GA-VM900M

Intel CoreTM 2 Duo / Intel Pentium D / Intel Pentium 4 / Celeron D LGA775 Processor Motherboard

User's Manual

Rev. 1004 12ME-VM900M-1004R
* The WEEE marking on the product indicates this product must not be disposed of with user's other household waste and must be handed over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment!! * The WEEE marking applies only in European Union's member states.

Motherboard GA-VM900M

Motherboard

Nov. 10, 2006

Copyright
2006 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned in the manual are legally registered to their respective companies.

Notice

The written content provided with this product is the property of Gigabyte. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means without Gigabyte's prior written permission. Specifications and features are subject to change without prior notice.
Product Manual Classification
In order to assist in the use of this product, Gigabyte has categorized the user manual in the following: For detailed product information and specifications, please carefully read the "Product User Manual". For detailed information related to Gigabyte's unique features, please go to "Technology Guide" section on Gigabyte's website to read or download the information you need. For more product details, please click onto Gigabyte's website at www.gigabyte.com.tw

Table of Contents

Item Checklist..... 6 Optional Accessories.... 6 GA-VM900M Motherboard Layout... 7 Block Diagram.... 8 Chapter 1 Hardware Installation... 9
1-1 1-2 1-3 Considerations Prior to Installation... 9 Feature Summary... 10 Installation of the CPU and CPU Cooler.. 12
1-3-1 1-3-2 Installation of the CPU.... 12 Installation of the CPU Cooler... 13

1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7

Installation of Memory... 14 Installation of Expansion Cards... 15 I/O Back Panel Introduction... 16 Connectors Introduction.... 17
Chapter 2 BIOS Setup... 27
The Main Menu (For example: BIOS Ver. : D10)... 28 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 Standard CMOS Features.... 30 Advanced BIOS Features... 32 Integrated Peripherals... 34 Power Management Setup.... 37 PnP/PCI Configurations... 39 PC Health Status... 40 Load Fail-Safe Defaults... 42 Load Optimized Defaults... 42
2-9 Set Supervisor/User Password... 43 2-10 Save & Exit Setup.... 44 2-11 Exit Without Saving.... 44
Chapter 3 Drivers Installation... 45
3-1 3-2 3-3 3-4 3-5 Install Chipset Drivers... 45 Software Application.... 46 Software Information.... 46 Hardware Information... 47 Contact Us.... 47
Chapter 4 Appendix.... 49
4-1 Unique Software Utilities... 49
4-1-1 4-1-2 4-1-3 4-1-4 4-1-5 EasyTune 5 Introduction... 49 Xpress Recovery2 Introduction... 50 Flash BIOS Method Introduction.. 52 Configuring SATA Hard Drive(s).. 61 2- / 4- / 6- / 8- Channel Audio Introduction.. 72

Troubleshooting.... 77

Item Checklist
IDE Cable x 1, FDD Cable x 1 SATA Cable x 1 I/O Shield
* The items listed above are for reference only, and are subject to change without notice.

Optional Accessories

2 Ports USB 2.0 Cable (Part Number: 12CR1-1UB030-51/R) 4 Ports USB 2.0 Cable (Part Number: 12CR1-1UB030-21/R) COM Port Cable (Part Number: 12CF1-1CM001-31/12CF1-1CM001-12R) 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable (Part Number: 12CF1-1AU004-01R) SPDIF In+Out Cable (Part Number: 12CR1-1SPINO-11/R)
GA-VM900M Motherboard Layout

