Solved! Older DESKTOP computer With MSI MoBo 7222.1.1 Checksum Error Won't Reset

dynaryder

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Dec 3, 2015
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4,510
The computer is a dozen years old. It was running Windows 7 (and XP on dual boot) just fine. The problem seemed to start when I entered the BIOS to reset my two main drives ( a Toshiba 1tb SATA drive and an ASUS DVD R/W SATA drive) to IDE from RAID. The BIOS battery was, of course, dead, so the everything including the date defaulted to original settings. After rebooting, I started getting the checksum error. Resetting the date and the other settings did not fix it. I then powered it down, turned off the power bar, hit the main On/Off switch for 30 seconds to drain all capacitors within, opened up the computer case and changed the 2032 battery after leaving the machine for five minutes. I left the cover off, plugged everything back in and restarted it. I entered the BIOS again and reset the values including the time/date, RAID to IDE etc, saved and exited the BIOS. The computer fired up and still there was a message saying checksum error - settings returned to default. I tried rebooting - on the third attempt, the monitor would not display (I later on read that this may be a usual thing with MSI and other MoBo's in this situation. I had to remove the Li-Ion battery to reset it. This took place several times. I am no closer now to solving it.

Now, it gets more "interesting" here. I tried to boot the computer up with the SATA HDD removed. Windows XP would not load....NTLDR missing error. At this point I am stumped as there is no way for me to set the computer to boot first on DVD drive as the BIOS reverts to default settings. I got the "bright idea" to unplug the other HDD on which windows XP is installed. I was able to boot the computer up on my copy of a Hiren's Boot CD ...and sort of run the computer on it. From there, I got the "bright idea" to try and use MSI live update to update the BIOS. I tried several times to load and run the live update utility but it will not install - I could download the utility program and save it in RAM drive OR on to a USB drive I also installed but the utility would not load. It seemed to want a Shellexec file (and Possibly more stuff than that after, I do not know).

What I have really been trying to do throughout this same time period is to find the BIOS Update itself in order to manually install it. The MSI website does not seem to even have a place where I can ask the questions about this or getting an update. It all looks like unless I can get the BIOS issue resolved, I will not be able to repair Windows XP - and for sure, will not be able to run my big SATA HDD without being able to set it to be seen as an IDE drive. (I seem to recall reading that SATA drives larger than a certain size will only be recognized as SCSI drives when set to RAID - either for this MOBO or windows XP or both) I figured that I would try to wipe one of my old HDDs and reinstall Windows XP on it ...but again, IF I cannot get it to get past the boot sequence issue, I cannot do that. It won't work trying to do a clean install on another computer and changing the HDD over after that.

I keep thinking the problem has to be relatively simple ... the MoBo is not bricked as I am running (albeit with little glitches) on it as I write. Two of my fairly knowledgeable friends say that it sounds like a corrupted BIOS and either a re-install or an update is probably the fix for it.

There is one other thing. I was able to find what is supposed to be an updated BIOS on a website with the word "SOGGI" in it. The numeric title is what it should be but when I open the ZIP file, I find a "BIN" file. I rea about what to do with this sort of file so I wrote a "CUE" file. I cannot seem to get the bin file to copy to anything. If I could have, I would have - and then tried to install it and either put this MoBo out of its misery or get it working again. I was cautioned by a third friend to be very careful with any BIOS stuff from other than the MSI site.

With all of the foregoing in mind, is there any of you who would have some workarounds to getting the updated BIOS file and then offer a procedure to install it?

Thanx in advance.
 
Solution
So when you get that error, when does it come up? When Windows is about to load? From the sound of things the BIOS works right? Did you try one RAM stick at a time? Remove everything except a RAM stick, see how far it boots, should go to looking for boot devices then fail.

You also said that you are using this computer, so it actually boots to Windows? Why can't you find the BIOS file on MSI website, they have a support section where you put in your motherboard model which should give you the file you need.
So when you get that error, when does it come up? When Windows is about to load? From the sound of things the BIOS works right? Did you try one RAM stick at a time? Remove everything except a RAM stick, see how far it boots, should go to looking for boot devices then fail.

You also said that you are using this computer, so it actually boots to Windows? Why can't you find the BIOS file on MSI website, they have a support section where you put in your motherboard model which should give you the file you need.
 
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Solution
Feb 20, 2019
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So when you get that error, when does it come up? When Windows is about to load? From the sound of things the BIOS works right? Did you try one RAM stick at a time? Remove everything except a RAM stick, see how far it boots, should go to looking for boot devices then fail.

You also said that you are using this computer, so it actually boots to Windows? Why can't you find the BIOS file on MSI website, they have a support section where you put in your motherboard model which should give you the file you need.

i agree with this opinion too
some time i get this message checksum error too, all i do is take off bios battery and change it with new one and it work perfect for me, after that go to bios and make all default setting, restart and it be good