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This is based on several threads I have started here and much use of Google, trying to recreate a fully functioning PC. I did it once, but have been unable to repeat would seem like a fairly simple process. I still don't really know why, but that is not the point of this post.
I understand completely that the original CD from GB has no code I would want to actually install because it is too old. What I am continually pursuing is "What general items, downloaded compressed files, things that are represented on the CD, functions, hardware BIOS, drivers that are represented on the CD, and appear on the current versions posting on this specific web site, should indeed be downloaded and installed. And, in some cases, in what order. Never the actual information on the distribution CD. But the types, items, after finding the latest updates.
Existing documentation inside some of these downloads (mostly Intel) are inconsistent or confusing. Taken against Gigabyte documentation and massive goggling, it is worse.
Examples. Within one of the Intel update files. It says you don't need to install during OS installation. 2 paragraphs later, you have to. Multiple posts on the web - don't need to, or you need to (all referenced to WIN 7 - earlier it appears you had to). Gigabyte, you have to.
JMicron ROM updates - apply or not. Is the implementation on the motherboard one which appears to be an add-on card and needs the ROM updated; or not. How would I know? And if so, which of the 2 included ROM update programs should be run.
The methods of using the individual update installation packages differ significantly. Most are not usefully documented within the update packages. A maintained set of general instructions for the updates in this website would be helpful to a fair number of people. Do you just execute the downloaded compressed file, extract and execute something (and what), extract and use it with win device driver update, etc.
Multiple posts on the web - Intel has renamed the installers and packages. All three named versions of Intel software/firmware packages are here on this site. Based on posted information, they are successively obsolete versions of the newest named file. Yet it seems that more than one is actually supposed to be used for this motherboard?
There is no single point that I can find in the Gigabyte documentation or support that actually explains or discounts this. Examples of what needs to be documented would be:
Which of the Intel provided installable package should be installed and what components of these, if any, should not be installed.
A specific downloadable current information package that clearly explains which of all the many remaining installable packages on the Gigabyte distribution CD are relevant to which motherboards. Not the specific versions on the CD, but the description of the CURRENT versions with sufficient information to let a user distinguish between useful and things that consume resources those that load some sort of garbage (which in some cases consume lots of resources) with an ill defined and sometimes counterproductive results. Things that keeping touching disk drive or some other resource for simple and uninteresting monitoring or just to run lights. Or trialware. Some of this can be found on the install CD if you poke around enough, but some of the explanations are a bit non-useful. They don't cover negatives and positives so users can decide.
These are just my observation and suggestions. I am no smarter than of lot of users and smarter than some others. But my skills are real old. It is my opinion, at my skill level, that if some of these things are addressed, it will simplify the life of at least some of us. There are bunches of people on here that know; it would be relatively little effort to document their knowledge.
If someone could maintain documentation covering these sorts of issues, and maybe keep it in the latest drivers thread, it would be a really useful thing.
I understand completely that the original CD from GB has no code I would want to actually install because it is too old. What I am continually pursuing is "What general items, downloaded compressed files, things that are represented on the CD, functions, hardware BIOS, drivers that are represented on the CD, and appear on the current versions posting on this specific web site, should indeed be downloaded and installed. And, in some cases, in what order. Never the actual information on the distribution CD. But the types, items, after finding the latest updates.
Existing documentation inside some of these downloads (mostly Intel) are inconsistent or confusing. Taken against Gigabyte documentation and massive goggling, it is worse.
Examples. Within one of the Intel update files. It says you don't need to install during OS installation. 2 paragraphs later, you have to. Multiple posts on the web - don't need to, or you need to (all referenced to WIN 7 - earlier it appears you had to). Gigabyte, you have to.
JMicron ROM updates - apply or not. Is the implementation on the motherboard one which appears to be an add-on card and needs the ROM updated; or not. How would I know? And if so, which of the 2 included ROM update programs should be run.
The methods of using the individual update installation packages differ significantly. Most are not usefully documented within the update packages. A maintained set of general instructions for the updates in this website would be helpful to a fair number of people. Do you just execute the downloaded compressed file, extract and execute something (and what), extract and use it with win device driver update, etc.
Multiple posts on the web - Intel has renamed the installers and packages. All three named versions of Intel software/firmware packages are here on this site. Based on posted information, they are successively obsolete versions of the newest named file. Yet it seems that more than one is actually supposed to be used for this motherboard?
There is no single point that I can find in the Gigabyte documentation or support that actually explains or discounts this. Examples of what needs to be documented would be:
Which of the Intel provided installable package should be installed and what components of these, if any, should not be installed.
A specific downloadable current information package that clearly explains which of all the many remaining installable packages on the Gigabyte distribution CD are relevant to which motherboards. Not the specific versions on the CD, but the description of the CURRENT versions with sufficient information to let a user distinguish between useful and things that consume resources those that load some sort of garbage (which in some cases consume lots of resources) with an ill defined and sometimes counterproductive results. Things that keeping touching disk drive or some other resource for simple and uninteresting monitoring or just to run lights. Or trialware. Some of this can be found on the install CD if you poke around enough, but some of the explanations are a bit non-useful. They don't cover negatives and positives so users can decide.
These are just my observation and suggestions. I am no smarter than of lot of users and smarter than some others. But my skills are real old. It is my opinion, at my skill level, that if some of these things are addressed, it will simplify the life of at least some of us. There are bunches of people on here that know; it would be relatively little effort to document their knowledge.
If someone could maintain documentation covering these sorts of issues, and maybe keep it in the latest drivers thread, it would be a really useful thing.
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