Asus p9x79 deluxe RAID 0 and BIos flash fail

sod16

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I cannot update my bios to 0906, everytime I Do it goes into BIOS recovery mode and makes me revert back to normal...


with 2xSSD's in the INTEL port, I Cannot install windows 64 bit as it wont let me load the 64 bit drivers from the support disc and only lets me do 32bit.

It fails me...
Can someone PLEASE guide me on setting up RAID 0 with the NEWEST BIOS with this thing... Everything fails me.
 

ChemE

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sod16,

I'm actually having trouble with the 0906 BIOS update too. Seems like it introduces some complications.

But as for your issue, if you check out ASUS's support website (link) and check out under the Manual section in the Download tab, there's a short 'insert' for "Intel X79 SATA AHCI/RAID Mode Notice user’s insertpage (English)". If you check out page 2 of that document, it may help give some clues.
 

sod16

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BIOS I do not understand, I've given up...

Im looking at that but it's hardly a guide and Ive been trying all day! :( It fails to load the 64bit drivers
 

ChemE

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Sorry I can't help. I've never had a RAID configuration before.

Since it might be related, I had the 0802 BIOS and then just updated to the 0906. I'm booting from a Crucial m4 SSD - or, at least, I was. Now it just gives me a blinking underscore and nothing boots.

I reinstalled Windows on a secondary drive, and now that secondary drive boots just fine. This leads me to suspect that the newest BIOS update did something to the way the BIOS calls the OS at startup. I'm trying to figure out a way to fix my real boot drive without having to reinstall it, though I'm pretty sure that reinstalling everything on it would be a viable (if painful) solution.
 

sod16

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Wtf, I just updated to 0802 and I says "WARNING! BIOS RECOVERY MODE HAS BEEN DETECTED! blah wtf is going on
 

ChemE

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Sadly no dice. Booting directly to the original boot drive just takes me back to the blinking underscore, and it just stays like this indefinitely.

The clean install might be the way to go.
 

sod16

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I Just installed 0802 and again the WARNING! comes up and now it wont detect my keyboard and Mouse when i use recovery disc... This motherboard is horrible?!
 

ChemE

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Yeah, it's definitely frustrating.

You know the one little thing that irks me the most about this motherboard, despite how petty it is? The WiFi feature on it gets a weaker signal than my laptop's does, even though my laptop has a tiny little compact card while this thing has a full-fledged external antenna. Just bugs me somehow.

On the more practical side it looks like the recent BIOS flash messed up my boot SSD. Tried using a Windows install disc to repair it a few times, but no dice there either.
 

ChemE

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Huh, maybe try flashing the BIOS again with a fresh download of it (incase the prior download had a flipped bit or something)?

It's weird how the old BIOS version which had been good stopped working after trying the new one.
 

sod16

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basically, my BIOS goes into bios recovery mode and then prompts me to put in the motherboard disc. Get's to BOOT and my keyboard and mouse turn off... How the hell am I going to revert now!?
 

ChemE

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There's the "USB BIOS Flashback" (section 2.3.11 in the newest version of the manual). The long story short is:
1. Download the BIOS ROM from the site.
2. Put it on to a blank USB thumbdrive.
3. Rename it "P9X79D.ROM".
4. Power down the computer that you’re going to flash.
5. Plug that USB thumbdrive into the back of the computer into the white USB port.
6. While the computer is still powered down, press down and hold the “BIOS” button next to the white USB port for about 3 seconds.
7. Wait for it to finish flashing and such (takes a few minutes).
 

sod16

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Thank you so much for the guide! I've been Bios updatin from the front, I think that is what is killing my system.
 

sod16

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This motherboard is supposedly good. Your telling me the wifi is poor and the BIOS is pretty horrid too... It's fine at stock but when you want to do funky things, it breaks.
 

ChemE

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Sure thing, I hope it works!

I just clean installed so just going through the long process of redownloading all of the drivers, getting install discs together, etc. But at least it'll work come tomorrow!
 

sod16

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At least you didn't have too much on your PC I'm guessing... I NEED this bastard to work in RAID and for it to stop being picky about the BIOS. Are you on 906 or 802?
 

ChemE

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Doing 906 right now. I need VT-d for my research, and 906's supposed to enable it. I'll be happy enough if it works; I was afraid that I was going to have to wait 'til Jan. 20 to get the C2 stepping of the i7-3930k to get VT-d.

The software's kind of a pain to install since I have this weird network of CAD programs that intercommunicate across networks and virtual boxes working off volatile RAM disks and such, all with their own licensing schemes. It's hard enough to install that many of my coworkers who make a living on this sorta thing can't even do it themselves. But on the bright side, I'm getting pretty good at it. =P
 

sod16

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the 906 enables it for supporting CPU's not randomly for anything.

The Flash stays a solid blue colour, it doesn't even flash 5 times. It turns on off then solid. I Don't think it's working. Wow.. Just wow..
 

ChemE

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Yeah, I spent a few hours arguing with the folks at Intel. Then one guy over there told me that even the C1 stepping will have VT-d support with the appropriate BIOS which the motherboard producers should be releasing.

Frankly I'm anxious to see if there's truth to this claim, but the guy seemed far more knowledgeable about the subject than anyone else I had talked to over at Intel.


Yeah, it sounds like you're having the error #2 in the guide. The guide seems to suggest ensuring that the file was named properly on the USB thumbdrive and making sure that it has the right file format (though it doesn't specify which file format).
 

sod16

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il be interested to see if 906 works making VT work. I used another USB and now it's flashing.. I'm currently doing 906
 

sod16

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I think my motherboard is faulty.. The usb flashes more then 5 times and stops dead blue. I'm getting very angry.
 

ChemE

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According to the ASUS Suite's System Information tab, the supported instructions are now:
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, VT-x, SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T.

But no mention of VT-d. Bah.