A74ML Series Motherboard User’s Manual
Statement: This manual is the intellectual property of Foxconn, Inc. Although the information in this manual may be changed or modified at any time, Foxconn does not obligate itself to inform the user of these changes. Trademark: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Version: User’s Manual V1.0 for A74ML Series motherboard.
Declaration of conformity HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD 66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, TAIPEI HSIEN, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Declaration of conformity Trade Name: FOXCONN odel Name: M Responsible Party: Address: Telephone: Facsimile: A74ML/A74ML-K Equipment Classification: Type of Product: Manufacturer: Address: FCC Class B Subassembly Motherboard HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD 66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, TAIPEI HSIEN, TAIWAN, R.O.C. PCE Industry Inc. 458 E. Lambert Rd.
Installation Precautions NING AR ! W ■ CA UT IO N ■ ! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden and momentary electric current that flows between two objects at different electrical potentials. Normally it comes out as a spark which will quickly damage your electronic equipment. Please wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling components such as a motherboard, CPU or memory.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Product Introduction Product Specifications...............................................................................2 Layout.......................................................................................................4 Back Panel Connectors.............................................................................5 Chapter 2 Hardware Install Install the CPU and CPU Cooler...............................................................
Configure . ........................................................................................63 About & Help.....................................................................................65 FOX LOGO..............................................................................................66 FOX DMI.................................................................................................67 Chapter 5 RAID Configuration RAID Configuration Introduction...........................
Thank you for buying Foxconn A74ML Series motherboard. Foxconn products are engineered to maximize computing power, providing only what you need for break-through performance. With advanced overclocking capability and a range of connectivity features for today multi-media computing requirements, A74ML/A74ML-K enables you to unleash more power from your computer.
1 1-1 Product Specifications CPU Support AMD socket AM3 Phenom IITM series processors Support AMD socket AM2+ PhenomTM series processors Support AMD socket AM2 series processors : AthlonTM 64X2 Dual-Core / AthlonTM X2 Dual-Core /AthlonTM 64 / SempronTM HyperTransport 1600MT/s Chipset North Bridge: AMD 740G South Bridge: AMD SB700 / SB710 Memory 2 x 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets Support up to 4GB of system memory Dual channel DDR2 1066(oc*)/800/667MHz architecture (oc*: Overclocking) Audio Rea
CA UT IO N PCI Express x16 Gen1.0 Support 4GB/s (8GB/s concurrent) bandwidth Low power consumption and power management features PCI Express x16 Gen2.
1-2 Layout 1 6 4 5 2 3 1 7 8 9 10 24 11 23 22 12 13 21 14 15 16 18 17 1. 4-pin ATX 12V Power Connector 2. SYS_FAN Header 3. North Bridge: AMD 740G 4. PCI Express x1 Slot 5. PCI Express x16 Slot 6. PCI Slots 7. Front Audio Connector 8. CD_IN Connector 9. S/PDIF Out Connector 10. Speaker connector 11. Front USB Connectors 12. Clear CMOS Jumper 19 20 13. Front Panel Connector 14. SATA Connectors 15. South Bridge: AMD SB700 / SB710 16. 24-pin ATX Power Connector 17. IDE Connector 18.
1-3 Back Panel Connectors 1 PS/2 Mouse Port 1 Serial Port (COM1) LAN Port 3 7 Line In Line Out Microphone 2 4 5 PS/2 Keyboard Port VGA Port 6 USB Ports Audio Ports 1. PS/2 Mouse Port Use the upper port (green) to connect a PS/2 mouse. 2. PS/2 Keyboard Port Use the lower port (purple) to connect a PS/2 keyboard. 3. Serial Port This is output of RS232 COM1 port. 4. VGA Port To connect with external display devices, such as monitor or LCD display. 5. USB Ports The USB ports support the USB 2.0/1.
1 7. RJ-45 LAN Port The Ethernet LAN port provides Internet connection at up to 10/100/1000Mb/s data rate. LAN Type 100M 1000M Left: Active Right: Link Status Description Status Description Off No Link Off No Link Green Blinking Data Activity Orange 10/100Mb/s Connection Off No Link Off No Link Green Blinking Off 10Mb/s Connection Data Activity Green 100Mb/s Connection Orange 1000Mb/s Connection CA UT IO N Active LED ! A74ML supports 10/100Mb/s Ethernet.
