Biostar P4M900 User Manual

P4M900

Copyright

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
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without the prior written permission of the company. Brands and product names are
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The vendor makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents herein and
especially disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any purpose.
Further the vendor reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to the
contents herein without obligation to notify any party beforehand. Duplication of this
publication, in part or in whole, is not allowed without first obtaining the vendor’s approval in
writing.

Trademark

All the trademarks or brands in this document are registered by their respective owner.

Disclaimer

We make no warranty of any kind with regard to the content of this user’s manual. The content
is subject to change without notice and we will not be responsible for any mistakes found in
this user’s manual. All the brand and product names are trademarks of their respective
companies.

FCC Compliance Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of 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
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user
will be required to correct the interference at his own expense. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

CE Mark

The device is in accordance with 89/336 ECC-ENC Directive.

VIA® P4M900 & VT8237R Plus

Support Socket 775

Intel

Pentium

®

Core

®

4/Celeron® D/ Celeron® Processor

TM

2 Duo/ Pentium® D/

User Manual

Enabling the Hyper-Threading Technology, your computer system is
required to have components as the following:

P4M900

 CPU: An Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology
 Chipset: An Intel
 BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology must be enabled
 OS: An operating system that supports HT Technology

For more information on Hyper-Threading Technology, go to:

http://www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading

Dimensions (Micro ATX form-factor):

 210 mm x 244 mm ( W x L )

®

Chipset that supports HT Technology

Operating System:

 Windows® Vista (32 bit)/ XP/ 2000

Things You Have To Know

0 The images and pictures in this manual are for reference only and may vary from the

product you received depending on specific hardware models, third party components
and software versions.

0 This mainboard contains very delicate IC chips. Always use a grounded wrist strap

when working with the system.

0 Do not touch any IC chip, lead, connector or other components.

0 Always unplug the AC power when you install or remove any device on the mainboard

or when confuguring pins and switches.

Packing List

 P4M900 Mainboard
 IDE Cable
 SATA Cable
 I/O Bracket
 Mainboard Setup Driver & User Manual CD
 Mainboard Quick Installation Guide

Symbols

Attention- Important Information

Follow the procedures below…

Troubleshooting Tips

Refer to other sections in this manual…

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED ..................................................................1

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1

SPECIFICATION .......................................................................................................2

CONFIGURATION .................................................................................................... 5

Layout of P4M900...........................................................................................5

HARDWARE INSTALLATION ................................................................................... 6

CPU Processor Installation.............................................................................. 6

Memory Installation: DIMM1/ DIMM2..........................................................7

Back Panel Configuration................................................................................ 9

Front Panel Headers: JW_FP, PWRLED, SPEAK ........................................ 11

Connectors.....................................................................................................12

Headers & Jumpers........................................................................................13

Audio Configuration......................................................................................14

Slots ...............................................................................................................15

Power Supply Attachments............................................................................ 16

CHAPTER 2. BIOS SETUP............................................................................ 17

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 17

MAIN MENU .........................................................................................................18

CHAPTER 3: SOFTWARE SETUP ............................................................... 20

SOFTWARE LIST ...................................................................................................20

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ...................................................................................20

CHAPTER 4: TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................ 24

APPENDIX I: SUPER 5.1 CHANNEL SETUP ............................................................27

APPENDIX II: RAID 0/ 1 SETUP ............................................................................29

Mainboard P4M900

Chapter 1. Getting Started

Introduction

Thanks for choosing P4M900 Mainboard. It is based on VIA® P4M900 Northbridge chipset
and VIA
the VIA
Pentium
MHz/ 800 MHz/ 533 MHz.

The P4M900 provides two DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Modules) sockets which allowing you
to install 240-pin, unbuffered non-ECC, DDRII 667/ DDRII 533/ DDRII 400 SDRAMs. It also
allows you installing a total memory capacity of 4 GB.

This mainboard provides one PCI-E x16 slot for use with a graphics card. There is also one
PCI-E x1 slot provided for use with a PCI-E x1 compatible expansion card. Two standard PCI
slots for use with standard PCI expansion cards are also allowed.