KB_MS LGA775

CPU_FAN

DDRII_1 DDRII_2

(Note 1) To set up an 8 channel audio configuration, you must use 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable (optional). (Note 2) Due to standard PC architecture, a certain amount of memory is reserved for system usage and therefore the actual memory size is less than the stated amount. For example, 4 GB of memory size will instead be shown as 3.xxGB memory during system startup. (Note 3) To use a DDR II 667 memory module on the motherboard, you must install a 1066/800 MHz FSB processor. (Note 4) This function is only supported on 4-pin CPU fans. (Note 5) EasyTune functions may vary depending on different motherboards. - 11 Hardware Installation
Installation of the CPU and CPU Cooler
Before installing the CPU, please comply with the following conditions: 1. Please make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU. 2. Please take note of the one indented corner of the CPU. If you install the CPU in the wrong direction, the CPU will not insert properly. If this occurs, please change the insert direction of the CPU. 3. Please add an even layer of heat sink paste between the CPU and CPU cooler. 4. Please make sure the CPU cooler is installed on the CPU prior to system use, otherwise overheating and permanent damage of the CPU may occur. 5. Please set the CPU host frequency in accordance with the processor specifications. It is not recommended that the system bus frequency be set beyond hardware specifications since it does not meet the required standards for the peripherals. If you wish to set the frequency beyond the proper specifications, please do so according to your hardware specifications including the CPU, graphics card, memory, hard drive, etc. HT functionality requirement content : Enabling the functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for your computer system requires all of the following platform components: - CPU: An Intel Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology - Chipset: An Intel Chipset that supports HT Technology - BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled - OS: An operation system that has optimizations for HT Technology
1-3-1 Installation of the CPU
Metal Lever Fig. 1 Gently lift the metal lever located on the CPU socket to the upright position. Fig. 2 Remove the plastic covering on the CPU socket.
Fig. 3 Notice the small gold colored triangle located on the edge of the CPU socket. Align the indented corner of the CPU with the triangle and gently insert the CPU into position. (Grasping the CPU firmly between your thumb and forefinger, carefully place it into the socket in a straight and downwards motion. Avoid twisting or bending motions that might cause damage to the CPU during installation.) GA-VM900M Motherboard - 12 -

Devices like mouses, modems, and etc. can be connected to Serial port.

VGA Port

Monitor can be connected to VGA port.

USB port

Before you connect your device(s) into USB connector(s), please make sure your device(s) such as USB keyboard, mouse, scanner, zip, speaker.etc. have a standard USB interface. Also make sure your OS supports USB controller. If your OS does not support USB controller, please contact OS vendor for possible patch or driver upgrade. For more information please contact your OS or device(s) vendors.

LAN Port

The provided Internet connection is fast Ethernet, providing data transfer speeds of 10/100 Mbps.

Line In

Devices like CD-ROM, walkman etc. can be connected to Line In jack.

Line Out

Connect the stereo speakers, earphone or front surround channels to this connector.

MIC In

Microphone can be connected to MIC In jack. 1. 2. You can use audio software to configure 2-/4-/6-/8-channel audio functioning. To set up an 8 channel audio configuration, you must use 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable (optional).

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Connectors Introduction
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)
ATX_12V ATX (Power Connector) CPU_FAN SYS_FAN FDD IDE1 / IDE2 SATA0 / SATA1 F_PANEL PWR_LED
10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18)
F_AUDIO CD_IN SPDIF_IO HDA_SUR F_USB1 / F_USB2 COMB CI CLR_CMOS BATTERY

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ATX_12V / ATX (2x2-pin ATX_12V; 2x12-pin ATX Power Connector)
With the use of the power connector, the power supply can supply enough stable power to all the components on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, please make sure that all components and devices are properly installed. Align the power connector with its proper location on the motherboard and connect tightly. The ATX_12V power connector mainly supplies power to the CPU. If the ATX_12V power connector is not connected, the system will not start. Caution! Please use a power supply that is able to handle the system voltage requirements. It is recommended that a power supply that can withstand high power consumption be used (300W or greater). If a power supply is used that does not provide the required power, the result can lead to an unstable system or a system that is unable to start. If you use a 24-pin ATX power supply, please remove the small cover on the power connector on the motherboard before plugging in the power cord ; Otherwise, please do not remove it.

IDE Hard Disk Active LED
MSG (Message LED/Power/Sleep LED) PW (Power Switch) SPEAK (Speaker Connector)
Pin 1: LED anode(+) Pin 2: LED cathode(-) Open: Normal Close: Power On/Off Pin 1: Power Pin 2- Pin 3: NC Pin 4: Data(-)
HD (IDE Hard Disk Active LED) RES (Reset Switch) NC
Pin 1: LED anode(+) Pin 2: LED cathode(-) Open: Normal Close: Reset Hardware System NC

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Reset Switch

SPEAK-

9) PWR_LED
The PWR_LED connector is connected with the system power indicator to indicate whether the system is on/off. It will blink when the system enters suspend mode(S1).