This chapter introduces the hardware installation process, including the installation of the CPU, memory, power supply, slots, pin headers and the mounting of jumpers. Caution should be exercised during the installation of these modules. Please refer to the motherboard layout prior to any installation and read the contents in this chapter carefully.
CA UT IO N 2-1 Install the CPU and CPU Cooler ! 2 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU: Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power supply before installing the CPU to prevent hardware damage. Locate the Pin-1 of the CPU. The CPU cannot be inserted if oriented incorrectly. Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the CPU.
3. When CPU is properly seated, push the CPU socket lever back to its locked position. 2 Install the CPU Cooler Follow the steps below to correctly install the CPU cooler. (The following procedures use Foxconn cooler as the example.) CA UT IO N ! 1. Apply and spread an even thermal grease on the surface of CPU. 2. Buckle the heatsink firmly at one side of the stand. 3. Buckle the heatsink at another side, and press the fasten lever down to tightly seat the cooler. 4.
CA UT IO N 2-2 Install the Memory ! 2 ■ ■ ■ Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory : Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the memory to prevent hardware damage. Memory modules have a foolproof design. A memory module can be installed in only one direction.
CA UT IO N Installing a Memory ! Before installing a memory module, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the memory module. Be sure to install DDR2 DIMMs on this motherboard. 112-Pin 2 128-Pin Notch If you take a look at front side of memory module, it has asymmetric pin counts on both sides separated by a notch in the middle, so it can only fit in one direction.
CA UT IO N 2-3 Install an Expansion Card ! 2 ■ Make sure the motherboard supports the expansion card. Carefully read the manual ■ that came with your expansion card. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing an expansion card to prevent hardware damage. PCI Express x1 PCI Express x16 PCI Follow the steps below to correctly install your expansion card in the expansion slot. 1. Locate an expansion slot that supports your card.
2-4 Install other Internal Connectors Power Connectors This motherboard uses an ATX power supply. In order not to damage any device, make sure all the devices have been installed properly before applying the power supply. 2 24-pin ATX power connector : PWR1 PWR1 is the ATX power supply connector. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.
Front Panel Connector : FP1 2 This motherboard includes one connector for connecting the front panel switch and LED Indicators. Hard Disk LED Connector (HDD-LED) Connect to the chassis front panel IDE indicator LED. It indicates the active status of the hard disks. This 2-pin connector is directional with +/- sign.
Audio Connector : F_AUDIO The audio connector supports HD Audio standard. It provides the Front Audio output choice. PORT1_L PORT1_R PORT2_R SENSE_SEND PORT2_L 1 2 AUD_GND PRESENCE_J SENSE1_RETURN EMPTY SENSE2_RETURN 9 10 F_AUDIO 2 Audio Connector : CD_IN CD_IN is a Sony standard audio connector, it can be connected to a CD/DVD-ROM drive through a CD/DVD audio cable. CD_L GND CD_R 1 CD_IN 1 2 +5V EMPTY SPDIF_OUT GND S/PDIF Connector : SPDIF_OUT The connector is used for S/PDIF output.
Speaker Connector : SPEAKER 2 The speaker connector is used to connect speaker of the chassis. SPKJ EMPTY NC SPKJ 1 2 3 4 SPEAKER Fan Connectors : CPU_FAN, SYS_FAN There are two main fan headers on this motherboard. The fan speed can be controlled and monitored in “PC Health Status” section of the BIOS Setup. These fans can be automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5 sleeping states.
2-5 Jumpers For some features needed, users can change the jumper settings on this motherboard to modify them. This section explains how to use the various functions of this motherboard by changing the jumper settings. Users should read the following content carefully prior to modifying any jumper setting. 1. For any jumper on this motherboard, pin 1 can be identified by the bold silkscreen next to it. However, in this manual, pin 1 is simply labeled as “1”. 2.
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided. You have to run the Setup Program when the following cases occur: 1. An error message appears on the screen during the system Power On Self Test (POST) process. 2. You want to change the default CMOS settings.
Enter BIOS Setup CA UT IO N The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software, correctly setting up the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system performance. Power on the computer, when the message "Press to enter Setup, to boot menu". appears at the bottom of the screen, you can press key to enter SETUP. ! Main Menu The main menu allows you to select from a list of setup functions together with two exit choices.
3 ► Power Management Setup All the items related with Green function features can be set up through this menu. ► PC Health Status This setup enables you to read/change Fan speeds, and displays temperatures and voltages of your CPU/System. ► BIOS Security Features The Supervisor/User password can be set up through this menu to prevent unauthorized use of your computer. If you set a password, the system will ask you to key in correct password before boot or access to Setup.
