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2‑8

Chapter 2: BIOS information

Menu bar

The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:

My Favorites

For saving the frequently‑used system settings and configuration

Main

For changing the basic system configuration

Ai Tweaker

For changing the overclocking settings

Advanced

For changing the advanced system settings

Monitor

For displaying the system temperature, power status, and changing the fan settings

Boot

For changing the system boot configuration

Tool

For configuring options for special functions

Exit

For selecting the exit options and loading default settings

Navigation keys

General help

Menu bar

Configuration fields

Menu items

Back button

Pop-up window

Scroll bar

Last modified 
settings

Quick 
note

Menu items

The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specific items for that menu. For example, 

selecting 

Main

 shows the Main menu items.

The other items (Ai Tweaker, Advanced, Monitor, Boot, Tool, and Exit) on the menu bar have 

their respective menu items.

Back button

This button appears when entering a submenu. Press <Esc> or use the USB mouse to click 

this button to return to the previous menu screen.

Submenu items

A greater than sign (>) before each item on any menu screen means that the item has a 

submenu. To display the submenu, select the item and press <Enter>.

Summary of Contents for A78M-E

Page 1: ...A78M E Motherboard ...

Page 2: ...ctive companies and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners benefit without intent to infringe Offer to Provide Source Code of Certain Software This product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under the General Public License GPL under the Lesser General Public License Version LGPL and or other Free Open Source Software Licenses Such software in this product is...

Page 3: ...1 4 1 4 System memory 1 8 1 5 Expansion slots 1 10 1 6 Jumpers 1 12 1 7 Connectors 1 13 1 8 Software support 1 21 Chapter 2 BIOS information 2 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 2 1 2 2 BIOS setup program 2 6 2 3 My Favorites 2 9 2 4 Main menu 2 10 2 5 Ai Tweaker menu 2 12 2 6 Advanced menu 2 16 2 7 Monitor menu 2 22 2 8 Boot menu 2 25 2 9 Tools menu 2 31 2 10 Exit menu 2 32 Appendices Notices A 1 ...

Page 4: ...oard and adding components carefully read all the manuals that came with the package Before using the product ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged If you detect any damage contact your dealer immediately To avoid short circuits keep paper clips screws and staples away from connectors slots sockets and circuitry Avoid dust humidity and temperature extremes ...

Page 5: ... properly take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual DANGER WARNING Information to prevent injury to yourself when completing a task CAUTION Information to prevent damage to the components when completing a task IMPORTANT Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task NOTE Tips and additional information to help you complete a task Typography Bold text Indicates a menu or...

Page 6: ...e supported with 16GB or above DIMMs ASUS will update the memory QVL once the DIMMs are available in the market Refer to www asus com for the latest Memory QVL Qualified Vendors List When you install a total memory of 4GB capacity or more Windows 32 bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB We recommend a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows 32 bit operating system G...

Page 7: ...gh Quality 5K Hour Solid Capacitors and Stainless Steel Back I O to ensure the best quality reliability and durability ASUS DIGI VRM ASUS DIGI VRM Digital Power Design for the APU ASUS 3 2 Phase Power Design ASUS DRAM Fuse Enhanced DRAM overcurrent protection and short circui damage prevention ASUS ESD Guard Strong ESD Protection for extended component lifespan ASUS High Quality 5K Hour Solid Capa...

Page 8: ... panel audio connector AAFP 1 x S PDIF out header 1 x 24 pin EATX power connector 1 x 4 pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x COM connector 1 x TPM connector 1 x Clear CMOS jumper BIOS features 64 Mb Flash ROM UEFI AMI BIOS PnP DMI 2 0 WfM 2 0 SM BIOS 2 7 ACPI 2 0a Multi language BIOS ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 My Favorites Quick Note Last Modified Log F12 PrintScreen function F3 Shortcut fun...

Page 9: ...onent place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component Before you install or remove any component ensure that the ATX power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard peripherals or components Standby Power LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to ...

Page 10: ...the motherboard Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage to motherboard components 1 2 1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard place it into the chassis in the correct orientation The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image 1 2 2 Screw holes Place six screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard ...

Page 11: ...V EATXPWR CPU_FAN CHA_FAN BATTERY Super I O ALC 887 8111 GR 64Mb BIOS 22 6cm 8 9in AMD A78 DDR3 DIMM_A1 64bit 240 pin module DDR3 DIMM_B1 64bit 240 pin module SATA6G_2 SATA6G_1 SATA6G_3 SATA6G_4 SATA6G_5 SATA6G_6 AUDIO KBMS HDMI LAN_USB12 USB3_12 18 8cm 7 4in DVI_VGA SOCKET FM2 DIGI VRM TPM USB3_34 4 2 3 1 5 1 7 2 6 8 10 11 12 13 15 14 7 ...

