Intel Zappa MB /w. MR-BIOS ==> No CD-ROM \ VOGONS

Intel Zappa MB /w. MR-BIOS ==> No CD-ROM

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First post, by egrath

Posted on 2025-03-10, 09:19

egrath Offline

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Joined: 2023-07-03, 18:40

Hi,

I recently updated my Intel Zappa board to use a MR-BIOS (3.30) instead of the factory installed AMIBIOS (1.00.06.BS0). So far I'm satisfied with it, as the boot time is way faster now (a few seconds instead of >20), but there is one thing that makes it unusable for me:

The CD-ROM drive is not detected in the BIOS and also the drivers (tested oakcdrom.sys and video-cdd.sys) don't find it.

As soon as I flash back the previous AMIBIOS, the CDROM is recognized and usable again. There are no options to set in MR-BIOS which relate to the problem.

Any hints or suggestions?

With kind regards,
Egon

Reply 1 of 4, by TheMobRules

Posted on 2025-03-12, 09:50

TheMobRules Offline

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I assume you are connecting your CD-ROM drive to the secondary IDE of the motherboard. Can you try connecting it to the primary IDE as a slave (with the HDD as master)? If that works, it would mean that the Mr. BIOS is somehow disabling the secondary IDE.

Can you post a screenshot of the Mr. BIOS setup where the IDE controller stuff is configured?

Reply 2 of 4, by egrath

Posted on 2025-03-12, 10:23

egrath Offline

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There is no option in MR BIOS to configure the IDE controller. It just shows the list of detected devices, the only setting you can change there is the transfer mode. Will try the suggestion with attaching it as the slave to the primary channel.

Reply 3 of 4, by Babasha

Posted on 2025-03-12, 10:55

Babasha Offline

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There is MR_BIOS ver 3.43 for ZAPPA boards?

Need help? Begin with photo and model of your hardware 😉

Reply 4 of 4, by egrath

Posted on 2025-03-14, 05:40

egrath Offline

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Joined: 2023-07-03, 18:40

Pal, thank you very much for this hint, I thought that 3.30 is the latest version, should have done my homework more thorougly. After a little digging it turns out that 3.46 is actually the latest MR-BIOS for Intel Zappa boards.

Just flashed this one and the CD-ROM drive starts working as master on the second channel. According to the changelog it seems that starting with 3.45, MR has added the support for ATAPI CD-ROMs.

Repository of all MR-BIOS:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3etr4acyxtsm603/AA … CCNnj-jKSa?dl=0

The one for ZAPPA is under INTEL/430FX/V097B50I

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