System Information This sub-menu is used to set up the standard BIOS features, such as the date, time, floppy drive and so on. Use the arrow up/down keys to select an item, then use the <+> or <-> keys to change the setting. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. System Information AMIBIOS Help Item Date (mm:dd:yy) [Mon , 06 06/29/2009] Time (hh:mm:ss) [10 : 59 : 49] Use [Enter], [TAB] [Not Detected] or [SHIFT-TAB] to ► Primary IDE Master select a field.
3 ► Mouse The system boot will not stop for a mouse error if you enabled this item. ► Floppy The system boot will not stop for a floppy error if you enabled this item. ► Model Name Model name of this product. ► BIOS ID/BIOS Version It displays the current BIOS ID/version. User can check this information and discuss with the field service people if a BIOS upgrade is needed. ► CPU Name It displays the current CPU name. ► System Memory Size This item displays the current memory size.
Advanced BIOS Features CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Advanced BIOS Features ↑↓←→:Move Enter:Select [35] Help Item [35] [1.4] [64] Select the time out [Enabled] value for detecting [Enabled] ATA/ATAPI device(s). [Disabled] [On] [Press Enter] [Press Enter] [Press Enter] [Press Enter] +/-/:Value F10:Save F9:Optimized Defaults ESC:Exit F1:General Help ► IDE Detect Time Out This item is used to select the time out value for detecting ATA/ATAPI devices.
3 [Disabled] : Displays the normal POST messages. [Enabled] : Displays OEM customer logo instead of POST messages. ► Quick Boot While Enabled, this option allows BIOS to skip certain tests while booting, this will shorten the time needed to boot the system. ► Floppy Drive Seek This item controls whether the BIOS will be checking for a floppy drive while booting up. If it cannot detect one (either due to improper configuration or physical unavailability), it will appear an error message.
Fox Central Control Unit CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc.
► Smart Power LED Smart Power LED is a feature built on your motherboard to indicate different states during Power-On Self-Test (POST). The LED is located at the front panel, and it displays POST state by different long-short blinking intervals. You can always leave this state enabled. 3 System Status Power LED Status Normal On No CPU Fan Blinking once (blinking 0.5 sec., off 0.5 sec.) No Display Blinking once (blinking 2 sec., off 2 sec.
► PCI Express Clock This option is used to adjust the speed of PCI Express slot. It may enhance the graphics card speed. ► CPU Multiplier Adjust (Optional only if CPU supports) This option is used to adjust the CPU Clock Ratio. Multiply CPU clock with this ratio, you can Voltage Options CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc.
CPU Configuration 3 CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. CPU Configuration CPU Configuration Help Item Module Version : 13.54 AGESA Version : 3.3.2.4 Enable/disable the Physical Count : 1 generation of ACPI Logical Count : 2 _PPC, _PSS, and _PCT objects.
Advanced Chipset Features CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Advanced Chipset Features ↑↓←→:Move Enter:Select +/-/:Value F10:Save F9:Optimized Defaults ESC:Exit F1:General Help ► Memory Configuration/DRAM Timing Configuration Press to go to its submenu. ► CAS Latency This item shows the CAS latency.
3 It allows you to change the clock rate of graphics engine. ► Surround View SurroundView is the ATI technology that provides multi-graphics controller display capability for both the ATI PCIe-based graphics card and the ATI integrated graphics processor (IGP). Enabling SurroundView does not impact display modes (resolution and color depth) or performance. The display mode of each output is controlled independently by the graphics controller connected to it. 1.
When disabled, the system will turn off clock on the empty DIMM slots and to reduce EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference). ► MemClk Tristate C3/ATLVID Enables the DDR memory clocks to be tristated when alternate VID mode is enabled. ► Memory Hole Remapping DCTs programmed identically. Unganged channels ■ DCT channels A and B operate as two completely independent 64-bit channels (both channels operate at the same frequency). ■ Reduce DRAM page conflicts – more concurrent open dram pages.
CKE pins per DRAM channel. For each channel : [Channel] CKE control. The DRAM channel is placed in power down when all chip selects associated with the channel are idle. [Chip Select] CKE control. A chip select or pair of chip selects is placed in power down when no transactions are pending for the chip select(s). DRAM Timing Configuration CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc.