Page 12: ...e 1 CPU and chassis fan connectors 4 pin CPU_FAN and 4 pin CHA_FAN 1 15 2 ATX power connectors 24 pin EATXPWR 4 pin ATX12V 1 16 3 TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM 1 15 4 AMD FM2 socket 1 4 5 DDR3 DIMM slots 1 8 6 Speaker connector 4 pin SPEAKER 1 18 7 SATA 6 0 Gb s connectors 7 pin SATA6G_1 6 1 17 8 System panel connector 10 1 pin F_PANEL 1 18 9 Standby power LED SB_PWR 1 1 10 USB 2 0 connectors 10 1 pi...

Page 13: ...ASUS A78M E 1 5 1 3 1 APU installation 1 4 3 2 ...

Page 14: ...duction 1 2 5 3 4 1 3 2 APU heatsink and fan assembly installation Apply the Thermal Interface Material to the APU heatsink and APU before you install the heatsink and fan if necessary To install the APU heatsink and fan assembly ...

Page 15: ...ASUS A78M E 1 7 To uninstall the APU heatsink and fan assembly 5 3 1 4 2 ...

Page 16: ...GB or more memory on the motherboard the actual usable memory for the OS can be about 3GB or less For effective use of memory we recommend that you do any of the following Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32 bit Windows OS Install a 64 bit Windows OS if you want to install 4GB or more on the motherboard This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512Mb 64MB chips or les...

Page 17: ...overclocking may operate at a lower frequency than the vendor marked value To operate at the vendor marked or at a higher frequency refer to section 2 5 Ai Tweaker menu for manual memory frequency adjustment For system stability use a more efficient memory cooling system to support a full memory load 2 DIMMs or overclocking condition Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for the latest QVL 1 4 3 ...

Page 18: ...ket opposite the slot that you intend to use Keep the screw for later use 4 Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated on the slot 5 Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier 6 Replace the system cover 1 5 2 Configuring an expansion card After installing the expansion card configure it by adjusting the software settings 1 Tur...

Page 19: ...th the PCI Express specifications 1 5 5 PCI Express x16 slot This motherboard supports PCI Express x16 network cards SCSI cards and other cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H PCIEx16_1 shared PCIEx1_1 shared PCI1 slot shared Realtek LAN controller shared HD audio shared SATA controller shared OnChip XHCI controller1 shared OnChi...

Page 20: ...rn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord 2 Use a metal object such as a screwdriver to short the two pins 3 Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer 4 Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re enter data If the steps above do not help remove the onboard battery and short the two pins again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data After clearing the CMOS reinstall the ...

Page 21: ...t connects to the tape CD DVD player or other audio sources 5 Line Out port lime This port connects to a headphone or a speaker In the 2 1 4 1 5 1 and 7 1 channel configurations the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out 6 Microphone port pink This port connects to a microphone Refer to the audio configuration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2 1 4 1 5 1 or 7 1 channel c...

Page 22: ... devices can only be used as data storage only We strongly recommend that you connect USB 3 0 devices to USB 3 0 ports for faster and better performance for your USB 3 0 devices 9 DVI D port This port is for any DVI D compatible device DVI D can t be converted to output RGB Signal to CRT and isn t compatible with DVI I 10 HDMI port This port is for a High Definition Multimedia Interface HDMI conne...

Page 23: ...the system may damage the motherboard components These are not jumpers DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors A78M E A78M E Fan connectors CPU_FAN CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND CHA_FAN CHA FAN PWM CHA FAN IN CHA FAN PWR GND 2 TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM This connector supports a Trusted Platform Module TPM system which can securely store keys digital certificates passwords and data...

Page 24: ...y become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate DO NOT forget to connect the 4 pin ATX 12V power plug Otherwise the system will not boot up We recommend that you use a PSU with higher power output when configuring a system with more power consuming devices or when you intend to install additional devices The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate I...

Page 25: ...ID feature is available only if you are using Windows XP SP3 or later version When using hot plug and NCQ set the type of the SATA connectors in the BIOS to AHCI See section 2 6 2 SATA Configuration for details SATA6G_2 GND RSATA_TXP1 RSATA_TXN1 GND RSATA_RXN1 RSATA_RXP1 GND SATA6G_1 GND RSATA_TXP2 RSATA_TXN2 GND RSATA_RXN2 RSATA_RXP2 GND SATA6G_3 GND RSATA_TXP3 RSATA_TXN3 GND RSATA_RXN3 RSATA_RXP...

