Bios problems with Intel® Desktop Board D915GAG

[cobbodd]

Hi
A client of mine has an e-systems desktop with an Intel® Desktop Board D915GAG.
He has just upgraded the memory by adding two sticks of crucial 512 mb Pc3200 memory to the existing pair of 256mb PC 3200 samsungs. When he turned it on, it hung with the screen "Saying something about Press R and some other stuff". He turned the machine off and since then it has refused to accept any memory of any speed producing the classic three beeps every time it is turned on.So i reset the bios using both the jumpers and removing the battery & power cable and went back to the original pair of sticks - no joy. I have tried every combination of ram in every slot and checked each stick in another computer to validate it. Even tried putting a good stick of PC 2100 in to see if it had forgotten about PC3200 ram. I had been tearing my hair out because i could not see any way that it should not have been working until I went back through the sequence of events came up with the following theory.

It is definitely not the ram or the slots which means that i think it has to be a bios problem. My theory is now that he has corrupted the bios by turning the machine off during the reset process for the extra memory. We now have a lovely situation - the bios is now corrupt and needs replacing. Intel have kindly provided a jumper with three positions - 1)normal - 2)reset and go directly into startup screen - 3)one that allows you to re -flash the bios directly from a floppy before even loading the video driver. Only problem is that they haven't included a slot on the board for a floppy cable. obviously no way of getting into setup to set the boot from a cd and not sure if that would work anyway.

Any suggestions other than consigning the board to the bin?

[bobbyraw]

when you power on the pc does it still give the 3 beep sound. does any thing come up on the screen.

[cobbodd]

No - its much too early for that. Beeps come immediately after switch on from cold before it has even loaded the display driver. I believe i have been through every possible trick that 20 years of working with P.C.'s has taught me. This is weird and does not behave like any older machine i have come across.

[caperjack]

I believe i have been through every possible trick that 20 years of working with P.C.'s has taught me.

i have only been playing around with computers for 10 yrs ,but i have done justabout everything to stop the install of windows ,like plugging the plug, holding in the power button ,hitting reset button ,using power switch on back of PSU ,and have never corrupted a bios chip.
To me it sounds like a motherboard/cpu problem ,maybe even PSU.

[bobbyraw]

what is the memory requirement for the pC, can the bios handle the amount you are trying to put in, try setting the bios to the default setting, can the board also handle the memory you are using, the clock speed of the memory, the max the board can take

[caperjack]

quick google search will answer those ?'s

Memory DDR - 400 and 333 MHz
Dual channel support
Non-ECC
Up to 4 GB
Four DDR slots
Note:Be sure to review the Tested Memory list before using this Intel® Desktop Board.

[caperjack]

No - its much too early for that. Beeps come immediately after switch on from cold before it has even loaded the display driver. I believe i have been through every possible trick that 20 years of working with P.C.'s has taught me. This is weird and does not behave like any older machine i have come across.

check these links ,
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d915gag/
this link come from within the above link.
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-023360.htm#cdrom
as does this one
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-010254.htm
and so on !http://downloadmirror.intel.com/10140/ENG/BIOS%20Update%20Readme.pdf

[cobbodd]

check these links ,
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d915gag/
this link come from within the above link.
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-023360.htm#cdrom
as does this one
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-010254.htm
and so on !http://downloadmirror.intel.com/10140/ENG/BIOS%20Update%20Readme.pdf

Haven't had time over Christmas to play with this box - Client upgraded to new Vista box as he couldn't afford to be without it for any length of time so now I've lost the Hard Drive to the new machine. So i had great fun transferring everything over - I do love Vista's new security roadblocks.
Sounds good - will let you know in the next couple of days.