Integrated Peripherals CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Integrated Peripherals ► IDE Configuration ► USB Configuration ► SuperIO Configuration ► Trusted Computing OnBoard LAN OnBoard LAN Boot ROM HD Audio Controller Enter] Help Item [Press Enter] [Press Enter] Configure the IDE [Press Enter] [Press Enter] device(s).
IDE Configuration 3 CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. IDE Configuration IDE Configuration Help Item [Enabled] Disabled: Disable the OnBoard PCI IDE Controller [Enabled] OnChip SATA Channel [Enabled] IDE controller. OnChip SATA Type [Native IDE] Enabled: Enable the IDE controller.
USB Configuration CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. USB Configuration ↑↓←→:Move Enter:Select +/-/:Value F10:Save F9:Optimized Defaults ESC:Exit F1:General Help ► Legacy USB Support This item is used to enable the support for USB devices on legacy OS. If you have a USB keyboard or mouse, set to auto or enabled. ► USB 2.0 Controller Mode This item is used to set the transmission rate mode of USB 2.0.
SuperIO Configuration CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. SuperIO Configuration 3 SuperIO Configuration Help Item [Enabled] Allows BIOS to Enable OnBoard Floppy Controller [Enabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] or Disable Floppy [2F8/IRQ3] Controller.
Trusted Computing CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Trusted Computing Trusted Computing Help Item [No] Enable/Disable TPM TCG/TPM Support [No] TCG (TPM 1.1/1.
Power Management Setup 3 CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Power Management Setup ACPI Suspend Type PWRON after PWR-Fail HPET Support Resume by LAN Resume by PCI Card Resume by PCIE Card Resume by USB Devices Resume by PS2 Keyboard Resume by PS2 Mouse Resume by RTC ↑↓←→:Move Enter:Select [S3 (STR)] (STR)] Help Item [Power Off] [Enabled] Select the ACPI State used for [Disabled] [Disabled] System Suspend.
► ACPI Suspend Type This item is used to set the energy saving mode of the ACPI function. When you select “S1 (POS)” mode, the power is always on and computer can be resumed at any time. When you select “S3 (STR)” mode, the power will be down after a period of time. The status of the computer before it entering STR will be saved in memory, and the computer can quickly return RTC is system real time clock. 39 3 to previous state when the STR function wakes.
PC Health Status CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. PC Health Status [Disabled] Warning Temperature [Disabled] Help Item Shut Down Temperature [Disabled] Options Case Open Warning [Disabled] CPU Temperature :62 oC/143 oF Disabled System Temperature :41 oC/105 oF CPU Fan Speed :2250 RPM 50 oC/122 oF System Fan Speed :N/A 55 oC/131 oF DRAM Voltage :1.872 V 60 oC/140 oF CPU Core :1.344 V 65 oC/149 oF +3.3V :3.360 V 70 oC/158 oF +12.0V :12.
BIOS Security Features CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS Security Features Security Settings Help Item Supervisor Password : Installed Install or change the User Password : Installed password.
3 Load Optimal Defaults Optimal defaults are the best settings of this motherboard. Always load the Optimal defaults after updating the BIOS or after clearing the CMOS Load Optimal Defaults? values. Select this option and press Enter, it will pop out a dialogue box to let [OK] [Cancel] you load the defaults. Select and then press to load the defaults. Select and press , it will not load.
The utility CD that came with the motherboard contains useful software and several utility drivers that enhance the motherboard features. This chapter includes the following information: ■ Utility CD content ■ Install driver and utility ■ FOX ONE ■ FOX LiveUpdate ■ FOX LOGO ■ FOX DMI Note : Because each module is independent, so the section number will be reorganized and unique to each module, please understand.
Utility CD content This motherboard comes with one Utility CD. You can simply put it into your CD/DVD-ROM drive, and the main menu will be displayed on your PC screen to guide you how to install. 1. Install Driver Use these options to install all the drivers for your system. You should install the drivers in order, and you need to restart your computer after all the drivers have been installed. 4 A. AMD Chipset Driver B. Realtek HDA Audio Driver C. Broadcom LAN Driver D. AMD VGA Driver E.
Install driver and utility 1. Install Driver You must click "AMD Chipset Driver" to install it first. After that, you can click "One Click Setup" to install all the other drivers left, or you can click on each individual driver to install it manually. Manual Installation Step by Step 4 Automatic Installation by One Click. Exit the program Click to visit Foxconn's website Select to Install Utilities Select to Install Drivers 2. Install Utility You can select the specific utility to install.