The P4M900 provides one floppy disk drive connector that can be used with 360KB/ 720KB/

1.2MB/ 1.44MB/ 2.88MB drive. It also has two IDE connectors for hard drives supporting Ultra
ATA 133/ 100/ 66/ 33 IDE devices. In addition, the onboard Serial ATA comes with two SATA
connectors, which the interface can provide up to 1.5 Gb/s transmit speed and also support
RAID 0/ 1 mode <See Appendix II>.

The onboard AC’ 97 Audio CODEC (VT1616) supports high quality performance 6-channel
audio play (Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect) <See Appendix I>.

The P4M900 also comes with an onboard 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN chip. There is a LAN
port on the back panel of your case that you can directly plug into an Internet cable.

There are maximal eight USB2.0/ 1.1 ports which can be set up on this mainboard.

All the information (including hardware installation and software installation) in this manual are
for reference only. The contents in this manual may be updated without notice. The company
will not assume any responsibility for any errors or mistakes within.

®

VT8237R Plus Southbridge chipset. In addition, the mainboard comprises integrated

®

Chrome9TM HC IGP graphics optimized. It supports Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo/ Pentium® D/

®

4/ Celeron® D/ Celeron® Processors with FSB (Front Side Bus) frequencies of 1066

1

Mainboard P4M900

Specification

CPU:

 Support Socket 775

 Support Intel

Processors

 Support Hyper-Threading Technology

 Support 1066 MHz/ 800 MHz/ 533 MHz FSB (Front Side Bus) Frequencies

Chipset:

 Northbridge Chipset – VIA® P4M900

 Southbridge Chipset – VIA

 I/O Controller – Fintek

 AC’97 Audio Codec – VIA

 LAN Controller – VIA

®

CoreTM 2 Duo/ Pentium® D/ Pentium® 4/ Celeron® D/ Celeron®

®

VT8237R Plus

®

F71805FG

®

VT1616

®

VT6103L

Memory:

 Two DIMM sockets

 Supports unbuffered & non-ECC DDRII 667/ 533/ 400 SDRAM

 Supports a total memory capacity of up to 4 GB

Onboard AC’97 Audio Codec (VT1616):

 High performance Codec with high S/N ratio (>90 db)

 Compliant with AC’ 97 2.3 specification

 Supports 6-channel playback capability (Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect)

 Supports 3D stereo enhancement

Slots:

 Two PCI-Express interface slots for graphics cards and expansion cards:

1. One PCI-E x16 slot: supports up to x16 mode with 4 GB/s one-way bandwidth

2. One PCI-E x1 slot: supports up to x1 mode with 250 MB/s one-way bandwidth

 Two PCI slots with 133 MB/s one-way bandwidth per channel for expansion cards

FDD Connector:

 Supports one FDD connector to set up to two floppy disk drives

2

Mainboard P4M900

 Supports 360KB/ 720KB/ 1.2MB/ 1.44MB/ 2.88MB

IDE Connector:

 Two IDE connectors

 Supports up to four IDE devices

 Supports Ultra ATA 33/66/100/133

 Supports high capacity hard disk drives

Serial ATA Connector:

 Two SATA connectors

 Supports SATA 1.0 specification with transmit speed up to 1.5 Gbps

 Supports SATA RAID 0/ 1

 One SATA connector can only support one SATA HDD

Onboard LAN Chip:

 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN supported

I/O facility Connectors

 Supports one PS/2 mouse port and one PS/2 keyboard port

 One multi-mode Parallel Port is capable to support as the following:

1. Standard & Bi-direction Parallel Port

2. Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)

3. Extended Capabilities Port (ECP)

 Supports one serial port (COM1)

 Supports one VGA port (=D-Sub)

Universal Serial Bus:

 Four onboard USB 2.0/ 1.1 ports

 Two front USB headers come with this mainboard for additional four USB ports

 Support a maximum of eight USB ports to connect USB compliant devices

BIOS:

 Phoenix-Award™ BIOS

 Support APM1.2

 Support ACPI 2.0 power management

3

Mainboard P4M900

Green Function:

 Supports Phoenix-Award™ BIOS power management function

 Supports system-wake-from-power-saving-mode by keyboard or mouse touching

Shadow RAM:

 Integrated memory controller provides shadow RAM functionality and supports ROM

BIOS

Flash Memory:

 Supports flash memory functionality

 Supports ESCD functionality

Hardware Monitor Function:

 Monitors CPU & System Fan Speed

 Monitors CPU Temperature

 Monitors CPU & Memory Voltage

4

Configuration

Mainboard P4M900

Layout of P4M900

5

Mainboard P4M900

Hardware Installation

This section will assist you in quickly installing your system hardware. Wear a wrist ground
strap before handling components. Electrostatic discharge may damage the system’s
components.

