PCI-PCI Bridge re-install on every cold boot

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: JHudson
Well, I just bought myself a ASUS M2N-CROSSHAIR Nforce 590 SLI motherboard and got rid of that crappy MSI.

You used a $60.00 entry-level consumer PC board with premium-line enthusiast components like a X-Fi and 8800GTS, then call it "crappy" relative to a $260.00 premium-line enthusiast PC board?

[JHudson]

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Yes I did sir [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Yes it was a mistake to buy a crappy matx board(since I had a matx case) but mistakes are for human beings to be made right? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Anyways, I bought my self an Atx case and CrossHair. Happier than ever.

[andy2510]

Originally posted by: andy2510
Shame to have got rid of it as I think I have fixed my machine!

I've installed the BIOS given to me by MSI tech support, changed the boot-up graphics device in the BIOS to PCI (from the default PCI-e, even though it is a PCI-e card!) and updated the chipset drivers the the latest VIA drivers. Just did a cold boot and no re-installion!

Actually I spoke too soon .... it reinstalled everything on me again yesterday.

[JHudson]

Do yourself a favour, get rid that board you will regret it, I did.

[andy2510]

I can't afford to - I've just moved house and funds are tight.

I think I'll stick with hibernating every time - that works for me.

[andy2510]

By the way, can you re-title this thread to how it was before? A lot of people are having this problem with different motherboards and can't afford to replace them.

[Pitr52]

Sorry to somewhat bump the topic but I'm a new user of Vista Home Premium (clean install) since yesterday and this problem is already getting right up my nose. I'm on an ASUS P5VDC-X with a PT880 Ultra Northbridge/VT8237A Southbridge and every cold boot - reinstalls the VIA PCI-to-PCI Bridge drivers. Consequently this reinstalls integrated sound and my TV tuner (Hauppauge PVR-150 MCE) which then require setting up EVERY startup! I have the latest BIOS revision and drivers for audio and the TV tuner.

This problem is definitely cross-manufacture and even cross-chipset. I did some trawling and I THINK I may have found a contact at Microsoft who deals with PCI features in Vista. I'm awaiting a reply having informed them in detail about the problems we face. I'll obviously keep everyone informed if I get somewhere with this contact.

In the meanwhile, any advances made towards a solution? A solution MUST surely be possible.

[andy2510]

Hi Pitr52.

The plot thickens! That sounds like it is a board for Pentium processors, so it's cross CPU types aswell. The only link to all these problems is the VT8237A southbridge, which makes an appearance on the K8M890 chipset.

In the meantime, here is a workaround that I use. Instead of stutting the computer down you need to hibernate it. When it boots up next time your previous windows session (including all the drivers) will load up again into memory from it's saved state on the hard disk without any changes required. You may need to hunt though help/support on Vista to find out how to enable it (turn off hybrid sleep feature - basically hibernation with power still on, not good in the days of reducing CO2 emissions!) and also to make the shutdown button on the start menu hibernate instead of shut down.

Please let us know what the contact at Microsoft says. Thanks.

[Pitr52]

andy2510,

Wow, so it is, I thought all of you above were on Intel as well! (I'm on an Intel Pentium D 3.00GHz myself... left AMD at the Sempron stage but that's by the by). Interesting that we all share the same Southbridge but it makes sense seeing as that controls the PCI/PCI-E/AGP slots. Also, previously I was getting BOTH a "VIA PCI-to-PCI Bridge and a "PCI Standard PCI-to-PCI Bridge" reinstalling on startup, but by reinstalling Vista and using the latest Hyperion drivers (NOT installing them though) and pointing "Update drivers for this device" towards it, I got the "PCI Standard..." bridge to reinstall, correctly, as a "VIA PCI-to-PCIE Bridge", though it still repeats at startup. Somewhat a step forward!

Also, I've been doing some digging. This problem is on many different forums including ASUS' own forum! Here's a collection of links which refer to it-

http://www.computing.net/windo...wwboard/forum/811.html
Computing.Net - vista forgets drivers

http://www.velocity-media.net/...5&mode=threaded&start=
Driver Problem In Vista - Velocity Forums

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=277&page=6
Vista Beta Driver Discussion. - Page 6 - NETGEAR Forums

There's more to come once I find them again!

[Pitr52]

Right, I've had a correspondance from a developer at Microsoft basically saying the following-

Peter,

You have reached the right forum.

Thanks for brining this issue to our notice. We are not aware of any such problem. We will have to reproduce this issue in our labs and debug it before we can comment on it or possibly fix it.



Vinod
------------
I'll keep in touch with them. I replied with information about the Southbridge VIA VT8237A being the common item between problems across motherboards and processor platforms, and gave them the link to this discussion. Hopefully something's now happening developer-wise. There may be an end to this yet!