ASUS A7V266-EX User Manual

®

A7V266-EX

JumperFree™ DDR DRAM

266MHz FSB AGP Pro/4X

Socket A Motherboard

USER’S MANUAL

USER'S NOTICE

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or
by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express
written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN
NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECT ORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR
DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN
THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered,
unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial
number of the product is defaced or missing.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to
the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

• Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

• VIA is a registered trademark of VIA Technologies, Inc.

• 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation.

• C-Media is a registered trademark of C-Media Electronics Inc.

• Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

• Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

• Trend and ChipAwayVirus are trademarks of Trend Micro, Inc.

• Symbios is a registered trademark of Symbios Logic Corporation.
The product name and revision number are both printed on the product itself. Manual revisions are

released for each product design represented by the digit before and after the period of the manual
revision number. Manual updates are represented by the third digit in the manual revision number.

For previous or updated manuals, BIOS, drivers, or product release information, contact ASUS at
http://www.asus.com.tw or through any of the means indicated on the following page.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME
WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS.
ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR
INACCURACIES THAT MA Y APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND
SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 2002 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS A7V266-EX
Manual Revision: 1.00 E935
Release Date: January 2002

2

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Marketing

Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

MB/Others (Tel): [phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): [phone] (English)
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asus.com.tw
FTP: ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Marketing

Address: 6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2

Newark, CA 94560, USA
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asus.com
FTP: ftp.asus.com/Pub/ASUS

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

Marketing

Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail] (for marketing requests only)

Technical Support

Hotline: MB/Others: [phone] Notebook: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
WWW: www.asuscom.de
FTP: ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 3

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 7

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized ................................................... 7

1.2 Item Checklist .............................................................................. 7

2. FEATURES ........................................................................................ 8

2.1 ASUS A7V266-EX Motherboard ................................................ 8

2.1.1 Specifications ..................................................................... 8

2.1.2 Connections ........................................................................ 9

2.1.2 Performance...................................................................... 10

2.1.3 Intelligence ....................................................................... 11

2.2 Motherboard Components.......................................................... 12

2.2.1 Component Locations....................................................... 13

3. HARDWARE SETUP ...................................................................... 14

3.1 Motherboard Layout .................................................................. 14

3.2 Layout Contents ......................................................................... 15

3.3 Hardware Setup Procedure......................................................... 17

3.4 Motherboard Settings ................................................................. 17

3.5 System Memory ......................................................................... 25

3.5.1 DDR DIMM Support........................................................ 25

3.5.2 Memory Installation ......................................................... 26

3.5.3 General DIMM Memo...................................................... 26

3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................. 27

3.7 Expansion Cards ........................................................................ 28

3.7.1 Installing an Expansion Card ........................................... 28

3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards .............................. 29

3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot ...................... 30

3.7.4 Advanced Communication Riser (ACR) Slot .................. 30

3.8 Connectors ................................................................................ 31

4. BIOS SETUP..................................................................................... 43

4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS .......................................... 43

4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System.......................... 43

4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures .............................................. 45

4.2 BIOS Setup Program.................................................................. 47

4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar................................................................ 48

4.2.2 Legend Bar ....................................................................... 48

4.3 Main Menu ................................................................................. 50

4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ................................. 51

4

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

CONTENTS

4.3.2 Keyboard Features............................................................ 54

4.4 Advanced Menu ......................................................................... 56

4.4.1 Chip Configuration........................................................... 60

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ................................................. 63

4.4.3 PCI Configuration ............................................................ 65

4.5 Power Menu ............................................................................... 67

4.5.1 Power Up Control............................................................. 69

4.5.2 Hardware Monitor ............................................................ 71

4.6 Boot Menu ................................................................................. 72

4.7 Exit Menu................................................................................... 74

5. SOFTWARE SETUP....................................................................... 77

5.1 Install Operating System............................................................ 77

5.2 Start Windows............................................................................ 77

5.3 A7V266-EX Motherboard Support CD ..................................... 78

5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 ................................... 80

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE ........................................................... 89

6.1 Winbond Smart Manager ........................................................... 89

6.2 ASUS PC Probe ......................................................................... 93

6.3 Multi-Channel Audio Feature Setup........................................... 98

6.4 ASUS Live Update................................................................... 100

6.5 3Deep Color Tuner................................................................... 101

6.6 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE ..................................................... 103

6.7 CyberLink V ideoLive Mail ...................................................... 104

7. APPENDIX..................................................................................... 107

7.1 Modem Riser............................................................................ 107

7.1.1 56K Software Modem .................................................... 107

7.1.2 Primary/Seconday MR ................................................... 107

7.1.3 Hardware Installation Procedure .................................... 107

7.1.4 Software Setup in Windows 98 ...................................... 108

7.2 Glossary ................................................................................... 109

INDEX ................................................................................................. 113

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 5

FCC & DOC COMPLIANCE

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

W ARNING! Any changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved

by the manufacturer could void any assurances of safety or performance and
could result in violation of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC: Office of the
Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

6

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized

This manual is divided into the following sections:

1. INTRODUCTION Manual information and checklist

2. FEATURES Production information and specifications

3. HARDWARE SETUP Instructions on setting up the motherboard.

4. BIOS SETUP Instructions on setting up the BIOS

5. SOFTWARE SETUP Instructions on setting up the included software

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE Reference material for the included software

7. APPENDIX Optional items and general reference

1.2 Item Checklist

Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing items,
contact your retailer.

Manual / Checklist

1. INTRODUCTION

Package Contents

(1) ASUS Motherboard
(1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon

cable for internal
UltraDMA100/66//33 IDE
drives

(1) Ribbon cable for two 3.5”

floppy disk drives

(1) ASUS Support CD with drivers

and utilities
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps
(1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector

Set
(1) User’s Manual

Optional Items

ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared
module

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 7

2. FEATURES

2.1 ASUS A7V266-EX Motherboard

The ASUS A7V266-EX motherboard is the perfect answer for home PCs,

®

workstations and servers. The A7V266-EX is powered by the AMD

™

Duron

processor and is bundled with advanced features to provide superlative

performance.

2.1.1 Specifications

Athlon™/

2. FEATURES

Specifications

• AMD® Athlon™/ Athlon XP™ and Duron™ Processor Support

• North Bridge System Chipset: Features the VIA

• South Bridge System Chipset: VIA

• PC2100 / PC1600 DDR Support: Equipped with three Double Data Rate Dual

• JumperFree™ Mode: Make processor settings to overclock frequency and

• UltraDMA/133 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE controller

• Super Multi-I/O: The multi-I/O chipset offers complete support for a variety of

• Optional Promise

• C.O.P . Thermal Protection: W ith AMD

®

KT266A North Bridge that

supports AGP 4X/2X mode, 133/100MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), and
266/200MHz memory bus.

®

VT8233A integrated peripheral controller

supports UltraDMA133/100/66/33 for burst mode data transfer rates of up to
133MB/sec, and USB controller with two root hubs for four USB ports.

Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 3GB of DDR
DRAM. DDR DRAM is the newest memory standard with the highest bandwidth
and lowest latency currently available. DDR dramatically improves the memory
system’s ability to service, among others, high multimedia requirements. (Caution:
Do not attempt to use SDRAM modules.)

Vcore voltage through BIOS. Easy-to-use DIP switches come with the
motherboard board for manual adjustment of processor frequencies.

with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels. Supports
UltraDMA133/100/66/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, Bus Master IDE DMA Mode 2,
and Enhanced IDE devices:DVDs, CD-R/R W , LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.

I/O functions. Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one
parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities. UART2 can also be directed from
COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super I/O controller
also supports a floppy disk drive, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse.

®

chip: The Promise IDE controller chip supports the ATA-

133 protocol and Ultra DMA/133 data transfer speeds. The chip also delivers
reliable redundancy and stable performance for RAID levels 0 or 1. Data
“striping,” RAID 0, improves speed performance as I/O tasks are spread between
two hard disk drives. Data “mirroring,” RAID 1, improves system fault tolerance
by optimizing two identical hard disks to write data to each other.

®

Athlon XP™ installed, the motherboard
offers users ASUS C.O.P. automatic CPU Overheating Protection to prolong the
life of the entire system. If the CPU temperature becomes excessive, the PC
shuts down automatically.

8

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

• Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware enables Vcore and CPU/DDR SDRAM frequency

adjustments, boot block write protection, and HD/SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy boot
selection.

2.1.2 Connections

• CPU socket: Socket A (462) for AMD® processors.

• PCI Expansion Slots: Provides five 32-bit Legacy Free PCI slots, (PCI 2.2

compliant) with no ISA, eliminating bottlenecks and system memory
management issues. All PCI slots can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as
SCSI or LAN cards. (PCI supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput.) Th e
MB supports Concurrent PCI, which allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI
master bus to the memory and processor.

• IDE connectors: Dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support up to four

Ultra DMA133/100/66, PIO Modes 3 & 4 IDE devices like two HDDs, one
DVD and an R/W CD.

• AGP Pro Slot: Comes with an Accelerated Graphics Port Pro slot that

supports AGP cards for high performance, component level interconnect
targeted at 3D graphical applications using a 4X mode bus. The slot is keyed to
support only the latest 1.5 volt AGP cards.

• Floppy disk connector: Supports the floppy disk drive.

• Wake-On-LAN: Supports Wake-On-LAN activity through an optional ASUS

PCI-L101 10 /100 Fast Ethernet PCI card.

• Wake-On-Ring: Supports Wake-On-Ring activity through a PCI modem card.

• Smartcard Reader Connector: Supports a PS/SC compatible Smart Card

• USB ports: Two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting

USB devices such as a mouse and PDA.

• Serial ports: Two 9-pin COM1/COM2 ports are for all serial devices.

• IrDA: Supports an optional infrared port module for a wireless interface.

• Microphone: Pink jack connects a microphone (or 6 channel speaker).

Specifications

2. FEATURES

• Line In: Light blue jack connects a tape player (or 6 channel speaker).

• Line Out: Lime jack connects a headphone, a speaker (or 6 channel speaker).

• Game/MIDI connector. This connector supports a joystick or a game pad for

playing games, and MIDI devices for playing or editing audio files.

• Parallel port: 25-pin port connects a parallel printer or other devices.

• PS/2 mouse port: Green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.

• PS/2 keyboard port: Purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard.

• Onboard LED: Signals AC power is okay.

• ATX power connector. Supplies the MB with ATX 12V power. The power

supply must have at least 1A on the +5V standby lead (+5VSB).

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 9

2. FEATURES

Performance

2. FEATURES

2.1.2 Performance

• DDR DRAM Optimized Performance: This motherboard supports a new

generation memory , Double Data Rate (DDR) Dynamic Random Access Memory
(DDR DRAM). This new memory technology increases performance by
executing two actions per clock cycle, resulting in data transfer rates of up to 2.1
GB/s for 133MHz DDR SDRAM and 1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR SDRAM.

• Onboard Audio: Audio models come with the six-channel C-Media CMI8738

PCI audio controller that supplies HRTF 3D positional audio functions. The
chip supports software access to PC DVD 5.1/6.1 and AC-3/DTS via SPDIF.
Other integrative featues include: full DVD playback, PCtel 56K modem, and
even Karaoke echo effects. The chip offers 24-bit SPDIF digital recording and
playback with additional support for legacy audio SBPRO™ and FM emulator/
DLS wavetable music synthesis. A software package helps setup the multi­channel PC sound system.

• ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more

Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct Power
Management (OSPM) functionality. With these features employed in the OS,
PCs can be ready around the clock but comply with energy saving standards. To
fully utilize the ACPI benefits, use an ACPI-supported OS such as Windows 98.

• Smartcard Reader Connector: This connector that provides the convenience

of PS/SC compatible Smart Card security plus support for a multitude of new
financial, telephonic, and mobile access services.

• PC’99 Compliant: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of ASUS smart series

motherboards are PC’99 compliant. The new PC’99 requirements for systems
and components are based on the following high-level goals: Support for Plug­n-Play compatibility and power management for configuring and managing all
system components, and 32-bit device drivers and installation procedures for
Windows95/98/NT . Color-coded connectors and descriptive icons make
identification easy as required by PC’99.

• High-Speed Data Transfer Interface: Support for UltraDMA/133 through the

onboard IDE bus master controller quadruples the UltraDMA/33 burst transfer
rate. UltraDMA/133 is backward compatible with DMA100/66/33, and other
existing DMA devices to save the need to upgrade current EIDE/IDE drives.
(UltraDMA/66 requires a 40-pin 80-conductor cable).

• Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI master

busses to the memory and processor.

10

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

2.1.3 Intelligence

• Auto Fan Off: The system fans powers off automatically even in sleep mode.

This function reduces both energy consumption and system noise, and is an
important feature in implementing silent PC systems.

• Dual Function Power Button: Pushing the power button for less than 4 seconds

when the system is in the working state places the system into one of two states:
sleep mode or soft-off mode, depending on the BIOS or OS setting (See PWR
Button < 4 Secs in 4.5 Power Menu). When the power button is pressed for
more than 4 seconds, the system enters the soft-off mode regardless of the BIOS
setting.

• Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system

damage, the CPU and system fans can be monitored for RPM and failure. All
fans are set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.

• Power LED (requir es ACPI OS support): The power LED indicates the system

status.

• Remote Ring-On (requires modem): This allows a computer to be turned on

remotely through an internal or external modem. With this benefit on-hand, users
can access vital information from their computers anywhere.

Intelligence

2. FEATURES

• Temperature Monitoring and Alert: CPU temperature is monitored by the

ASUS ASIC through the CPU’s internal thermal diode (on Pentium III and
Celeron) to prevent system overheat and system damage.

• Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure

stable voltage to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are
more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper
system configuration and management.

• Chassis Intrusion Detection: Supports chassis-intrusion monitoring through

the ASUS ASIC. A chassis intrusion event is kept in memory on battery power
for more protection.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 11

2. FEATURES

2.2 Motherboard Components

See opposite page for locations.

