Please Help! Dnt Kno Which Bios Setting Is Wrong!

Okay I got a nice new 10,000 RPM SATA hard drive recently and when I installed it, it wasn't showing up under My Computer so I did a clean install of XP and now I'm running windows off it so it seems to be fine, now the prob is when I was trying to get the HD to work in the first place I was messing with bios settings making sure SATA was enabled etc... now in that process I'm pretty sure that I messed something up cause now when I play a graphic intensive game my comp will randomly reboot.

I know this isn't something wrong with the hard drive or any other hardware and just a setting problem because when I first built this comp I had the "EXACT" same prob and a friend fixed something in the bios and now I can't get ahold of him.

I repeat this is not an issue with my graphics card or overheating or anything cause my comp has been fine for almost a year after the bios was fixed the first time.

Thanks sooo much. This is sooooo frustrating!!

Here are my specs.

This is my exact GFX Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102361

This is my exact MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-127-184&depa=0

This is my exact proc
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-103-377&depa=0

This is my exact memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-146-969&depa=1

This is my exact HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-144-160&depa=0

Hi,
I know it's a little late to mention this, but before making any major changes to a computer, it is always a good idea to write down the original settings.
Such as, go through the BIOS, step by step, menu after menu, and writing down all those settings.
In that way, if something happens, you have a copy of the original settings.
I wish you the best, and I am sorry, but I don't know what to return the settings to; unless you choose Default Settings.
fredg

1/ sorry but your links don't work as you must be logged in to be able to view.
2/Are you 100% sure that you mobo supports SATA as some don't
3/Some BIOS's have an option to load "Optimal" settings, does yours' and have you tried that?

I hope this eirther resolves your issue or gives you enough to continue with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Curlyben

1/ sorry but your links don't work as you must be logged in to be able to view.
2/Are you 100% sure that you mobo supports SATA as some don't
3/Some BIOS's have an option to load "Optimal" settings, does yours' and have you tried that?

I hope this eirther resolves your issue or gives you enough to continue with.

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Yes I am more than positive that it supports SATA (im running XP on the SATA drive as I type)

I have tried default settings and yes the optimal settings are what I have selected at the moment.

First make sure that Legacy support is disabled in bios.Secondly, make sure ram settings are set to mfg.'s specs, email their tech support, and also do a ram test. Thirdly, make sure the video card is getting enough voltage, find a utility that moniters your voltage rails,and make sure the card has its on power line as opposed to hooked up inline with other hardware devices.
Any of the aforementioned can cause the described problems.
Hope this helps, as I had the same problems.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lastshooter

First make sure that Legacy support is disabled in bios.Secondly, make sure ram settings are set to mfg.'s specs, email their tech support, and also do a ram test. Thirdly, make sure the video card is getting enough voltage, find a utility that moniters your voltage rails,and make sure the card has its on power line as opposed to hooked up inline with other hardware devices.
Any of the aforementioned can cause the described problems.
Hope this helps, as I had the same problems.

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Any suggestions for a program that will tell me if the ram is good and the gfx card is getting enough power?

I bumped the voltage to the gfx card up .1 and removed everything else plugged into its power line and I am still getting reboots :mad: :mad: :mad:

Have you made sure that you are clean of viruses and spyware??

It's a long shot but worth a try.
ALso do you have all the most up to date drivers for your hardware?

Here's a link for memtest, is the one I use and is free http://www.memtest86.com/
Read all of the install instructions and how to's.
However, if Legacy support is not turned off in the bios, it will corrupt the Ram.
I use a PC software moniter I dl'ed from Asus, my motherboard mfg. I cannont see your board's mfg due to the links you gave, but you may try their site under "utilities".
Look for "dips" in the 3.3 rail once you get a moniter, also I had to remove some system fans to get it to work, a more beefy power supply is next, so I can add my fans back. What is your power supply wattage? Is it enough for your PC?

This is the actual setting that caused a lot of problems in my bios,
"Leagcy USB Support" set it to disabled. As you can see, I had mulitple problems, but this was the main contributor. Once that was fixed, the system would crash under heavy graphic loads, which was due to voltage dips in the 3.3 rail.

I will investigate that memory test and that bios option in the mean time tell me if this helps?

Also yes I am positive that I don't have a virus or anything of the sort . And yes I have installed the motherboard drivers, ATI drivers and every damm other driver over and over and no change.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...evil/TEMPS.jpg

Just reinstalled directx and still no change

Are you 100% sure the graphics card is fine? A PC will only reboot randomly if it is trying to save itself from harm. The fact that this only happens when you are playing graphically rich games does make us all think it's the graphics card overheating. Just make 100% sure the fans on the card aren't clogged up with dust and that any power leads going into the card are connected firmly. I had this problem a few months back and it turned out to be dust clogging my graphics card fan.

