2 questions

I was wonder what does Turn Hard disk off after - means
in the power plan options.

Also how can i find out what my motherboard is so i can update my BIOS

The BIOS update is in the same place as the drivers you downloaded the other night for your chipset. Look for the BIOS tab. Compare to your current version in BIOS.

Be verrrrry careful that you follow the BIOS update steps exactly or you may brick the mobo. Maybe your brother should help you.

HD power setting is to give HD a rest, usually set a few minutes before Sleep. Why do you want to change this?

gregrocker said:

The BIOS update is in the same place as the drivers you downloaded the other night for your chipset. Look for the BIOS tab. Compare to your current version in BIOS.

Be verrrrry careful that you follow the steps exactly or you may brick the mobo. Maybe your brother should help you.

HD power setting is to give HD a rest, usually set a few minutes before Sleep. Why do you want to set this?

i wanted to set it at one, coz then i through it would go into like hybrid sleep were it wakes up just as if it was waking from hibernation

The HD timeout won't affect hybrid sleep or hibernate. It just shuts HD off sooner, which is not so good idea since HD needs to run to index, superprefetch and keep up with your sleep/hibernate settings.

I thought you had the freezing solved by using Hibernate instead of Sleep.

Here's your BIOS updates gotten from the thread where sfar helped you update your chipset:

GA-EP43-DS3 (rev. 1.0) - GIGABYTE - Support&Download - Motherboard - BIOS

That F9 update which fixes Vista F3 sleep resume might be what you need. See what version you've got now.

Some BIOS updates need to be done in order, and others have all of the previous updates rolled up into them. You need to know for sure before you proceed. You don't want to muck up your BIOS.

how do i see what version i got?

i open up the BIOS menu and i couldent find it

Mitch656 said:

how do i see what version i got?

i open up the BIOS menu and i couldent find it

Run this:

i think this is it, and it says

BIOS:Award Software International, Inc. F5 06/19/2008

I also got 2 messages from Action Center
You received this message because hardware or software on your computer caused Windows to shut down unexpectedly and restart. This is a serious problem, commonly referred to as a stop error or blue screen.
If you have received this error more than once, we recommend that you do the following:

1. Back up your files to avoid data loss in case of a complete hardware failure.
2. Contact the original manufacturer of your computer to determine the specific component which is failing.

Although we know the problem is caused by a hardware component, the error report does not contain enough information to tell us the specific component. It is likely that the problem is being caused by one of the following computer components:

• Random access memory (RAM)
• System board
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Power supply

2.You received this message because a hardware device, its driver, or related software has caused a blue screen error. This type of error means the computer has shut down abruptly to protect itself from potential data corruption or loss. In this case, we were unable to detect the specific device or driver that caused the problem.
The following troubleshooting steps might prevent the blue screen error from recurring. Try them in the order given. If one step does not solve the problem, then move on to the next one.
Steps to solve this problem

Download and install the latest updates and device drivers for your computer

1. Use Windows Update to check for and install updates:
   
   1. Click to open Windows Update in Control Panel
   2. Click the Check for Updates link in the left pane. If you see a message telling you that updates are available, click the message to view and select the updates to install.
      What if I don't see any available updates?
      
      
      • If you see the You receive updates: Managed by your system administrator message you can try clicking the link to Check online for updates from Microsoft Update or Check online for updates from Windows Update, but you might need to contact your system administrator to obtain the desired updates.
      • If you don't see the message above and no updates are available in Windows Update, after you click the Check for Updates link in the left pane, then the available updates have already been installed.
   3. Select all important and recommended updates.
   4. Select the Optional updates you want, and then click Install.
   
   
2. If you recently added a new hardware device to your computer, go online to the manufacturer's website to see if a driver update is available.
   How do I find my computer manufacturer?
   Click the Start button , type msinfo32 in the search box, and then press Enter. Your computer manufacturer is listed as the System Manufacturer in the right pane of the System Information window.
   Click to go online to see contact information for most computer manufacturers
3. If you recently added a new program to your computer, go online to the manufacturer's website to see if an update is available.

