MSI-6712 BIOS update issues

Question

I have a PC, running XP Pro SP3, which was built for me nigh on 9 years ago.
Motherboard: MSI-6712 (KT4V-L) Version 1.0 (North Bridge KT400A Rev 80, South Bridge VT8235 Rev 00)
CPU: AMD XP2800+ CPU (Socket A 462, 3000 MHz)
Memory: 1.0GB DDR
GPU: nVidia GeForce FX-5200 (128 MB)
About 4 years back I considered updating the BIOS, but the MS LiveUpdate utility (v 3.5 I think it was) no longer worked (wrong URL). Tried updating it, but the update (can’t remember the version) shut down my system whenever I tried to use it. So I rolled back and left it.
Recently, a program I was evaluating (running on .Net 4 Client Profile) caused my PC to freeze up and after uninstalling I discovered all manner of problems with USB peripherals (recognition and auto-play issues).
Tried to restore a backup (Retrospect Express HD) from a Maxtor One Touch III external drive but it wasn’t having it, presumably because of the drive recognition issues, and a straight System Restore wouldn’t complete (because XP would freeze at log off). 
I feared there had been hardware damage, but decided to try a clean re-install of XP Pro. The person who built the PC had left a folder of system set up files (VIA chipset 4in1, LAN, RealTek AC97, nVidia drivers, utilities etc) on the hard drive (which I backed up) but when it came to installing XP, I couldn’t figure out which chipset drivers to install, as there were multiple versions (presumably for his purposes). So I let XP install the default windows drivers and then replaced them with the latest VIA 4in1 set for the KT4V-L from the MSI download page (can’t post link) – driver version 5.11a, release 20.4.2007
Seemed to go well, but it was suggested to me that it might be a good time to update the BIOS. So I installed MSI Live Update 5 and ran a scan. Strange thing is that an automatic scan (which pulls up just the nVidia driver and utilities) reports that none are installed and a manual scan reports that the BIOS, Drivers and Utilities are the latest version and no there is need to update. How can that be? I’ve never updated the BIOS and the only other utility I re-installed is PC Alert 5.
Yet when I run a SIW (System Information for Windows) scan and it reports the following:
BIOS Properties
BIOS Vendor American Megatrends Inc.
Serial Number 00000000
BIOS Version Version 07.00T
Firmware Version 101.114
BIOS Date 04/02/01
BIOS Size 256 KB
BIOS Starting Segment F000h
DMI Version 2.3
Characteristics
supports ISA Yes
supports MCA No
supports EISA No
supports PCI Yes
supports PC Card (PCMCIA) No
supports Plug-and-Play Yes
supports APM Yes
upgradeable (Flash) BIOS Yes
allows BIOS shadowing Yes
supports VL-VESA No
ESCD support is available Yes
supports booting from CD-ROM Yes
supports selectable boot Yes
BIOS ROM is socketed Yes
supports booting from PC Card (PCMCIA) No
supports Enhanced Disk Drive specification Yes
supports INT 13 for Japanese NEC 9800 1.2M floppy (3.5-inch, 1024-byte sectors, 360rpm) No
supports INT 13 for Japanese Toshiba 1.2M floppy (3.5-inch, 360rpm) No
supports INT 13 5.25-inch/360K floppy services Yes
supports INT 13 5.25-inch/1.2M floppy services Yes
supports INT 13 3.5-inch/720K floppy services Yes
supports INT 13 3.5-inch/2.88M floppy services Yes
supports INT 05 print-screen Yes
supports INT 09 and 8042 keyboard services Yes
supports INT 14 serial services No
supports INT 17 printer servicesYes
supports INT 10 CGA/Mono video services Yes
NEC PC-98 No
supports ACPI Yes
supports legacy USB Yes
supports AGP Yes
supports booting from I2O device No
supports booting from LS-120 Yes
supports booting from ATAPI ZIP drive Yes
supports booting from IEEE 1394 deviceNo
Smart Battery supported No
BIOS Boot Specification supported Yes
Function key-initiated Network Service boot supported No
Enable Targeted Content Distribution No
How is it that Live Update 5 doesn’t pick this up?
So, apologies for the convoluted post (thought it best to explain the events leading to this), but what to do?
1.   Do I need to update the BIOS, given that it has never been done and I now have the latest VIA 4in1 drivers installed?
2.   Why is Live Update 5 not reporting the status correctly and is there anything I can do to correct this.
3.   Otherwise, if a BIOS update, is warranted, should I go ahead and download directly from the Global MSI webpage and then which version? (can’t post link). I note from the version descriptions that it was v1.7 (26/12/2002) that added support for AMD XP 2800. Strange then that the guy who put together my PC, would not have updated the BIOS from v1.0 to 1.7 at that time!!
4.   Should I also update the nVidia driver, and if so, when? Before or after a BIOS update or is that irrelevant?
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (Microsoft Corporation)
Code Name NV34
Video Processor GeForce FX 5200
Technology 0.15 0m
Adapter DAC Type Integrated RAMDAC
PCI ID 0x10DE / 0x0322 (nVidia Corporation / GeForce FX 5200 [NV34.3])
PCI sub ID 0x1462 / 0x9360 (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. / MS-8936 (FX5200-T128))
Memory128 MBytes
BIOS String Version 4.34.20.22.00
BIOS Date 08/01/03
PnP Device Id PCI\VEN_10DEDEV_0322SUBSYS_93601462REV_A1\41FEB96E400008
Video Mode Description 1440 x 900 x 4294967296 colors
Driver Version 6.14.10.5673
Driver Date 2004-08-03 22:29:56
DirectX DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Driver Name nv4_disp.dll
Driver Description NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (Microsoft Corporation)
Edit: Actually, looking at the original SIW scan report I see that there are some errors relating to DirectX. Not sure if I need to update DirectX (surely MS Update does that automatically) and/or the nVidia driver.
5.   One other thing that concerns me is that the SIW scan reports that the BIOS is reporting wrong values for the DDR memory. What’s that about?
Memory Summary Reported by BIOS
Warning! Wrong values reported by BIOS
Maximum Capacity 3072 MBytes
Maximum Memory Module Size 1024 MBytes
Memory Slots [unknown]
Error Correction
Memory Timings 3-3-3-8 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)
Device Locator Slot 1
Manufacturer Silicon Technology
Capacity 512 MBytes
Memory Type DDR (PC3200)
Speed 200 MHz
Supported Frequencies 166.7 MHz, 200.0 MHz
Memory Timings 2-3-3-7-0 at 166.7 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings 2-3-3-8-0 at 200.0 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width 64 bits
EPP SPD Support No
XMP SPD Support No
Device Locator Slot 2
Manufacturer Silicon Technology
Capacity 512 MBytes
Memory Type DDR (PC3200)
Speed 200 MHz
Supported Frequencies 166.7 MHz, 200.0 MHz
Memory Timings 2-3-3-7-0 at 166.7 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings 2-3-3-8-0 at 200.0 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width 64 bits
EPP SPD Support No
XMP SPD Support No
Hope someone can advise me on this.
Cheers.