®

Processor Support Socket A for AMD

Feature Setting DIP Switches ................................................... 8

Athlon™ XP and Duron™ Processors........ 2

Location

M/B Components

2. FEATURES

Expansion Slots 5 PCI Slots .............................................................................. 19

Chipsets VIA

Main Memory Maximum 3GB support

System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector ............................................. 14

®

KT266A North Bridge .................................................... 1

®

VIA

VT8233A South Bridge ................................................ 13

Promise IDE / RAID controller ................................................ 7

ASUS System Monitor controller ............................................ 9

Multi-I/O controller ................................................................ 22

2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ................................... 21

3 DDR DIMM Sockets ............................................................. 3

1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro/4X Slot ................... 24

1 Advanced Communication Riser......................................... 16

2 IDE Connectors (ATA-133 / Promise RAID Support) .......... 5

2 IDE Connectors (ATA-133 Support) ..................................... 6

1 Panel Connector .................................................................. 10

1 Afpanel Connector ............................................................... 11

1 Infrared Connector .............................................................. 12

1 Smart Card Connector ......................................................... 20

1 Parallel Port ......................................................................... 26

2 Serial Ports (COM1/COM2) .............................................. 31

USB Connectors (Port 0 & Port 1) ....................................... 32

USB Headers (Ports 2/3) ........................................................ 15

1 PS/2 Mouse Connector (Green) ......................................... 25

1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector (Purple) .................................... 33

Hardware Monitoring System Voltage Monitoring (integrated in ASUS ASIC) ......... 9

Special Feature Onboard LED ......................................................................... 23

Audio Features (Audio models only)

CMI8738 6-Channel Audio Controller................................... 17

1 ASUS iPanel Audio Connector............................................ 18

1 Game/MIDI Port................................................................. 27

1 Line Out Connector (Lime) ................................................. 30

1 Line In Connector (Light blue) .......................................... 29

1 Microphone Connector (Pink) ............................................ 28

Internal Audio Connectors

Power ATX Power Supply Connector ................................................. 4

Form Factor ATX

12

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

2.2.1 Component Locations

24
23

22

14

26

3

5

2. FEATURES

Motherboard Parts

7
8

21
20
19
18

17
16

15 14

25 26 27

13

12

9
10

11

31

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 13

28293033 32

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.1 Motherboard Layout

24.5cm (9.64in)

VID4

PS/2

T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

USB1
USB2

COM1

KBWK
USB01_PWR

Socket 462

VID3
VID2
VID1

OVER2

OVER1

THERMTRIP

Motherboard Layout

3. H/W SETUP

COM2

Line
Out

Line

In

Mic

In

GAME_AUDIO

LED

AUX

BCS1
BCS2

PARALLEL PORT

Super

I/O

2Mb

BIOS

IPANEL

LINE_IN

MODEM

CPU_FAN

PWR_FAN

BACK_LT
BACK_RT

C-Media

CMI8738 6CH

Audio Controller

VIA

VT8366

Chipset

NB_FAN

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP Pro)

PCI 1

PCI 2

SMARTCARD

PCI 3

CD

PCI 4

SPDIF_C

PCI 5

ACR

A7V266-EX

ACRUSB2
ACRUSB1

DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

0 1

2 3

DSW

SYSCLK

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

SMB_CON

USB2_3

PR0MISE IDE2

DDR DIMM2 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

DDR DIMM3 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

4 5

ATX Power Connector

Primary IDE

PROMISE

IDE

Controller

VIA

VT8233A

Chipset

CLR_RTC

FLOPPY

CHASSIS

CHA

USB23_PWR

R

CHA_FAN

IDELED

IR_CON

RAID_EN

ASUS

ASIC

with Hardware

Monitor

BUZZER

AFPANEL

PANEL

PR0MISE IDE1

Secondary IDE

30.5cm (12.0in)

JTPWR

JEN

(Grayed components are optional.)

14

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.2 Layout Contents

Motherboard Settings

1) JEN p. 18 JumperFree Mode Setting (Disable / Enable)

2) DIP_SW p. 19 CPU External Frequency Selection (Switches 1–4)

3) DSW p. 20 Manual CPU Ratio Settings (Switches 1-5)

4) VID1, 2, 3, 4 p. 21 Voltage Regulator Output Volt. Setting (1.675V-1.85 V)

5) BCS p. 21 Bass Center Setting (Center/Bass, Bass/Center)

6) KBWK p. 22 Keyboard Power Up (Enable / Disable)

7) ACRUSB1, ACRUSB2 p. 22 ACR/USB Selection (USB to Conn. / USB on ACR)

8) USB01, 23_PWR p. 23 Two USB Device Wake-ups (+5V / +5VSB)

9) RAID_EN p. 23 IDE Channel Setting (ATA133 or RAID 1/0) (Optional)

10) CLR_RTC p. 24 Clear RTC RAM (2 pin contact)

11) THEMCPU p. 24 Thermal Sensor CPU Setting (Athlon-Duron / Reserved)

Expansion Slots/Sockets

1) DIMM 1/2/3 p. 25 System Memory Support

2) Socket 462 p. 27 CPU Support

3) PCI 1/2/3/4/5 p. 28 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

4) AGP Pro p. 30 Accelerated Graphics Port Slot

5) ACR Slot p. 30 Advanced Communication Riser Slot

Connectors

1) PS2KBMS p. 31 PS/2 Mouse Port (6 pin female)

2) PS2KBMS p. 31 PS/2 Keyboard Port (6 pin female)

3) USB p. 32 Universal Serial Bus Ports 1 & 2 ( Two 4 pin female)

4) PRINTER p. 32 Parallel Port (25 pin female)

5) COM1/COM2 p. 32 Serial Ports (9 pin /10-1 pin male)

6) GAME_AUDIO p. 33 Game/MIDI Port (15-pin female) (optional)

7) AUDIO p. 33 Audio Connectors (Three 1/8” AUDIO) (optional)

8) IDELED p. 34 IDE Activity LED (2 pin)

9) FLOPPY p. 34 Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34 pin)

10) PRIMARY / SEC. IDE p. 35 IDE Connectors (Two 40-1 pin)

11) CPU/PWR/CHA_FAN p. 36 CPU, Power, and Chassis Fan Connectors (Three 3 pin)

3. H/W SETUP

Layout Contents

12) USB2_3 p. 36 USB Header (10-1 pin)

13) IR_CON p. 37 Standard Infrared Module Connector (10-1 pin)

14) AFPANEL p. 37 ASUS iPanel Connector (12-1 pin)

15) ATXPWR p. 38 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pin)

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 15

3. HARDWARE SETUP

16) SMB p. 38 SMBus Connector (5-1 pin)

17) CD/AUX/MODEM p. 39 Internal Audio Connectors (Three 4-1 pin) (optional)

18) JTPWR p. 39 Power Supply Thermal Sensor Connector (2 pin)

19)

20) CHASSIS p. 40 Chassis Intrusion Lead (2 pin)

21) IPANEL p. 41 ASUS iPanel Audio Connector (10-1 pin)

22) SMARTCON p. 41 ASUS SmartCard Connector (14-1 pin)

23) BACK_LT/BACK_RT p. 42 ASUS Internal Line Out Connector (14-1 pin)

24)

25) KEYLOCK

26) SPEAKER (PANEL) p. 43 System Warning Speaker Lead (4 pin)

27) MSG.LED (PANEL) p. 43 System Message LED Lead (2 pin)

28) SMI (PANEL) p. 43 System Management Interrupt Lead (2 pin)

29) PWR.SW (PANEL) p. 43 ATX / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pin)

Layout Contents

3. H/W SETUP

30) RESET (PANEL) p. 43 Reset Switch Lead (2 pin)

SPDIFOUT / CDSPDIFIN

PWR.LED (

PANEL

(

PANEL)p. 43 System Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2 pin)

p. 40 Digital audio Interfaces (2 pin) (optional)

)

p. 43 System Power LED Lead (3 pin)

16

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.3 Hardware Setup Procedure

Complete the following steps before using your computer:

1. Check motherboard settings

2. Install memory modules

3. Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

4. Install Expansion Cards

5. Connect ribbon cables, panel wires, and power supply cables

6. Configure the BIOS parameter settings

3.4 Motherboard Settings

This section tells you how to change motherboard function settings through the
switches and/or jumpers.

W ARNING! Computer motherboards and expansion cards contain very delicate

Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To avoid damaging them due to static electricity,
follow these precautions whenever you work on your computer.

1. Unplug the computer when working on the internal components.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to a metal
object, such as the power supply case, before handling computer components.

3. Hold components by the edges and try not to touch the IC chips on them.

4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place the components on a grounded
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the components.

5. Before you install or remove any component, ensur e that the A TX power

supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power
supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard,

peripherals, and/or components.
(TIP: When lit, the onboard LED indicates that the system is in suspend or
soft-off mode, not powered OFF. See illustration below.)

LED

3. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Onboard LED

R

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 17

ON

Standby

Power

OFF

Powered

Off

3. HARDWARE SETUP

Motherboard Frequency Settings (DIP Switches)

The motherboard frequency is adjusted through the DIP switches. The white block
represents the switch’s position. The illustration below shows all the switches in the
OFF position.

SYSCLK

ON

1234

ON
OFF

Motherboard Settings

A7V266-EX DIP Switch

3. H/W SETUP

1) JumperFree™ Mode (JEN)

This jumper allows you to enable or disable the JumperFree™ mode. The
JumperFree™ mode allows processor settings to be made through the BIOS
setup (see 4.4 Advanced Menu).

Setting JEN

Enable (JumperFree) [2-3] (default)
Disable (Jumper Mode) [1-2]

A7V266-EX

R

1.Frequency Selection

2.Frequency Selection

3.Frequency Selection

4.Frequency Selection

18

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX Jumper Mode Setting

NOTE: By default for JumperFree

™

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

JEN

SYSCLK

ON

12

Jumper Mode

1234

2

3

Jumper Free

(Default)

ON
OFF

mode all SYSCLK switches are set: OFF.

3. HARDWARE SETUP

2) CPU External Frequency Selection (DIP_SW Switches 1–4)

This option tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the CPU, DRAM,
and the PCI bus. This allows the selection of the CPU’s External frequency (or
BUS Clock). The BUS Clock multiplied by the Frequency Multiple equals the
CPU’s Internal frequency (the advertised CPU speed).

SYSCLK

ON

1234

ON

1234

ON

1234

ON

1234

A7V266-EX

R

CPU
AGP
PCI

100MHz

60.67MHz

33.33MHz

133.33MHz

66.67MHz

33.33MHz

140MHz

70MHz
35MHz

(JumperFree Mode)

A7V266-EX CPU External
Frequency Selection

W ARNING! Set the CPU frequency only to the recommended settings. Frequencies

other than the recommended CPU bus frequencies are not guaranteed to be stable.
Overclocking the processor is not recommended. It may result in a slower speed.

3. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 19

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3) Voltage Over Setting (OVER1, OVER2)

This jumper opens or closes the circuit to control the use of voltage increases to
enhance CPU performance. The default setting, [2-3] disables the use of “over-
voltage” increases. Switch the jumper cap to [1-2] before attempting changes
with the VID jumpers. NOTE: It is not recommended to use this feature unless
confident that the CPU will not be damaged.

OVER2
OVER1

Motherboard Settings

3. H/W SETUP

A7V266-EX OVER Voltage Selection

4) Voltage Regulator Output Setting (VID1, VID2, VID3, VID4)

This jumpers allow you to manually adjust the CPU core voltage. It is
recommended to use CPU Default as the CPU core voltage. CPU Default, all
jumpers [2-3], means the Vcore is generated according to the CPU VID
configuration. For each jumper setting, there are two voltage options,
depending on the CPU used.

A7V266-EX

2

1

OVER Voltage

R

ENABLE

2

3

OVER Voltage

DISABLE

(Default)

20

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX CPU Core Voltage
Selection

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1

1.85/1.825Volts

VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1

1.75/1.725Volts

321

321

321

1.8/1.775Volts
321

1.7/1.675Volts

3. HARDWARE SETUP

5) Bass Center Setting (CENTER/BASS, BASS/CENTER)

Use these jumpers in conjunction with the C-Media PCI Audio Driver and to
adjust output for 4 or 6 speaker audio. No audio standard exists for the three
pick-up surfaces on male audio jacks, therefore it may be necessary to switch
jumpers from the default position, Center/Bass [1-2] to Bass/Center [2-3] in
order to help reroute signals among the internal leads in the Line-In, Line-Out,
Mic female sockets. Make a test is made using the C-Media Audio Driver
software setup available on the Support CD.

BCS1
BCS2

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Bass Center
Setting

R

12

type 1 Bass

(CENTER/BASS) (BASS/CENTER)

(Default)

23

type 2 Bass

3. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 21

3. HARDWARE SETUP

6) Keyboard Wake Up (KBWK)

This allows you to disable or enable the keyboard power up function. Set this
jumper to Enable if you wish to use your keyboard (by pressing <Spacebar>) to
power up your computer. This feature requires an ATX power supply that can
supply at least 300mA on the +5VSB lead. The default is set to Enable. (The
computer will not power ON if you set this to Enable but do not have the correct
ATX power supply. NOTE: This jumper must be set in conjunction with Wake

On PS2 KB/PS2 Mouse/CIR in 4.5.1 Power Up Control.

Setting KBWK

Enable [1-2] (default)
Disable [2-3]

Motherboard Settings

3. H/W SETUP

A7V266-EX Keyboard Wake Up

7) ACR/USB Selection (ACRUSB1, ACRUSB2) (audio models only)

When set to pins 1-2, these jumpers allow you to activate USB port 3. Setting
the jumpers to pins 2-3 activates the Advanced Communication Riser (ACR)
slot. The default setting for both jumpers is 1-2. (NOTE: The USB port 2 is
always active regardless of the setting of these jumpers.)

IMPORTANT! Always set both jumpers accordingly when selecting a device.

A7V266-EX

KBWK

2

1

Enable

(Default)

R

23

Disable

22

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX USB/ACR Selection

R

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

ACRUSB2
ACRUSB1

12

USB to Conn.

(Default)

23

USB on ACR

3. HARDWARE SETUP

8) USB Device Wake-up (USB01_PWR/USB23_PWR/USB45_PWR)

Set these jumpers to +5V to allow wake up from the S1 sleep state (CPU stopped;
RAM refreshed; system running in low power mode) using the connected USB
devices. Set to +5VSB to allow wake up from S3 sleep state (no power to CPU;
RAM in slow refresh; power supply in reduced power mode). The default setting
for the three jumpers is 1-2 to select +5V (because not all computers have the
appropriate power supply).

NOTES:

1. This feature requires an ATX power supply that can supply at least 2A on
the +5VSB lead when these jumpers are set to +5VSB. Otherwise, the
system does not power up.

2. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability
(+5VSB) whether under normal working conditions or in sleep mode.

USB01_PWR

12

23

+5V

(Default)

+5VSB

USB23_PWR

A7V266-EX

R

2

1

+5V

(Default)

2

+5VSB

3

A7V266-EX USB Device Wake Up

9) Promise RAID Controller (RAID_EN) (Optional)

These jumpers enable the Promise RAID controller functions. The default setting,
[1-2] enables the Promise RAID controller for RAID0/1. Resetting the jumper
caps to [2-3] overrides the Promise controller. The IDE controller always
functions at AT A-133 for hard disk drives whether or not the RAID controller is
activated or not.

3. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX A TA133/RAIDO Selection

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 23

RAID_EN

1
2

(Default)

2
3

DisableEnable

10) Clear RTC RAM (2-pin CLR_RTC)

This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS.
Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by
erasing the CMOS R TC RAM data. The RAM data in CMOS, that include system
setup information such as system passwords, is powered by the onboard button
cell battery.
To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Remove the battery.

