Asrock P67 Extreme4 UEFI & Drivers thread [Extreme6 & Pro3 owners welcome]

[pythonse]

so this is a question for those who have ssd drives....are there any issues? what sata port do i need to hook it up to? please be specific, dont just say blue or white or 3 gb or 6 gb port or intel or marvell i need the exact port. also im getting this drive here...any thoughts on it?
http://www.compusa.com/applications/...5&sku=C19-8020

[Ket]

Remember that little black and yellow sticker Asrock stuck on top of the SATA ports? On there is says to put your OS drive on any SATA port between 0-5 for the shortest possible boot up time

[pythonse]

ok thanks ket....other than that its ahci in bios and im good to go?

[Ket]

So, I guess we can save the taxing of our systems using these stress tests and just test the sleep function for stability. Phew, that's a relief.

I'm sorry you feel that way. As I already said we all tried really hard to duplicate the problem on the P67 Extreme4. 3 different UEFI versions, 4 different CPUs, who knows how many different RAM kits (I tried 2, don't know how many my contact tried), and every possible UEFI setting configuration there is. We could not duplicate the problem. What else do you expect us to do?

[piquadrat]

I'm building up a little list of any minor remaining niggles the P67 Extreme4 has, your problem is in that list

I have not a problem but a suggestion and would appreciate if you include it in your list.
New intel's ssds require ATA password implementation to make its internal encryption engines effectively working. Without that their hardware AES is useless. The user has to authorize somehow and HDD password is the only way to do that according to intel's spec.
Asrock (like the other mobo makers) used to implement BIOS/EFI password only. We need HDD passwords thus we need security ATA extension module present in UEFI.
Please suggest Asrock to add the security ATA module (HDD paswords) to their UEFIs. That will make a very welcome precedence.

[Ket]

Noted. I'll bring it up when things are a little less hectic. Everybody is getting ready for Computex

[swampy]

so this is a question for those who have ssd drives....are there any issues? what sata port do i need to hook it up to? please be specific, dont just say blue or white or 3 gb or 6 gb port or intel or marvell i need the exact port. also im getting this drive here...any thoughts on it?
http://www.compusa.com/applications/...5&sku=C19-8020

No issues, normal SATA setup. The SSD doesn't have to be that large if you want to save money. I have an 80 gig, still 50+ gig spare.

[Ket]

Ditto on that. IMO if you are getting a SSD their only good as OS drives, in which case a 60GB SSD is probably plenty for the majority. SSDs are also still rather expensive which doesn't help. In the UK they are about £1 per 1GB, compare that to a 2TB magnetic WD drive you can get for around £78 and in contrast SSD prices are outrageous.

[Ket]

I have not a problem but a suggestion and would appreciate if you include it in your list.
New intel's ssds require ATA password implementation to make its internal encryption engines effectively working. Without that their hardware AES is useless. The user has to authorize somehow and HDD password is the only way to do that according to intel's spec.
Asrock (like the other mobo makers) used to implement BIOS/EFI password only. We need HDD passwords thus we need security ATA extension module present in UEFI.
Please suggest Asrock to add the security ATA module (HDD paswords) to their UEFIs. That will make a very welcome precedence.

I've forwarded your request along with other things but for now we will just have to wait the guys are real busy preparing for Computex so give it a week or two. I might know something by then

[piquadrat]

Big thanks, Ket.

[je-86]

I have a little checklist for you to go through. Once I know the answers to these questions we will be able to look at things in more detail

- Is the mouse connected to a USB2 ports?
- Turn ON legacy USB support
- There are several version of the SteelSeries Xai, which specific one do you have?

[...]

the mouse was connected to the usb 2.0 port and legacy usb was enabled yes. that lead into error code b4 and long boot up time.
I don't know if there are several Versions for the Steelseries Xai. I bought it in November 2009. The Software / Firmware was updated to v 1.42 which you can find at steelseries.com.

well there is a small workaroud:

- usb 2.0 port, legacy usb enabled, only my keyboard is attached to this port
- usb 3.0 port, legacy usb disabled, my steelseries xai is connected to this one
- you can't use your mouse in uefi of course but the keyboard works...
- bootup works fine! But this sould not be the solution! so hopefully the asrock guys can fix this bug by a new uefi bios

[radier]

What is the point in wasting USB 3.0 port for mouse/keyboard or stuff like this?

[swampy]

the mouse was connected to the usb 2.0 port and legacy usb was enabled yes. that lead into error code b4 and long boot up time.
I don't know if there are several Versions for the Steelseries Xai. I bought it in November 2009. The Software / Firmware was updated to v 1.42 which you can find at steelseries.com.

well there is a small workaroud:

- usb 2.0 port, legacy usb enabled, only my keyboard is attached to this port
- usb 3.0 port, legacy usb disabled, my steelseries xai is connected to this one
- you can't use your mouse in uefi of course but the keyboard works...
- bootup works fine! But this sould not be the solution! so hopefully the asrock guys can fix this bug by a new uefi bios

Just connect your mouse to a USB2 port.