Scan your computer for viruses
Many blue screen errors can be caused by computer viruses or other types of malicious software.
If you have an antivirus program installed on your computer, make sure it is up to date with the latest antivirus definitions and perform a complete scan of your system. Check your antivirus product's website for information on getting the latest updates.
If you do not have antivirus software installed on your computer, we recommend using a web-based scanner to check your computer for malware. Many of the top antivirus software providers offer this service free of charge on their websites.
To see a list of Microsoft and third-party providers of antispyware, anti-malware, and antivirus software, go online to the following website:
Security software: Downloads and trials
To see a list of antivirus software vendors, go online to the following Knowledge Base article:
List of antivirus software vendors
Tip
Consider scanning your computer using more than one web-based antivirus scanner, even if you have an antivirus program installed on your computer. This will help make sure that you are using the most up-to-date antivirus definitions and allows you to benefit from the different strengths of each antivirus software manufacturer. If you do run multiple antivirus products, make sure you run only one product at a time. Running multiple antivirus products simultaneously can produce incorrect results.

Check your hard disk for errors
You can help solve some computer problems and improve the performance of your computer by making sure that your hard disk has no errors.

1. Click the Start button , and then click Computer.
2. Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check Now. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk check will report problems but not fix them.
   To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.
   To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
4. Click Start.
   Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this might take several minutes or longer. For best results, don't use your computer for any other tasks while it's checking for errors.
   Note
   If you select Automatically fix file system errors for a disk that is in use (for example, the partition that contains Windows), you'll be prompted to reschedule the disk check for the next time you restart your computer.

Steps to work around this problem

Warning
These steps are designed to address a particular problem but might do so by temporarily disabling or removing some functionality on your computer.
Remove any new hardware or software to isolate the cause of the blue screen
If you received the blue screen error after adding a new hardware device or program, and downloading updates didn't solve the problem, try removing the device or program and restarting Windows. If removing the new device or program allows Windows to start without the error, contact the device or program's manufacturer to get product updates or to learn about any known issues with the device or program.

Restore your computer to an earlier state
If the blue screen error occurred after installing a system or program update, consider using the System Restore feature to remove the changes. System Restore uses "restore points" that have been saved on your computer to return your system to a point in time before the problem began. This won't fix the problem, but it can make your computer work again.
Do one of the following:
If Windows doesn't start:

1. Restart the computer and, when the screen becomes blank during startup, repeatedly press F8 until the Windows Advanced Options Menu displays.
2. Use your arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and then press ENTER.
   For more information about safe mode start up options, go online to read an article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   Click to read KB315222
3. If you are prompted to select a version of Windows, select the correct version, and then press ENTER.
4. Log on to the computer using the Administrator account or an account that has administrator credentials.
5. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:
   [systemroot]\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
   (Where [systemroot] is the drive and directory where your Windows system files are located -- for example, "C:\Windows")
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore the computer to an earlier state.

Or, if Windows starts:

1. Log on to Windows using an administrator account.
2. Click the Start button , and then, in the Search field, type system restore and press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. In the System Restore wizard, click Next.
4. On the Choose a restore point page, click the most recent system restore point, and then click Next.
5. On the Confirm disks to restore page, note that your system disk is selected and click Next.
6. On the Confirm your restore point page, click Finish. System Restore restores the previous Windows configuration, and then restarts the computer
7. Log on to the computer as an administrator.
8. When the System Restore Restoration Complete page appears, click OK.

Advanced troubleshooting
The following steps can help determine what is causing a blue screen error and provide additional options for solving the problem. Try the above troubleshooting steps first before trying these advanced troubleshooting steps.
This section is intended for advanced computer users, such as software developers and network administrators. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting procedures, we recommend that you perform these steps with someone who is.
Step 1: Start Windows in safe mode

1. Restart the computer and, when the screen becomes blank during startup, repeatedly press F8 until the Windows Advanced Options Menu displays.
2. Use your arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
   For more information about safe mode start up options, go online to read the following article:
   Start your computer in safe mode
3. If you are prompted to select a version of Windows, select the correct version, and then press ENTER.

Step 2: Collect more information about your computer
To continue troubleshooting this problem, you will need to collect more information about your computer, and then use it to find more information online.

1. Use Event Viewer to find specific information about this problem
   Event Viewer is an advanced tool that displays detailed information about significant events on your computer. It can be helpful when troubleshooting problems and errors with Windows and other programs.
   