CPU Processor Installation

This mainboard supports Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo/ Pentium® D/ Pentium® 4/ Celeron® D/ Celeron®
Processors using a Socket 775. Before building your system, we suggest you to visit the Intel
website and review the processor installation procedures. http://www.intel.com

CPU Socket 775 Configuration Steps:

1. Locate the CPU socket 775 on your
mainboard and nudge the lever
away from the socket as shown.
Then lift the lever to a 140-degree
angle (A). Next, lift up the iron cover
(B).

2. There are 2 distinctive marks
located near the corners of the
socket on the same side as the lever
as shown (C). Match these marks
with the marks on the CPU and
carefully lower the CPU down onto
the socket (D).

3. Replace the iron cover and then
lower the lever until it snaps back
into position (E). This will lock down
the CPU (F).

4. Smear thermal grease on the top of the CPU. Lower the
CPU fan onto the CPU/CPU socket and secure it using
the attachments or screws provided on the fan. Finally,
attach the fan power cord to the CPUFAN header.

Attention

DO NOT touch the CPU pins in case they are damaged. Also, make sure
that you have completed all installation steps before powered on the
system. Finally, double-check that the cooling fan is properly installed and
the CPU fan power cord is securely attached, in case your CPU and other
sensitive components are damaged because of high temperatures.

6

Mainboard P4M900

FAN Headers: CPUFAN, SFAN1, SFAN2

There are three fan headers available for cooling fans. The cooling fans play an important role
in maintaining ambient temperatures in your system. The CPUFAN header is attached with a
CPU cooling fan. The SFAN1 and SFAN2 headers are attached with other cooling fans.

Memory Installation: DIMM1/ DIMM2

Attention

You can avoid damaging your CPU due to high temperatures with proper cooling
equipment. It is recommended that attach a cooling fan on top of your CPU. Use
the CPUFAN header to attach the fan cord.

On most fan power cord, the black wire of the fan cable is the “ground” and
should be attached to pin-1 of the header.

CPUFAN

SFAN1/ SFAN2

The P4M900 provides two DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Modules) sockets which allowing you
to install 240-pin, unbuffered non-ECC, DDRII 667/ 533/ 400 SDRAMs. It also allows you
installing a total memory capacity of 4 GB.

Attention

It is recommended that to install memories which are identical specifications
(same timing specifications and same DDRII speed) to achieve the best
effects. It may cause the failure of power-on or lower memory speed if
installing different type, SPD (series presence detects) memories.

7

Mainboard P4M900

Memory Installation Steps:

1. Pull the white plastic tabs at both ends of the slot away from the slot.

2. Match the notch on the RAM module with the corresponding pattern in the DIMM slot.
This will ensure that the module will be inserted with the proper orientation.

3. Lower the RAM module into the DIMM Slot and press firmly using both thumbs until the
module snaps into place.

4. Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3 for the remaining RAM modules.

＊ The pictures above are for reference only. Your actual

installation may vary slightly from the pictures.

8

Back Panel Configuration

Mainboard P4M900

PS/2 Mouse & PS/2 Keyboard Ports: KB/MS

This mainboard provides a standard PS/2 mouse port and a PS/2 keyboard port. The pin
assignments are described below.

Serial and Parallel Interface Ports

The mainboard provides one serial port and one parallel port on the back panel.

Parallel Interface Port: PARALLEL

The parallel port on your mainboard is a standard 25-pin one, and is used to connect a parallel
printer.

The Serial Interface: COM1

This mainboard provides a serial port COM1 on your back panel, and is used to connect mice,
modem and other peripheral devices. Through this port, you can also transfer data from your
computer hard disk drive to other computers.