Page 26: ... to this connector The IDE LED lights up or flashes when data is read from or written to the HDD ATX power button soft off button 2 pin PWRBTN This 2 pin connector is for the system power button Reset button 2 pin RESET This 2 pin connector is for the chassis mounted reset button for system reboot without turning off the system power 7 Speaker connector 4 pin SPEAKER The 4 pin connector is for the...

Page 27: ...le that supports either High Definition Audio or AC 97 audio standard Connect one end of the front panel audio I O module cable to this connector A78M E A78M E Front panel audio connector AAFP PIN 1 AGND NC SENSE1_RETUR SENSE2_RETUR PORT1 L PORT1 R PORT2 R SENSE_SEND PORT2 L HD audio compliant pin definition PIN 1 AGND NC NC NC MIC2 MICPWR Line out_R NC Line out_L Legacy AC 97 compliant definition...

Page 28: ...ional USB 3 0 front or rear panel ports With an installed USB 3 0 module you can enjoy all the benefits of USB 3 0 including faster data transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps faster charging time for USB chargeable devices optimized power efficiency and backward compatibility with USB 2 0 You can connect the ASUS front panel USB 3 0 bracket to this connector to obtain the front panel USB 3 0 solution A78...

Page 29: ...k an icon to display Support DVD motherboard information If Autorun is NOT enabled on your computer browse the contents of the Support DVD to locate the file ASSETUP EXE from the BIN folder Double click the ASSETUP EXE to run the DVD 1 8 Software support 1 8 1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows XP Windows 7 64 bit Windows 7 Windows 8 64 bit Windows 8 Windows 8 1 64 bi...

Page 30: ...1 22 Chapter 1 Product introduction ...

Page 31: ...pdate your motherboard s softwares drivers and the BIOS version easily With this utlity you can also manually update the saved BIOS and select a boot logo when the system goes into POST To launch EZ Update click EZ Update on the AI Suite 3 main menu bar EZ Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an ISP Internet Service Provider Click to automatically update your motherbo...

Page 32: ...ble it 3 Press Tab to switch to the Drive field 4 Press the Up Down arrow keys to find the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS and then press Enter 5 Press Tab to switch to the Folder Info field 6 Press the Up Down arrow keys to find the BIOS file and then press Enter to perform the BIOS update process Reboot the system when the update process is done This function supports USB flash disk...

Page 33: ...quires you to enter BIOS Setup to recover BIOS settings To ensure system compatibility and stability we recommend that you press F5 to load default BIOS values DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS Doing so can cause system boot failure 2 1 4 ASUS BIOS Updater The ASUS BIOS Updater allows you to update BIOS in a DOS environment This utility also allows you to copy the curren...

Page 34: ...When the ASUS Logo appears press F8 to show the BIOS Boot Device Select Menu 3 Select the optical drive as the boot device The DOS screen appears Updating the BIOS file To update the BIOS file using BIOS Updater 1 At the FreeDOS prompt type bupdater pc g and press Enter 2 The BIOS Updater screen appears as below 0202 A78ME CAP 8194 2014 02 19 15 25 48 02 19 2014 A78M E ASUSTek BIOS Updater for DOS...

Page 35: ...t your computer DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure For BIOS Updater version 1 30 or later the utility automatically exits to the DOS prompt after updating BIOS Ensure to load the BIOS default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability Select the Load Optimized Defaults item under the Exit menu Refer to section 2 10 Exit menu for d...

Page 36: ... a USB mouse is connected to your motherboard if you want to use the mouse to control the BIOS setup program The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most conditions to ensure optimum performance If the system becomes unstable after changing any BIOS settings load the default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability Select the Load Optimized Defaults item under the Exi...

Page 37: ...k Exit then select ASUS EZ Mode or press F7 Exits the BIOS setup program without saving the changes saves the changes and resets the system or enters the Advanced Mode Selects the display language of the BIOS setup program Displays the CPU temperature CPU Voltage output DRAM information and CPU Chassis fan speed Power Saving mode Normal mode Loads optimized default Boot device priority Selects the...

Page 38: ... exit options and loading default settings Navigation keys General help Menu bar Configuration fields Menu items Back button Pop up window Scroll bar Last modified settings Quick note Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specific items for that menu For example selecting Main shows the Main menu items The other items Ai Tweaker Advanced Monitor Boot Tool and Exit on the men...