3. Short the jumper by removing and replacing the jumper cap.

4. Re-install the battery.

5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.

6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup
to re-enter data.

Motherboard Settings

3. H/W SETUP

3. HARDWARE SETUP

CR2032 3V

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Clear RTC RAM

R

CLR_RTC

Remove and then
replace the jumper cap.

11) Thermal Sensor CPU Setting (2-pin THERMTRIP)

This jumper selects the type of CPU and coordinates its thermal sensory capability .
The default setting, [2-3] for Palimino/Reserve type processors, and [1-2] is for
Athlon/Duron processors.

THERMTRIP

2123

PALOMINOATHLON/DURON

(Default)

24

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX THERMTRIP Setting

R

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.5 System Memory

This motherboard uses only Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous Dynamic
Random Access Memory (SDRAM) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs).

3.5.1 DDR DIMM Support

DIMMs come in combinations of single or double-sided types ranging through 64MB,
128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB to form a total memory size of 64MB to 3GB.

Each DIMM socket/module is two-sided: each side comprises one “row” o f memory.

~ Three (3) sockets are available for 266MHz-PC2100 / 200MHz-
PC1600 unbuffered DDR DIMMs: to form a memory size of 64MB to 3GB.

NOTE: The DDR memory bus runs at the same frequency as the CPU front side bus.

Install memory in any combination as follows:

DIMM Location 184-pin DDR DIMM Total Memory

Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1
Socket 3 (Rows 4&5) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1

Total System Memory (Max 3GB) =

104 Pins

A7V266-EX

R

80 Pins

3. H/W SETUP

System Memory

A7V266-EX 184-Pin DDR
DIMM Sockets

WARNING! Be sure that the DIMMs you use can handle the specified DDR

RAM MHz or else bootup will not be possible.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 25

3.5.2 Memory Installation

WARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or

removing memory modules or other system components. Failure to do so may
cause severe damage to both your motherboard and expansion cards

Insert the module(s) as shown. Because the number of pins are different on either
side of the breaks, the module will only fit in the orientation shown. A 184-pin DDR
SDRAM DIMM has a single notch slightly to the right of center . This motherboard
supports three pairs of differential clock signals per DIMM.

Installing a DIMM:

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.

2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notches on the DIMM exactly

System Memory

3. H/W SETUP

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in

3. HARDWARE SETUP

match the notches in the socket.

place.

Unlocked Retaining Clip Locked Retaining Clip

3.5.3 General DIMM Memo

• DIMMs that have more than 18 chips are not supported on this motherboard.

• For the system CPU bus to operate at 200MHz/266MHz, use only PC1600-/

PC2100-compliant DIMMs.

• ASUS motherboards support SPD (Serial Presence Detect) DIMMs. This is the
memory of choice for best performance vs. stability.

• Single-sided DDR DIMMs come in 64, 128, and 256MB; double-sided come in
128, 256, and 512MB.

26 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard provides a Socket 462 or Socket A for CPU installation. A fan and
heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating. Purchase and install
a fan and heatsink before turning on the system.

CPU NOTCH
TO INNER
CORNER

LOCK

LEVER

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Socket A

R

AMD™ CPU

1. Locate the Socket 462 and open it by pulling
the lever gently sideways away from the socket.
Then lift the lever upwards. The socket lever
must be fully opened (90 to 100 degrees).

2. Insert the CPU with the correct orientation. The
notched corner of the CPU must be oriented
toward the inner corner of the socket base
nearest to the lever hinge.

CAUTION! The CPU fits in one orientation

and should drop easily into place. Do not force
the CPU into the socket to avoid bending the

pins. If the CPU does not fit, check its
alignment and look for bent pins.

CPU NOTCH

3. H/W SETUP

System Memory

3. Once completely inserted, press the CPU firmly and close the socket lever until it
snaps into its locked position.

4. Place the CPU fan and heatsink on the CPU. The heatsink should entirely cover
the CPU. Carefully attach the heatsink locking brace to the plastic clips on the
socket base. With the added weight of the CPU fan and heatsink locking brace,
no extra force is required to keep the CPU in place.

CAUTION! Take care not to scrape the motherboard surface when mounting a

clamp-style processor fan, or else damage may occur . When mounting a heatsink
onto your CPU, make sure that exposed CPU capacitors do not touch the
heatsink, or else damage may occur! Refer to heatsink/CPU documentation.

NOTE! Do not forget to set the correct Bus Frequency and Multiple (available

only on unlocked processors) to avoid start-up problems.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 27

3.7 Expansion Cards

In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The motherboard has five
PCI expansion slots to support these cards. Follow the steps in the next section
when installing expansion cards.

W ARNING! Unplug the system power cord when adding or removing expansion

cards or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to
both the motherboard and expansion cards.

3.7.1 Installing an Expansion Card

1. Read the documentation that comes with the expansion card and make any

CPU Installation

3. H/W SETUP

2. Remove the system unit cover and the bracket plate on the slot you intend to use.

3. Align the card connectors with the slot and press firmly until the card fits in

4. Secure the card to the slot with the screw you removed earlier.

5. Replace the system cover.

6. Change the necessary BIOS settings, if any.

7. Install the necessary software drivers for the expansion card.

3. HARDWARE SETUP

necessary hardware settings for the card before installing it.

Keep the screw for later use.

place.

(see section 4.4.3 PCI Configuration to change the settings.)

28 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards

Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally , an IRQ must be exclusively
assigned to one use. In a standard design, there are 16 IRQs available but most of
them are already in use, leaving 6 IRQs free for expansion cards. If your motherboard
has PCI audio onboard, an additional IRQ will be used. If your motherboard also
has MIDI enabled, another IRQ will be used, leaving 4 IRQs free.

IMPORTANT : If using PCI cards on shared slots, make sure that the drivers support
“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Conflicts arise between
the two PCI groups that will make the system unstable or cards inoperable.

The following table lists the default IRQ assignments for standard PC devices. Use
this table when configuring your system and for resolving IRQ conflicts.

Standard Interrupt Assignments

IRQ Priority Standard Function

0 1 System Timer
1 2 Keyboard Controller
2 N/A Programmable Interrupt
3* 11 Communications Port (COM2)
4* 12 Communications Port (COM1)
5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
6 14 Floppy Disk Controller
7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9* 4 ACPI Mode when used
10* 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11* 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12* 7 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 8 Numeric Data Processor
14* 9 Primary IDE Channel
15* 10 Secondary IDE Channel

3. H/W SETUP

Expansion Cards

*These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.

Interrupt Request Table for this Motherboard

INT-A INT-B INT-C INT-D

PCI slot 1 ———shared
PCI slot 2 shared ———
PCI slot 3 — shared ——
PCI slot 4 ——used —
PCI slot 5 ———shared
AGPPro slot shared shared ——
ACR slot shared ———
Onboard audio controller — shared ——
Onboard USB controller ———shared
Onboard IDE controller ———shared

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 29

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot

This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro slot to support the
new generation graphics cards with ultra-high memory bandwidth.

AGP Card without Retention Notch

Expansion Cards

3. H/W SETUP

CAUTION! The AGP Pro slot is shipped with a warning label over the 20-pin bay .

DO NOT remove this label and the safety tab underneath it if you are using an
AGP card without a retention notch. Removing may cause the
card to shift and may cause damage to the card, slot, and
motherboard. Remove the label and tab ONLY if you are using
an AGP Pro card. Use a rigid tip, such as a pen tip, to dislodge

3.7.4 Advanced Communication Riser (ACR) Slot

This motherboard has an Advanced Communication Riser (ACR) slot for
communications and audio subsystems. The slot supports modem, audio, LAN, and
Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HPNA) or Home Networking cards. The
ACR slot is backward compatible with the Audio Modem Riser (AMR) cards.

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Accelerated
Graphics Port (AGP PRO)

R

20-pin bay

Rib (inside slot) Rib

TOP VIEW

28-pin bay

Removing the tab

IMPORTANT! The ACR slot on the motherboard shares the same expansion

slot with PCI Slot 5.

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Advanced
Communication Riser (ACR)

R

30 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.8 Connectors

3.8.1 External Connectors

WARNING! Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are

clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper
caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard.

IMPORTANT: Ribbon cables should always be connected with the red stripe to

Pin 1 on the connectors. Pin 1 is usually on the side closest to the power connector
on hard drives and CD-ROM drives, but may be on the opposite side on floppy
disk drives. Check the connectors before installation because there may be
exceptions. IDE ribbon cable must be less than 46 cm (18 in.), with the second
drive connector no more than 15 cm (6 in.) from the first connector.

1) PS/2 Mouse Port (Green 6-pin PS2KBMS)

The system automatically directs IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse if one is detected. If
no mouse is detected, IRQ12 become available to expansion cards. See PS/2
Mouse Function Control in 4.4 Advanced Menu.

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

2) PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple 6-pin PS2KBMS)

This connection is for a standard keyboard using an PS/2 plug (mini DIN). This
connector does not allow standard A T size (large DIN) keyboard plugs. You
may use a DIN to mini DIN adapter on standard AT keyboards.

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 31

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3) Universal Serial Bus Ports 1 & 2 (Black two 4-pin USB)

Two USB ports are available for connecting USB devices.

USB 1

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

4) Parallel Port (Burgundy 25-pin PRINTER)
You can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through Onboard Parallel
Port (see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration).
NOTE: Serial printers must be connected to the serial port.

Parallel Port (25-pin Female)

5) Serial Ports (Teal/Turquoise 9-pin COM1 / 9-pin COM2)

Two serial ports can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. To
enable these ports, see Onboard Serial Port 1 / Onboard Serial Port 2 in

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration for the settings.

COM2COM1

Serial Ports (9-pin Male)

32 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

6) Game/MIDI Ports (Gold 15-pin GAME_AUDIO) (optional)

This connector supports a joystick or a game pad for playing games, and MIDI
devices for playing or editing audio files.

Joystick/Midi (15-pin Female)

7) Audio Connectors (Three 1/8” AUDIO) (optional)

The Line Out (lime) connects a headphone or speakers. The Line In (light blue)
connects a tape players or other audio sources. The Mic (pink) connects a
microphone.

NOTE: The functions of the audio connectors Line Out, Line In, and Mic
change when the 6-channel audio feature is enabled. Refer to Chapter 5.
SOFTW ARE SETUP.

MicLine InLine Out

1/8" Stereo Audio Connectors

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 33

3. HARDWARE SETUP

8) IDE Activity LED (2-pin IDELED)

This connector supplies power to the cabinet’s IDE activity LED. Read and
write activity by devices connected to the Primary or Secondary IDE connectors
cause the IDE LED to light up.

IDELED

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

A7V266-EX

R

TIP: If the case-mounted LED does not
light, try reversing the 2-pin plug.

A7V266-EX IDE Activity LED

9) Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)

This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After connecting
the single end to the board, connect the two plugs on the other end to the floppy
drives. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when

using ribbon cables with pin 5 plugged).

NOTE: Orient the red markings on

A7V266-EX

the floppy ribbon cable to

R

PIN 1

PIN 1

A7V266-EX Floppy Disk Drive Connector

34 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

10) Primary (Blue) / Secondary (Black) IDE Connectors
(40-1 pin PRIMARY IDE and SECONDARY IDE)
(40-1 pin PROMISE IDE1 and PROMISE2 IDE)

These connectors support the IDE hard disk ribbon cables supplied with
the motherboard. Connect the cable’s blue connector to the motherboard’s
primary IDE connector (recommended) or the secondary IDE connector . Then
connect the opposite end of the cable to your UltraDMA133//100/66 device
(hard disk drive). A second slave hard disk may be attached to the intermediate
connector on the cable. If a second hard disk drive is connected, you may reset
its jumper to Slave mode. Refer to your hard disk documentation for the jumper
settings. It is recommended that non-UltraDMA133/100/66 devices be connected
to the secondary IDE connector. BIOS now supports specific device bootup
(see 4.6 Boot Menu.) If you have more than two UltraDMA133/100/66 devices,
you will need to purchase another UltraDMA100/66 cable. (Pin 20 is removed

to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when using ribbon cables.)

The A7V266-EX motherboard is supplied with two extra onboard IDE
connectors: one Promise IDE1 and one Promise IDE2. You can use them to
setup the RAID 0 or 1 arrays and to support extra IDE devices. A total of eight
hard-disks, two on each IDE connector, can be connected to the A7V266-EX,
but only two can function in a RAID array. See 5.4 Software Setup for more
information about setting up a RAID array.

TIP: For high-performance and RAID 0 or 1 set ups, always setup two hard
disks with two separate ribbon cables, one for the primary IDE connector and
another for the secondary IDE connector. Usually , both disks may be set to the
Master settings. Also, you may install one operating system on an IDE drive
and another on a SCSI drive and select the boot disk through BIOS. (See 4.6

Boot Menu.)
NOTE: Do not connect any other types of IDE devices to the Promise IDE
connectors; they support hard disk drive devices only.

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

NOTE: UltraDMA/133 is backward compatible with DMA100/66/33 and with
all with existing DMA devices and systems, so there is no need to upgrade current
EIDE/IDE drives and host systems.

IMPORTANT: UltraDMA66 and UltraDMA100 IDE devices require a 40-pin

80-conductor cable and RAID arrays only operate with such cables.

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX IDE Connectors

R

PROMISE IDE2 Connector

NOTE: Orient the red markings
(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PROMISE IDE1 Connector

Primary IDE Connector

PIN 1

Secondary IDE Connector

PIN 1

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 35

3. HARDWARE SETUP

11) CPU Fan, Power Fan, and Chassis Fan Connectors
(CPU_FAN, PWR_FAN, CHA_FAN)

The three fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA (4.2 Watts) or less.
Orient the fans so that the heat sink fins allow airflow to go across the onboard
heat sinks instead of the expansion slots. The fan wiring and plug may vary
depending on the fan manufacturer . Connect the fan cable to the connector making
sure that the black wire matches the ground pin. (NOTE: Use the “Rotation”
signal only with a specially designed fan with a rotation signal. Yo u can monitor
the Rotations Per Minute (RPM) using ASUS PC Probe (see 6. SOFTWARE
REFERENCE).

WARNING! Make sure to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of

sufficient airflow within the system could cause damage to the motherboard.

These are not jumpers, do not place jumper caps over these connectors!

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

NB_FAN

CPU_FAN

PWR_FAN

Rotation

+12V

GND

A7V266-EX

R

CHA_FAN

GND

Rotation

+12V

A7V266-EX 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power

12) USB Headers (10-1 pin USB2_3)

If the USB port connectors on the back panel are inadequate, two USB headers
are available for two additional USB port connectors. Connect a 2-port USB
connector set to a USB header and mount the USB bracket to an open slot in the
chassis. (The USB connector set is optional and does not come with the
motherboard package.)