The VGA (D-SUB) Connector: VGA

The mainboard provides one VGA connector (= D-Sub connector) on back panel.
VGA connector (= D-Sub connector) delivers the analogy signals, and is able to connect with

traditional CRT display, flat display, or other display device which with the D-Sub interface
compatible.

9

Mainboard P4M900

USB Ports/LAN Port: USB1, USB/LAN

There are four onboard USB 2.0/ 1.1 ports on the back panel. These USB ports are used to
attach with USB devices, such as keyboard, mice and other USB supported devices. There is
also a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN port available for you to attach an Internet cable.

Audio Ports: SOUND

This mainboard provides three audio ports, the Mic, Line-in and Line-out. These are the
standard audio ports that provide basic audio function.

Line-In (Blue)

This port is for audio input and connects to external
audio devices such as CD player, tape player, etc. When
the multi-channel audio system is enabled, this port will
output audio for the rear speakers.

Line-Out (Green)

This port is an output audio port used for connecting to
speakers or a headset. When the multi-channel audio
system is enabled, this port will output audio for the front
speakers.

Mic-In (Pink)

This port is for connecting to a microphone. When the multi-channel audio system is enabled,
this port will output audio for your subwoofer/center speakers.

This mainboard supports Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect, and you can transfer
2-channel to 6-channel audio. See Appendix I for more information.

10

Mainboard P4M900

Front Panel Headers: JW_FP, PWRLED, SPEAK

JW_FP

Pin Assignment Function Pin Assignment Function

1 VCC5 (+) 2 VCC5 (+)
3 HDDLE (-)

5 GND 6 PWRBTN
7 RSTSW 8 GND
9 N/C

Hard Drive LED Header: HDLED

If your case front panel has a hard drive LED cable, attach it to this header. The LED will
flicker when there is hard disk drive activity.

Reset Switch Header: RESET

This header can be attached to a momentary SPST switch (reset button) cable on your case
front panel. The switch is normally left open. When the switch closed, it will cause the
mainboard to reset and run the POST (Power-On Self Test).

Power-on Switch Header: PWRBTN

This header can be attached to a power switch cable on your case front panel. You can turn
your system on or off by pressing the button attached to this power switch cable.

2-pin Power LED Header: PWR LED

These mainboards provide a 2-pin power LED header. If there is a 2-pin power LED cord on
your case front panel, you can attach it to the 2-pin power LED header. Then the power LED
will illuminate while the system is powered on.

3-pin Power LED Header: PWRLED

These mainboards also provide a 3-pin power LED header. If there is a 3-pin power LED cord
on your case front panel, you can attach it to this 3-pin header instead of attach to the 2-pin
one on the SW/LED header.

PWRLED

Hard Drive LED
(HDLED)

Reset Switch
(RESET)

2-pin Power LED

4 PWRLED (-)

(PWR LED)

Power-on Button
(PWRBTN)

10 Key

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

PWR_LED (+)

1

3

PWR_LED (-)

2 Key

11

Mainboard P4M900

Speaker Header: SPEAK

A speaker cable on your case front panel can be attached to this header. When you reboot the
computer, this speaker will issue a short audible (beep). If there are problems during the
Power On Self-Test, the system will issue an irregular pattern of audible beeps through this
speaker.

Connectors

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD

These mainboards provide a standard floppy disk drive connector (FDD) that supports 360KB/
720KB/ 1.2MB/ 1.44MB/ 2.88 MB floppy disk drives using a FDD ribbon cable.

Hard Disk Drive Connectors: IDE1/ IDE2

The mainboard provides two IDE connectors that support Ultra ATA 133/ 100/ 66/ 33 IDE
devices. You can attach a maximum of four IDE devices, such as hard disk drive (HDD),
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc. using IDE ribbon cables.

Primary IDE Connector: IDE1

In general, two IDE devices can be attached onto one IDE connector. If you attach two IDE
HDD, you must configure one drive as the master and the other one as the slave.