FOX ONE FOX ONE is a powerful utility for easily modifying system settings. It also allows users to monitor various temperature values, voltage values, frequencies and fan speeds at any time. ! 4 CA UT IO N With FOX ONE, you can : ■ Modify system performance settings, such as the CPU and memory bus speeds, CPU voltages, fan speeds, and other system performance options. ■ Monitor hardware temperatures, voltages, frequencies and fan speeds.
1. Main Page Show CPU Information Toolbar Alert Lamp Switch Button Skin Button Exit Homepage Monitor Frequency/Voltage/Fan speed/Temperature value Toolbar Use the toolbar to navigate to other pages. Alert Lamp When the system is in healthy state, the color of alert lamp is green. When the system is in abnormal state, the alert lamp color is red. Switch Button Click this button, it will simplify the whole FOX ONE control panel to a smaller information bar (i.e.
Skin Button There are more choices of FOX ONE screen panels. Click this button, you can select your favorite skin (FOX ONE Panel). 4 Click the new skin picture to select the new skin Apply the changes Cancel the changes Exit Click this button to exit the program. Minimum Click this button to drop the FOX ONE to Windows system tray located at the lower right corner of your screen. Homepage Click this button to visit Foxconn motherboard website : http://www.foxconnchannel.
Configuration This menu allows you to configure : 1). Monitor interval (ms) : This is to define the interval of different messages of system settings which are to be displayed on Simple Mode screen. Minimum value is 1 second. 4 2). Simple Mode : To select which message of system settings are to be displayed in the Simple Mode. Messages such as CPU frequency, voltage...etc., they can be displayed one by one in Simple Mode. 3). F.I.S.
4 Step 1 : Click Calibration icon, a message pops out to ask for continue. Select Yes. Step 2 : After data is collected, it will ask you to restart your computer now. Later on, when the FOX ONE program is activated, and F.I.S. feature (in CPU Page) is also enabled, FOX ONE will automatically adjust your CPU clock according to your system loadings. (Loadings are like Power Gaming, Data Mining...etc.
2. CPU Page - CPU Control This page lets you select (or overclock) CPU clock to meet the current performance level of the system. The fastest and suitable CPU clock running for current system can be calculated by FOX ONE automatically or manually input by yourselves. Manual : You can press the up/down button to adjust your CPU clock. Auto : Click this button to let FOX ONE check the highest CPU clock you can use.
4 You can see the system is raising CPU clock until the system hangs. Push RESET button on the front panel of your system to restart the computer. Run FOX ONE program again, it will inform you the previous test found that 255MHz is the recommended CPU clock for your system. Click Yes to apply it to your system. Now, your system is running at a CPU clock of 255MHz.
FOX Intelligent Stepping (F.I.S., Optional) Select FOX Intelligent Stepping will allow your system to automatically adjust your CPU clock rate based on different system loadings. For example, if you select Power Gaming, CPU clock will be driven to run at its maximum speed. While in Energy Saving, CPU will lower down its speed to a minimum.
4. Limit Setting 4.1 Limit Setting - CPU Temperature This page lets you to set CPU high limit temperature and enable the alert function. Go to Limit Setting page Show current CPU temperature value 4 Enable alert function when the CPU temperature is higher than high limit value Show current high limit value of the CPU temperature Set high limit by dragging the lever 4.2 Limit Setting - System Temperature This page lets you to set system high limit temperature and enable the alert function.
4.3 Limit Setting - CPU Fan This page lets you to set CPU fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function. Show current CPU fan rpm value Enable alert function when the CPU fan runs slower than the low limit rpm value Show current low limit rpm value of CPU fan 4 Set low limit rpm by dragging the lever 4.4 Limit Setting - System Fan This page lets you to set system fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function.
4.5 Limit Setting - FAN1 Fan This page lets you to set FAN1 fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function. Show current FAN1 fan rpm value Enable alert function when the FAN1 fan runs slower than low limit rpm value 4 Show current low limit rpm value of FAN1 fan Set low limit rpm by dragging the lever 5. Voltage Page - Voltage Control (Optional) This page lets you set CPU voltage, memory voltage and North Bridge voltage manually. CPU voltage can be stepped up/down by a unit of 12.