USB2_3

USB Power

USBP3+

USBP3–

GND

610

A7V266-EX

R

NC

USBP2+

GND

15

USB Power

USBP2–

A7V266-EX Front Panel USB Headers

36 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

13) Infrared Module Connector (10-1 pin IR_CON)

This connector supports an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared
module. This module mounts to a small opening on system cases that support
this feature. You must also configure the setting through UART2 Use Infrar ed
(see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration) to select whether UART2 is directed for
use with COM2 or IrDA. Use the five pins as shown in Back View and connect
a ribbon cable from the module to the motherboard SIR connector according to
the pin definitions. (NOTE: The SIR module is not supplied with the
motherboard. The CIR module is currently not available.)

Standard Infrared (SIR)

Front View Back View

IRTX
GND

IRRX

+5V
(NC)

A7V266-EX

+5V

GND

(NC)

IRAX

R

GND

IRRX

IRTX

CIRRX

CIR+5V

SIR
CIR

A7V266-EX Infrared
Module Connector

14) ASUS iPanel Connector (24-1 pin AFPANEL)

This connector supports an optional ASUS iPanel, an easy to access drive bay
with front I/O ports, status LEDs, and space reserved for a hard disk drive.
Alternatively, if not using an ASUS iPanel, connect an optional wireless
transmitting and receiving infrared module to the SIR connector, or an optional
consumer infrared connector set for wireless transmitting/remote control functions
through one external infrared module.

AFPANEL

SIR
CIR

+5 V

NC

+5 V

NC

GND

GND

IRRX

NC

IRRX

NC

GND

NC

GND

NC

SMBDATA

IRTX

+5VSB

CHASSIS#

IRTX

+5VSB

+3VSB

NCNCNC

+5V SMBCLK

MLED-

EXTSMI#

NC

BATT

PCIRST#

Standard Infrared (SIR)

Front View Back View

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

A7V266-EX

R

IR_CON

A7V266-EX Front Panel Connectors

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 37

IRTX
GND

+5V
(NC)

IRRX

3. HARDWARE SETUP

15) Power Supply Connectors (20-pin block ATXPWR)

This connector connects to an ATX 12V power supply. The plug from the power
supply fits in only one orientation because of the different hole sizes. Find the
proper orientation and push down firmly making sure that the pins are aligned.

IMPORTANT: Make sure that the ATX 12V power supply (minimum

recommended wattage: 230W) can supply at least 10mA on the +5-volt standby
lead (+5VSB). The system may become unstable and may experience difficulty
powering up if the power supply is inadequate. For Wake-On-LAN support, the
ATX power supply must supply at least 720mA +5VSB.

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

A7V266-EX

+12.0Volts

+5V Standby

Power Good

Ground

+5.0 Volts

Ground

+5.0 Volts

Ground

R

+3.3 Volts
+3.3 Volts

+5.0 Volts
+5.0 Volts

-5.0 Volts
Ground
Ground
Ground
Power Supply On
Ground

-12.0Volts
+3.3Volts

A7V266-EX ATX Power Connector

16) SMBus Connector (5-1 pin SMB)

This connector allows you to connect SMBus (System Management Bus) devices.
SMBus devices communicate by means of the SMBus with an SMBus host

2

and/or other SMBus devices. SMBus is a specific implementation of an I

C bus,
a multi-device bus that allows multiple chips to connect to the same bus and
enabling each one to act as a master by initiating data transfer.

SMB_COM

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX SMBus Connector

1

Ground

SMBCLK

+3V

SMBDATA

38 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

17) Internal Audio Connectors (4-1 pin CD, AUX, MODEM) (optional)

These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources as
a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card. The MODEM connector allows the
onboard audio to interface with a voice modem card with a similar connector . It
also allows the sharing of mono_in (such as a phone) and a mono_out (such as a
speaker) between the audio and a voice modem card.

MODEM AUX (Black) CD (White)

Modem-In

Ground

Modem-Out

Ground

Right Audio Channel

Left Audio Channel

Ground

Right Audio Channel

Left Audio Channel

Ground

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX Internal Audio Connectors

18) Power Supply Thermal Sensor Connector (2-pin JTPWR)

If you have a power supply with thermal monitoring, connect its thermal sensor
cable to this connector.

JTPWR

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

A7V266-EX

R

Power Supply
Thermal Sensor

A7V266-EX Thermal Sensor Connector

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 39

3. HARDWARE SETUP

19) Digital Audio Interfaces (2-pin SPDIFOUT/CDSPDIFIN) (optional)

These connectors connect SPDIF audio cable that allows digital instead of analog
sound output from CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-RW, and advanced sound cards
such as SoundBlaster. Live.

SPDIF_C

GND

GND

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

A7V266-EX

R

1

+5V

SPDIF_IN

SPDIF_OUT

A7V266-EX Digital Audio Connector

20) Chassis Open Alarm Lead (4-pin CHASSIS)

This lead is for a chassis designed for chassis intrusion detection. This requires
an external detection mechanism such as a chassis intrusion monitor/sensor or
microswitch. When any chassis component is removed, the sensor is triggered
and a high-level signal is sent to this lead to record a chassis intrusion event.The
event is then be processed by software such as LDCM. When not using the
chassis intrusion lead, place a jumper cap over the pins to close the circuit.

CHASSIS

A7V266-EX

R

Ground

Chassis Signal

+5Volt

(Power Supply Stand By)

1

A7V266-EX Chassis Open Alarm Lead

40 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

21) ASUS iPanel Audio Connector (10-1 pin IPANEL)

Connect the audio cable from the optional ASUS iPanel to this for front panel
audio control.

IPANEL

NC

Line out_R

MICPWR+5VA

Line out_L

MIC2

A7V266-EX

R

AGND

BLINE_OUT_L

BLINE_OUT_R

A7V266-EX Front Panel Audio Connector

22) ASUS SmartCard Connector (14-1 pin SMARTCON)

This connector attaches to an optional SmartCard reader device. The SmartCard
reader permits data access from the memory chip of PC/SC smart cards.

SMARTCARD

SCRREST

NC

SCRUI

NC

NC

SCRRES#

A7V266-EX

A7V266-EX Smartcard

R

1

NC

VCC

NC

SCRFET#

SCRCLK

GND

NC2

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

23) ASUS Internal Line Out Connector (14-1 pin BACK_LT/BACK_RT)

This connector supplies extra audio line-out.

BLOL

FLOL

BACK_LT
BACK_RT

A7V266-EX

R

FLOR

BLOR

A7V266-EX Internal Line Out Connectors

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 41

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

3. HARDWARE SETUP

The following 20-pin PANEL illustration is for items 24-30:

*

Requires an ATX power supply.

Keyboard Lock
Power LED

PLED+

A7V266-EX

R

A7V266-EX System Panel Connectors

Message LED

SMI Lead

MLED+

24) System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PWR.LED)

This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED lights up
when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the system is in sleep or
soft-off mode.

25) Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2-pin KEYLOCK)

This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted key switch to allow keyboard
locking.

26) System Warning Speaker Lead (4-pin SPEAKER)

This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker and allows you to
hear system beeps and warnings.

27) System Message LED Lead (2-pin MSG.LED)

This 2-pin connector is for the system message LED that indicates receipt of
messages from a fax/modem. The normal status for this LED is ON, when there
is no incoming data signal. The LED blinks when data is received. The system
message LED feature requires an ACPI OS and driver support.

28) System Management Interrupt Lead (2-pin SMI)

This 2-pin connector allows you to manually place the system into a suspend
mode, or “Green” mode, where system activity is instantly decreased to save
power and to expand the life of certain system components. Attach the case­mounted suspend switch this 2-pin connector.

29) ATX Power Switch / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2-pin PWR.SW)

The system power is controlled by a momentary switch attached to this connector .
Pressing the button switches the system between ON and SLEEP, or ON and
SOFT OFF, depending on the BIOS or OS settings. Pressing the button while in
the ON mode for more than 4 seconds turns the system off.

30) Reset Switch Lead (2-pin RESET)

This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for rebooting
the system without turning off the power switch. This is a preferred method.

PLED-

Keylock

MLED-

ExtSMI#

Ground

Ground

Speaker
Connector

Ground

Speaker

Ground

+5V

GND

PWR

Reset

Ground

Reset SW

ATX Power
Switch*

42 ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual

4. BIOS SETUP

4. BIOS SETUP

4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS

4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System

It is recommended that you save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS
along with a Flash Memory Writer utility (AFLASH.EXE) to a bootable
floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the BIOS later . AFLASH.EXE is a
Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new
BIOS file to the programmable flash ROM on the motherboard. This file
works only in DOS mode. To determine the BIOS version of your
motherboard, check the last four numbers of the code displayed on the upper
left-hand corner of your screen during bootup. Larger numbers represent a
newer BIOS file.

1. Type FORMAT A:/S at the DOS prompt to create a bootable system
disk. DO NOT copy AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to the disk.

2. Type COPY D:\AFLASH\AFLASH.EXE A:\ (assuming D is your
CD-ROM drive) to copy AFLASH.EXE to the boot disk you created.
NOTE: AFLASH works only in DOS mode. It does not work in the DOS

prompt within W indows and does not work with certain memory drivers
that may be loaded when you boot from the hard drive. It is recommended
that you reboot using a floppy disk.

3. Reboot the computer from the floppy disk.

NOTE: BIOS setup must specify “Floppy” as the first item in the boot
sequence.

4. In DOS mode, type A:\AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH.

IMPORTANT! If the word “unknown” appears after Flash Memory:, the

memory chip is either not programmable or is not supported by the ACPI BIOS
and therefore, cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility.

Updating BIOS

4. BIOS SETUP

4. BIOS SETUP

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 43

4. BIOS SETUP

5. Select 1. Save Current BIOS to File from the Main menu and press
<Enter>. The Save Current BIOS To File screen appears.

6. T ype a filename and the path, for example, A:\XXX-XX.XXX and then
press <Enter>.

4. BIOS SETUP

Updating BIOS

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual44

4. BIOS SETUP

4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures

WARNING! Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard

and you know that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless
updating can result in your motherboard having more problems!

1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or
FTP) (see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION on page 3 for details)
and save to the boot floppy disk you created earlier.

2. Boot from the floppy disk.

3. At the “A:\” prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>.

4. At the Main Menu, type 2 then press <Enter>. The Update BIOS
Including Boot Block and ESCD screen appears.

5. Type the filename of your new BIOS and the path, for example, A:\XXX-

XX.XXX, then press <Enter>.
NOTE: To cancel this operation, press <Enter>.

6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the update.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 45

Updating BIOS

4. BIOS SETUP

4. BIOS SETUP

7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash
ROM. The boot block is updated automatically only when necessary.
This minimizes the possibilities of boot problems in case of update
failures. When the programming is done, Flashed Successfully appears.

8. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.

4. BIOS SETUP

Updating BIOS

WARNING! If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT

turn off the system because this may cause boot problems. Just repeat the process,
and if the problem still persists, load the original BIOS file you saved to the boot
disk. If the Flash Memory Writer utility is not able to successfully update a
complete BIOS file, the system may not boot. If this happens, call the ASUS
service center for support.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual46

4. BIOS SETUP

4.2 BIOS Setup Program

This motherboard supports a programmable EEPROM that you can update using
the provided utility described in 4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS.

The utility is used if you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system,
or prompted to “Run Setup”. This section describes how to configure your system
using this utility.

Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, at some time in the future
you may want to change the configuration of your computer. For example, you
may want to enable the Security Password Feature or make changes to the power
management settings. It will then be necessary to reconfigure your system using
the BIOS Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and
record them in the CMOS RAM of the EEPROM.

The EEPROM on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you start up the
computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. This
appears during the Power-On Self Test (POST). Press <Delete> to call up the Setup
utility . If you are a little bit late in pressing the mentioned key, POST will continue
with its test routines, thus preventing you from calling up Setup. If you still need to
call Setup, restart the system by pressing <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing
the Reset button on the system chassis. You can also restart by turning the system
off and then back on again. But do so only if the first two methods fail.

The Setup program has been designed to make it as easy to use as possible. It is a
menu-driven program, which means you can scroll through the various sub-menus
and make your selections among the predetermined choices.

To access the BIOS Setup program, press the <Delete> key after
the computer has run through its POST.

NOTE: Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following
BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only, and may
not exactly match what you see on your screen.

4. BIOS SETUP

Program Information

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 47

4. BIOS SETUP

4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar

The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections:

MAIN Use this menu to make changes to the basic system configuration.
ADVANCED Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced

features.

POWER Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management

features.

BOOT Use this menu to configure the default system device used to locate

and load the Operating System.

EXIT Use this menu to exit the current menu or specify how to exit the

Setup program.

To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard
until the desired item is highlighted.

4.2.2 Legend Bar

At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar. The keys in the legend bar allow
you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys
found in the legend bar with their corresponding functions.

Menu Introduction

4. BIOS SETUP

Navigation Key(s) Function Description

<F1> or <Alt + H> Displays the General Help screen from anywhere in the BIOS

<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a

← or → (keypad arrow) Selects the menu item to the left or right
↑ or ↓ (keypad arrow) Moves the highlight up or down between fields

- (minus key) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted field
+ (plus key) or spacebar Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted field
<Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted field
<Home> or <PgUp> Moves the cursor to the first field
<End> or <PgDn> Moves the cursor to the last field
<F5> Resets the current screen to its Setup Defaults

Setup

sub-menu

<F10> Saves changes and exits Setup

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual48

4. BIOS SETUP

General Help

In addition to the Item Specific Help window , the BIOS setup program also provides
a General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply
pressing <F1> or the <Alt> + <H> combination. The General Help screen lists the
legend keys with their corresponding functions.

Saving Changes and Exiting the Setup Program

See 4.7 Exit Menu for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the
setup program.

Scroll Bar

When a scroll bar appears to the right of a help window, it indicates that there is
more information to be displayed that will not fit in the window. Use <PgUp> and
<PgDn> or the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document.
Press <Home> to display the first page, press <End> to go to the last page. To exit
the help window, press <Enter> or <Esc>.

Sub-Menu

Note that a right pointer symbol (as shown in the left view)
appears to the left of certain fields. This pointer indicates that
you can display a sub-menu from this field. A sub-menu
contains additional options for a field parameter . To display a
sub-menu, move the highlight to the field and press <Enter>.
The sub-menu appears. Use the legend keys to enter values
and move from field to field within a sub-menu as you would
within a menu. Use the <Esc> key to return to the main menu.

T ake some time to familiarize yourself with the legend keys and their corresponding
functions. Practice navigating through the various menus and sub-menus. If you
accidentally make unwanted changes to any of the fields, use the set default hot
key <F5> to load the Setup default values. While moving around through the Setup
program, note that explanations appear in the Item Specific Help window located
to the right of each menu. This window displays the help text for the currently
highlighted field.