Pin No. 3

Definition MPD+ MPDMPD-
10) F_AUDIO (Front Audio Connector)
This connector supports either HD (High Definition) or AC97 front panel audio module. If you wish to use the front audio function, connect the front panel audio module to this connector. Check the pin assignments carefully while you connect the front panel audio module. Incorrect connection between the module and connector will make the audio device unable to work or even damage it. For optional front panel audio module, please contact your chassis manufacturer.

HD Audio: Pin No. 9 10

Definition MIC2_L GND MIC2_R -ACZ_DET LINE2_R FSENSE1 FAUDIO_JD No Pin LINE2_L FSENSE2
AC'97 Audio: Pin No. Definition MIC GND MIC Power NC Line Out (R) NC NC No Pin Line Out (L) NC
By default, the audio driver is configured to support HD Audio. To connect an AC97 front panel audio module to this connector, please refer to the instructions on page 76 about the software settings. GA-VM900M Motherboard - 22 -
11) CD_IN (CD In Connector, black)
Connect CD-ROM or DVD-ROM audio out to the connector.
Definition CD-L GND GND CD-R
12) SPDIF_IO (S/PDIF In/Out connector, red)
The S/PDIF output is capable of providing digital audio to external speakers or compressed AC3 data to an external Dolby Digital Decoder. Use this feature only when your stereo system has digital input function. Use S/PDIF IN feature only when your device has digital output function. Be careful with the polarity of the SPDIF_IO connector. Check the pin assignment carefully while you connect the S/PDIF cable. Incorrect connection between the cable and connector will make the device unable to work or even damage it. For optional S/PDIF cable, please contact your local dealer.

Pin No. 5 6

Definition Power No Pin SPDIF SPDIFI GND GND

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13) HDA_SUR (Surround Center Connector)
Attach the connector of the 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable (optional) to this connector.
Pin No. Definition LEF_P SURR_RR CEN_P SURR_LL CEN_JD SURR_JD GND -SUR_DET GND No Pin GND S_SURR_JD S_SURR_LL S_SURR_RR
14) F_USB1 / F_USB2 (Front USB Connectors)
Be careful with the polarity of the front USB connector. Check the pin assignment carefully while you connect the front USB cable, incorrect connection between the cable and connector will make the device unable to work or even damage it. For optional front USB cable, please contact your local dealer.
Definition Power(5V) Power(5V) USB0 DXUSB1 DyUSB0 DX+ USB1 Dy+ GND GND No Pin NC

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15) COMB (COMB Connector)
Be careful with the polarity of the COMB connector. Check the pin assignments while you connect the COMB cable. Please contact your nearest dealer for optional COMB cable.

Pin No. 9 10

Definition NDCDBNSINB NSOUTB NDTRBGND NDSRBNRTSBNCTSBNRIBNo Pin
16) CI (Chassis Intrusion, Case Open)
This 2-pin connector allows your system to detect if the chassis cover is removed. You can check the "Case Opened" status in BIOS Setup.

Definition Signal GND

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17) CLR_CMOS (Clear CMOS)
You may clear the CMOS data to its default values by this header. To clear CMOS, temporarily short the two pins. Default doesn't include the jumper to avoid improper use of this header.

Open: Normal

Short: Clear CMOS

18) BATTERY

Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you want to erase CMOS. 1. Turn off the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Gently take out the battery and put it aside for about one minute. (Or you can use a metal object to connect the positive and negative pins in the battery holder to make them short for five seconds.) 3. Re-install the battery. 4. Plug the power cord in and turn on the computer.

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Chapter 2 BIOS Setup
BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) includes a CMOS SETUP utility which allows user to configure required settings or to activate certain system features. The CMOS SETUP saves the configuration in the CMOS SRAM of the motherboard. When the power is turned off, the battery on the motherboard supplies the necessary power to the CMOS SRAM. When the power is turned on, press the <Del> button during the BIOS POST (Power-On Self Test) will take you to the CMOS SETUP screen. You can enter the BIOS setup screen by pressing "Ctrl + F1". If you wish to upgrade to a new BIOS, either GIGABYTE's Q-Flash or @BIOS utility can be used. Q-Flash allows the user to quickly and easily update or backup BIOS without entering the operating system. @BIOS is a Windows-based utility that does not require users to boot to DOS before upgrading BIOS but directly download and update BIOS from the Internet.

CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2006 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Advanced BIOS Features Integrated Peripherals Power Management Setup PnP/PCI Configurations PC Health Status ESC: Quit F8: Q-Flash Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Optimized Defaults Set Supervisor Password Set User Password Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving : Select Item F10: Save & Exit Setup Time, Date, Hard Disk Type.
1. If you dont find the settings you want, press "Ctrl+F1" to access advanced options. 2. Select the Load Optimized Defaults item in the BIOS Setup when somehow the system is not stable as usual. This action makes the system reset to the default settings for stability. 3. The BIOS Setup menus described in this chapter are for reference only and may differ from the exact settings for your motherboard.

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Standard CMOS Features
This setup page includes all the items in standard compatible BIOS.

Advanced BIOS Features

This setup page includes all the items of Award special enhanced features.

Integrated Peripherals

This setup page includes all onboard peripherals.

Power Management Setup

This setup page includes all the items of Green function features.

PnP/PCI Configuration

This setup page includes all the configurations of PCI & PnP ISA resources.

PC Health Status

This setup page is the System auto detect Temperature, voltage, fan, speed.

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

Fail-Safe Defaults indicates the value of the system parameters which the system would be in safe configuration.

Load Optimized Defaults

Optimized Defaults indicates the value of the system parameters which the system would be in best performance configuration.

Set Supervisor Password

Change, set, or disable password. It allows you to limit access to the system and Setup, or just to Setup.

Set User Password

Change, set, or disable password. It allows you to limit access to the system.

Save & Exit Setup

Save CMOS value settings to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Abandon all CMOS value changes and exit setup.

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CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2006 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Date (mm:dd:yy) Time (hh:mm:ss) IDE Channel 0 Master IDE Channel 0 Slave IDE Channel 1 Master IDE Channel 1 Slave IDE Channel 2 Master IDE Channel 3 Master Drive A Floppy 3 Mode Support Halt On Base Memory Extended Memory Thu, Oct 14:31:24 [None] [None] [None] [None] [None] [None] [1.44M, 3.5"] [Disabled] [All, But Keyboard] 640K 447M Item Help Menu Level Change the day, month, year <Week> Sun. to Sat. <Month> Jan. to Dec. <Day> 1 to 31 (or maximum allowed in the month) <Year> 1999 to 2098 F10: Save ESC: Exit F1: General Help F7: Optimized Defaults

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Set Supervisor/User Password
CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2006 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Advanced BIOS Features Integrated Peripherals Power Management Setup Enter Password: PnP/PCI Configurations PC Health Status ESC: Quit F8: Q-Flash Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Optimized Defaults Set Supervisor Password Set User Password Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving : Select Item F10: Save & Exit Setup Change/Set/Disable Password
When you select this function, the following message will appear at the center of the screen to assist you in creating a password. Type the password, up to eight characters, and press <Enter>. You will be asked to confirm the password. Type the password again and press <Enter>. You may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and not enter a password. To disable password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to enter password. A message "PASSWORD DISABLED" will appear to confirm the password being disabled. Once the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup freely. The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify two separate passwords: SUPERVISOR PASSWORD and a USER PASSWORD. When disabled, anyone may access all BIOS Setup program function. When enabled, the Supervisor password is required for entering the BIOS Setup program and having full configuration fields, the User password is required to access only basic items. If you select "System" at "Password Check" in Advance BIOS Features Menu, you will be prompted for the password every time the system is rebooted or any time you try to enter Setup Menu. If you select "Setup" at "Password Check" in Advance BIOS Features Menu, you will be prompted only when you try to enter Setup.

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2-10 Save & Exit Setup
CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2006 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Advanced BIOS Features Integrated Peripherals Power Management Setup PnP/PCI Configurations PC Health Status ESC: Quit F8: Q-Flash Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Optimized Defaults Set Supervisor Password Set User Password Save to CMOS and EXIT (Y/N)? Y Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving : Select Item F10: Save & Exit Setup Save Data to CMOS
Type "Y" will quit the Setup Utility and save the user setup value to RTC CMOS. Type "N" will return to Setup Utility.

2-11 Exit Without Saving

CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2006 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Advanced BIOS Features Integrated Peripherals Power Management Setup PnP/PCI Configurations PC Health Status ESC: Quit F8: Q-Flash Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Optimized Defaults Set Supervisor Password Set User Password Quit Without Saving (Y/N)? N Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving : Select Item F10: Save & Exit Setup Abandon all Data

Type "Y" will quit the Setup Utility without saving to RTC CMOS. Type "N" will return to Setup Utility.