Secondary IDE Connector: IDE2

The IDE2 connector can also be attached with two IDE HDD, and remember to configure one
drive as the Master and the other one as the Slave as well. In addition, it is recommended that
attach the optical devices such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc. onto this IDE2 connector.

SATA Connector: SATA1/ SATA2

The two SATA connectors support 1.5 Gbps transmit rates and RAID 0/ 1 mode. One SATA
connector only can attach one SATA HDD of each time using SATA cables.

SPEAK

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

1 SPK 2 N/C

3 Ground 4 VCC5

This mainboard supports RAID 0/ 1 mode; refer Appendix II for more
information.

12

Mainboard P4M900

Headers & Jumpers

Front USB Headers: USB2/ USB3

This mainboard provide four onboard USB 1.1/2.0 ports (back panel) that attach to USB
devices. There are two additional USB headers that can be connected by cables to four more
USB ports on the front panel of your case giving you a possible eight USB ports.

USB Power On function Header: JP2

USB devices attached to the back panel USB ports can awaken the system from sleep mode.
In order to enable this functionality, you must adjust the jumper cap on JP3 header for +5V or
+5VSB mode depending on which USB port that the USB device is attached to.

USB2/ 3

Attention

If you are using a USB 2.0 device with Windows 2000/XP, you will need to
install the USB 2.0 driver from the Microsoft
Service pack 1 (or later) for Windows
later) for Windows® 2000, you will not have to install the driver.

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

1 VCC 2 VCC

3 -DATA 4 -DATA
5 +DATA 6 +DATA
7 GND 8 GND

9 Key 10 N/C

®

website. If you are using

®

XP, and using Service pack4 (or

JP2 Assignment Assignment

+5V

USB Power On Disable (Default)

Pin 1-2 Closed

+5VSB

USB Power On Enabled

Pin 2-3 Closed

Note: Close stands for putting a jumper cap onto two header pins.

13

Mainboard P4M900

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT

The “Clear CMOS” function is used when you are unable boot your system and need to reset
the BIOS settings (CMOS settings) back to the manufacturer’s original settings. This is also a
way to reset the system password if you have forgotten it.

JBAT Assignment

Pin 1-2 Closed

Pin 2-3 Closed

Note: Close stands for putting a jumper cap onto two header pins.

The following steps explain how to reset your CMOS
configurations when you forgot a system password.

1. Turn off your system and disconnect the AC power cable.

Normal (Default)

Clear CMOS Data

2. Set JBAT header to OFF (2-3 Closed).

3. Wait several seconds.

4. Set JBAT header to ON (1-2 closed).

5. Connect the AC power cable and turn on your system.

Audio Configuration

CD-ROM Audio-In Connector: CDIN

6. Reset your new password.

The CD-IN connector is used to attach an audio cable to audio devices
such as CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs etc.

Front Panel Audio Header: AUDIO

CDIN

If your case front panel has audio ports, you can connect them to the Front Audio Header of
this mainboard. First, you must remove the jumper caps on this header and then attach the
cables from the front panel to the pins on this header. You can use both the front audio panel
and back panel audio simultaneously. If you are not using front panel audio ports, leave the
jumper caps on the header pins (Note: pins 5-6 and 9-10) to avoid problems with the back
panel audio ports.

14

Mainboard P4M900

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

AUD_MIC

1

AUD MIC BIAS

3

AUD_FPOUT_R

5

HP_ON

7

AUD_FPOUT_L

9

Slots

PCI-Express x16 Slot: PE1

This mainboard is able to install a graphics card, which the PCI-Express x16 interface,
supporting one-way bandwidth up to 4 GB/s, is compatible to this PE1 slot.

AUDIO

2

4
6
8

10

AUD_GND

AUD_VCC

AUD_RET_R

N/C

AUD_RET_L

PCI-Express x1 Slot: PE2

This mainboard is able to install an expansion card which the PCI-Express x1 interface
compatible such as network card, SCSI card, etc. to this PE2 slot.

PCI Slots: PCI1/ PCI2

PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, a standard bus for installing expansion
cards such as network card, SCSI card, etc. to these PCI slots.