NOTE: The item heading in square brackets represents the default setting for
that field.

4. BIOS SETUP

Menu Introduction

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 49

4. BIOS SETUP

4.3 Main Menu

When you enter the Setup program, the following screen appears:

System Time [XX:XX:XX]

Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time). The

4. BIOS SETUP

Main Menu

format is hour, minute, second. Valid values for hour, minute and second
are Hour: (00 to 23), Minute: (00 to 59), Second: (00 to 59). Use the
<Tab> or <Shift> + <Tab> keys to move between the hour, minute, and
second fields.

System Date [XX/XX/XXXX]

Sets the system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The
format is month, day , year . Valid values for month, day , and year are Month:
(1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Y ear: (100 year range). Use the <T ab> or <Shift>
+ <Tab> keys to move between the month, day, and year fields.

Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.], Legacy Diskette B [None]

Sets the type of floppy drives installed. Configuration options: [None]
[360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.]
[2.88M, 3.5 in.]

Floppy 3 Mode Support [Disabled]

This is required to support older Japanese floppy drives. The Floppy 3
Mode feature allows reading and writing of 1.2MB (as opposed to

1.44MB) on a 3.5-inch diskette. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual50

4. BIOS SETUP

4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave

Type [Auto]

Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic
detection is successful, Setup automatically fills in the correct values for
the remaining fields on this sub-menu. If automatic detection fails, this
may be because the hard disk drive is too old or too new. If the hard disk
was already formatted on an older system, Setup may detect incorrect
parameters. In these cases, select [User Type HDD] to manually enter the
IDE hard disk drive parameters. Refer to the next section for details.

NOTE: After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS,
use a disk utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard
disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the
hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk
drives to active.

CAUTION! Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you

have the configuration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect
settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk.

4. BIOS SETUP

Master/Slave Drives

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 51

[User Type HDD]

4. BIOS SETUP

Manually enter the number of cylinders, heads and sectors per track for the drive.
Refer to the drive documentation or on the drive label for this information. If no
drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not replacing it, select [None].

T ranslation Method [LBA]

Select the hard disk drive type in this field. When Logical Block Addressing (LBA)

Master/Slave Drives

4. BIOS SETUP

is enabled, 28-bit addressing of the hard drive disregarding cylinders, heads, or
sectors. Note that LBA Mode is necessary for drives with more than 504MB storage
capacity . Configuration options: [LBA] [LARGE] [Normal] [Match Partition T able]
[Manual]

Cylinders

This field configures the number of cylinders. Refer to the drive documentation to
determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To make changes to
this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method
field to [Manual].

Head

This field configures the number of read/write heads. Refer to the drive documentation
to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To make changes to this
field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to
[Manual].

Sector

This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive
documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To
make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the

Translation Method field to [Manual].

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual52

4. BIOS SETUP

CHS Capacity

This field shows the drive’s maximum CHS capacity as calculated by the BIOS
based on the drive information you entered.

Maximum LBA Capacity

This field shows the drive’s maximum LBA capacity as calculated by the BIOS
based on the drive information you entered.

Multi-Sector Transfers [Maximum]

This option automatically sets the number of sectors per block to the highest number
that the drive supports. Note that when this field is automatically configured, the set
value may not always be the fastest value for the drive. You may also manually
configure this field. Refer to the documentation that came with the hard drive to
determine the optimum value and set it manually. NOTE: To make changes to this
field, set the Type field to [ User Type HDD]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [2
Sectors] [4 Sectors] [8 Sectors] [16 Sectors] [32 Sectors] [Maximum]

SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

This filed allows you to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T . (Self-Monitoring, Analysis
and Reporting T echnology) system that utilizes internal hard disk drive monitoring
technology. This parameter is normally disabled because the resources used in the
SMART monitoring feature may decrease system performance. Configuration
options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

PIO Mode [4]

This option lets you set a PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode for the IDE device.
Modes 0 through 4 provide successively increased performance. Configuration
options: [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]

Ultra DMA Mode [Disabled]

Ultra DMA capability allows improved transfer speeds and data integrity for compatible
IDE devices. Set to [Disabled] to suppress Ultra DMA capability.

NOTE: To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type
HDD]. Configuration options: [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Disabled]

Other options for the Type field are:

[CD-ROM] - for IDE CD-ROM drives
[LS-120] - for LS-120 compatible floppy disk drives
[ZIP-100] - for ZIP-100 compatible disk drives
[MO] - for IDE magneto optical disk drives
[Other ATAPI Device] - for IDE devices not listed here

After making your selections on this sub-menu, press the <Esc> key to return
to the Main menu. When the Main menu appears, the hard disk drive filed
displays the size for the hard disk drive that you configured.

4. BIOS SETUP

Master/Slave Drives

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 53

4. BIOS SETUP

4.3.2 Keyboard Features

Boot Up NumLock Status [On]

This field enables users to activate the Number Lock function upon system
boot. Configuration options: [Off] [On]

Keyboard Auto-Repeat Rate [12/Sec]

Keyboard Features

4. BIOS SETUP

This controls the speed at which the system registers repeated keystrokes.
Options range from 6 to 30 characters per second. Configuration options:
[6/Sec] [8/Sec] [10/Sec] [12/Sec] [15/Sec] [20/Sec] [24/Sec] [30/Sec]

Keyboard Auto-Repeat Delay [1/4 Sec]

This field sets the time interval for displaying the first and second characters.
Configuration options: [1/4 Sec] [1/2 Sec] [3/4 Sec] [1 Sec]

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual54

4. BIOS SETUP

Language [English]

This field displays the BIOS language version.

Supervisor Password [Disabled] / User Password [Disabled]

These fields allow you to set passwords. To set a password, highlight the appropriate
field and press <Enter>. Type in a password then press <Enter>. You can type up to
eight alphanumeric characters. Symbols and other characters are ignored. To confirm
the password, type the password again and press <Enter>. The password is now set to
[Enabled]. This password allows full access to the BIOS Setup menus. To clear the
password, highlight this field and press <Enter>. The same dialog box as above appears.
Press <Enter>. The password is set to [Disabled].

A Note about Passwords

The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify passwords in the Main menu. The passwords
control access to the BIOS during system startup. Passwords are not case sensitive, meaning,
it makes no difference whether you the password using uppercase or lowercase letters.
The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify two di fferent passwords: a Supervisor

password and a User password. If you did not set a Supervisor password, anyone can
access the BIOS Setup program. If you did, the Supervisor password is required to enter
the BIOS Setup program and to gain full access to the configuration fields.

Forgot the Password?

If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real Time Clock (RTC)
RAM. The RAM data containing the password information is powered by the onboard button
cell battery .

T o erase the R TC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Remove the battery.

3. Short the jumper.

4. Re-install the battery.

5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.

6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS
setup to re-enter data.

Halt On [All Errors]

This field specifies the types of errors that will cause the system to halt. Configuration
options: [All Errors] [No Error] [All but Keyboard] [All but Disk] [All but Disk/
Keyboard]

Installed Memory [XXX MB]

This field automatically displays the amount of conventional memory detected by the
system during the boot process.

Main Menu

4. BIOS SETUP

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.4 Advanced Menu

CPU Speed [Manual]

When the motherboard is set to JumperFree™ mode, this field sets the
internal frequency of your CPU. Select [Manual] if you want to make
changes to the next two fields. Note that selecting a frequency higher than
the CPU manufacturer recommends may cause the system to hang or crash.
Configuration options: [Manual] [750MHz] [1000MHz]

4. BIOS SETUP

Advanced Menu

CPU : System Frequency Multiple, (if CPU Speed set to [Manual])

This field is for unlocked processors only and will not be available to standard
AMD processors. If the processor frequency multiple is detected as being
locked, you cannot access this field. For unlocked processors, this field sets
the frequency multiple between the CPU’s internal frequency (CPU speed)
and the external frequency. Set this field in conjunction with the System/
PCI Frequency (MHz) to match the speed of the CPU. Configuration
options: [5x/14x] [5.5x] [6.0x]...[12.0x] [12.5x]

System/PCI Frequency (MHz)
(if CPU Speed set to [Manual])

This feature tells the clock generator what frequency to send to
the system bus and PCI bus. The bus frequency (external
frequency) multiplied by the bus multiple equals the CPU speed.
Configuration ranges from 100/33 to 227/57.

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4. BIOS SETUP

System/SDRAM Frequency Ratio [Auto]

This field determines whether the memory clock frequency is set to be in
synchronous or asynchronous mode with respect to the system frequency.
The options that appear in the popup menu vary according to the System/
PCI Frequency (MHz). Configuration options: [Auto] [100:100] [100:133]

Vcore [1.775V]

This field determines the range of core voltage available to the Central
Processing Unit. Configuration options: [1.850] [1.825] [1.800] [1.775]
[1.750]

CPU Level 1 Cache, CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled]

These fields allow you to choose from the default of [Enabled] or choose
[Disabled] to turn on or off the CPU Level 1 and Level 2 built-in cache.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

CPU Level 2 Cache ECC Check [Disabled]

This function controls the ECC capability in the CPU level 2 cache.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

BIOS Update [Enabled]

This field functions as an update loader integrated into the BIOS to supply
the processor with the required data. When set to [Enabled], the BIOS loads
the update on all processors during system bootup. Configuration options:
[Disabled] [Enabled]

PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Auto]

The default setting [Auto] allows the system to detect a PS/2 mouse at startup.
If a mouse is detected, the BIOS assigns IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse. Otherwise,
IRQ12 can be used for expansion cards. When you set this field to [Enabled],
BIOS always reserves IRQ12, whether or not a PS/2 mouse is detected at
startup. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Auto]

USB Legacy Support [Auto]

This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The default
of [Auto] allows the system to detect a USB device at startup. If detected,
the USB controller is enabled. If not detected, the USB controller is disabled.
When you set this field to [Disabled], the USB controller is disabled whether
you are using a USB device or not. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled] [Auto]

Advanced Menu

4. BIOS SETUP

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64M [Disabled]

When using OS/2 operating systems with installed DRAM of greater than
64MB, you need to set this option to [Enabled]. Otherwise, leave to the
default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

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4. BIOS SETUP

Notes for JumperFree Mode

CPU Upgrade/Reinstallation

T o ensure that the system can enter BIOS Setup after changing the processor,
the system starts up running at a bus speed of 100MHz and a fail-safe CPU
internal frequency . Then it automatically enters the Advanced menu with a
popup display of all the possible CPU internal frequencies.

JumperFree Mode

4. BIOS SETUP

For processors with locked frequency multiplier

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4. BIOS SETUP

System Hangup

If the system crashes or hangs due to improper frequency settings, power
OFF the system and restart. The system starts up in safe mode running at a
bus speed of 100MHz and enters the BIOS Setup.

Cause for Hangup: Improper CPU Speed

Cause for Hangup: Improper CPU: System Frequency Multiple

(For processors with unlocked frequency multiplier only)

Cause for Hangup: Improper System/SDRAM Frequency

4. BIOS SETUP

JumperFree Mode

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.4.1 Chip Configuration

SDRAM Configuration [By SPD]

This sets the optimal timings for items 2–5, depending on the memory

Chip Configuration

4. BIOS SETUP

modules that you are using. The default setting is [By SPD], which configures
items 2–5 by reading the contents in the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) device.
The EEPROM on the memory module stores critical parameter information
about the module, such as memory type, size, speed, voltage interface, and
module banks. Configuration options: [User Defined] [7ns (143MHz)] [8ns
(125MHz)] [By SPD]

SDRAM CAS Latency [DDR:2.ST;SDR:3]

This controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and the
time that the data actually becomes available. NOTE: This field appears
only when you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
Configuration options: [DDR:2.ST;SDR:3T] [2T]

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time [2T]

This controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the
SDRAM. NOTE: This field appears only when you set the SDRAM
Configuration to [User Defined]. Configuration options: [3T] [2T]

(Scroll down to see more items as shown)

SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay [3T]

This controls the latency between the SDRAM active command and the
read/write command. NOTE: This field appears only if the SDRAM

Configuration is set: [User Defined]. Configuration options: [3T] [2T]

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4. BIOS SETUP

SDRAM Active to Precharge Time [6T]

To make changes to this field, set the SDRAM Configuration field to
[User Defined]. Configuration options: [6T] [5T]A7V

Bank Interleave [Auto]

Configuration options: [None] [2 Banks] [4 Banks] [Auto]

DRAM 4K/8K Page Enable [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [4K page enable] [8K page enable]

DDR_1T/2T_ITEM [2T CMD]

Configuration options: [1T CMD] [2T CMD] [Auto Mode]

Burst Len [Auto]

The DRAM burst length supports 8QW and 4QW . The default [Auto] detects
the appropriate setting. Configuration options: [Auto] [4]

Read Around Write [Enabled]

Setting this field to [Enabled] allows the memory controller to store write
data in its buffer whenever the CPU issues a write command. The next time
the CPU needs the data, it retrieves the data from the memory buffer without
accessing the SDRAM. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Delayed Transaction [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this feature frees the PCI bus when the CPU is
accessing 8-bit ISA cards. This process normally consumes about 50-60
PCI Clocks without PCI delayed transaction. Set this field to [Disabled]
when using ISA cards that are not PCI 2.1 compliant. Configuration options:
[Enabled] [Disabled]

PCI to DRAM Prefetch [Always prefetc]

Configuration options: [Always Prefetch] [Prefetch disabled] [Prefetch only
enhance command]

AGP Capability [4X Mode]

This motherboard supports the AGP 4x interface that transfers video data at
1066MB/s. AGP 4x is backward-compatible, so you may leave the default
[4X Mode] on even if you are using an AGP 1x or 2x video card. When set
to [1X Mode], the AGP interface only provides a peak data throughput of
266MB/s even if you are using an AGP 2x/4x card. When set to [2X Mode],
the AGP interface only provides a peak data throughput of 533MB/s even if
you are using an AGP 4x card. Configuration options: [1X Mode] [2X Mode]
[4X Mode]

4. BIOS SETUP

Chip Configuration

AGP Fast Write [Disabled]

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

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4. BIOS SETUP

AGP Drive Strength [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]

Graphics Aperture Size [32MB]

This feature allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic
data. Configuration options: [4MB] [8MB] [16MB] [32MB] [64MB]
[128MB] [256MB]

Video Memory Cache Mode [UC]

USWC (uncacheable, speculative write combining) is a new cache
technology for the video memory of the processor. It can greatly improve
the display speed by caching the display data. You must set this to UC
(uncacheable) if your display card does not support this feature, otherwise
the system may not boot. Configuration options: [UC] [USWC]

Onboard PCI IDE Enable [Both]

