Where do I find info on how to flash BIOS

[troopr]

Where can I find GOOD, RELIABLE info on how to PROPERLY flash my BIOS ?? After reading and hearing all the horror stories about screwed up BIOS's after flashing, I'm very reluctant to do it.

Links, suggestions, comments all appreciated thanx!

Joe

 

[DaveGOD]

yeah, and any ideas about trying to undo the flashing, or how to flash a suddenly-defunct mobo wouldnt go amiss either

Yossarian lives

 

[khha4113]

Most mobo's manufacurers have these info on their manuals or websites. Have you checked yours?

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Boondock_Saint]

Not possible to "undo" flashing a BIOS. You can only switch it out, if your board has dual BIOS's, or clear the BIOS by connecting some jumpers.

:tongue: Have you ever tried cooking an egg on your HSF? Tasty. :tongue:

 

[Guest]

Wherever you find the new BIOS update to download should have a button somewhere for flashing help.

(I'm surprised you don't have a section on it in your MoBo manual. If you have lost your manual, you might be able to download a .pdf version of it from your MoBo website.)

It is sooooooo important to make sure you are putting in the right one!

(The actual process is very easy)

 

[FatBurger]

Clear the BIOS with a jumper? I think you mean the CMOS.

<font color=orange>Quarter <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>

 

[troopr]

Thanx for the info, I will check the manual if I can find it. I was hoping to be linked to a sight with easy to understand instructions for the computer illiterates such as myself. With LOTS of pictures!!!

Joe

 

[DaveGOD]

flashing the BIOS in my _limited_ experience is easy, you obtain the file and then run it. getting the WRONG bios update is also easy, and very very bad just make sure to read and follow what it says in the mobo manual and wherever you obtain your flash.

i already tried switching jumpers to clear CMOS, doesnt seem to do anything <sob> lol

Yossarian lives

 

[Boondock_Saint]

Sorry fatty.....teaches me to keep staying up late.



:tongue: Have you ever tried cooking an egg on your HSF? Tasty. :tongue:

 

[FatBurger]

I'll explain for those invisible people following this thread.

BIOS: the information stored in a flash RAM chip on your motherboard. Contains information on how the hardware parts function, both independantly and with each other.

CMOS: the battery backup information that contains merely your settings in the BIOS. When you (for example) change your boot sequence to include the CD-ROM, then save & exit, it'll save the new boot sequence (and all your other settings), in the CMOS. This is what's cleared with the jumper, it'll change your motherboard back to factory default settings.

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>

 

[Guest]

It IS possible to "undo" a wrong bios flash.
With only Floppy, Ram, Keyboard, monitor on an ISA gfx card (not PCI or AGP) and a bootdisk then the bootblock in the bios will take care of it. For mobo's without ISA it has to be done "blindfolded" listening to beeps. I read it in a magazine so i cant give any link but it worked.

 

[Guest]

Update:

Recover bios the "blindfolded" way.

Power down the system.
Copy the latest ROM file onto a bootable diskette. Rename the ROM file to NEWBIOS.ROM, and insert the diskette in the floppy.
Press and hold the <Ctrl>-<Home> keys.
Power up the system and continue to hold <Ctrl>-<Home>.
Wait until you hear diskette activity and release <Ctrl>-<Home> keys.
System will beep at the end of bootblock and the system will reboot.
The system should boot normally now.

Note: This is ofcourse only if the bios is flashed the wrong way, not how to flash a bios the normal way.

 

[Guest]

Here's a looong page on how to flash the normal way:

<A HREF="http://www.xbitlabs.com/mainboards/award-bios-update/" target="_new">http://www.xbitlabs.com/mainboards/award-bios-update/</A>

 

[HarleyMYK]

Here is a link for the ECS K7S5A, which also has a lot of info regarding bios flashing (and recovering):
<A HREF="http://forum.ocworkbench.com/ocwbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000697" target="_new">http://forum.ocworkbench.com/ocwbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000697</A>. While it is specific to this motherboard, I think much of it applies to whatever MoBo you are working with.

Old enough to remember when sex was safe and a personal computer was a slide rule

 

[DaveGOD]

i cant get this blindfold method to work, full post at

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq&notfound=1&code=1

Yossarian lives

 

[DaveGOD]

i am writing this on a computer i thought was for the bin until 15 mins ago.

the info in harleys link worked!!!
this worked on my AMI BIOS anyway [really you should have a look at that link, section 1.4 or something in that FAQ]: if your BIOS is bad (NOT THE SETTINGS in the bios, which you can change in the normal way or just clear CMOS), and your floppy LED lights up when tryign to boot, get a flash file (.rom) for that particular bios, stick it on a floppy and name it AMIBIOS.ROM.
stick the floppy in and turn on the comp. after it does 4 beeps, it should boot, and you just need to put in the bios settings

i'll be checking my next mobo has a AMI bios
cue wayne+garth "we're [I'm] not worthy" esque scene, thanx harley et al

Yossarian lives