BIOS Flash Update Trouble

[Duder1no]

After successfully performing flash update of my MoBos Award BIOS using the FOX LiveUPDATE utility from my Foxconn G31MXP MoBo manufacturer from within Windows XP (now i know this was a dumb move) it asked me to reboot the PC, after rebooting the display went black, the indicator on it is red like when there is no signal (off) instead of green when I power the PC on.

My first thought was the PC was dead and I fried the MoBo, but I also think that maybe the flash was successful and only a new setting the bios didn't like is affecting the display?

Since the flash was done with the MoBo utility I have no way of knowing which, if any, command line switches were fed to the BIOS flasher.

So I've been reading a lot since yesterday and all of the possible actions I can take are complicated by the fact that I have no display so it's like trying to solve a riddle blindfolded.

Right now I have prepared a bootable USB stick with the Award BIOS awdflash.exe flash utility and the 861F1P03.BIN version 3 update which is the same version I had before flashing the 861F1P07.BIN update and a Flash.bat file with the following commands as downloaded from the MoBo manufacturer's web page:

awdflash 861F1P03.BIN /PY/SN/CC/CD/CP/CH/WB/R
BTW does anyone know what the /CH command does, I'be been unable to find out any info on this command.

I also have flashing instructions from Foxconn but I don't know if all this will help at all because I don't think it's possible to reflash without a display?

Unfortunately the foxconn support stinks, besides what little you can dig around in their slow buggy site there is not much else, so I wonder if anyone has any suggestion as to how to solve this problem please advice I would really appreciate it.

All the information and specs of my MoBo are here:

EDIT: corrected model number:
G31-MXP-K Specs

G31-MXP-K Downloads (Manual, BIOS files, etc.)


.

 

[Rifter]

if the flash went bad and you currently have no bios you are screwed.

I would try pulling the battery though to reset it, it just might work, the old bios might still be there.

 

[Duder1no]

if the flash went bad and you currently have no bios you are screwed.

I would try pulling the battery though to reset it, it just might work, the old bios might still be there.

Is this similar to clearing it thru this jumper or is this something different?

 

[Rifter]

its the same thing, not all mobo's have jumpers sometimes you have to pull the battery.

 

[Duder1no]

Ok thank you. I'm willing to try both that's not a problem I just wanted to know if there was a difference.

I'll try this today at home and report results, thanks.

 

[kiriakos]

The only solution are to buy, an flashed Rom Chip from ebay ...
This will revive the motherboard .

With out it , you are unable to have a Bios boot ... or reflash.

 

[Duder1no]

Tried it, no good, soldered BIOS so that means my mobo is officially dead..


RIP mobo :'(

*takes off sombrero*


Anyone can suggest a good replacement board?

 

[Duder1no]

although i can still hear a single short beep when i turn it on, there are fans moving and HDD activity, the keyboard light flashes on and off, so it's only the display that's bothering it

it needs help guys, it wants help, someone please heeeellllpppp!!!!

 

[nenforcer]

Sorry this happened to you. This can happen to anyone on any board just bad luck.

You did remove the battery and then swap the CMOS jumper for like an hour (15 minutes) and then reseat battery and replace jumper?

Also, are you using onboard video or can you place another video card temporarily? When you flash BIOS settings are usually defaulted and it may have switched from onboard to PCI/PCI-E or vice versa.

Surprised to see a soldered BIOS in this day and age, normally a cheap $3 PLC Extractor from Radio Shack will do the trick.

 

[Absolution75]

I've mucked up a flash on my old DFI Lanparty (nF3) board. Not really my fault, but it just completely froze about half way though. . . Rebooted and all it did was ask for a system disk (to reflash). It worked out fine and the board lives to this day. . .

Anyway, the point is that all hope is not lost (yet). I'd try to do a blind flash before I officially called the board dead. Though they are kind of a "last resort".

 

[Iron Woode]

although i can still hear a single short beep when i turn it on, there are fans moving and HDD activity, the keyboard light flashes on and off, so it's only the display that's bothering it

it needs help guys, it wants help, someone please heeeellllpppp!!!!

A friend of mine had something similar happen a long time ago.

A blind flash is available, assuming Bootblock is still intact. A floppy with the bios is inserted and you press a certain key while you power on the system. It takes a while to flash.

I have heard that a PCI or ISA video card will give you a display.

I found this: http://www.motherboardpoint.com/flash-bios-went-wrong-help-t97339.html

and this too: http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html

 

[kiriakos]

although i can still hear a single short beep when i turn it on, there are fans moving and HDD activity, the keyboard light flashes on and off, so it's only the display that's bothering it

it needs help guys, it wants help, someone please heeeellllpppp!!!!

