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Flash BIOS question

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Author	Thread : Flash BIOS question

Anonymous

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09-05-2005 at 07:49:01 PM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Followed mfr instns, made bootable CD with updated BIOS, flashed it, no
probs. (no 3.5" floppy).

Relative novice - my understanding is that, once "flashed", the BIOS is
permanent. Do I need to keep this CD, or is it now just another
mini-frisbee, given that my AV protection is pretty tight ?

Silvabod

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Anonymous

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09-05-2005 at 09:24:37 PM

Hide

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Silvabod wrote:
|
| Followed mfr instns, made bootable CD with updated BIOS, flashed
| it, no probs. (no 3.5" floppy).
|
| Relative novice - my understanding is that, once "flashed", the BIOS
| is permanent. Do I need to keep this CD, or is it now just another
| mini-frisbee, given that my AV protection is pretty tight ?
|
| Silvabod
|
|

You're correct: your BIOS chip can be considered 'non-volatile' .. unless
your chip goes corrupt.

You can use the BIOS image to have your chip reflashed at a computer or
electronics shop that has an EEPROM burner or you can hot-flash on another
board with the same BIOS chip.

Best to set it aside for such a circumstance .. unless you wish to invest in
an RD1 BIOS Savior .. see http://www.ioss.com.tw for details. A BIOS Savior
is a daughter card which holds your BIOS chip in piggyback, essentially
giving you a permanent backup in case of corruption.

Lurking Rat in 'Da Hood® -
Jef

Anonymous

More Information

09-05-2005 at 10:08:40 PM

Hide

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Thanks, Jef, have checked it out as suggested. Having just laid out major
bucks for the pc, it's on "the list" for later upgrades.
Appreciate the guidance.
Silvabod

"Lurking Rat in 'Da Hood®" <jefn_LurkingRatInDaHood_@sbcglobal.net> wrote in
message news:VqZSe.829$eQ7.665@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> Silvabod wrote:
> |
> | Followed mfr instns, made bootable CD with updated BIOS, flashed
> | it, no probs. (no 3.5" floppy).
> |
> | Relative novice - my understanding is that, once "flashed", the BIOS
> | is permanent. Do I need to keep this CD, or is it now just another
> | mini-frisbee, given that my AV protection is pretty tight ?
> |
> | Silvabod
> |
> |
>
> You're correct: your BIOS chip can be considered 'non-volatile' .. unless
> your chip goes corrupt.
>
> You can use the BIOS image to have your chip reflashed at a computer or
> electronics shop that has an EEPROM burner or you can hot-flash on another
> board with the same BIOS chip.
>
> Best to set it aside for such a circumstance .. unless you wish to invest
> in
> an RD1 BIOS Savior .. see http://www.ioss.com.tw for details. A BIOS
> Savior
> is a daughter card which holds your BIOS chip in piggyback, essentially
> giving you a permanent backup in case of corruption.
>
> Lurking Rat in 'Da Hood® -
> Jef
>
>

Anonymous

More Information

09-05-2005 at 10:57:42 PM

Hide

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Silvabod wrote:
|
| Thanks, Jef, have checked it out as suggested. Having just laid
| out major bucks for the pc, it's on "the list" for later upgrades.
| Appreciate the guidance.
| Silvabod
|

Happy to help Silvabod.

Later, when you decide to get a BIOS Savior, search around on the IOSS
website for sourcing. They list a number of sites selling them (usually
runs about US$25.00).

Good luck with your new system.

Lurking Rat in 'Da Hood® -
Jef

Anonymous

More Information

09-05-2005 at 07:49:02 PM

Hide

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Silvabod wrote:
>
> Followed mfr instns, made bootable CD with updated BIOS, flashed it, no
> probs. (no 3.5" floppy).
>
> Relative novice - my understanding is that, once "flashed", the BIOS is
> permanent. Do I need to keep this CD, or is it now just another
> mini-frisbee, given that my AV protection is pretty tight ?

.....
:-)
You lost your 'cherry' once you flashed .... in public.

......
Keep the 'CD' . Label it well.

'It' flashes the eeprom with
a) the new bios module,
and
b) effectively 'clears' the ESCD "behind" the bios_module.
You may have noticed the ESCD boot msgs ...
and similar during OS load re: the Reg.

The ESCD is( will be ) the record of the bios' probe at next boot,
which hopefully will 'sync' with the existing Win OS 'Reg'.
A fresh OS install assures a sync'd Reg, as M$ says.