This field allows enable either the primary IDE channel or secondary IDE
channel, or both. You can also set both channels to [Disabled]. Configuration
options: [Both] [Primary] [Secondary] [Disabled]

Onboard ACR LAN Enable [Auto Detect]

This field enables or disable the onboard Advanced Communication Riser
(ACR) and Local Area Network (LAN) controller built-in the VT8233

Chip Configuration

4. BIOS SETUP

chipset. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Auto Detect] [Disabled]

Onboard PCI Audio Enable [Enabled]

This field enables PCI audio. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Memory Hole At 15M-16M [Disabled]

This field reserves an address space for ISA expansion cards. Setting the
address space to a particular setting makes that memory space unavailable
to other system components. Expansion cards can only access memory up
to 16MB. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration

Onboard FDC Swap A & B [No Swap]

This field allows you to reverse the hardware drive letter assignments of
your floppy disk drives. Configuration options: [No Swap] [Swap AB]

Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8H/IRQ4]
Onboard Serial Port 2 [2F8H/IRQ3]

These fields allow you to set the addresses for the onboard serial connectors.
Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 must have different addresses. Configuration
options: [3F8H/IRQ4] [2F8H/IRQ3] [3E8H/IRQ4] [2E8H/IRQ10]
[Disabled]

UART2 Use [COM Port]

This field can activate the onboard standard infrared feature and sets the second
serial UAR T to support the infrared module connector on the motherboard. If
also may be used to configure another COM port or to support a serial smart
card reader. See IrDA-Compliant Infrared Module Connector in 3.8
Connectors. Configuration options: [COM Port] [IR] [Smart Card Reader]

Onboard Parallel Port [378H/IRQ7]

This field sets the address of the onboard parallel port connector . If you disable
this field, the Parallel Port Mode and ECP DMA Select configurations are
not available. Configuration options: [Disabled] [378H/IRQ7] [278H/IRQ5]

4. BIOS SETUP

I/O Device Config

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4. BIOS SETUP

Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP]

This field allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port. [Normal]
allows normal-speed operation but in one direction only; [EPP] allows
bidirectional parallel port operation; [ECP] allows the parallel port to operate
in bidirectional DMA mode; [ECP+EPP] allows normal speed operation in
a two-way mode. Configuration options: [Normal] [EPP] [ECP] [ECP+EPP]

ECP DMA Select [3]

This field allows you to configure the parallel port DMA channel for the
selected ECP mode. This selection is available only if you select [ECP] or
[ECP+EPP] in Parallel Port Mode above. Configuration options: [1] [3]
[Disabled]

Onboard CIR I/O [Disabled]

This field allows you to select the I/O address and IRQ for consumer infrared
device. Configuration options: [Disabled] [2E0-2E8H] [3E0-3E8H]

Onboard Peripheral Resource Control

I/O Device Config

4. BIOS SETUP

Onboard AC97 Modem Controller [Auto]
Onboard AC97 Audio Controller [Auto]

[Auto] allows the BIOS to detect whether you are using any modem/audio
device. If a modem/audio device is detected, the onboard modem/audio
controller is enabled; if no modem/audio device is detected, the controller is
disabled. If there are conflicts with the onboard modem/audio controller, set
the appropriate field to [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.4.3 PCI Configuration

Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3, Slot 4/5 IRQ [Auto]

These fields automatically assign the IRQ for each PCI slot. The default
setting for each field is [Auto], which utilizes auto-routing to determine
IRQ assignments. Configuration options: [Auto] [NA] [3] [4] [5] [7] [9]
[10] [11] [12] [14] [15]

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled]

Some non-standard VGA cards, such as graphics accelerators or MPEG
video cards, may not show colors properly. Setting this field to [Enabled]
corrects this problem. If you are using standard VGA cards, leave this
field to the default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]

PCI Latency Timer [32]

Leave this field to the default setting [32] for best performance and stability .

SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS [Auto]

[Auto] allows the BIOS to detect whether you have a SYMBIOS SCSI card.
If such card is detected, the SCSI BIOS is enabled. Otherwise, the onboard
SCSI BIOS is disabled.

4. BIOS SETUP

PCI Configuration

The setting [Disabled] disables the onboard SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS so that
the BIOS on an add-on SYMBIOS SCSI card can be used. If the SYMBIOS
SCSI card does not have a BIOS, the Symbios SCSI card will not work.
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

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4. BIOS SETUP

USB Function [Enabled]

Set this field to [Enabled] if you want to use Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Primary VGA BIOS [PCI Card]

This field allows you to select the primary graphics card. Configuration
options: [PCI Card] [AGP Card]

SCSI/ATA100 Boot Sequence [ATA100/SCSI]

This field sets the priority of boot sequencing for either the ATA100 or the
SCSI controller. Configuration options: [ATA100/SCSI] [SCSI/ATA100]

Load Onboard ATA BIOS [Auto]

This field sets the priority of the onboard Promise controller BIOS. The
default automatically displays the Promise AT A BIOS at start up. Selecting
[Disable] or resetting the RAID_EN jumper overrides the ATA BIOS and
skips detection of arrays. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

PCI IRQ Resource Exclusion

PCI Configuration

4. BIOS SETUP

IRQ XX Used By ISA [No/ICU]

These fields indicate whether or not the displayed IRQ for each field is
being used by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. The setting [No/ICU] for an
IRQ field indicates that you are using the ISA Configuration Utility (ICU),
and that this particular IRQ is NOT required by a legacy ISA card. Set the
IRQ field to [Y es] if you install a legacy ISA card that requires a unique IRQ
and you are NOT using ICU. Configuration options: [No/ICU] [Yes]

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.5 Power Menu

The Power menu allows you to reduce power consumption. This feature turns off the
video display and shuts down the hard disk after a period of inactivity.

Power Management [User Defined]

This field must be enabled to activate the automatic power saving features. When
set to [Disabled], the power management features do not function regardless of the
other settings on this menu. The [User Defined] option allows you to make your
own selections in the Power menu. When set to [Max Saving], system power
conserved to its greatest amount. The Suspend Mode field is then be set to a
predefined value that ensures maximum power savings.

This field acts as the master control for the power management modes. [Max Saving]
puts the system into power saving mode after a brief period of system inactivity.
[Min Saving] is almost the same as [Max Saving] except that the system inactivity
period is longer. [Disabled] deactivates the power saving features, [User Defined]
allows you to set power saving options according to your preference. Configuration
options: [User Defined] [Disabled] [Min Saving] [Max Saving]

IMPORTANT: You should install the Advanced Power Management (APM)

utility to keep the system time updated even when the computer enters suspend
mode. In DOS environment, you need to add the statement,
DEVICE=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE, to the CONFIG.SYS file. In Windows 3.x
and W indows 95, you need to install Windows with the APM feature. In W indows
98 or later, APM is automatically installed as indicated by a battery and power
cord icon labeled “Power Management” in the “Control Panel.” Select the item
“Advanced” in the Power Management Properties dialog box.

4. BIOS SETUP

Shadow Configuration

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4. BIOS SETUP

Video Off Option [Suspend -> Off ]

This field determines when to activate the video off feature for monitor
power management. Configuration options: [Always On] [Suspend -> Off]

Video Off Method [DPMS OFF]

This field defines the video off features. The DPMS (Display Power
Management System) feature allows the BIOS to control the video display
card if it supports the DPMS feature. [Blank Screen] only blanks the screen
(use this for monitors without power management or “green” features. If set
up in your system, your screen saver will not display with [Blank Screen]
selected). [V/H SYNC+Blank] blanks the screen and turns off vertical and
horizontal scanning. Configuration options: [Blank Screen] [V/H
SYNC+Blank] [DPMS Standby] [DPMS Suspend] [DPMS OFF] [DPMS
Reduce ON]

HDD Power Down [Disabled]

Shuts down any IDE hard disk drives in the system after a period of
inactivity as set in this user-configurable field. This feature does not af fect
SCSI hard drives. Configuration options: [Disabled] [1 Min] [2 Min] [3
Min]...[15 Min]

Suspend-to-RAM Capability [Disabled]

This field lets you to enable or disable the Suspend-to-RAM (STR) feature

4. BIOS SETUP

Power Menu

allowing the system to go into suspend mode after the specified time in the
Suspend Mode parameter. Configuration options: [Disabled] [enabled]

Suspend Mode [Disabled]

Sets the time period before the system goes into suspend mode.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [30 Sec] [1 Min] [2 Min]...[1 Hour]

PWR Button < 4 Secs [Soft Off]

When set to [Soft off], the ATX switch can be used as a normal system
power-off button when pressed for less than 4 seconds. [Suspend] allows
the button to have a dual function where pressing less than 4 seconds will
place the system in sleep mode. Regardless of the setting, holding the ATX
switch for more than 4 seconds will power off the system. Configuration
options: [Soft off] [Suspend]

CPU Thermal Option [Throttle]

Configuration options: [Throttle] [Shutdown]

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.5.1 Power Up Control

AC PWR Loss Restart [Disabled]

This allows you to set whether you want your system to reboot after the
power has been interrupted. [Disabled] leaves your system off and [Enabled]
reboots your system. [Previous State] sets your system back to the state it is
before the power interruption. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
[Previous State]

PWR Up On External Modem Act [Disabled]

This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the
computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in
Soft-off mode. NOTE: The computer cannot receive or transmit data until
the computer and applications are fully running. Thus connection cannot be
made on the first try . T urning an external modem off and then back on while
the computer is off causes an initialization string that will also cause the
system to power on. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Wake On LAN or PCI Modem [Disabled]

W ake-On-LAN/PCI Modem allows your computer to be booted from another
computer via a network by sending a wake-up frame or signal. Configuration
options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Power Menu

4. BIOS SETUP

IMPORTANT: This feature requires an optional network interface with W ake-On-

LAN and an ATX power supply with at least 720mA +5V standby power.

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4. BIOS SETUP

Wake Up by USB Device [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this field allows you to wake up the system by a
USB device ac tivity. This feature requires an ATX power supply that can
supply at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. The default is [Disabled] because not
all computer have the appropriate power supply. A computer without the
correct power supply will power up if you set this field to [Enabled].
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Wake Up by Keyboard [Space Bar]

This parameter allows you to use specific keys on the keyboard to power up
the computer. Configuration options: [Space Bar] [Ctrl-Esc] [Power Key]

Power Up on PS2 KB/Mouse [Disabled]

Set this field to [Enabled] if you want to use your PS/2 keyboard or PS/2
mouse to power up the computer . This feature requires an A TX power supply
that can supply at least 300mA on the +5VSB lead. The default is [Disabled]
because not all computer have the appropriate power supply . Configuration
options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Automatic Power Up [Disabled]

This allows an unattended or automatic system power up. You may configure
your system to power up at a certain time of the day by selecting [Everyday]
or at a certain time and day by selecting [By Date]. Configuration options:

Power Up Control

4. BIOS SETUP

[Disabled] [Everyday] [By Date]

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.5.2 Hardware Monitor

MB Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]
CPU1/CPU2 Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]
JTPWR Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the MB (motherboard),
CPU, and JTPWR (power supply) temperatures.

CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]
Power Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]
Chassis Fan Speed [N/A]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the speeds of the CPU
fan, chassis fan, and chassis fan measured in rotations per minute (RPM).

VCORE1/VCORE2 Voltage
+3.3V Voltage, +5V Voltage, +12V Voltage

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output
through the onboard voltage regulators.

NOTE: If any of the monitored items is out of range, the following error
message appears: “Hardware Monitor found an error. Enter Power setup
menu for details”. You will then be prompted to “Press F1 to continue or
DEL to enter SETUP”.

4. BIOS SETUP

Power Up Control

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.6 Boot Menu

Boot Sequence

The Boot menu allows you to select among the four possible types of boot
devices listed using the up and down arrow keys. By using the <+> or <Space>
key, you can promote devices and by using the <-> key, you can demote
devices. Promotion or demotion of devices alters the priority which the system

Hardware Monitor

4. BIOS SETUP

uses to search for a boot device on system power up. Configuration fields
include Removable Devices, IDE Hard Drive, A T API CD-ROM, and Other
Boot Device.

Removable Device [Legacy Floppy]

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Legacy Floppy] [LS120] [ZIP]
[ATAPI MO]

IDE Hard Drive

This field allows you to select which IDE hard disk drive to use in the boot
sequence. Pressing [Enter] will show the product IDs of all connected IDE
hard disk drives.

ATAPI CD-ROM

This field allows you to select which ATAPI CD-ROM drive to use in the
boot sequence. Pressing [Enter] will show the product IDs of all your
connected ATAPI CD-ROM drives.

Other Boot Device Select [INT18 Device (Network)]

Configuration options: [Disabled] [SCSI Boot Device] [INT18 Device
(Network)]

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4. BIOS SETUP

Plug & Play O/S [No]

This field allows you to use a Plug-and-Play (PnP) operating system to
configure the PCI bus slots instead of using the BIOS. When [Yes] is selected,
interrupts may be reassigned by the OS. When a non-PnP OS is installed or
you want to prevent reassigning of interrupt settings, select the default setting
of [No]. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

Reset Configuration Data [No]

The Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) contain information about
non-PnP devices. It can also hold the complete record of how the system
was configured the last time it was booted. Select [Yes] only if you want to
clear these data during the Power-On Self Test (POST). Configuration
options: [No] [Yes]

Boot Virus Detection [Enabled]

This field allows you to set boot virus detection, ensuring a virus-free boot
sector. The system halts and displays a warning message when it detects a
virus. If this occurs, you can either allow the operation to continue or use a
virus-free bootable floppy disk to restart and investigate your system.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Quick Power On Self Test [Enabled]

This field speeds up the Power-On-Self Test (POST) routine by skipping
retesting a second, third, and fourth time. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]

Boot Up Floppy Seek [Enabled]

When enabled, the BIOS will seek the floppy disk drive to determine whether
the drive has 40 or 80 tracks. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Boot Menu

4. BIOS SETUP

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4. BIOS SETUP

4.7 Exit Menu

When you have made all of your selections from the various menus in the
Setup program, save your changes and exit Setup. Select Exit from the menu
bar to display the following menu:

NOTE: Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of

4. BIOS SETUP

Boot Menu

the options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit this menu.

Exit Saving Changes

Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the
Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM.
The CMOS RAM is sustained by an onboard backup battery and stays on
even when the PC is turned off. When you select this option, a confirmation
window appears. Select [Yes] to save changes and exit.

NOTE: If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your
changes, the program prompts you with a message asking if you want to
save your changes before exiting. Pressing <Enter> saves the changes while
exiting.

Exit Discarding Changes

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you
made to the Setup program. If you made changes to fields other than system
date, system time, and password, the BIOS asks for a confirmation before
exiting.

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4. BIOS SETUP

Load Setup Defaults

This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters
on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you press <F5>, a
confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to load default values. Select
Exit Saving Changes or make other changes before saving the values to
the non-volatile RAM.