6. Fan Page - Fan Control This page lets you enable Smart Fan function or set the fan speed by manual. When Smart Fan is selected, you must use a 4-pin CPU cooler in your system.
FOX LiveUpdate FOX LiveUpdate is a useful utility to backup and update your system BIOS, drivers and utilities by local or online. 4 Supporting Operating Systems : ■ Windows 2000 ■ Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) Using FOX LiveUpdate : 1. Local Update 1-1 Local Update - BIOS Information This page lets you know your system BIOS information.
1-2 Local Update - Backup This page can backup your system BIOS. You can click “Backup”, and key in a file name, then click “Save” to finish the backup operation. The extension of this backup file is ".BIN" for Award BIOS and ".ROM" for AMI BIOS. Default directory is "C:\Desktop\My Documents" in Windows XP and "Documents" in Vista. Make sure you can remember the file name together with the directory which it is stored, prevented that you may need them to recover your BIOS later.
2. Online Update 2-1 Online Update - Update BIOS This page lets you update your system BIOS from Internet. Click “start”, it will search the new BIOS from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation. Click here 4 Current information Search new BIOS from Internet Select BIOS to update Browse detailed information Update BIOS Close the window 2-2 Online Update - Update Driver This page lets you update your system drivers from Internet.
Select the driver to update Browse detailed information Install the selected driver Close the window 4 2-3 Online Update - Update Utility This page lets you update utilities from Internet. Click “start”, it will search the new utilities from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation.
2-4 Online Update - Update All This page lets you update your system drivers from Internet. Click “start”, it will search all new BIOS/drivers/utilities from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation.
3. Configure 3-1 Configure - option This page lets you set auto search options. After you enable the auto search function, FOX LiveUpdate will start its searching from Internet and if any qualified item found, it will pop out a message on the task bar to inform you to do the next step. Click here Set auto search options Select search which kind of versions Apply the changes Reset to default value Double click on the icon as show below, you can see the detailed information.
When you enable "Auto Search FOX LiveUpdate", if your FOX LiveUpdate version is older, it will auto search from internet and prompt you to install the new version. 4 Prompt you to install the new FOX LiveUpdate 3-2 Configure - System This page lets you set the backup BIOS location and change different skin of the FOX LiveUpdate utility.
3-3 Configure - Advance This page lets you select to flash BIOS / Boot Block and clear CMOS. If you choose Flash Boot Block, it means BIOS is not protective, and you must make sure the flash process is continuous and without any interruption. Click here Select which BIOS ROM to flash(Only available to motherboard with backup BIOS ROM ) Select to flash Boot Block Apply the changes CA UT IO N ! Reset to default value We recommend that you had better keep the default setting unchanged to avoid any damage.
FOX LOGO FOX LOGO is a simple and useful utility to backup, change and delete the boot time Logo. The boot Logo is the image that appears on screen during POST (Power-On Self-Test). 4 You can prepare a JPG image (1024x768) file, then use FOX LOGO to open it and change the boot time Logo. Boot time Logo will be displayed if you enable the BIOS "Quiet Boot" setting in "Advanced BIOS Features" menu.
FOX DMI FOX DMI is a full Desktop Management Interface viewer, and it provides three DMI data formats : Report, Data Fields and Memory Dump. With DMI information, system maker can easily analyze and troubleshoot your motherboard if there is any problem occurred. Supporting Operating Systems : ■ Windows 2000 ■ Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) 4 Using FOX DMI: Please operate this utility as the comments shows.
This chapter will cover two topics : ■ ■ Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP (or Vista) in a brand new RAID system. Creating a Non-Bootable Array - Existing Windows XP (or Vista) system with new RAID built as data storage.
Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP (or Vista) in a brand new RAID system. 1. Follow 5-1 to create a RAID driver diskette. 2. Follow 5-2 to set RAID enabled in BIOS. 3. Follow 5-3 to select a RAID array for use. 4. Follow 5-4 to Install a new Windows Operating System. Creating a Non-Bootable Array - Existing Windows XP (or Vista) system with new RAID built as data storage.
RAID Configuration Introduction RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a method for computer data storage schemes that divide and/or replicate data among multiple hard drives. RAID can be designed to provide increased data reliability (fault tolerance) or increased I/O (input/ output) performance, or both. The following RAID configurations are provided for users. 5 There are three major key concepts in RAID: 1. Mirroring : The copying of data to more than one disk; 2.
