 Bios on the card, and use the 2nd copy of the bios to upgrade to a 6970. just a matter of shutting the PC down, flicking the switch to the version you wanted to use, boot PC up, and you can switch between 6950 and 6970 settings.

But if your card isn't one of these Reference Design cards, from what I remember, you won't be able to.

Though some might still be able to be converted, but the chances of bricking your GPU are infinitely greater (The whole point of the switch was as a backup means to fix the card in the event you bricked it upgrading the Bios), if done wrong.

[nexium]

Sorry about rushing and not giving time to post :\ I can be impatient sometimes lol.

So why would my computer load the desktop so slow?

[ShyguyXPC]

well, if your chipset drivers aren't installed, or not updated, that can be why.

Could be your hard drive is just slow, but doubt it, unless there's something wrong with the drive (run some drive diagnostic tools on it and see what they say, depending on what brand of drive you have, you can download free drive tools from either Seagate or Western Digital, depending on which brand you have, if you have another brand like Samsung, or Hitachi or whatever, not sure on those)

Could be something set wrong in bios for drive settings.

[nexium]

Okay, one last question. I am trying to format my flash drive to FAT32 and it said "windows cannot format...blah blah" and I even tried the old fashioned way in the command prompt and it lists the flash drive but when i type Disk 1 then clean it says there's no disk selected? Wtf?

[ShyguyXPC]

no idea, when it comes to flash drives, I have occasionally gotten that message too, but I just clicked ok, and continued on to format the drives anyways. Not sure why that works for me, but it has.

[nexium]

Okay, one LAST question lmao....btw thank you for your help I got the flash drive working but the problem is it says "The file size does not match the BIOS size" or something like that. I tried using the USB drive and locally doing it from the hdd while in the ASUS EZ Flash 2 thing. Ideas why it would say that?

[ShyguyXPC]

the file size is too large for the Bios' Memory chip. The Bios chip only has so much storage ability and if the Bios update is too large, it won't fit.

pretty good chance you have the wrong Bios file loaded, or trying to load it.


Make sure you have the Bios file for the exact board model you have.



Also, why are you updating the Bios, is there any fixes for your board that you need to update the Bios? If not, then there's no need to update it, unless it specifically fixes or enables something you need.