Edit @ 10:08 PM: Okay, I seem to have corrected this problem without reinstalling Windows. I had forgotten about XP’s System Restore feature, and put it to good use. Problem solved. I also discovered that the second BIOS flash I performed, which I thought had worked, was also screwed up. So after yet another flash (back to my previous version, I admit…too spooked now to make any progress), everything is back to normal.

…It’s also back to three days ago, thanks to System Restore. Gotta go update the ATI Catalyst drivers and reinstall Call of Duty again. Blah.

For the “historical record”, the original content of this post will be in the extended entry behind the link below.

Well, I no longer have Internet accessibility from my computer at home—I was updating the BIOS when Asus’ stupid flash utility actually locked up just before it started reprogramming the CMOS. This wiped out the MAC address of the onboard Ethernet controller, as well as the GUID of the Firewire header. I managed to re-flash the board and enter my own MAC and GUID, which seemed to work, but now nothing is operating correctly.

Neither one of the onboard Ethernet adapters seems to be working. They both pull strange IP addresses which can’t be released, and I can’t even connect into my router. The onboard Firewire seems to alternate between “working” and “not working”, and the power-management features (standby, hibernate, even the ability to power off the monitor) are all not functioning. I hope my motherboard isn’t screwed, but I’m going to take a chance that Windows has just gotten confused when it reinstalled all of the mobo-level hardware. I’m going to reformat and reinstall Windows and see if that helps anything. If not…well, I may be going back to the old ABIT KR7A and Athlon 1800 I’ve got sitting in a box.

This all started when I updated my motherboard chipset drivers, and my hard drive activity light got stuck on. I decided to wipe out the drivers and try again from scratch, and while I was at it, I discovered a newer mainboard BIOS and flashed to it. GREAT ONE. Well, at least my track record with fixing computers is better than my track record with fixing cars…

Oh—if you don’t hear from me for a couple days, it’s because I’m busy either reinstalling a bazillion Windows applications or throwing my motherboard in the trash. :/