RAID 0 (Striped) RAID 0 reads and writes sectors of data interleaved among multiple drives. If any disk member fails, it affects the entire array. The disk array data capacity is equal to the number of drive members times the capacity of the smallest member. RAID 0 does not support fault tolerance. RAID 1 (Mirror) RAID 1 writes duplicate data onto a pair of drives and reads both sets of data in parallel.
FastBuild Driver The FastBuild driver supports RAID 0 ,RAID 1 and RAID10 functions. It allows you to get high performance with fault tolerance, big capacity, or data safety provided by different RAID functions. Here, we will use four SATA hard disks as an example to guide you through how to configure your RAID system. Assume four hard disks are connected to the motherboard : SATA port 1 - HDS728090PLA380, 82.34GB SATA port 2 - WDC WD1200JD-98HBB0, 120.03GB SATA port 3 - Hitachi HDT725025VLA3, 250.
Two topics will be covered in the following sections : 1). Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP in a brand new RAID system. 2). Creating a Non-Bootable Array - Existing Windows XP system with new RAID built as data storage. Install SATA Hard Disks before we continue : ■ Shut down your computer. ■ Install SATA hard disks into the drive bays, connect all power and SATA cables.
5-1 Create a RAID Driver Diskette If you want to install a brand new Windows XP on a RAID system, you need to create a RAID driver floppy diskette which will be used during Windows XP installation later. 5 1. Find a PC, put a diskette into its floppy drive A:, this diskette will be formatted later. Put the driver CD into DVD-ROM drive. 2. Depending on which platform your system is, normally, it is a 32-bit XP system.
6. You can input a volume label for this diskette, click on "Start" to format. 7. Click on "OK" to go through this warning message. 9. Check if the diskette contains the driver files. 75 5 8. Format finished. Click "OK" to continue copying of RAID driver into this diskette.
5-2 RAID Enable in BIOS 1. Enter the BIOS setup by pressing key when boot up. 2. Select the “Integrated Peripherals” from the “Main menu”, then select the “IDE Configuration” menu and press to go to the configuration items. 3. Enable RAID function and individual SATA port for hard drive or DVD connection. 4. Press to save the setting then PC will reboot itself. 5 CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc.
Create RAID 0 (Striped) Here, we will show you how to create two RAID 0 Logical Drives (LD) by using two hard disks. 1. Select [2] from the main menu, "Define LD Menu" appears. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. Fast Initialization Option has been selected It will erase the MBR data of the disks, 6. Another screen prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y]. Input 80GB to select the first logical drive (LD1) and press [Enter]. Press Ctrl-Y to Modify Array Capacity or press any other key to use maximum capacity... FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
8. When LD2 is selected, press [Enter] to continue. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No RAID Mode LD 1 LD 2 LD 3 LD 4 LD 5 LD 6 LD 7 LD 8 LD 9 LD10 RAID 0 −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− Total Drv 2 −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− Capacity(GB) 79.
10. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No RAID Mode LD 1 RAID 0 Total Drv Stripe Block: 64 KB Gigabyte Boundary: ON 0 Fast Init: ON Cache Mode: WriteThru 5 Fast Initialization Option has been selected Channel :ID Drive Model Compatibilities Capacity(GB) Assignment It will erase the MBR data of the3G disks, 1 :Mas HDS728090PLA380 SATA 42.
Create RAID 1 (Mirrored) Here, we will show you how to create one Mirrored Logical Drives (LD) by using two hard disks. 1. Select [2] from the main menu, "Define LD Menu" appears. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. Fast Initialization Option has been selected It will erase the MBR data of the disks, 6. Another screen prompts. Press any key to use the maximum capacity. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No RAID Mode LD 1 RAID 1 Total Drv Stripe Block: NA Gigabyte Boundary: OFF 2 Capacity(GB) 249.
Create RAID 10 (Striped Mirror) Here, we will show you how to create one Striped Mirror Logical Drives (LD) by using four hard disks. 1. Select [2] from the main menu, "Define LD Menu" appears. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. Fast Initialization Option has been selected It will erase the MBR data of the disks, 6. Another screen prompts. Press any key to use the maximum capacity. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Create RAID Ready A "RAID Ready" system is a specific system configuration that, with the addition of a second Serial ATA hard drive, can be seamlessly migrated to a configuration that provides either improved storage performance or data protection from a single hard drive failure. 1. Select [2] from the main menu, "Define LD Menu" appears. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No RAID Mode LD 1 RAID READY Total Drv Stripe Block: NA Gigabyte Boundary: ON 1 Fast Init: ON Cache Mode: WriteThru 5 Fast Initialization Option has been selected Channel :ID Drive Model Compatibilities Capacity(GB) Assignment It will erase the MBR data of the3G disks, 1 :Mas HDS728090PLA380 SATA 42.
