How To Chage Bad BIOS?

[joek71]

I have updated my bios and now my computer wont start at all, I dont get even a beep. I just hangs. PLEASE Advise.

Abit motherboard KG7-Raid
AMB-TunderBird 1.33 FSB 266
2 30 Gig Maxtor Hard drives
NViDia GeForce3Ti 200
Philips 706-Sound Card
2 Mushkin DDRam 512mb each.

Please Help,
Joe

[GITster]

Ooooh, your in trouble.

do you know anyone with the same mobo as you?

it's possible to take the bios out while the machine is running, and put yours in to re-flash... obvoisly you have to be careful though.

procedure is...
1. Take bios chip out of dud machine.
2. On good machine turn on Bios shadowing in the bios.
3. Turn off good machine and pull the bios chip out a bit, so it's easyer to do when it's on... carefully - don't bend any pins!!!
4. Turn on good machine using a boot disk (so you can do the flash)
5. Take out good machine bios.
6. Carefully put in dud machine bios (the right way round ;))
7. Flash bios in normal way.
8. Check it all works.
9. replace both bioses.
10. Recheck workingnessidity :)

[sptw]

Hi Joek71.

There are four options available if your BIOS has become corrupt:
1) Use the BootBlock function of the BIOS to reprogram the BIOS ROM.
2) Use a method called ‘Hot-Swapping’ to reprogram the BIOS ROM.
3) Remove the BIOS ROM and manually reprogram it on an EEPROM programmer.
4) Purchase a replacement BIOS from the motherboard manufacturer.

RECOVERING A CORRUPT AWARD BOOTBLOCK BIOS(KG7 use AWARD BIOS).

To recover an AWARD BIOS you will need to create a floppy diskette with a working BIOS file in .BIN format, an AWARD flash utility and an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. AWARD BIOS will not automatically restore the BIOS information to the SYSTEM BLOCK for this reason you will need to add the commands necessary to flash the BIOS to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The system will run the AUTOEXE.BAT file at startup, which will in turn flash the BIOS. This is fairly easy. Here are the steps you need to take.
1) Create a bootable floppy disk. If you use Windows 95, 98 or DOS, this can be done by going to the DOS prompt and typing the command. (Be sure to insert a disk first) FORMAT A: /S
The /S switch specifies that the system files should be copied to the diskette to make it bootable. If you are using Windows ME, Windows NT or Windows 2000 then you can not use the /S switch with the FORMAT command. If you are unable to create a bootable diskette because of the operating system you are using then you may download a
bootable diskette image from the BootDisk.com web site or take a DRDOS7.x at http://www.bootdisk.com.
2) Copy a working BIOS ROM (.BIN) file for your motherboard and an AWARD flash utility to the floppy disk. You can usually download these files from the motherboard manufacturer. If you need help finding these files call the motherboard manufacturer for technical support.
3) Use a text editor or the ‘edit’ command at the DOS prompt to create a text file named ‘AUTOEXEC.BAT’ and save it on the floppy disk. Make sure that the file name is AUTOEXEC and that the extension is .BAT (nothing else).
4) within Windows using a program such as NOTEPAD, you may need to change the file extension from .TXT to .BAT
5) With the text editor add the following commands to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the floppy disk and then save the changes.
@ECHO OFF
@AWDFLASH BIOSFILE.BIN /py
NOTE: The ‘/py’ switch will cause the flash utility to automatically reprogram the BIOS without any user intervention. Be sure to change the ‘AWDFLASH’ to the name of the flash utility that you are using and change the ‘BIOSFILE.BIN’ to the name of the BIOS ROM file you are using.
If you are not sure what the command line switch to automatically flash your BIOS is, type the name of the flash utility with the ‘/?’ switch after it at a DOS prompt and a list of the available switches will be displayed.
6) Insert the diskette you created into the floppy drive A: on the system that you need to restore the BIOS on. Turn on the system. The computer should startup, read the floppy disk, run the commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and restore the BIOS.
At this point if everything went well then the BIOS should have been restored and the computer should restart normally.If Not, you can do a second option:

‘HOT-SWAPPING’ A BIOS CHIP

‘Hot-Swapping’ refers to removing a BIOS chip from the motherboard while the system power is on and the system is in an idle state. Hot-Swapping a BIOS chip is VERY dangerous to both the system and the person attempting to remove the chip. This method of BIOS recovery should only be performed by experienced technician as a last option. Hot-Swapping will work on any type of BIOS chip as long as both computers use the same type of chip.
WARNING: If done improperly this method of BIOS recovery could cause severe damage to the motherboard and BIOS as well as severe injury to the person attempting to remove the chip.
Hot-Swapping requires you to have two computers with the same BIOS distribution and type. The way it works is, while the second (working computer) is on the BIOS chip is removed and the BIOS chip from the first (non-working) board is inserted in its place. The BIOS flash utility is then run on the second computer and the BIOS chip is updated with the BIOS file for the first computer. In essence you are reprogramming the bad BIOS chip on a different motherboard and then putting the chip back into the non-working motherboard. The procedure is below.
1) Start the second (working computer) and go to a DOS prompt. Make sure that no programs are running in the background.
2) While the computer is on carefully remove the BIOS chip from the motherboard and set it aside. Be sure to note the orientation of the chip so that you can later inset it back in to the motherboard exactly as it was.
3) Insert the BIOS chip from the first (non-working) computer in to the BIOS socket on the second (working computer’s) motherboard.
4) At the DOS prompt run the BIOS flash utility and update the BIOS chip with the correct BIOS file for the first computer. If you get a warning message that the chipset and BIOS does not match continue anyway.
5) Once the BIOS chip has been reprogrammed successfully carefully remove the BIOS chip from the second computer and put it back into the first computer. Be sure to pay close attention to the orientation of the chip so that you insert it correctly. Plugging in the chip backwards will immediately damage both the chip and the motherboard.
6) Start the first computer. If all went well the first system should now be working again. If not you have the 3th and 4th option: reprogram it via EEprom programer or purchase a replacement BIOS from the motherboard manufacturer.

I hope this help you.

Note: all credits here goes for David Oakley from Amptron International Inc.

[joek71]

It wont even get into the floppy disk for me to use. Is there a way to set it in the motherboard so that it will load straight in to the floppy and by pass the bios? When my system boots up I am not getting any beeps. Talk to abit they said it was the bios. I just dont want to wait for the new bios to arrive.

Thanks,
Joe

[sptw]

Is there a way to set it in the motherboard so that it will load straight in to the floppy and by pass the bios?

No, it's not possible.There's another method to rewrite the bad bios, but works only with ISA slots.



I just dont want to wait for the new bios to arrive.

Try Hot-Swapping method.I did that, i know a lot of ppl that did that.It works.Take care about :)Well, i think that you can easily find a technical business on your city that own a EEPROM Programer.In seconds you can reprogram your Bios.