Page 39: ...elp At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item Configuration fields These fields show the values for the menu items If an item is user configurable you can change the value of the field opposite the item You cannot select an item that is not user configurable A configurable field is highlighted when selected To change the value of a field select it and p...

Page 40: ... to set the system date 2 4 3 System Time xx xx xx Allows you to set the system time 2 4 4 Security The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings Adding items to My Favorites To add frequently used BIOS items to My Favorites 1 Use the arrow keys to select an item that you want to add When using a mouse hover the pointer to the item 2 Press F4 on your keyboard or right cl...

Page 41: ... Enter 4 Confirm the password when prompted To clear the administrator password follow the same steps as in changing an administrator password but press Enter when prompted to create confirm the password After you clear the password the Administrator Password item on top of the screen shows Not Installed User Password If you have set a user password you must enter the user password for accessing t...

Page 42: ...locking related items Be cautious when changing the settings of the Ai Tweaker menu items Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction The configuration options for this section vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model you installed on the motherboard Scroll down to display the following items ...

Page 43: ...options Auto DDR3 800MHz DDR3 1066MHz DDR3 1333MHz DDR3 1600MHz DDR3 1866MHz DDR3 2133MHz DDR3 2400MHz Selecting a very high memory frequency may cause the system to become unstable If this happens revert to the default setting 2 5 3 APU Multiplier Auto Allows you to set the multiplier between the CPU Core Clock and the FSB Frequency Use the and keys to adjust the ratio The valid value ranges vary...

Page 44: ...U Offset Mode Sign To offset the voltage by a positive value To offset the voltage by a negative value CPU Offset Voltage Auto Allows you to set the CPU Offset voltage The values range from 0 00625V to 0 33750V with a 0 00625V interval Refer to the CPU documentation before setting the CPU voltage Setting a high voltage may damage the CPU permanently and setting a low voltage may make the system un...

Page 45: ...elect the CPU NB Load Line Calibration mode Configuration options Auto Regular High Extreme CPU Current Capability 100 This item provides wider total power range for overclocking A higher value brings a wider total power range and extends the overclocking frequency range simultaneously Configuration options 100 110 120 130 CPU NB Current Capability 100 This item provides wider total power range fo...

Page 46: ...ency gets faster transient response Use the and keys to adjust the value The values range from 200k Hz to 350k Hz with a 50k Hz interval CPU Power Duty Control T Probe T Probe Maintains the VRM thermal balance Extreme Maintains the VRM current balance Do not remove the thermal module while changing the DIGI VRM related parameters The thermal conditions should be monitored Be cautious when changing...

Page 47: ...Enabled Disabled C6 Mode Enabled Enables or disables C6 mode Configuration options Enabled Disabled IOMMU Disabled Set this item to Enabled to show IOMMU Mode Configuration options Enabled Disabled Bank Interleaving Enabled Enables or disables the bank memory interleaving Configuration options Enabled Disabled Channel Interleaving Enabled Enables or disables the channel memory interleaving Configu...

Page 48: ...s 5 6 before entering OS Configuration options AHCI IDE SATA Port 5 Port 6 RAID This item only appears when OnChip SATA Type is set to RAID If SATA ports 5 6 are configured as RAID the ports can only be used under Windows OS with the requested drivers installed Set to IDE instead of RAID to access devices on SATA ports 5 6 before entering OS Configuration options RAID IDE OnChip SATA MAX Speed SAT...

Page 49: ...ernal Graphics Device Multi Monitor support for add on VGA devices And the memory size of Internal Graphics Device will keep memory reserved Configuration options Disabled Enabled The IGFX Multi Monitor item must be enabled before using AMD Dual Graphics technology Primary Video Device PCIE PCI Video Selects the primary display device Configuration options IGFX Video PCIE PCI Video Integrated Grap...

Page 50: ...USB devices even in when the system is in Power State S5 Disabled Disables this function Serial Port Configuration The sub items in this menu allow you to set the serial port configuration Serial Port Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the serial port COM Configuration options Enabled Disabled Change Settings Auto This item appears only when you set the Serial Port to Enabled and allows you t...

Page 51: ... 5VSB lead Power On By Ring Disabled Disabled Disables Ring to generate a wake event Enabled Enables Ring to generate a wake event Power On By RTC Disabled Disabled Disables RTC to generate a wake event Enabled When set to Enabled the items RTC Alarm Date Days and Hour Minute Second will become user configurable with set values RTC Alarm Date Days This item appears only when you set the previous i...

Page 52: ...tem allows user to disable or enable the Ipv6 PXE Boot support Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 7 Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature power status and allows you to change the fan settings Scroll down to display the following items ...