Create JBOD Here, we will show you how to create a JBOD Logical Drives (LD) by using four hard disks. 1. Select [2] from the main menu, "Define LD Menu" appears. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No RAID Mode LD 1 LD 2 LD 3 LD 4 LD 5 LD 6 LD 7 LD 8 LD 9 LD10 RAID −−−− 0 −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− Total Drv 2 −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− −−−− Capacity(GB) 163.
5. A message prompts. Press [Ctrl-Y] to erase the RAID array. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [ Define LD Menu ] LD No LD 1 RAID Mode Total Drv Stripe Block: 64 KB Gigabyte Boundary: ON JBOD 4 Fast Init: ON Cache Mode: WriteThru 5 Fast Initialization Option has been selected Channel :ID Drive Model Compatibilities Capacity(GB) Assignment It will erase the MBR data of the3G disks, 1 :Mas HDS728090PLA380 SATA 42.
5-4 Install a New Windows XP Assume a Mirrored array (249.99GB) was created as introduced in section 5-3, after the system restarts : 1. Press to enter BIOS Setup during POST. 2. Insert the Windows installation CD into the optical drive. 3. Set the “1st Boot Device” to “CD/DVD-ROM”, save changes and exit BIOS. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc.
5. After some files are copied to your system, the following picture appears, press to continue the specific driver installation. Windows Setup 5 Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system, or you have chosen to manually specify an adapter.
7. There are two drivers, for your 32-bit XP system, press [Enter] to select the first driver - "AMD AHCI Compatible RAID Controller-x86 platform". Windows Setup You have chosen to configure a SCSI Adapter for use with Windows, using a device support disk provided by an adapter manufacturer. Select the SCSI Adapter you want from the following list, or press ESC to return to the previous screen.
9. Windows will display the partition of your system. As we are using a Mirrored RAID array as an example, its size 232.88GB is now displayed as 238410MB. You can press [C] to create partitions as many as you wish, assign them C:, D: or E: logical drive names. (Note : 238410MB/1024 = 232.82GB) Windows XP Professional Setup The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer. Use the UP ad DOWN ARROW keys to select an item in the list.
5-5 Setting Up a Non-Bootable RAID Array This section assumes the following setup : ■ Boot Disk with Windows XP installed : One hard disk HDS728090PLAT20 (80GB) is connected to the IDE channel, and set to Master. ■ A Mirrored RAID Array Disk : Two SATA hard disks are configured as a mirrored RAID1 array, they are : Hitachi HDT725025VLA3, (250.05GB) connected to SATA port2 of the motherboard. Seagate ST3320620AS, (320.07GB) connected to SATA port3. ■ A SATA DVD Drive : A DVD drive connected to SATA port1.
2. Select a RAID array for use (also can refer to section 5-3) After rebooting your computer, you will see the RAID software prompting you to press [Ctrl-F]. Press [Ctrl-F] to enter the FastBuild BIOS setup and configure the mirrored RAID array as described in the 5-3 section. Finally, you can reach this step as depicted. FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5. After the AMD RAID driver is installed, it will ask you to click "Finish" to restart your computer. 5 6. When Windows starts, a message is prompting you to reboot again. Click "Yes" to restart your computer.
7. After PC starts, the RAID array is now ready to be initialized under Windows. Launch Computer Management by clicking Start -> (Settings ->) Control Panel then open the Administrative Tools folder and double click on Computer Management. Click Disk Management (under the Storage section). 5 The Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard appears. Click "Next" to continue. The RAID array is named as Disk1 and its status is unknown and not initialized. 8. A "Select Disks to Initialize" window will appear.
11. The Computer Management window appears. The actual disks listed will depend on your system. In below figure, you can see there is a 232.82 GB unallocated partition. You must format the unallocated disk space before using it. Right click "Unallocated space", select "New Partition…" and follow the Wizard instructions. 5 12. When "New Partition Wizard" appears, click "Next" to continue. 13. When "Primary partition" screen appears, click "Next" to continue. 14.
5 17. The format of disk array (Disk1) is in processing. 18. Format completed, now you can start using your RAID array.