15

Mainboard P4M900

A

Power Supply Attachments

ATX Power Connector: ATXPWR, ATX12V

The mainboard provides two ATX power connectors, one 24-pin ATXPWR connector and one
4-pin ATX12V connector. You must use a power supply that has both of these connectors and
both connectors must be attached before the system is powered on. These power connectors
support several power management functions such as the instant power-on function. The
connector pins are described below.

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V

2 +3.3V 14 -12V

3 Ground 15 Ground

4 +5V 16 PS_ON

5 Ground 17 Ground

6 +5V 18 Ground

7 Ground 19 Ground

8 PW_ON 20 -5V

9 +5V standby voltage 21 +5V

10 +12V 22 +5V

ATXPWR

11 +12V 23 +5V

12 +3.3V 24 Ground

Pin Assignment Pin Assignment

1 Ground 5 +12V

2 Ground 6 +12V

3 Ground 7 +12V

ATX12V

ttention

In general, power cords are designed and should be attached with a
specific direction. The black wire of the power cord is Ground and
should be attached onto the header location of Ground.

4 Ground 8 +12V

16

Mainboard P4M900

Chapter 2. BIOS Setup

Introduction

This section describes PHOENIX-AWARD™ BIOS Setup program which resides in the BIOS
firmware. The Setup program allows users to modify the basic system configuration. The
configuration information is then saved to CMOS RAM where the data is sustained by battery
after power-down.

The BIOS provides critical low-level support for standard devices such as disk drives, serial
ports and parallel ports. As well, the BIOS control the first stage of the boot process, loading
and executing the operating system.

The PHOENIX-AWARD
of an industry standard BIOS. This means that it supports the BIOS of Intel
processors.

This version of the PHOENIX-AWARD
password protection as well as special configurations for fine-tuning the system chipset. The
defaults for the BIOS values contained in this document may vary slightly with the version
installed in your system.

Key Function

In general, you can use the arrow keys to highlight options, press <Enter> to select, use the
<PgUp> and <PgDn> keys to change entries, press <F1> for help and press <Esc> to quit.
The following table provides more detail about how to navigate within the BIOS Setup
program.

Keystroke Function

Up arrow Move to previous option

Down arrow Move to next option

Left arrow Move to the option on the left (menu bar)

Right arrow Move to the option on the right (menu bar)

Esc Main Menu: Quit without saving changes

Move Enter Move to the option you desire

PgUp key Increase the numeric value or enter changes

PgDn key Decrease the numeric value or enter changes

+ Key Increase the numeric value or enter changes

- Key Decrease the numeric value or enter changes

Esc key Main Menu – Quit and do not save changes into CMOS

F1 key General help on Setup navigation keys

F5 key Load previous values from CMOS

F6 key Load the defaults from BIOS default table

TM

BIOS installed in your computer system’s ROM is a custom version

TM

BIOS includes additional features such as virus and

®

based

Submenus: Exit Current page to the next higher level menu

Status Page Setup Menu and Option Page Setup Menu – Exit

Current page and return to Main Menu

17

Main Menu

Mainboard P4M900

Standard CMOS Features

Include all the adjustable items in standard compatible BIOS.

Advanced BIOS Features

Include all the adjustable items of Award special enhanced features.

Advanced Chipset Features

Include all the adjustable items of chipset special features.

Integrated Peripherals

Include all onboard peripherals.

Power Management Setup

Include all the adjustable items of Green function features.

Miscellaneous Control

It is for you to specify settings for Miscellaneous Control, such as the CPU clock and
frequency ratio.

18

Mainboard P4M900

PC Health Status

It is for monitoring the system status such as temperature, voltage, and fan speeds.

Thermal Throttling Options

Set the function to low down the CPU temperature being at high workload to protect processor
from damage or accidental shutdown when CPU temperature is over the value.

Power User Overclock Settings

It allows you to change the CPU Host/ DRAM clock for overclock demand.

Password Settings

Set change or disable password. It allows you to limit access to the system and/or BIOS setup.

Load Optimized Defaults

It can load the preset system parameter values to set the system in its best performance
configurations.

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

It can load Fail-Safe defaults except standard CMOS setup.

Save & Exit Setup

Save CMOS value settings to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Abandon all CMOS value changes and exit setup.

