Best Course of Action for Bad BIOS Flash?

[w9design]

Hosed my K7T Pro2A by trying to flash the overclocker's BIOS using WinFlash. It would program 1% and then have a verify error. I figured that it had halted before any flashing so that there was no need to reflash the previous BIOS. Suffice it to say, I was wrong.

My computer now greets me with two "normal tone" beeps, followed by an endless string of high pitched beeps.

I'm aware of BadFlash.com (don't know how, but I am), but is there any other way to reflash my current chip or to obtain a new one?
I think i hosed the boot block as well, unfortunately.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DaddyG]

All things considered Badflash is the way to go. I assume that you have tried to clear cmos to defaults which is required after a flash.
Hot flahing is not for the faint of heart, but it works if you have a second mobo with the same type of BIOS chip.

 

[w9design]

Well, I just ordered a new chip from them so I hope they're as good as you say.

Thanks

 

[w9design]

Just wanted to mention that they are as good as you say! My replacement chip shipped out today -- that is some seriously FAST service.

 

[Pederv]

I had a suggestion, but it looks like you've already taken the action to solve your problem. But for someone that has a simular problem and finds this link in a search, I have a solution (provided you have access to the neccesary equipment). If you know someone or you yourself have access to an eprom programmer it is possible to download the bios file and use the eprom programmer to re-flash the chip. I've done this a couple of times, so I know it's possible.
I understand not a whole lot of people will have access to such equipment. But for those that do, it's an option.

 

[w9design]

Yeah... I toyed with the idea but no one anywhere near me has access to one, including me.

Thanks though

 

[jojocat]

I just got up and running today after a bad flash doing a hot swap. My msi kt133pro2a died when I foolishly did a live flash in an overclocked state. Fortunately, I still had my trusty old bh6 around and hooked it up minimally to the floppy, keyboard and monitor, booted it up with a system floppy, swapped the bios chip, and flashed the award bios with the ami flash utility. The award utility couldn't deal with the situation. Took me a while to find a tip about the ami flash utility's, err, utility.

All in all, a big risky, hairy, PITA, but at least I'm back up and running again today.

 

[sweetca]

i dont understand. if you flash your bios wrong, i thought you could always just hit f8 while you turn the computer on and it resets it...or thats what i was told on these forums earlier. i am going to checkout badflash.com and see what you guys are talking about =) thanks for the info

 

[w9design]

I tried to do a hot-flash, but unfortunately, of my other computers, two have DIPs, and one has a TSOP. And my Pro2a has a PLCC. No go there.

sweetca, if you have a bad flash, no amount of button pushing will bring it back. You need to either reprogram your BIOS chip or buy a new one. Unless of course, you don't hose your bootblock BIOS, and you can flash it blindly via floppy. That's a rare occurence, however. You're screwed if you kill the BIOS. Tou're even more screwed if it's nonremovable ;(