[syslinux] ISOLINUX fails at boot on Award BIOS v6.00PG

[Alexander Dick]

For future reference check the archives of http://syslinux.zytor.com
for the thread:"isolinux: Extremely broken BIOS Detected" and you will
see that a BIOS upgrade was 'not' necessary for a Phoenix - AwardBIOS
v6.00PG.

The fix was the BIOS settings and elimination of both memory address
and IRQ conflicts.

You really don't want to go to the 'upgrade BIOS' option because it
costs as of this message, $69.95 US for a 500k file and a 1 year
guarantee that comes with a replacement BIOS chip that will be sent to
you if the BIOS upgrade flash hoses your system.  A serious risk at
best when tinkering and decision making is in order for what you
really need to be enabled for your system to function the way you want
it to.

Disable all those ports and devices you don't need in your BIOS first
before you go for the flash upgrade option.  Reset your BIOS from the
BIOS utility, then disable away or break down the system to the basic
setup until you have isolated the root cause.  Get a notebook and log
everything you have done for the future so you don't have to fumble
around searching the Internet for the solution in the future.

If it's a controller that you are booting from, try another one. Run
DOS (FreeDOS, MS-DOS or Windows DOS) with the appropriate DOS drivers
to see if the devices: CD, DVD, Hard disk, zip, USB, etc. can be
accessed from DOS before you go and buy more components, another
system or upgrade the BIOS.  Check the cables to see if they are
secure. Try another cable if you have one.  Check the termination, the
device ID's and the controller settings if it is SCSI.  Be sure to
have "BIOS Support for Bootable CD-ROM" enabled if it is SCSI. 
Disable "BIOS support for Int13 Extensions" if you have no removable
or fixed hard disks on the SCSI controller.  Try another CD-ROM drive
or another CD to eliminate the possiblity that the problem is either
of those.  Try the CD in another sytem if you have one.  Check the
md5sum if it was an ISO burned image.  Run a system diagnostic like
Checkit Diagnostic (http://www.smithmicro.com/).

If DOS see's the devices and you can access them then there is nothing
wrong with your hardware.  If you BIOS boot order is set to: CD or
SCSI (if that's where the CD-ROM drive is hooked up to), A, C or HDD-0
(if your operating system is on the first hard disk).

- Alexander