Page 53: ...ance level of the CPU fan Standard Sets to Standard to make the CPU fan automatically adjust depending on the CPU temperature Silent Sets to Silent to minimize the fan speed for quiet CPU fan operation Turbo Sets to Turbo to achieve maximum CPU fan speed Manual Sets to Manual to assign detailed fan speed control parameters The following four items appear only when you set Q Fan Profile to Manual Q...

Page 54: ...eters The following four items appear only when you set Q Fan Profile to Manual Q Fan Upper Temperature 70 Use the and keys to adjust the upper limit of the chassis temperature The values range from 40ºC to 75ºC Q Fan Max Duty Cycle 100 Use the and keys to adjust the maximum chassis fan duty cycle The values range from 60 to 100 When the chassis temperature reaches the upper limit the chassis fan ...

Page 55: ...ASUS A78M E 2 25 2 8 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options Scroll down to display the following items ...

Page 56: ...ct any of these settings when PS 2 keyboard and mouse are installed These settings only apply when Fast Boot is enabled Auto For a faster POST time PS 2 devices will only be available when the system boots up or rebooted when the PS 2 devices have not been reconnected or changed If you disconnect or change PS 2 devices before restarting the system PS 2 devices will not be available and BIOS setup ...

Page 57: ...power on state of the NumLock to Off 2 8 4 Wait for F1 If Error Enabled When this item is set to Enabled the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 8 5 Option ROM Messages Force BIOS Force BIOS The third party ROM messages will be forced to display during the boot sequence Keep Current The third party ROM messages will be displayed only...

Page 58: ...the type of storage devices that you want to launch Configuration options Both Legacy OpROM first Both UEFI first Legacy OpROM first UEFI driver first Ignore Boot from PCIe PCI Expansion Devices Legacy OpROM first Allows you to select the type of PCIe PCI expansion devices that you want to launch Configuration options Legacy OpROM first UEFI driver first 2 8 9 Secure Boot Allows you to configure t...

Page 59: ... from a USB storage device The PK file must be formatted as a UEFI variable structure with time based authenticated variable KEK Management The KEK Key exchange Key or Key Enrollment Key manages the Signature database db and Revoked Signature database dbx Key exchange Key KEK refers to Microsoft Secure Boot Key Enrollment Key KEK Delete the KEK Allows you to delete the KEK from your system Configu...

Page 60: ...a USB storage device Append DBX from file Allows you to load the additional DBX from a storage device so that more db s images cannot be loaded The DBX file must be formatted as a UEFI variable structure with time based authenticated variable 2 8 10 Boot Option Priorities These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices The number of device items that appears on the...

Page 61: ... Save to Profile Allows you to save the current BIOS settings to the BIOS Flash and create a profile Key in a profile number from one to eight press Enter and then select Yes Load from Profile Allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash Key in the profile number that saved your CMOS settings press Enter and then select Yes DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updati...

Page 62: ... are finished making your selections choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved When you select this option or if you press F10 a confirmation window appears Select Yes to save changes and exit Discard Changes Exit This option allows you to exit the Setup program without saving your changes When you select this option or if you press Esc a confirmation window...

Page 63: ...m that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority to operate this equipment I...

Page 64: ... indicates that the battery should not be placed in municipal waste ASUS Recycling Takeback Services ASUS recycling and takeback programs come from our commitment to the highest standards for protecting our environment We believe in providing solutions for you to be able to responsibly recycle our products batteries other components as well as the packaging materials Please go to http csr asus com...

Page 65: ... America Address 800 Corporate Way Fremont CA 94539 USA Telephone 1 510 739 3777 Fax 1 510 608 4555 Web site http www asus com us Technical Support Support fax 1 812 284 0883 General support 1 812 282 2787 Online support http www service asus com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH Germany and Austria Address Harkort Str 21 23 D 40880 Ratingen Germany Fax 49 2102 959931 Web site http www asus com de Online contact...

Page 66: ...1 2010 09 EN 302 326 2 V1 2 2 2007 06 EN 302 326 3 V1 3 1 2007 09 EN 301 357 2 V1 4 1 2008 11 EN 302 291 1 V1 1 1 2005 07 EN 302 291 2 V1 1 1 2005 07 2006 95 EC LVD Directive EN 60950 1 A12 2011 EN 60065 2002 A12 2011 2009 125 EC ErP Directive Regulation EC No 1275 2008 Regulation EC No 642 2009 Regulation EC No 278 2009 Regulation EC No 617 2013 2011 65 EU RoHS Directive Ver 130816 CE marking Dec...

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