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Chapter 3 Drivers Installation
Pictures below are shown in Windows XP. Insert the driver CD-title that came with your motherboard into your CD-ROM drive, the driver CD-title will auto start and show the installation guide. If not, please double click the CD-ROM device icon in "My computer", and execute the Setup.exe.

Install Chipset Drivers

After insert the driver CD, "Xpress Install" will scan automatically the system and then list all the drivers that recommended to install. The "Xpress Install" uses the"Click and Go" technology to install the drivers automatically. Just select the drivers you want then click the "GO" button. The "Xpress Install" will execute the installation for you automatically.
Some device drivers will restart your system automatically. After restarting your system the "Xpress Install" will continue to install other drivers. System will reboot automatically after install the drivers, afterward you can install others application. For USB 2.0 driver support under Windows XP operating system, please use Windows Service Pack. After install Windows Service Pack, it will show a question mark "?" in "Universal Serial Bus controller" under "Device Manager". Please remove the question mark and restart the system (System will auto-detect the right USB 2.0 driver).

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Drivers Installation

Software Application

This page displays all the tools that Gigabyte developed and some free software. You can click an item to install it.

Software Information

This page lists the contents of software and drivers in this CD-title.

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Hardware Information
This page lists all device you have for this motherboard.

Contact Us

Please see the last page for details.

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Chapter 4 Appendix

4-1 Unique Software Utilities
(Not all model support these Unique Software Utilities, please check your MB features.)

Precautions:

1. 2. 3. 4. When using hard disks with more than 128G under Windows 2000, be sure to execute the EnableBigLba.exe program from the driver CD before data backup. It is normal that data backup takes longer time than data restoration. Xpress Recovery2 is compliant with the GPL regulations. On a few motherboards based on Nvidia chipsets, BIOS update is required for Xpress Recovery2 to correctly identify RAID and SATA IDE mode. Please contact your motherboard manufacturer.

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4-1-3 Flash BIOS Method Introduction
Method 1 : Q-FlashTM Utility
Q-FlashTM is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM. With this utility, users only have to stay in the BIOS menu when they want to update BIOS. Q-Flash TM allows users to flash BIOS without any utility in TM DOS or Windows. Using Q-Flash indicating no more fooling around with any complicated instructions and operating system since it is in the BIOS menu. Please note that because updating BIOS has potential risk, please do it with caution!! We are sorry that Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd is not responsible for damages of system because of incorrect manipulation of updating BIOS to avoid any claims from end-users.

Before You Begin:

Before you start updating BIOS with the Q-FlashTM utility, please follow the steps below first. 1. 2. 3. Download the latest BIOS for your motherboard from Gigabyte's website. Extract the BIOS file downloaded and save the BIOS file (the one with model name.Fxx. For example, 8KNXPU.Fba) to a floppy disk. Reboot your PC and press Del to enter BIOS menu.
The BIOS upgrading guides below are separated into two parts. If your motherboard has dual-BIOS, please refer to Part One. If your motherboard has single-BIOS, please refer to Part Two.
Part One: Updating BIOS with Q-FlashTM Utility on Dual BIOS Motherboards.
Some of Gigabyte motherboards are equipped with dual BIOS. In the BIOS menu of the motherboards supporting Q-Flash and Dual BIOS, the Q-Flash utility and Dual BIOS utility are combined in the same screen. This section only deals with how to use Q-Flash utility. In the following sections, we take GA-8KNXP Ultra as the example to guide you how to flash BIOS from an older version to the latest version. For example, from Fa3 to Fba.
Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG, An Energy Star Ally Copyright (C) 1984-2003, Award Software, Inc.
The BIOS file is Fa3 before updating
Intel i875P AGPset BIOS for 8KNXP Ultra Fa3 Check System Health OK , VCore = 1.5250 Main Processor : Intel Pentium(R) 4 1.6GHz (133x12) <CPUID : 0F27 Patch ID : 0027> Memory Testing : 131072K OK Memory Frequency 266 MHz in Single Channel Primary Master : FUJITSU MPE3170AT ED-03-08 Primary Slave : None Secondary Master : CREATIVEDVD-RM DVD1242E BC101 Secondary Slave : None
Press DEL to enter SETUP / Dual BIOS / Q-Flash / F9 For Xpress Recovery 08/07/2003-i875P-6A79BG03C-00

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VIA Tech. RAID BIOS Utility Create Array Delete Array Select Boot Array Create/Delete Spare Expand Span (JBOD) Array Serial Number View Set Boot OK! Set/Clear bootable array
View Array/disk Status Move to next item Confirm the selection Exit Cap. (GB) 223.58 111.79 111.79 Status Normal Boot Boot

Array No.

