BIOS Nuked

[Asha'man X]

Hi guys

I need some help here.

I have been building my system up slowly the last couple of years, and I am almost done. The last thing I still need is my CPU. This past week I borrowed a processor just to install and check that everything is running ok in the system. I switched on and it did work ok. I then tried to flash the BIOS to prepare it for the processor I'll be putting in there as soon as I can purchase it. However, after the flash completed and restarted my computer, the system flat out refused to boot. I used the built in Asus EZ-Flash option right in the BIOS.

I was in a rush and had to take the chip out again, as it was late at night. I borrowed another chip over the weekend, but it didn't help. I stripped my system down to bare minimum, and also got a 2Mb pci vga card just to get a screen, but no luck.

When starting up, the system powers up, CPU fan spins, but there are no system beeps, and the keyboard doesn't respond to num lock or caps lock or even CTRL+ALT+DEL. No signal comes through on the monitor either.

I think that somehow I've ended up with a bad flash that has erased the boot block of my BIOS. Not even the built in Asus BIOS recovery programs work. I also did the CLRTC jumper and take battery out trick.

Where can I get a new BIOS chip? My motherboard is long out of warranty, and the model can't be bought anymore. I was looking at http://www.biosman.com and they seem to do exactly what I need.

My system specs are as follows:

Asus P5WDH-Deluxe motherboard socket 775 Intel
Asus 8800GTX Video Card
4GB Corsair DDR2-800 RAM
No CPU (previously borrowed a Pentium D 3GHZ)

Has anybody used a BIOS replacement service like these guys?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks eveyone

 

[Gnome]

I've recovered BIOS's twice, there are basically two very cheap ways to do it.

The first which is what I did the first time, costs nothing but you need another motherboard with the exact same specs.

Basically you turn on the other computer with the working BIOS boot onto bootdisk, swap the BIOS while the system is still on and flash it. It does work just be careful the pins bend VERY easily.

The second time I didn't have another motherboard of the same type so I bought the socket from Communica and followed a online diagram of how to build a EEPROM flasher that would work for that type and flashed it. It's a mission, a very very big mission. Don't recommend it, but there are guides online, you have to know how EEPROM's/ 4000 Series Encoder/Decoder works/etc. So best option is probably BIOSMAN or something similar but it costs mega bucks.

Btw. are you sure the motherboard is out of warranty, Asus boards have 3 year warranty.

 

[d0b33]

You can reflash using a USB stick for the ASUS board can't you?

 

[Gnome]

You can reflash using a USB stick for the ASUS board can't you?

Yes provided you can actually access the BIOS

 

[cyberarmy]

CrashFree BIOS 3
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip.

Read your motherboard menu again to make sure how this recovery program works.

Fortunately my MB has two physical BIOS chips.

 

[The_Techie]

CrashFree BIOS 3
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip.

Read your motherboard menu again to make sure how this recovery program works.

Fortunately my MB has two physical BIOS chips.

My previous motherboard (Gigabyte K8N-Pro SLI) also had that feature, thankfully I never had a need for it

 

[Asha'man X]

Hi guys

Thanks for all the replies so far. I can confirm that my BIOS is nuked. I have read the manual about CrashFree Bios, and I did try to make use of it, both with the motherboard cd, and a floppy disk. None worked unfortunately, I guess the boot block of the BIOS got nuked somehow during the flash.

Now that I think of it, my board may not actually be out of warranty, as I bought it Spetember/October 2006. I'm not sure exactly what Axiz could do with it though, as Asus hasn't sold this board in over a year. Would contacting Asus South Africa be worth it? Maybe they could send me a replacement chip for a fee?

Thanks everyone

 

[cyberarmy]

I don't think BIOS chip replacement falls under the standard 3 year ASUS warranty.

And the best is you send them the board and tell them the symptoms rather than you own conclusion(it could be something else other than BIOS), let Axiz see what's the problem it is with your board.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Can also be a faulty component on the mobo which poufted just after you flashed it.

Best to send it in and see what Axiz says. For your part I hope it still is under warranty and can be replaced.

A bit of bother when something like this goes wrong. My rule is - if it works, and you have no issues with it, do not flash it. Only flash if you encounter some serious error and need to resolve it.