Hi castroldonfla,
BIOS error message can be frustratingly cryptic. And finding an
explanation of what the error codes for older computers mean can be
even harder because many of the popular BIOS manufacturers of the late
80s and 90s have gone out of business or have merged with other
companies.
Though Award BIOS merged with Phoenix Technologies in 1998, their home
page still is online at http://www.award.com Unfortunately, most of
the links on the page are no longer working, having been linked to
pages on Phoenix's site that have subsequently been moved or deleted.
The good news, however, is that there are a number of websites and
references which can help.
The Award BIOS 4.5 came in several versions and was used in a number
of motherboards used by companies such as ASUS and Gateway. According
to various web pages, (including the second article on this Windows
magazine archive: http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=3955&pg=2
), the PG in the 4.50PG indicates that your BIOS model supports
Plug-and-Play.
Phoenix Technologies devotes a support section to Award BIOS products
here:
http://www.phoenix.com/en/support/bios+support/awardbios/default.htm
Their error codes page (
http://www.phoenix.com/en/support/bios+support/awardbios/award+error+codes.htm
) suggests that the floppy disk[s] fail message occurs when the
computer "cannot find or initialize the floppy drive controller or the
drive. Make sure the controller is installed correctly. If no floppy
drives are installed, be sure the Diskette Drive selection in Setup is
set to NONE or AUTO."
If you've recently installed or unplugged this floppy drive, the first
thing you should check is that the disk drive is getting power. (Does
the light on the drive turn on for a few seconds as the computer
starts up?) Also, if you've worked with the cables recently, make
sure they aren't plugged in backwards. Sometimes this can cause the
drive light to stay on all the time.
More likely for an older computer is that the floppy drive has
experienced hardware failure and needs to be replaced. For most newer
BIOS’s If you don't need the floppy, you can disable it in the BIOS
and still be able to use the computer. Sadly, I don't believe this to
be an option in the Award BIOS version 4.50PG.
A transcribed version of the actual instruction manual documents for
the Award BIOS 4.50 can be found here:
http://www.sysopt.com/award-tri.html
A list of error codes for Award BIOS 4.5x series can also be found at
this web page:
http://the-iceman.at/tutorial/pvd300/award2.htm
The method for getting into the Award BIOS setup utility screens
varies. Most newer computers use the F1 or Delete key during boot.
For older Award BIOS's you need to try key combinations such as:
Ctrl+Alt+S
Ctrl+Alt+Esc
Ctrl+Alt+Ins
(This, according to Phoenix Technologies BIOS FAQ:
http://www.phoenix.com/en/support/bios+support/awardbios/bios+faqs.htm#Q5
)
Search Strategy:
I found the above links using Google, with search terms such as
"Award BIOS" 4.50PG manual
Award BIOS codes
I hope this answers your question and that you're able to fix your
computer problem. Should you have questions about any of the above,
please don't hesitate to post a request for clarification prior to
rating.
Regards,
duncan2-ga |