[b]Array 0 Stripe Ctrl0 Chnl0 Master Ctrl0 Chnl1 Master

Figure 10

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D. Serial Number View: Highlight Serial Number View and press ENTER. Use the ARROW keys to select a drive, and the selected drive's serial number can be viewed at the bottom line (Figure 11). The serial number is assigned by the disk drive manufacturer.
VIA Tech. RAID BIOS Utility Create Array Delete Array Select Boot Array Create/Delete Spare Expand Span (JBOD) Array Serial Number View View the serial number of hard disks, it is userful for identify same model disks. F1 , Enter ESC Array Name Array0 Array0 : : : : View Array/disk Status Move to next item Confirm the selection Exit Mode SATA SATA Size(GB) 111.79 111.79 Status Stripe0 Stripe1
Dev. Posi. Ctrl0 Chnl0 Master Ctrl0 Chnl1 Master

Serial Number: 3JT329JX

Figure 11 E. Delete Array: If you want to delete an existing array, select Delete Array in Main Menu and press ENTER. Press ENTER on the array to be deleted. A warning message will show up, press Y to confirm or press N to cancel (Figure 12).
VIA Tech. RAID BIOS Utility Create Array Delete Array Select Boot Array Create/Delete Spare Expand Span (JBOD) Array Serial Number View Data on the raid will be destroyed. Continue? (Y/N) Array No. Array 0 Array Type Delete a RAID array contain the hard disks attached to VIA RAID controller F1 , Enter ESC Stripe/Block Size 64K ST3120026AS ST3120026AS : : : : View Array/disk Status Move to next item Confirm the selection Exit Cap. (GB) 223.58 111.79 111.79 Status Normal Stripe0 Stripe1

Figure 12

Deleting a disk array will destroy all the data on the disk array except for RAID 1 array(s). When a RAID 1 array is deleted, the data on the two hard drives will be reserved and the two hard drives will become two normal drives.

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(4) Making a SATA Driver Disk
To install operating system onto the RAID array successfully, you need to install the SATA controller driver during OS installation. Without the driver, the hard disk may not be recognized during the Windows setup process. First of all, copy the driver for the SATA controller from the motherboard driver CD-ROM to a floppy disk. See the instructions below about how to copy the driver in MS-DOS mode (Note). Prepare a startup disk that has CD-ROM support and a blank formatted floppy disk. Step 1: Insert the prepared startup disk and motherboard driver CD-ROM in your system. Boot from the startup disk. Once at the A:\> prompt, change to the CD-ROM drive (example: D:\>). At the D:\> prompt, type the following two commands. Press ENTER after each command (Figure 13): cd bootdrv menu

Figure 13

Figure 14
Step 2: When the controller menu (Figure 14) appears, remove the startup disk and insert the blank formatted disk. Select the controller driver by pressing the corresponding letter from the menu. For example, from the menu in Figure 14, press C to select VIA 8237 Series ATA for Windows operating system. Your system will then automatically zip and transfer this driver file to the floppy disk. Press 0 to exit when finished.
For users without a startup disk: Use an alternative system and insert the GIGABYTE motherboard driver CD-ROM. From the CD-ROM drive folder, double click the MENU.exe file in the BootDrv folder (Figure 15). A command prompt window will open similar to that in Figure 14.
Figure 15 GA-VM900M Motherboard - 68 -
(5) Installing SATA controller driver during OS installation
Now that you have prepared the SATA driver disk and configured BIOS settings, you are ready to install Windows 2000/XP onto your SATA hard drive with the SATA driver. The following is an example of Windows XP installation. Step 1: Restart your system to boot from the Windows 2000/XP Setup disk and press F6 as soon as you see the "Press F6 if you need to install a 3rd party SCSI or RAID driver" message (Figure 16). After pressing F6, there will be a few moments of some files being loaded before you see the next screen.