   1. Click the Start button , and then, in the Search box, type Event Viewer.
   2. In the list of search results, double-click Event Viewer. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   3. In the left pane, double-click Windows Logs, and then click Application
   4. In the Actions pane on the right side of the window, click Find.
   5. In the Find dialog box, type bluescreen, and then click Find Next. When a blue screen event is located, close the Find dialog box.
   6. In the Actions pane, click Event Properties.
   7. Click the General tab, and then locate and write down the Fault bucket. An example fault bucket is 0xD1_W_portcls!CPortWavePci::Notify+12.
2. Perform an Internet search
   Use the information you collected in the previous step to search the Internet for more help. If you find troubleshooting steps, make sure that they apply to your specific computer before you follow them.
   
   1. Go online to search the Internet for specific bugcheck codes you found using Event Viewer. For example, search for "0x000000D1" or "0x0000008E."
   2. Go online to search the Internet for the driver name. For example, search for "portcls.sys."
   3. Go online to search the Internet using different combinations of text, such as "Blue Screen" or "Stop Error" along with the driver or device name. For example, you could search for "portcls.sys bluescreen".
   
   

Step 3: Roll back or disable the problem driver

1. Click to open Device Manager. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Based on the driver and device information you obtained in Step 2 above, double-click the device that you have determined might be causing the problem.
3. If you think the problem was caused by a recent update of the driver, click the Driver tab, and then click the Roll Back Driver button. If the problem did not coincide with a recent updating of the driver, then click the Disable button instead.

Step 4: Determine whether a third-party program is causing the problem

1. Click the Start button , type "msconfig" in the Search field, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click the General tab, click Selective Startup, clear the Load startup items check box, and then select the Load System Services check box.
3. Click OK, and then restart the computer.
4. If Windows starts, go to Step 5. If Windows does not start, go to Step 7.

Step 5: Identify the conflicting program
Because of the number of programs that might be listed, we recommend that you use the following process of elimination:

1. Click the Start button , type "msconfig" in the Search field, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click the Startup tab.
3. Select approximately half of the listed items, and then click OK.
4. Restart the computer.
5. If Windows does not start, restart Windows in safe mode.
6. Repeat this process until you have identified the program that is causing the problem.
7. Once you determine that a specific program is causing the problem, we recommend that you remove it if you are not using it.
   How do I uninstall a program?
   
   
   1. Click to open Programs and Features.
   2. Select the program you want to uninstall, and then click Uninstall. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   
   
   Note
   If the program that you want to uninstall isn't listed, it might not have been written for this version of Windows. To uninstall the program, check the information that came with the program.
   
8. If you do not want to remove the program, contact the software manufacturer for a solution to the problem.

Step 6: Disable all third-party services
Disable all third-party services to find out whether the problem is being caused by one of them.
Warning
The following procedure describes how to turn off third-party services. Be careful not to disable Microsoft services, because doing so will turn off System Restore and cause you to lose all system restore points.

1. Click the Start button , type "msconfig" in the Search field, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click the Services tab, and then click the Hide all Microsoft services check box to filter the list to third-party services only.
3. Click Disable all to disable the listed third-party services.
4. Restart the computer and check to see if the problem has gone away. If it has, you know that one of the disabled third-party services is causing the problem. Go to step 7 to identify which service is causing the problem.

Step 7: Locate and disable the third-party service causing the problem
Warning
The following procedure describes how to turn off third-party services. Be careful not to disable Microsoft services, because doing so will turn off System Restore and cause you to lose all system restore points.
Because of the number of services that might be listed, we recommend that you use the following process of elimination:

1. Click the Start button , type "msconfig" in the Search field, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click the Services tab, and then click the Hide all Microsoft services check box to filter the list to third-party services only.
3. Disable approximately half the services on the list, and then click OK.
4. Restart the computer in normal mode.
   
   • If Windows starts, then the problem service is among those you disabled. Repeat the process of enabling services in msconfig and restarting Windows until you determine which one causes Windows to not start in normal mode (this is the service that is causing the problem).
   • If Windows does not start, then the problem service is among those you left enabled. Repeat the process of disabling services and restarting Windows until you determine which one causes Windows to start in normal mode (this is the service that is causing the problem).
   
   
5. If you have determined which service is causing the problem, we recommend that you disable it and contact the service's manufacturer for information on how to solve the problem. Also, make sure you re-enable any of the other services you disabled for diagnostic purposes.

Have you gotten another blue screen since you got this warning in Action Center?

You may have gotten past the blue screens with the new chipset drivers. If not, I'd follow the troubleshooting checklist given.