Since you used a CD, my assumption is that you
used [awdflash.exe] w/bat file.
Keep good records.

' permanent '-
The internal eeprom structure is st it's contents are
retained indefinately ... a bit of weasel word 'there'.
You can consider it permanent.

.....
*If* you continue to 'flash' ...
invest in a flpy, use the DOS based [awdflash.exe] .
I'd not be all that enamoured of a CD flash medium,
or the Web flash.
Besides ...
you can save the "old" entire eeprom content to flpy,
.... to incl [bios] + [ESCD] .

......
Think about a Bios Savour too .

.....
Make it a point to at least DL, and save, =all= the ensueing bios
updates .

......
'AV' is AV ... till a better "one" comes along.

.....
Nice to have a full, up to date, 'set' of "DL'd/saved" bios bins ,
and
a few, good, saved bios+ESCD 'files' =plus= the matching 'Reg' ...
helps when things go 'south' and you wish to back_track .

Better yet,
an XXCOPY/XXCLONE 'clone' + saved, matching bios+ESCD ...
and hope you'll never need them.
I'm not a fan of "image" clones , prefer instead the "file_by_file"
clones ... easy to deal with.

.....
Since the micro_code debacle has quieted down ,
I've not followed it at all , do think its under better management.
The clone+bios+ESCD will politely save you from "that" , if it occurs,
given that you have a bootable flpy ...
'wits' ...
I'd have to 'thimk' about the use of a bootable CD in that 'case'.

best of luck,
Qed.

Anonymous

More Information

09-06-2005 at 03:54:54 AM

Hide

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

I thought I'd asked a simplw question - this wealth of info is astonishing,
I'll have to research in depth to gain understanding of much of it. Many
thanks for the detailed reply!
Silvabod.

"0_Qed" <nano.bot@shaysnet.com> wrote in message
news:431C7A38.64F3@shaysnet.com...
> Silvabod wrote:
>>
>> Followed mfr instns, made bootable CD with updated BIOS, flashed it, no
>> probs. (no 3.5" floppy).
>>
>> Relative novice - my understanding is that, once "flashed", the BIOS is
>> permanent. Do I need to keep this CD, or is it now just another
>> mini-frisbee, given that my AV protection is pretty tight ?
>
> ....
> :-)
> You lost your 'cherry' once you flashed .... in public.
>
> .....
> Keep the 'CD' . Label it well.
>
> 'It' flashes the eeprom with
> a) the new bios module,
> and
> b) effectively 'clears' the ESCD "behind" the bios_module.
> You may have noticed the ESCD boot msgs ...
> and similar during OS load re: the Reg.
>
> The ESCD is( will be ) the record of the bios' probe at next boot,
> which hopefully will 'sync' with the existing Win OS 'Reg'.
> A fresh OS install assures a sync'd Reg, as M$ says.
>
> Since you used a CD, my assumption is that you
> used [awdflash.exe] w/bat file.
> Keep good records.
>
> ' permanent '-
> The internal eeprom structure is st it's contents are
> retained indefinately ... a bit of weasel word 'there'.
> You can consider it permanent.
>
> ....
> *If* you continue to 'flash' ...
> invest in a flpy, use the DOS based [awdflash.exe] .
> I'd not be all that enamoured of a CD flash medium,
> or the Web flash.
> Besides ...
> you can save the "old" entire eeprom content to flpy,
> ... to incl [bios] + [ESCD] .
>
> .....
> Think about a Bios Savour too .
>
> ....
> Make it a point to at least DL, and save, =all= the ensueing bios
> updates .
>
> .....
> 'AV' is AV ... till a better "one" comes along.
>
> ....
> Nice to have a full, up to date, 'set' of "DL'd/saved" bios bins ,
> and
> a few, good, saved bios+ESCD 'files' =plus= the matching 'Reg' ...
> helps when things go 'south' and you wish to back_track .
>
> Better yet,
> an XXCOPY/XXCLONE 'clone' + saved, matching bios+ESCD ...
> and hope you'll never need them.
> I'm not a fan of "image" clones , prefer instead the "file_by_file"
> clones ... easy to deal with.
>
> ....
> Since the micro_code debacle has quieted down ,
> I've not followed it at all , do think its under better management.
> The clone+bios+ESCD will politely save you from "that" , if it occurs,
> given that you have a bootable flpy ...
> 'wits' ...
> I'd have to 'thimk' about the use of a bootable CD in that 'case'.
>
> best of luck,
> Qed.

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