Answer 1

Sorry for cross-posting to another forum, but this has got me in a twizzle
http://www.windowsbbs.com/pc-hardware/89688-need-ram-recommendations-msi-kt4v-l-2.html#post493343
According to the poster (Post #30), the KT4V-L can support 3gB DDR400. 
I looked at the MB in my PC and it is in fact stamped MS-6712 KT4AV v10A (assumed 1.0A ). Both CPU-Z and SIW report it as a MS-6712 v1.0 (BIOS 07.00T  04/02/01, Firmware 101.114)
According to the MSI product webpage, the only difference between the KT4AV and KT4AV_L is that the latter includes an (optional) on-board 10/100 LAN.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/KT4AV.html#/?div=Detail
The ethernet port on my PC is (as described in Device Manager) is a Via Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter, whereas in the listed MSI specifications, the optional 10/100 LAN is stated to be a VIA VT6103 LAN controller. So possibly then I was mistaken in assuming that my MB is a KT4AV-L.
Even so, if the statement about the KT4AV-L supporting 3gB DDR400 is true, surely this also applies to the KT4AV ?
Looking at the available BIOS updates on the MSI page, I can see no mention of an upgrade in DDR400 capacity:
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/KT4AV.html#/?div=BIOS
Edit: Ah, the guy in the post specifically refers to a KT4V-L v1.1 not KT4AV-L and I see that it is different product:
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/KT4V---KT4V-L--v1-0-.html#/?div=Detail
What's confusing is that they all designated as MS-6712. So if anyone, like me, does a look up under MS-6712 they could pull up either version, and since the KT4AV/L and KT4V/L have different BIOS update series, I can see how someone could easily flash the wrong BIOS.
That aside, the memory specifications for the KT4V/L are essentially the same as those in the User Guide that came with my KT4AV:
Supports up to 3GB PC1600/2100/2700/3200* DDR SDRAMs
*See Glossary for recommended DDR400 modules - with the largest listed module capacity being 2 x 512MB
So where does this "up to 3GB DDR400 capacity" notion come from. I'd really want to believe it. And if the guy in the PC shop is to be believed, I'd settle for just 2GB.
Edit 2: Oh, boy, so there is a separate product listing for the KT4V-L v1.1:
http://us.msi.com/product/mb/KT4V-L--v1-1-.html#/?div=Detail
Yet, the memory specifications appear to be the same as those for the other MS-6712 versions and BIOS updates are the same as those for the KT4AV-L (very confusing). In fact the downloadable User Guide is the same  - 'KT4AV MS-6712 (v1.X) ATX Motherboard'.
Am I missing something here?