GA-MA74GM-S2: Windows 7 installation error

[Sbridge37]

My system, freshly built :

AMD Athalon II x4 620
Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2
Patriot 4gb DDR2/800
Sapphire Radeon HD 5770
Seagate 500GB Barracuda 7200.12
Samsung SH-S223C (Optical drive)
Cooler Master RS-460
Windows 7 Home Premium OEM

The system boots to BIOS just fine.

Here's what's strange:

On my new PC:
1. When I put the Windows7 dvd in the drive it will ask me: Do you want to boot the CDROM (y/n)?:
If I hit 'y' the screen then goes to a black screen with a series of H's down the side of the screen like this:
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H

Then it hangs for eternity.

2. If I put my DELL copy of Windows XP (from 6 years ago) in the drive of my new PC; it asks to boot from the cdrom (as before) and then jumps into the DELL XP setup.

---------

On my 6-year old DELL XPS machine, if I drop the copy of Windows7 (the one I just purchased) into the DVD drive and boot from the drive. It enters the Windows7 setup screen.


 

What is going on?

[Dark Mantis]

You don't say what BIOS you are running at present but maybe an update would cure this problem.

[Sbridge37]

Well I just bought the motherboard.. so I assumed it would be up to date...

However I'll have to check what BIOS it is when I get home.

Also, how does one update the BIOS on a computer which has absolutely nothing installed on it (even an OS)?

[Dark Mantis]

The BIOS is basically the translator that sits between the hardware and the software so that they can communicate. It doesn't need any operating system. If you check out our FAQ section there are detailed instructions there.
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2441.0.html

I was going to check on the BIOS status for you but you didn't post your board's revision number.

[Sbridge37]

From my BIOS System Information:

Model Name: GA-MA74GM-S2
BIOS Version Main: FE / Backup: FE
BIOS Data 04/16/2010
BIOS Part Number 6A669G0B

Also when it boot is stays on the POST screen it says:

AMD RS740 BIOS for GA-MA74GM-S2

[Dark Mantis]

You still need the revision number of the board. It is in the bottom left hand corner near the expansion slots. White writing. It will also have it on a sticker on the outside of the box the motherboard came in.

Anyway when you find it if you click on this link it will take you to the download section where you can get the latest BIOS.
http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/download-center.aspx?kw=GA-MA74GM-S2&ck=

[Sbridge37]

AMD 740G/SB710/rev.4.3

[Sbridge37]

So interesting....

I popped my new vid card out of my new computer and swapped it with my old vid card from my old computer (which I know works).

My new video card works fine in my old computer, and when I go to install windows 7 on my old computer it starts the setup just fine.

With my old video card in my new computer when I try to install windows 7 I get a screen full of white blocks and pixels all over the place. However, with the same setup (old vid card in my new computer) I can still get windows xp to start to setup and install.

So with two different video cards I get two similar problems... so is the problem with my PCI express slot?

[Sbridge37]

Downloaded MA74GS24.FI from the gigabyte website (file updated 8/4/2010) and loaded it to a USB drive.

Ran Q-Flash utility and tried to upload file.



Green box pops up: Invalid BIOS Image!
Please press any key to continue

[absic]

Hi,

Do you have this issue if you remove your Graphics Card and instead try using the on-board Graphics Chip?

[Sbridge37]

Well interesting that you ask.... when I remove my graphics card from the PCI slot I can't get any VGA output.

[Dark Mantis]

Does it need enabling in the BIOS?

[Sbridge37]

Second "issue":

My BIOS is currently using version "FE".. I found my mobo and revision on gigabyte's webpage and downloaded the latest version "FI" and attempted to update the BIOS using Q-Flash. However when I go to upload the BIOS it tells me "Invalid BIOS Image!"

To test this I saved a copy of the existing BIOS onto the usb drive and then attempted to upload that as well, getting the same result "Invalid BIOS Image!"

[absic]

Two things

1st going from BIOS version FE to FI in one step is not really the best way to go and I would probably go from FE to FG and then re-flash to FI

2nd what file are you putting onto your USB stick. If it is the 7Zip file that you download from the Gigabyte Site then that is your problem. You need to extract the 3 files that are inside the 7Zip file and put those onto your USB Stick. (it is like a RAR or WinZip File).

[Sbridge37]

I unpacked the .exe and am selecting the actual bios file.

I will try going up progressively