Discard Changes

This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the
previously saved values. After selecting this option, a confirmation appears.
Select [Yes] to discard any changes and load the previously saved values.

Save Changes

This option saves your selections without exiting the Setup program. You
can then return to other menus and make further changes. After you select
this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Y es] to save any changes
to the non-volatile RAM.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 75

Exit Menu

4. BIOS SETUP

4. BIOS SETUP

(This page was intentionally left blank.)

4. BIOS SETUP

Exit Menu

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual76

5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.1 Install Operating System

You should always use the latest operating system and updates when using new
hardware to ensure full compliancy . You may use any version of W indows 98/2000/
Millenium, but for Windows 95, you must use OSR 2.0 or later. For Windows NT

4.0, you must use Service Pack 3.0 or later.
NOTE: To configure your system to use the RAID 0 or 1 option, you must run the

FastTrack133™ BIOS before installing the OS. Normally, this firmware will be
activated automatically upon first boot-up. If not, double check: 1) the RAID_EN
jumper, and 2) the BIOS default in the PCI Confiiguration sub-menu under the
Advanced menu: the “SCSI/Promise Boot Sequence” field should be set to [Prom­ise/SCSI] and the “Load Onboard ATA BIOS” field should be [Enabled].

5.2 Start Windows

When you start Windows 98 for the first time after installing your motherboard,
Windows will detect all plug-and play devices. Follow the Add New Hardware W iz­ard to install all necessary device drivers. The system should auto-detect the
Promise Chip and the user should browse the support CD to install the RAID driver,
in the Promise driver folder: PDC20267. When prompted to restart, select No and
then follow all the setup procedures in this section.

NOTE: Because there are various motherboard settings, options, and expansion
cards, the following can only be used as a general reference and may not reflect
exactly the screen contents displayed on your screen.

Windows 98

5. S/W SETUP

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.3 A7V266-EX Motherboard Support CD

NOTE: The support CD contents are subject to change at any time without notice.
T o begin using your support CD disc, just insert it into your CD-ROM drive and the

support CD installation menu should appear. If the menu does not appear, double­click or run D:\ASSETUP.EXE (assuming that your CD-ROM drive is drive D:).

5.3.1 Installation Menu

5. S/W SETUP

Support CD

• VIA 4 in 1 drivers: Installs PCI Bus Master IDE Driver , VIA AGP Driver , VIA

INF Driver, and IRQ Routing Driver.

• C-Media PCI Audio Driver and Application: Installs the drivers for the

C-Media Audio Driver and the sound system to support the C-Media
Audio Chip and HRTF 3D Audio circuitry.

• Promise FastTrack133 Controller: Installs the Promise Ultra 133 IDE

Controller Driver.

• Winbond Smart Manager Application: Installs the Winbond Smart Card man-

agement application program.

• ASUS PC Probe: Installs a smart utility to monitor your computer’s fan, tem-

perature, and voltages.

• ASUS Update: Instals a program that can help you update BIOS or download a

BIOS image file.

• Microsoft DirectX Driver: Installs basic drivers to enable compatibility with

audio and other special functions.

• PC-Cillin 2000 Vx.xx: Installs the PC-cillin virus protection software. View

online help for more information.

• ADOBE Acrobat Reader Vx.xx: Installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader software

necessary to view user’s manuals saved in PDF format. Updated or other lan­guage versions of this motherboard's manual is available in PDF format at any
of our web sites.

• Cyberlink Video and Audio Applications: Installs Cyberlink PowerPlayer SE

and Cyberlink VideoLive Mail.

(TO SEE THE NEXT PAGE, CLICK RIGHT ARROW ON THE LOWER-RIGHT CORNER OF THE

MAIN MENU)

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• ASUS Screen Saver: Installs the nifty ASUS screen saver.

• E-Color 3Deep: Installs graphical driver and an application for tuning the

quality of color output from CRT and LCD monitors.

• Show Motherboard Information: Allows you to view information about your

motherboard, such as product name, BIOS version, and CPU.

• Browse Support CD: Allows you to view the contents of the CD.

• ReadMe: Allows you to view the support CD file list and contact information.

• Exit: Exits the CD installation menu.

( RETURN TO THE MAIN MENU, CLICK LEFT ARROW ON THE LOWER-RIGHT CORNER )

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Support CD

5. S/W SETUP

79

5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.4 Using the Promise

The Promise® chip, PDC20276, onboard the A7V266-EX, offers a high performance
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configuration that supports only
UltraDMA-133/100/66/33, EIDE or FastATA-2 hard disks. After connecting two
hard disks to the motherboard, activating either RAID 0 or 1 function is easily
configured through the MBMBMBFastT rak133™ “Lite” firmware BIOS during boot
up. In addition, the support CD permits installation of system drivers according to
the Operating System (OS) on your computer . Read through this section in its entirety
before setting up a new RAID system.

RAID 0 is also known as “data striping.” Striping optimizes two identical hard disk
drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks. Two hard disks perform
the same work as a single drive, and at a sustained data transfer rate double that of a
single disk alone. The main advantage of a RAID 0 array is to improve the Speed
Performance of data access and storage. With FAT32 and NTFS partitioning, the
array will be addressed as one large volume.

Chip for RAID 0 or 1

5. S/W SETUP

RAID

RAID 1 is also known as “data mirroring.” Mirroring optimizes two identical hard
disk drives to copy all data from one hard disk drive to the other and vice versa. As
new data is written, it is duplicated onto both disks using a parallel write process.
The main advantage of RAID 1 is that it greatly increases Fault Tolerance of the
entire system, especially if each hard disk is connected separately to both ATA-133
IDE channels available on the A7V266-EX. Should one hard disk suffer mechanical
trouble, all system data will be preserved on the other drive.

IMPORTANT! Before setting up your new RAID array, verify the status of your

hard disks. It is possible to use a pre-existing hard disk for RAID 0 only if the data
is backed up before configuring the array as all hard disk data will be lost during the
set up. RAID 0 requires at least two hard disks for optimal results. It is possible to
use a pre-existing hard disk for RAID 1 to duplicate the source data; also, RAID 1

®

can set up two or more new disks. The Promise
and the FastBuild™ Utility on the A7V266-EX permit only two disks to be configured
in RAID 0 or RAID 1 pairs and combinations; a third, “hot” spare hard disk may be
used to support a RAID 1 array; (see the end of this section for more detail). For
optimal performance, install only identical hard disks of the same model and storage
capacity. Use only UltraDMA-100/66 compatible IDE cables and connectors. The

®

Promise
disk, with or without multiple disk arrays up to four hard disks.

chip also supports UltraDMA-133 specifications of up to 133 MB/sec per

chip, the FastTrak™ “Lite” BIOS

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[ 1 ]

[ 2 ]

[ 3 ]

[ 4 ]

[ 5 ]

[ 6 ]

5.4.1 Installing the Hard Disks

The RAID 0 setting allows users to reformat two hard disks with the same new OS
simultaneously. RAID 1 arrays can use a pre-existing hard disk along with a blank
hard disk, or two new hard disks.

1. Install the first and second hard disk into the hard disk bays of your system.
Connect each hard disk drive with a separate UltraDMA/100 cable, one to the
Promise IDE1 connector, and the other to the Promise IDE2 connector onboard
the A7V266-EX. NOTE: Do not connect any other types of IDE devices to the
Promise IDE connectors; they support hard disk drive devices only.

2. Connect the power cables to the hard disks.

3. Make sure the RAID_EN jumper is reset to [1-2] and, if available, ensure the
BIOS settings in the Advanced PCI Configuration sub-menu are set to enable
RAID arrays: “SCSI/ATA100 Boot Sequence” field should be set to [ATA100/
SCSI] and the “Load Onboard ATA BIOS” field should be set to [Auto].

4. Boot-up the PC.

5.4.2

Enter MBFastTrak133 BIOS and FastBuild Utility

1. If this is the first time booting with two hard disks correctly installed, then

MBFastTrak133™ “Lite” BIOS scans the IDE drives and displays this screen:

. Press <Ctrl-F> keys to display the FastBuild™ Utility Main Menu:

2

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . [ 1 ]

View Drive Assignments . . . . [ 2 ]

View Array . . . . . . . . . . [ 3 ]

Delete Array . . . . . . . . . [ 4 ]

Rebuild Array. . . . . . . . . [ 5 ]

Controller Configuration . . . [ 6 ]

[ Main Menu ]

RAID

5. S/W SETUP

Press 1..6 to select Option [ESC] Exit

[ Keys Available ]

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.4.3 Creating a RAID 0 Array

1. In the FastBuild™ Utility Main Menu, select Auto Setup [1]. The screen below
is displayed. The Auto Setup Options Menu configures hard disks for RAID 0
and RAID 1 arrays. These selections assign all available drives that are
appropriate for the new array and configures data formats and the IDE channels.

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

Optimize Array for: Performance

Typical Application to use: DESKTOP

Mode ........................................

Spare Drive.................................. 0

Drive(s) Used in Array....................... 2

Array Disk Capacity (size in MB)............. 29299

[ ] Up [ ] Down [ , ,Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [CTRL-Y] Save

[ Auto Setup Options Menu ]

[ Array Setup Configuration ]

Stripe

[ Keys Available ]

5. S/W SETUP

RAID

2. Go to the field Optimize Array for: and select Performance using the arrow
and space keys. The Mode field displays Stripe.

3. Then go to the Typical Application Menu. Three options are available: A/V
Editing, DESKTOP, or Server. These selections determine how data blocks are
managed to enhance performance. A/V Editing is intended for audio/video
applications, or similar programs that require larger file transfers; Desktop
combines large and small file sizes; Server is for numerous file transfers.

4. After making the selection, use <Ctrl-Y> to save it. FastBuild™ automatically
constructs the RAID 0 array.

5. Then the command appears: “Press Any Key to Reboot.” Reboot the system and
the MBFastTrak133™ “Lite” BIOS checks and displays the status of the new
array:

6. To finish installation of your new Operating System to the RAID 0 array, reboot
with a floppy disk to format the hard disks with the FDISK command and then
install the OS from a CD; alternatively , with a bootable OS CD, you may install
the new OS automatically. As you install the OS, the system always treats the
RAID 0 array of hard disks as if they are a single drive unit.

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[ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select

Channel:ID

------

Drive Model

---------

Capacity (MB)

-------

Channel:ID

------

Drive Model

---------

Capacity (MB)

-------

Channel:ID

Drive Model

Capacity (MB)

5.4.4 Creating a RAID 1 Array

1. In the FastBuild™ Utility Main Menu, select Auto Setup [1].

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

Optimize Array for: Security

Typical Application to use: Not Available

Mode ........................................ Mirror

Spare Drive.................................. 0

Drive(s) Used in Array....................... 2

Array Disk Capacity (size in MB)............. 14645

[ ] Up [ ] Down [ , ,Space] Change Option [ESC] Exit [CTRL-Y] Save

2. Go to the field Optimize Array for: and select Security. The Mode field displays
Mirror.

3. After making the selection, use <Ctrl-Y> to save it. FastBuild™ offers a choice
between two options. Use <Y> for Create and Duplicate to mirror a pre-existing
hard disk formatted with data that you want to save on both hard disks; (Go to
step 4.) Use <N> for Create Only if using two new hard disks to configure a
new RAID 1 mirrored array; (Go to step 6.)

[ Auto Setup Options Menu ]

[ Array Setup Configuration ]

[ Keys Available ]

Do you want the disk image to be
duplicated to another?(Yes/No)
Y -Create and Duplicate
N -Create Only

4. If selecting <Y>, for Create and Duplicate, this screen will be displayed:

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

[ Source DiSk ]

Drive Model

---------

[ Target Disk ]

Drive Model

---------

Drive Model

[ Keys Available ]

Capacity (MB)

-------

Capacity (MB)

-------

Capacity (MB)

3077

3077

Channel:ID

------

Channel:ID

------

[ Please Select A Source Disk ]

Channel:ID

1:Mas ST3322IA

1:Sla ST3322IA

[ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select

RAID

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5. The utility prompts: Please Select A Source Disk. Choose the pre-existing hard

disk as the source and then a new, blank hard disk as the target. Then select
<Ctrl-Y> to save the selection. The utility prompts a choice between <Y> to
continue and <N> to stop and escape. Choosing <Y> begins to duplicate the
source hard disk onto the target hard disk.

6. To configure two new blank hard disks in a RAID 1 array, choose <N> for
Create Only; (At step 3). The FastBuild™ utility configures the RAID 1 array
and a message appears: Array has been created... <Press Any Key to REBOOT>

7. Rebooting the system allows the MBFastTrak133™ “Lite” BIOS to display the
status of your new array:

5. S/W SETUP

RAID

8. If duplicating an original Operating System to another new hard disk, the system
will start up automatically . If creating a brand new RAID 1 array only, it will be
necessary to intstall a new OS. Reboot with a rescue floppy disk to format the
hard disks with the FDISK command and then install the OS from a CD;
alternatively, with a bootable OS CD, install the new OS automatically.

NOTES for Troubleshooting Array Set Ups:

Always use two separate UltraDMA/100 cables for linking each of two hard disks to
the Primary DMA-100 and the Secondary DMA-100 connectors. Usually, a two
disk array will set up properly if both sets of hard disk jumpers are set to Master.
However, it may be necessary to reset the jumpers on each of the hard disks; in such
cases, try Master for the Source disk, and Master/Slave or Slave for the Target disk.
Also, if a Source hard disk larger than the Target disk is selected, the FastBuild™
utility suggests using a larger or equal size disk for the T ar get instead. During reboots
after configuring a RAID array, the IDE scan process determines if the system is
working okay . Normally the MBFastTrak133™ “Lite” BIOS displays system status
as Functional after rebooting the new RAID array. However, two warnings may
appear: Critical indicates that one or more drives in the array are not functional, or
are disconnected. In this case, enter the FastBuild™ Utitility to diagnose the problem
and replace the faulty drive. The second warning, Offline, indicates that one hard
disks in a striped array has failed, cannot be detected, or has become disconnected.
In this case, adjust or replace the hard disk if necessary and rebuild data from a back­up source.