[je-86]

What is the point in wasting USB 3.0 port for mouse/keyboard or stuff like this?

this is an uefi bug with the steelseries xai mice. when legacy usb 2.0 is enabled and the mice is connected to an usb 2.0 port the system bootup takes several minutes. when connected without legacy usb support enabled the bootup works fine within seconds...

so i've to waste one usb 3.0 port with legacy support disabled. if not i can't get into uefi bios at startup and the startup takes much too long

[swampy]

Sorry, I should have read your whole post.

[Ket]

the mouse was connected to the usb 2.0 port and legacy usb was enabled yes. that lead into error code b4 and long boot up time.
I don't know if there are several Versions for the Steelseries Xai. I bought it in November 2009. The Software / Firmware was updated to v 1.42 which you can find at steelseries.com.

well there is a small workaroud:

- usb 2.0 port, legacy usb enabled, only my keyboard is attached to this port
- usb 3.0 port, legacy usb disabled, my steelseries xai is connected to this one
- you can't use your mouse in uefi of course but the keyboard works...
- bootup works fine! But this sould not be the solution! so hopefully the asrock guys can fix this bug by a new uefi bios

This could be a problem with the firmware on your mouse. Have you sent a email to the manufacturer of your mouse telling them the problem you get with it on your mobo? Its 50/50 really, could swing the way of the UEFI or the firmware on the mouse.

[je-86]

This could be a problem with the firmware on your mouse. Have you sent a email to the manufacturer of your mouse telling them the problem you get with it on your mobo? Its 50/50 really, could swing the way of the UEFI or the firmware on the mouse.

well after some google research "steelseries xai boot bug" there are other users having this problem. so i will write an email to steelseries too. hope either steelseries or asrock can fix this problem

[edit]
http://faq.steelseries.com/questions...i+is+connected.

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

I can't seem to install windows 7.

I already have the OS on my SSD and it'll boot on both Sata 3 and Sata 6. The bios also sees the drive at boot up as Samsung SSD 256gb which is correct.

Windows will not see the drive, but allow me to pull drivers from the SSD. I just can't get windows list the drive.

I've tried all the drivers on the disc. Even downloaded drivers for the Sata ports so it'll see the drive, but I still can't install windows.

Edit:

Problem solved!

I was installing windows from a USB 3.0 drive in the USB 3.0 slot. It would run, but not read anything.

If you are installing windows from a USB drive, please only use USB 2.0 slots!

I'm on bios 1.6 (for now)..

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

Alright....

A few updates.

Updated the bios to version 1.7. I am getting the triple boot problem a lot of other people have. I drop back to 1.6 and it goes away on start up. It does double boot for OS launch though if I'm on 1.6.

The mouse still stutters a tad in 1.7. No different than 1.6. I have not tried any of the 1.6x betas as I'm having CPU troubles.

[pythonse]

what is ur bios configuration for ur ram?

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

what is ur bios configuration for ur ram?

I did run 9-9-9-24 @ 1.5v and automatic settings (which are a tad looser, 9-9-9-28).

[pythonse]

whats the speed of the ram set at? also what clocking is the cpu? what ram do u have?
i had this issue but resolved it with backing off the ram timings and adjusting my voltage to 1.6...my cpu is at 5 ghz though and i have 2x4gb sticks
the double/triple boot isnt a problem with the version of bios..its a setting inside the bios causing it
im running 1.7

[Ket]

well after some google research "steelseries xai boot bug" there are other users having this problem. so i will write an email to steelseries too. hope either steelseries or asrock can fix this problem

[edit]
http://faq.steelseries.com/questions...i+is+connected.

I'll tell my contacts the manufacturer of your mouse seems to think the problem is boot protocol after Computex. The correct full name for "BIOS" is Basic Input Output System, not Binary Operating System as they have labelled it in the article of that link. Although I suppose Binary Operating System is acceptable, its just not right.

Alright....

A few updates.

Updated the bios to version 1.7. I am getting the triple boot problem a lot of other people have. I drop back to 1.6 and it goes away on start up. It does double boot for OS launch though if I'm on 1.6.

The mouse still stutters a tad in 1.7. No different than 1.6. I have not tried any of the 1.6x betas as I'm having CPU troubles.

I'll look into this and try to replicate that problem but the double boot issue vanished for me some time ago. Do you still get the problem after loading UEFI defaults? If not, try disabling spread spectrum, do you get the issue then?

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

Hey Ket, I have a doozie of a problem for you...

If I install Win 7 x64 ultimate (normal or SP1), one thread stays loaded at 100%. This is without any driver installs, just a 100% fresh install of the OS.

I've reinstalled 4 or 5 times and this problem has continually occured. Server 2k8 doesn't do this.

Hardware:

cpu: i7 2600K
Mobo: ASRock extreme4
Ram: G.Skill DDR3 2x4gb 1600 9-9-9-24
GPU: MSI GTX 470 Twin Frozr II
SSD: Samsung 470 256gb
PSU: Corsair HX850W
DVD: LG bluray drive

[pythonse]

what is ur cpu clocked at...to tell u the truth..if u reset everything back to stock bios setting..then go to turbo mode and set it at 4.6,reboot...u should be fine,then its a matter of gradually increasing settings to get to where u want to go as far as clock speeds.