How to install new motherboard driver?

[hodad]

I have a Biostar MCP6PB M2 + N68S motherboard. It seems to be pretty flaky (it was cheap). I'm running an AMD quad core processor on it.

Does anyone know the procedure for installing a new motherboard driver without using the Windows-based CD they included with the MOBO?

Also, does it matter that the driver was produced for Windows, or should I look for one tailored towards Linux? (Don't think there is one, though).

Thanks

[QIII]

Everything on that driver disk will be Windows drivers and probably none of the installation apps will work in Linux. The OEM may have Linux drivers, but I doubt it. Certainly not a comprehensive CD. Most everything should work fine. For the things that don't we are red-headed step children.

But we can help you find solutions.

What is flakey?

[hodad]

I've had trouble since I cobbled together this box from parts of my previous PC: Tower case, 380W ps, AMD quad core (Phenom?, can't remember exactly), 480MB HD. Bought the Biostar mainly because it was a match for the AMD processor (previous mobo died a static induced death).

Installed 11.10, and it worked fine, but I could never get upgrade manager to work. Never could figure out why, though I made many attempts, following advice on this forum. System operation got increasingly flaky (screen got the jitters, freezups, etc). Kept trying to update via GUI update mgr, and terminal apt-get, but nothing worked, until I tried again yesterday, and the pc flat died.

After mucking around changing drives, etc, I suspect the MOBO. Have tried to install a known good AMD64 DVD version of 11.10 several times today, but it has failed each time. Goes about 95% through the process, and it dies, either with or without an error message. Sometimes the screen goes haywire, and I have to kill the power to get out of it. Tried install w updates and w/o updates. No luck. I even hooked the HD up inside my other linux box and formatted it, and tried installing again. Again, no joy. I suspect the MOBO, even though it's only a few months old, and I installed it carefully. If I had any money, I'd throw it out and get a new one, but...

[Bucky Ball]

If it's only a few months old it should still be under warranty.

Are you talking about flashing the BIOS when you say 'motherboard drivers'?

[QIII]

I wouldn't count that mobo out of the action just yet, anyway. A static discharge on the board could have damaged any number of things: cpu, memory, anything in pci slots, pcbs in the drives, drive firmware. It's entirely possible for a mobo to pass POST with a whole lot of things wrong.

It could also be as simple as setting nomodset on startup.

[QIII]

If you had an old AM2+ Phenom and put it in one of the boards that will handle AM2/AM2+/AM3 processors, it could be a matter of whether dual channel is supported for your memory and you might need to rearrange the modules in the slots.

[hodad]

Sorry for the delay in answering...

By the process of elimination, I determined that it was the mobo, and replaced it with an ASRock A770DE+. It started up right away with same components installed, no problem.

I appreciate your ideas, however. Back up and running with 12.04 Beta, Seems to be running smooth.

Thanks!

[Bucky Ball]

Excellent. Please mark thread as 'Solved' from Thread Tools. ;)