**BIOS stupidity **
*… or how even old-in-the-tooth users can be dumb *
As part of my efforts to improve the behaviour of video when using the openGL (and vesa) graphic driver, I updated the BIOS on the Asus P6T, because I noted the latest BIOS offered some video related fixes.
What I did not mention was my own stupidity in doing this. :X
I had previous read the Asus motherboard manual on how to do the BIOS update. The Asus P6T motherboard is really neat, in that to update the BIOS it gives users many choices:
- install BIOS update program in Windows and update BIOS via Internet;
- install BIOS update program in Windows and update BIOS via downloaded file
- create boot floppy for BIOS update
- download updated BIOS file and update BIOS from BIOS itself
Since the PC had winXP for my wife, I decided to update the BIOS from winXP. So I inserted the motherboard CD (that comes with the motherboard) and installed the BIOS update program. I had previously downloaded the updated BIOS file, so it was a simple matter to run the program, and select the file, and the program updated the BIOS. It went with out a hitch. It then advised an immediate reboot was necessary …
… and here is where the fun began …
When it booted it told me to enter “Setup” to recover the BIOS setting. I was to do that by pressing “F1” to run “Setup”. Alternatively I could press “F2” to load default values and continue. Well, I did not want the BIOS default values, I wanted the BIOS settings the local store setup for me, so I selected “F1”. …
Well, that took me direct to the BIOS, and to my horror, all settings had been reset to default anyway. … < sigh > … and unfortunately in my rush/enthusiasm to play with the PC, I had only recorded (via digital picture with my digitial camera) only 1/2 of the BIOS settings. … Now years ago, this would not have bothered me. But today one gets a zillion BIOS options, … so many that one could write their PHD dissertation on BIOS settings lol!
Hence I went thru the BIOS settings, with the manual open, one-by-one trying to set them up properly. When done, I saved the changes, rebooted and no go. The PC would not boot. It would not recognize the SATA driver. Instead it has some message that stated:
a) Intel ICH10R 32_bit ACHI/RAID Driver disk"
b) Intel ICH10R 64_bit ACHI/RAID Driver disk"
c) FreeDOS command prompt"
Please choose a ~ c:
… Now there is where my stupidity came in … I had a long day at work earlier, and I was tired. Really really tired. … And that is why. One should not do a BIOS update when tired. So when I looked at those options, in my mind 1+1=42 and I decided the BIOS was still set wrong, and I restarted with <CTRL><ALT><Delete> … and tuned the BIOS settings again. Save, boot, same problem. Again <CTRL><ALT><Delete>
I did this for 1/2 hour, and then did a break for 2 hours, doing household domestic duties. I came back, and this time with my wife leaning over my shoulder went at it again for 1 hour. Same problem, over and over. Finally, toward the end of the hour, my wife fell asleep on the couch with extreme boredom, despite my growing anxiety. And I decide enough was enough, and I would boot to a live CD to see if I had inadvertently removed the partition table by the BIOS update (I know … that makes no sense, but I was tired … ).
So I opened the DVD drive to put in the boot CD, and low and behold, there was the Asus Motherboard Utility CD sitting very nice and pretty in the DVD drive.
… and then my stupidity, and the utter folly of my ways, sank in. … Duhhhh … How could I be so dumb !!
The PC was booting to the Asus Motherboard Utility CD, and that CD was bootable !! Never have I seen that before, and its a GREAT feature on Asus part, and it took me completely by surprise. So each time after I finished tuning the BIOS, the PC was offering to boot from the Asus Motherboard Utility CD, and I was pressing <CTR><ALT><DELETE> …
So I removed the Asus Motherboard CD, rebooted and everything was fine again! … Once again, the world was wonderful …
… at which point I went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and celebrated my kick in the pants for being stupid. rotfl!