Attention

Before going to update BIOS, please change the item,【Miscellaneous Control】
→ 【Flash Write Protect】, from【Enabled】to【Disabled】. When the BIOS
update is done, please adjust the item from【Disabled】to【Enabled】.

19

Mainboard P4M900

Chapter 3: Software Setup

Software List

Category Platform

VIA® 4 in 1 Driver

VIA® Lan Driver

VIA® Audio Driver

VIA® VGA Driver

Microsoft® DirectX 9.0c

Attention

You don’t need to install the driver for USB 2.0 version if
you are using Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (or more
advanced), or Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 4 (or
more advanced).

Windows Vista/ XP/ 2000

Windows Vista/ XP/ 2000

Windows XP/ 2000

Windows Vista/ XP/ 2000

Windows XP/ 2000

Software Installation

Place the Driver CD into the CD-ROM drive and the Installation Utility will auto-run. You can
also launch the Driver CD Installation Utility manually by executing the Intel.exe program
located on the Driver CD. (For more details, please refer to the Readme.txt files that in each
folder of the Driver.)

◎ The screen and images are only for general reference. The version of the screens you

received with your software may vary slightly.

1. When you insert the driver CD into the CD-ROM, you’ll see the screen as the picture
below. There are several driver buttons displayed in the “Driver Menu” screen, and you
can click on the drivers to install.

20

For Windows Vista Driver

Mainboard P4M900

For Windows XP (64bit) Driver

21

For Windows XP (32bit) Driver

Mainboard P4M900

For Windows 2000 Driver

22

Mainboard P4M900

 VIA 4 in 1 Driver – It provides all drivers for the functions which built in both

the Northbridge/ Southbridge.

 VGA Driver – It provides the VGA drive.

 Audio Driver – It provides the driver of AC’97 Audio CODEC.

 LAN Driver – It provides the driver of VIA Network.

2. Click on the “User Manual” button, you can choose the manual to read.

 Microsoft DirectX 9.0c – It provides the software of Microsoft DirectX 9.0c.

3. If you click the “Browse CD” button, you can browse all the files in the Driver CD.

Attention
Before you read manuals, you must install the driver of

Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 to browse PDF files.

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Mainboard P4M900

Chapter 4: Troubleshooting

Problem 1:

No power to the system. Power light does not illuminate. Fan inside power supply does not
turn on. Indicator lights on keyboard are not lit.

Causes:

1. Power cable is unplugged.

2. Defective power cable.

3. Power supply failure.

4. Faulty wall outlet; circuit breaker or fuse blown.

Solutions:

1. Make sure power cable is securely plugged in.

2. Replace cable.

3.Contact technical support.

4.Use different socket, repair outlet, reset circuit breaker or replace fuse.

Problem 2:

System inoperative. Keyboard lights are on, power indicator lights are lit, hard drive is active
but system seems “hung”

Causes: Memory DIMM is partially dislodged from the slot on the mainboard.
Solutions:

1. Power Down

2. Using even pressure on both ends of the DIMM, press down firmly until the module snaps

into place.

Problem 3:

System does not boot from the hard disk drive but can be booted from the CD-ROM drive.
Causes:

1. Connector between hard drive and system board unplugged.

2. Damaged hard disk or disk controller.

3. Hard disk directory or FAT is corrupted.

Solutions:

1. Check the cable running from the disk to the disk controller board. Make sure both ends are

securely attached. Check the drive type in the standard CMOS setup.

2. Contact technical support.

3. Backing up the hard drive is extremely important. Make sure your periodically perform

backups to avoid untimely disk crashes.

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Mainboard P4M900

Problem 4:

System only boots from the CD-ROM. The hard disk can be read and applications can be
used but booting from the hard disk is impossible.

Causes: Hard Disk boot sector has been corrupted.
Solutions: Back up data and applications files. Reformat the hard drive. Re-install applications

and data using backup disks.

Problem 5:

Error message reading “SECTOR NOT FOUND” displays and the system does not allow
certain data to be accessed.

Causes: There are many reasons for this such as virus intrusion or disk failure.
Solutions: Back up any salvageable data. Then performs low level format, partition, and then a

high level format the hard drive. Re-install all saved data when completed.