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.4.5 Other FastBuild Utility Commands

Command options 3-6 on the FastBuild™ Utility Main Menu are not required for
setting up an array, but they are useful for modifying or reconfiguring an array:

View Array (3): View the drive assignments of hard disks in an array.
Delete Array (4): Deletes an array to reconfigure the system. Deleting an array

does not remove information on the hard disks. If an array is deleted by mistake,
recover it immediately by redefining it as the deleted array.
Rebuild Array (5): This command restores the array and system data after faults on
RAID 1 arrays. Follow the steps below to rebuild and restore data in the array:

1. On boot-up, an error message notifies of a system failure.

2. Press <Ctrl-F> keys to enter the FastBuild™Main Menu.

3. Select <3> for View Array to verify the ID of the defunct hard disk.

4. Power off the system and replace the hard disk with an identical model.

5. Reboot and enter the FastBuild™ Main Menu again.

6. Select <5> for Rebuild Array. The malfunctioning array is highlighted.
Press <Enter> to select it:

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

[ Rebuild Array Menu ]

Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity Status

Array 1 Mirror 2 1628 Critical

Array 2 ----- ----- ----- ----­Array 3 ----- ----- ----- ----­Array 4 ----- ----- ----- -----

[ Keys Available ]

[ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select

7. Select the replacement drive. Press <Enter>:

FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.31 (c) 1996-2000 Promise Technology, Inc.

Array No RAID Mode Total Drv Status

Array 1 Mirror 2 Critical

Stripe Block: Not Available

[ Rebuild Array Menu ]

[ Select Drive for Rebuild ]

RAID

5. S/W SETUP

Channel: ID Drive Model Capacity (MB)

1: Slave ST3322IA 3077

[ Keys Available ]

[ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Enter] Select

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

8. Confirm the command to copy data from the intact source hard disk onto a new
replacement hard disk. A progress gauge displays the copy progress for the
duration of the task.

9. After the rebuild is complete, the user is prompted to reboot the system.

Controller Configuration (6): Default for Controller Configuration is: [enabled].

5.4.6 Alternative Set Ups and Other Details

Hot Spares

A hot spare hard disk may be installed to support a RAID 1 array. This spare hard
disk must share one of the UltraDMA/100 cables attached to either of the hard disks
active in a RAID 1 array. In the event of a failure of either active hard disk in the
array , the “Lite” BIOS detects the hot spare and automatically rebuilds the mirrored
data from the functional hard disk. The FastBuild Utility will report a warning
message after such a hard disk failure; it may indicate that the good hard disk and
the hot spare are connected to the same cable, so then it will be necessary to transfer
the hot spare to the other cable and reboot again.

5. S/W SETUP

RAID

Use Both ATA-133 Connectors

Optimal performance for RAID 0 and 1 arrays require that each hard disk be connected
to separate IDE channels; the first hard disk should be connected to the Primary
AT A-133 connector and the second hard disk, to the Secondary ATA-133 connector.

Adding Extra Hard Disks

The A7V266-EX is supplied with two additional Primary IDE and Secondary IDE
connectors. Only two hard disks connected to the Primary and Secondary DMA­100 IDE connectors can function in a RAID 0 or RAID 1 array. Extra hard disks
may be connected to the system using the onboard IDE connectors, but such disks
cannot be configured in a RAID array. In principle, up to eight hard disks or other
IDE devices may connect to the A7V266-EX. Whether an array is set up or not, all
hard disks connected to the A7V266-EX will function at the ATA-133 protocol.

Use DMA-133/100, High-RPM Hard Disks with Identical Storage Capacity

The fastest available hard disks should be used in the RAID 0 array to maximize
performance. Slower hard disks may be used; however, the RAID 0 array can only
double the speed of particular hard disks. Since you can achieve better performance
with a single AT A-133 hard disk than with two ATA-33 disks in a RAID 0 array, it is
more effective to install two ATA-133/100/66 high-RPM hard disks for an array.
Hard disks used for both RAID 0 and 1 arrays should always have the same storage
capacity because the RAID protocol automatically formats both disks to use only up
to the maximum write space available on the smaller of two different hard disks.

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5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID Drivers

The A7V266-EX support CD contains several IDE and RAID 0 or 1 drivers in the
Promise folder, including Windows, NetWare and Nt4. Below follow two popular
OS installations. The others are available on the support CD.

5.5.1 Win9x-ME Promise® MBFastTrak133 Speed BIOS

1. Ensure the Support CD-ROM is in the CD Drive and press “Start” button.

2. Move highlight bar to “Settings” and select “Control Panel”.

3. Double click on “System” icon.

4. Select “Device Manager” page.

5. View device by type and find “Other devices” node.

4. Select the “PCI Mass Storage Controller” node and then click “Properties.”

6. Please select [General] page to reinstall driver or select [Driver] page to update
the driver.

7. Follow the instruction to insert your Windows CD or ASUS support CD to
install the driver.
(Driver Location: {CD-ROM driver}:\Promise\Raid0or1\Win9x-ME)

5.5.2 Win2000 Promise® MBFastTrak133™Lite/Simple
Controller Driver

1. Right click “My Computer” icon on the desktop. Select “Properties” when the
menu appears. Or you can Press “Start” button. Move highlight bar to
“Settings” and select: “Control Panel”. Double click on “System” icon.

2. Select “Hardware” page and then click [Device Manager] button.

3. View device by type and find “Other devices” node.

4. Right Click the “Mass Storage Controller” node.

5. When the menu appears, click the “Properties” item.

6. Please select select [Driver] page to update driver.

7. Press Next while “Upgrade Device Driver Wizard” window appears.

8. Choose “Select for a suitable driver for my device(recommended)” option and
then press Next.

9. Select “Specify a location” check box.

10. Type or browse the path {CD-ROM Drive}:\Promise\Raid0or1\Win2000 to
the driver and click OK.

11. Press Next.

12. Press Yes.

13. Finally, press Finish to complete the installation.

14. Please restart you computer for these changes to take effect.

(Driver Location: {CD-ROM driver}:\Promise\Raid0or1\Win2000)

RAID

5. S/W SETUP

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(This page was intentionally left blank.)

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

6.1 Winbond Smart Manager

The Winbond Smart Manager is a clever utility that helps secure the PC
with a smart card containing a mini-chip insert, like a GSM cell phone SIM
card. Once a smart card reader is configured, set up the Smart Manager
software utility for “boot up” or “always on” system security.

6.1.1 Setting Up Smart Manager

Connect the smart card reader to the A7V266-EX; (refer to page 41 in
Hardware Setup for the connector location.) Boot up the PC and enter

BIOS (press <del>) to change the configuration to accept smart card
hardware: in the Advanced BIOS menu select the I/O Device Configuration
sub-menu, go to UART2 and select Smart Card Read, save and exit.

Smart Manager

6. S/W REFERENCE

Finish booting up. Insert the ASUS Support CD and click on the selection:
Winbond Smart Manager Application. The auto-installer prompts to
install the Base Components and after doing show displays a readme file.
Next, immediately install the Smart Card Driver Library as prompted.
Finally, install the Winbond Smart Manager application as prompted.

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6. S/W REFERENCE

Smart Manager

The auto-installer implements all of
the drivers, base components and
displays the Winbond Smart Manager
program groups. Restart. Windows
should auto-detect the smart card
reader and install its system drivers.

NOTE: Do not install system components or Winbond applications unless you

install a smart card reader, (see page 7). Smart card system software compo­nents support various types of smart card applications; all system components
are compatible with W indows 98, ME and 2000. However, the W indbond Smart
Manager application is readily compatible only with Windows 98 and ME.

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

Smart Manager

6.1.2 Starting to Use Smart Manager

After installing the software, start
W indbond Smart Manager for the first
time: select the Programs menu from
the Start bar and select the Windbond
program group. When you click the
program application, an icon is created
for the Logon Smart Card software
in the bottom right hand corner of the
screen.

The new icon resembles a key.

Right click on the icon and select
Setting Logon Smart Card.

Smart Manager

6. S/W REFERENCE

Click the Add New button
and then select the type of
card you are using. Insert
the smart card into the
card reader, then enter your
name and any remarks into
the fields. Click OK.

The card reader detects the
smart card ID. Smart
Manager registers the
smart card for security
capability and prompts to
click OK. The card’s
security status is displayed
in the main program
window.

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6. S/W REFERENCE

Smart Manager

6.1.3 Smart Manager Modes

Return to the Windbond Smart Manager icon on the bottom right hand
corner of the Windows screen. Select the Logon Card Check Mode to
choose the security mode. Three basic modes are available:

1. Disable Check renders the Smart Manager security system inoperative.

2. Boot Check enables the Smart Manager security system for start up.
The user must insert the smart card into the reader during start up in order to
complete the Windows boot up process. In this mode, the user may
remove the smart card and continue to use the PC after the start cycle is
complete. If no smart card, or the wrong one, is inserted during boot up, the
PC displays the Smart Manager Protection Screen:

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

PC Probe

Whenever the Smart Manager
Protection Screen is displayed,
the computer is secured and
impenetrable.

3. Always Check configures the Smart Manager to require that the user
insert the smart card during start up; then, if the card is removed at any time
during the operation of the PC, the Smart Manager protection screen will
automatically pop up and the PC is secure until the card is reinserted.

File Protect Check Mode: This is a sub-program used to encrypt and
decode individual files stored in the system using a smart card as a key.

NOTE: Do take care not to lose your smart card or you may not be able

to restart the PC or decode encrypted files. Test each new smart card to
ensure that it is completely compatible with the card reader; the Read2-
In-01 Smart Card Reader is designed only to read cards with the
standard PC/SC mini-chip configuration.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual92

PC Probe

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

6.2 ASUS PC Probe

ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your
computer system’s vital components, such as fan rotations, Voltages, and
temperatures. It also has a utility that lets you review useful information
about your computer, such as hard disk space, memory usage, and CPU
type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies through the DMI
Explorer.

6.2.1 Starting ASUS PC Probe

When ASUS PC Probe starts, a splash screen appears allowing you to select
whether or not to show the screen the next time you open PC Probe. To
bypass this startup screen, clear the Show up in next execution check box.

PC Probe

6. S/W REFERENCE

To start ASUS PC Probe, click the Windows Start button, point to Pro­grams, and then ASUS Utility, and then click Probe Vx.xx.

The PC Probe icon
that ASUS PC Probe is running. Clicking the icon will allow you to see the
status of your PC.

will appear on the taskbar’s system tray indicating

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual 93

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

6. S/W REFERENCE

6.2.2 Using ASUS PC Probe

PC Probe

Monitoring

Monitor Summary

Shows a summary of the items being
monitored.

Temperature Monitor

Shows the PC’s temperature.

Temperature Warning

threshold adjustment

(Move the slider up to increase the
threshold level or down to decrease

the threshold level)

PC Probe

Fan Monitor

Shows the PC’s fan rotation.

Fan Warning

threshold adjustment

(Move the slider up to increase the

threshold level or down to decrease

the threshold level)

Voltage Monitor

Shows the PC’s voltages.

ASUS A7V266-EX User’s Manual94

PC Probe

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

Settings

Lets you set threshold levels and polling
intervals or refresh times of the PC’s tem-
perature, fan rotation, and voltages.

PC Probe

6. S/W REFERENCE

CPU Cooling System Setup

Lets you select when to enable software
CPU cooling. When When CPU Over -
heated is selected, the CPU cooling sys­tem is enabled whenever the CPU tem­perature reaches the threshold value.

History

Lets you record the current monitoring
activity of a certain component of your
PC for future reference.

Information

Hard Drives

Shows the used and free space of the PC’s
hard disk drives and the file allocation
table or file system used.

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6. S/W REFERENCE

Memory

PC Probe

Shows the PC’s memory load, memory
usage, and paging file usage.

Device Summary

Shows a summary of devices in your PC.

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

DMI Explorer

Shows information pertinent to the PC,
such as CPU type, CPU speed, and in­ternal/external frequencies, and memory
size.

Utility

Lets you run programs outside of the
ASUS Probe modules. T o run a program,
click Execute Program.

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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

6.2.3 ASUS PC Probe Task Bar Icon

PC Probe

Right-clicking the PC Probe icon
will bring up a menu to open or
exit ASUS PC Probe and pause or
resume all system monitoring.

When the ASUS PC Probe senses
a problem with your PC, portions
of the ASUS PC Probe icon
changes to red, the PC speaker
beeps, and the ASUS PC Probe
monitor is displayed.

PC Probe

6. S/W REFERENCE

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6. S/W REFERENCE

Multi-Channel Audio

6.3 Multi-Channel Audio Feature Setup

The C-Media PCI Audio Driver and Applications are located on the
Support CD. Installing the programs enables the multi-channel audio
feature. Note: You must use 4 or 6 channel speakers for this setup.

6.3.1 The C-Media Audio Mixer

1. The C-Media Mixer
Icon appears on the

bottom right of the screen, or the Mixer
may be turned on from the PCI Audio

Applications & Audio Rack groups on the
Main Program menu using the Windows Start button:
Click on the icon to display the C-Media Audio Mixer:

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

LiveUpdate

2. The Advanced button activates the
Speaker, Volume, Sound Effects and
Options menus. The Speaker menu

offers various configurations for your
speaker system. This menu enables the
Line-In and Mic-In audio jacks on the
back panel to setup additional speakers
for 4 and 6-Channel Audio.

6.3.2 The C-Media Audio Demo Program

1. The Audio Demo program offers an easy way to test and tune your new
speaker system. Activate the

Multi-Channel Audio Demo
program from the PCI Audio
Applications group on the
Main Program menu using the
Windows Start button:

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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

2. The PCI Multi-Channel Audio Demo has several Demos to help fine
tune your PC speaker system. The Help menu features several pages of
instructions and hardware diagrams
to help configure and test the
system. To activate the Speaker
Channel Configuration Menu,
point your mouse arrow and click on
the TV box.

3. The Speaker Channel Configuration
Menu displays all the options
available to help tune the multi­channel audio system even more
precisely.

Multi-Channel Audio

6. S/W REFERENCE

6.3.3 Connector Configuration

The chart below displays the configurations for

the line connectors on the yellow MIDI/Game/
Audio connector port located on the
back panel. The three female connectors are
available for use in the 6-Channel audio
system.

Connector Settings and Functions

Headphone/ 4-Speaker 6-Speaker
2-Speaker

Lime Line Out/ Line Out/ Line Out/

Front Spkr Out Front Spkr Out Front Spkr Out
Light Blue Line In
Pink Mic In Mic In Center Speaker Out,

Rear Speaker Out

Rear Speaker Out

Sub-woofer

MicLine InLine Out

Note: See 7 in Section 3, Motherboard settings for the Bass/Center Jumper
settings to fine tune the output signals.

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6. S/W REFERENCE

6.4 ASUS Live Update

LiveUpdate

ASUS LiveUpdate is a utility that allows you to update your motherboard’s
BIOS and drivers. The use of this utility requires that you are properly con­nected to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

1. Start ASUS Update
Launch the utility from your W indows Start
menu:Programs/AsusUpdate

2. Select an update method.

3. If you selected updating/downloading

from the Internet, you will need to select
an Internet site. Choose the site that is
closest to you or click Auto Select.

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS

version that you wish to download. Click
Next.

5. Follow the instructions on the succeed-

ing screens to complete the update
process. If you selected the option to
update the BIOS from a file, a window
pops up prompting you to locate the file.
Select the file, click Save, then follow the
screen instructions to complete the update
process.

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