Those "signs of life" its not enough so to reflash your board.

I downloaded your MB manual , there is no info at all about flashing Bios other than the FOX system updating utility.

And so you have two last options ...
1) Send the motherboard to Fox for repair ..
or
2) Get an Gigabyte board ( Dual Bios ) like my .

 

[Markfw9OO]

Since it is a G31 board with onboard video it might be trying to put the display to a PEG (Pci-E Graphics) card and maybe it's stuck with changing to the onboard video. Try sticking in a PCI or PCI-E vga if you have and check if it will give you some bright pixels

Since you mentioned HDD activity and keyboard flashing lights it might be glitch in the bios.

 

[Duder1no]

Yesterday I was so saddened that I forgot to mention a new development: when I opened up my PC to clear the bios via connector, I found out that my mobo model is NOT really a G31-MXP but it's really a G31-MXP-K. Not that big of a difference I think since the BIOS files and even the manual are the same for both models. As far as I can tell the only difference betweeen the one i had mentioned and my mobo besides the "-K" in the model number is the on-board LAN card model number.

You did remove the battery and then swap the CMOS jumper for like an hour (15 minutes) and then reseat battery and replace jumper?

No, I did the jumper change for about half an hour but I can try this.

Also, are you using onboard video or can you place another video card temporarily? When you flash BIOS settings are usually defaulted and it may have switched from onboard to PCI/PCI-E or vice versa.

Hmmmm interesting point, right now the PC has an NVIDIA Quadro FX 570 (P588) PCI Express x16 external video card that I tried to install some days ago but I was afraid of moving settings on the BIOS to activate it because I was afraid of being caugth in the dark with a dark display (how is that for irony huh?) anyway the video card is still seated there, maybe i should try removing it?

I'm gonna try this before calling it dead, but I'm being realist and don't have my hopes up too much tho.

 

[Duder1no]

I'd try to do a blind flash before I officially called the board dead. Though they are kind of a "last resort".

I tried it yesterday too without results with the bootable usb flash

it's hard enough to do this with a working display since you have to change the bios boot order so that it reads the USB first along with at least one other setting you have to move so to do it in the dark it's nearly impossible

 

[Duder1no]

2) Get an Gigabyte board ( Dual Bios ) like my .

looks like this will be it, what's this double bios thing?

 

[Duder1no]

A friend of mine had something similar happen a long time ago.

A blind flash is available, assuming Bootblock is still intact. A floppy with the bios is inserted and you press a certain key while you power on the system. It takes a while to flash.

I have heard that a PCI or ISA video card will give you a display.

I found this: http://www.motherboardpoint.com/flash-bios-went-wrong-help-t97339.html

and this too: http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html

thanks i will check this out

Since it is a G31 board with onboard video it might be trying to put the display to a PEG (Pci-E Graphics) card and maybe it's stuck with changing to the onboard video. Try sticking in a PCI or PCI-E vga if you have and check if it will give you some bright pixels

Since you mentioned HDD activity and keyboard flashing lights it might be glitch in the bios.

there is still life in there i can tell, also check this out:

Hmmmm interesting point, right now the PC has an NVIDIA Quadro FX 570 (P588) PCI Express x16 external video card that I tried to install some days ago but I was afraid of moving settings on the BIOS to activate it because I was afraid of being caugth in the dark with a dark display (how is that for irony huh?) anyway the video card is still seated there, maybe i should try removing it?

I'm gonna try this before calling it dead, but I'm being realist and don't have my hopes up too much tho.

 

[Duder1no]

SUCCESS!!!​

I removed the external video card, hooked everything up and it was awesome to see the display's red indicator light turn blue, then it was like magic to see the display light up and display the BIOS screen, i almost forgot to press DEL to go into the bios settings and make sure all the settings were in good working order, well all of them were ok and I continued to boot up my PC and I'm now posting this from my desktop PC :biggrin:

Version 7 BIOS I installed working like a charm:

I'm fucking happier than the fucking techno viking on Fuckparade

Thanks all of you guys for not giving up on me, I really appreciate this.

 

[kiriakos]

Hahahahaha who will ever believe this ...

And so what is the new verdict ? The PCI-E VGA are dead ?

 

[Duder1no]

Hahahahaha who will ever believe this ...

And so what is the new verdict ? The PCI-E VGA are dead ?

good question I dunno, i've never really given that card much thought maybe because it was given to me?

i'll try the video card on the weekend