Problem 6:

Screen message says “Invalid Configuration” or “CMOS Failure.”
Causes: Incorrect information entered into the BIOS setup program.
Solutions: Review system’s equipment. Reconfigure the system.

Problem 7:

The Screen is blank.
Causes: No power to monitor.
Solutions: Check the power connectors to the monitor and to the system.

Problem 8:

Blank screen.
Causes:

1. Memory problem.

2. Computer virus.

Solutions:

1. Reboot computer. Reinstall memory. Make sure that all memory modules are securely

installed.

2. Use anti-virus programs to detect and clean viruses.

Problem 9:

Screen goes blank periodically.
Causes: Screen saver is enabled.
Solutions: Disable screen saver.

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Mainboard P4M900

Problem 10:

Keyboard failure.
Causes: Keyboard is disconnected.
Solutions: Reconnect keyboard. Replace keyboard if you continue to experience problems.

Problem 11:

No color on screen.
Causes:

1. Faulty Monitor.

2. CMOS incorrectly set up.

Solutions:

1. If possible, connect monitor to another system. If no color appears, replace monitor.

2. Call technical support.

Problem 12:

The screen displays “C: drive failure.”
Causes: Hard drive cable not connected properly.
Solutions: Check hard drive cable.

Problem 13:

Cannot boot the system after installing a second hard drive.
Causes:

1. Master/slave jumpers not set correctly.

2. Hard drives are not compatible / different manufacturers.

Solutions:

1. Set master/slave jumpers correctly.

2.Run SETUP program and select the correct drive types. Call drive manufacturers for

possible compatibility problems with other drives.

Problem 14:

Missing operating system on hard drive.
Causes: CMOS setup has been changed.
Solutions: Run setup and select the correct drive type.

Problem 15:

Certain keys do not function.
Causes: Keys jammed or defective.
Solutions: Replace keyboard.

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Mainboard P4M900

Appendix I: Super 5.1 Channel Setup

Channels Setup

1. Beginning with the “Start” button, select Setting Æ Control Panel Æ Sounds, Speech,
and Audio Devices Æ Sounds and Audio Devices. The screen below will display. First

check the “Place volume icon in the taskbar” in the Device volume block. Then press the
“Advanced…” button to configure the speaker settings.

2. At the “Advanced Audio Properties” screen use the drop-down box to select the “5.1
surround sound speakers”. Click “Apply” to enable the 5.1 channel audio effect.

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Mainboard P4M900

3. On your desktop, double click the volume icon that is on the desk bar.

4. On the “Master Volume” screen, select “Options Æ Advanced Controls” item.

5. On the same screen, select “Options Æ Properties” item. And then check “Other” item,
select all the four items shown as below and click “OK”.

6. Finally, click the “Advanced” button of the Rear Speaker on the “Multi Channel” screen,
then check the “Magic5.1 Enable”. This is the final step in configuring “Super 5.1 Channel
Audio Effect”. (If you broadcast a DVD with a DVD-ROM, please skip this step.)

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Mainboard P4M900

Appendix II: RAID 0/ 1 Setup

Introduction to RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology is a sophisticated disk
management system that manages multiple disk drives. It enhances I/O performance and
provides redundancy in order to prevent the loss of data in case of individual disk failure. The
RAID facility on this board provides RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID JBOD, and RAID 5.

Disk Striping (RAID 0)

Striping is a performance-oriented, non-redundant disk storage technology. With RAID striping,
multiple disks are used to form a larger virtual disk. Data is then striped or mapped across all
the physical disks. In this way, multiple I/O operations can be executed in parallel, enhancing
performance. Striping does not provide fault tolerance. The minimum number of hard drives
for RAID 0 is 2.

Disk Mirroring (RAID 1)

With Disk Mirroring there are redundant disks that mirror the primary disks. Data that is written
to the primary disks are also written to the redundant disks. This redundancy provides fault
tolerant protection from a single disk failure. If a read/write failure occurs on one drive, the
system can still read and write data using the other drive. The minimum number of drives for a
RAID 1 configuration is 2. You are required to use an even number of drives.

Note: All mirrored configurations configurations should use drives of the same size.

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