Windows Setup

Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.
Figure 16 Step 2: When a screen similar to that below appears, insert the floppy disk containing the SATA driver and press S (Figure 17).

Windows Setup Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system, or you have chosen to manually specify an adapter. Currently, Setup will load support for the following mass storage devices(s) <none> * To specify additional SCSI adapters, CD-ROM drives, or special disk controllers for use with Windows, including those for which you have a device support disk from a mass storage device manufacturer, press S. * If you do not have any device support disks from a mass storage device manufacturer, or do not want to specify additional mass storage devices for use with Windows, press ENTER.
S=Specify Additional Device ENTER=Continue F3=Exit

Figure 17

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Step 3: If Setup correctly recognizes the driver in the floppy disk, a controller menu similar to Figure 18 below will appear. If you want to install Windows XP, use the ARROW keys to select VIA V-RAID Controller Series (Windows XP) and press ENTER. Then it will begin to load the SATA driver from the floppy disk.
Windows Setup You have chosen to configure a SCSI Adapter for use with Windows, using a device support disk provided by an adapter manufacturer. Select the SCSI Adapter you want from the following list, or press ESC to return to the previous screen.
VIA V-RAID Controller Series (Windows XP) VIA V-RAID Controller Series (Windows 2K) VIA V-RAID Controller Series (Windows NT4)

ENTER=Select F3=Exit

Figure 18 If a message appears saying one or some file(s) cannot be found, please check the floppy disk or copy the correct SATA driver again from the motherboard driver CD. Step 4: When the screen as shown below appears, press ENTER to continue the SATA driver installation from the floppy disk. The driver installation will be finished in about one minute.
Windows Setup Setup will load support for the following mass storage device(s): VIA V-RAID Controller Series (Windows XP) * To specify additional SCSI adapters, CD-ROM drives, or special disk controllers for use with Windows, including those for which you have a device support disk from a mass storage device manufacturer, press S. * If you do not have any device support disks from a mass storage device manufacturer, or do not want to specify additional mass storage devices for use with Windows, press ENTER.

Figure 19

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After the SATA controller driver installation is completed, you should see a screen as below. It indicates that you have installed the SATA controller driver successfully. You can proceed with the Windows 2000/XP installation.
WindowsXP Professional Setup Welcome to Setup. This port of the Setup program prepares Microsoft(R) Windows (R) XP to run on your computer. To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER. To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R. To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

Enter= Continue

R=Repair

F3=Exit

Figure 20
(Note: Each time you add a new hard drive to a RAID array, the RAID driver will have to be installed under Windows once for that hard drive. After that, the driver will not have to be installed.)

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4-1-5 2- / 4- / 6- / 8- Channel Audio Introduction
This motherboard comes with three audio jacks. To set up multichannel surround sound, install an additional 5.1/7.1 surround cable (optional) and enable the feature through the audio driver.
Installing the 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable (Optional)
The 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable provides center/ subwoofer speaker out, rear speaker out, and side speaker out audio jacks. To set up multi-channel surround sound, this cable needs to be installed.
Step: 1. Connect the 5.1/7.1 surround cable connector to the HDA_SUR header on the motherboard.
2. Secure the cable's metal bracket to the chassis back panel with a screw.

Audio Jacks Introduction

The optional 5.1/7.1 surround cable adds additional 3 audio jacks to the 3 onboard audio jacks. The picture to the right shows the default speaker settings for the 6 audio jacks. The jack retasking capability of HD Audio allows users to change the function for each jack through the audio driver. For example, if a rear speaker is plugged into the center/subwoofer speaker out jack, you can reconfigure the center/subwoofer speaker out jack to function as a rear speaker out jack.
Line In Line Out (Front Speaker Out) Mic In z X Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Side Speaker Out

Onboard Audio Jacks

Audio Jacks on 5.1/7.1 Surround Cable
For the microphone to work correctly, you MUST connect it to either the default Mic In jack or the Line In jack and configure it in the audio driver. GA-VM900M Motherboard - 72 -

HD Audio

With multiple built-in high quality digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that support audio output at up to 192 kHz/24-bit quality and multi-streaming applications, HD Audio is able to handle multiple audio streams (in and out) simultaneously. Multi-channel audio experiences have become a reality so you can, for instance, listen to MP3 music, have an Internet chat, make a telephone call over the Internet, and etc. all at the same time. (The procedure below uses Windows XP as the example operating system.)