Two other points:

1. If all you have done to your PC since your friend set this BIOS setting for you is format/reinstall Windows - your BIOS settings won't have changed. Your friends settings would still be set. BIOS settings aren't stored on your hard drive, so wiping your PC, installing a new hard drive etc. wouldn't have changed them. This is why I feel that it's a graphic card issue.

2. Is it possible the setting in the BIOS your friend changed was some kind of safety switch? For example, he upped the safe temperature range of the PC/Graphics card so that the PC didn't restart. If this is the case (which I doubt, this is just a guess) it's bloody stupid and still means there's a problem somewhere else.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LTheobald

Are you 100% sure the graphics card is fine? A PC will only reboot randomly if it is trying to save itself from harm. The fact that this only happens when you are playing graphically rich games does make us all think it's the graphics card overheating. Just make 100% sure the fans on the card aren't clogged up with dust and that any power leads going into the card are connected firmly. I had this problem a few months back and it turned out to be dust clogging my graphics card fan.

Two other points:

1. If all you have done to your PC since your friend set this BIOS setting for you is format/reinstall Windows - your BIOS settings won't have changed. Your friends settings would still be set. BIOS settings aren't stored on your hard drive, so wiping your PC, installing a new hard drive etc. wouldn't have changed them. This is why I feel that it's a graphic card issue.

2. Is it possible the setting in the BIOS your friend changed was some kind of safety switch? For example, he upped the safe temperture range of the PC/Graphics card so that the PC didn't restart. If this is the case (which I doubt, this is just a guess) it's bloody stupid and still means there's a problem somewhere else.

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Yeah what caused my comp to start rebooting was when I set the bios settings to the fail safe default (oh the irony) when I was having troubles getting the new sata drive to work.

There is quite literally no dust in my comp right now (I clean regularly with air cans) and my case is a nice gaming case with 6 fans (one of which blowing directly onto the card heatsink. I have also tried attaching one of the case temp sensors onto the card heatsink and it never goes over 42C arrrrghhhhh and what makes me think that it isn't a hardware prob is the obvious fact that my comp has been working fine for months and months and only now after resetting the bios settings am I having the problem. **sigh**

Everything looks OK on the voltage, however, if there is a problem, it will occur under a heavy video load, but seems healthy from what I can tell.
Definitely check the Legacy USB setting, as it gave the same symptoms.
Email the ram tech support for their recommended bios settings as opposed to default settings, even if that is not your problem, it will boost performance once fixed. You might try reseating the ram, switching the modules as you do so, front to rear,rear to front, can't hurt ;)
Also make sure nothing is overclocked until you find the issue as well.

Just read where you have six fans, reduce to one and see if that sovles it, defintly fixed my power dips on the 3.3 rail.Why I do not know.
Also, keep your case hood open during all this, if it's a heat problem that will help.

I can't seem to find any legacy usb options in my bios...

However I did put an extremely powerful desk fan by my case blowing directly into the case at the gfx card (keeping the gfx card barely warm) and I still got a reboot!! :mad:

Edit--

Also I unplugged all my case fans and have one power line going to my gfx card and one going to my sata HD and no power going anywhere else sxcept my motherboard and I still got a reboot. :mad:

Go to this link http://www.sharkyextreme.com/guides/...le.php/1463741
Follow the settings for your bios
Does your bios have "USB Configuretion" normaly listed under advanced settings
Mean while I'll Google your bios

Is there a setting in the bios for this: APIC Mode

Something I found on abit mb's

APIC Mode:Setting to Enabled can cause instabilities. Once the operating system is installed, such as Windows XP in my case, this setting cannot be changed without reinstalling the operating system, regardless of whether the initial setting is Disabled or Enabled. The purpose of setting it to Enabled is to extend the number of IRQ's, which sounds like a real risky proposition. The number of IRQ's should be fine without being extended, anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lastshooter

Is there a setting in the bios for this: APIC Mode

Something I found on abit mb's

APIC Mode:Setting to Enabled can cause instabilities. Once the operating system is installed, such as Windows XP in my case, this setting cannot be changed without reinstalling the operating system, regardless of whether the initial setting is Disabled or Enabled. The purpose of setting it to Enabled is to extend the number of IRQ's, which sounds like a real risky proposition. The number of IRQ's should be fine without being extended, anyway.

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I checked and APIC mode is disabled in the BIOS

Here are pictures of my BIOS I took with my phone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...nuLeftSide.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...uRightSide.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...oftmenuTop.jpg