BIOS re-flash gone bad, need expert help.

[HockeyZ39]

My MSI K8N Neo nForce 3 mobo was running extremely high voltage even when it was set low. So I used the MSI Live Update to re-flash my BIOS, it got an error (which I cannot remember) but still kept going.

After it was done the computer worked fine so I waited a few minutes and restarted the comp. Now it will power on for about 10 seconds then shut off, it checks the floppy but shuts off right as it is doing it, so I don?t see a recovery disc working.

I didn't make a backup disc either b/c the last two times I did it no problems came up.

My question is, where do I go from here? I reset the pins, pulled the battery, and still have the problem. I saw on MSI's site for an emergency recovery but it calls for a Disc, and I don't see it working since it just powers off out of no where.

I remember reading somewhere that some PC shops can ?hard flash? your BIOS back to normal, is this true? Also if there are no other options can?t you buy just the BIOS chip and replace it?

Any help you guys can offer I would greatly appreciate!

Thanks.

 

[sodcha0s]

Does it get as far as the POST screen, or do you have a blank screen?

Either way, sounds like you might be out of luck I'm sorry to say. There *might* be another option.... if the BIOS chip itself is removeable and you have a friend with the same mobo you could try a hotflash.

For future reference ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS backup your BIOS before flashing! Put any overclocking settings back to factory/default settings before trying to flash.... I ruined a board a long time ago because I forgot to do this, and the flash went bad. Winflash is great, but by not backing up you eliminated the one major advantage it has. You could have went back to the old BIOS once you saw there was an error in your flash. Actually now that I said that, the biggest mistake you made was to reboot. You should have tried to flash again with a different BIOS first.

 

[HockeyZ39]

Ya, that?s another thing it was over clocked when I did the reflash.... =/

Also, if I had the back up disc it wouldn?t do much good it doesn?t even get to the post screen and when it is checking the disc drives it just powers down.

The BIOS chip does LOOK removable but I don't know for sure, I remember reading that there was someplace to buy just a BIOS chip in a case like this, but I don?t know the cost and since this is a 754 mobo I can probably pick another one up for not much more than the chip it self cost.

 

[DJMiX]

2 options get your existing chip reflashed or buy a new one.

Looks like there was a flash error an once you power down, that's it corrupt bios.

Accessing the floppy means boot recovery is kicking in but not the easiest thing to do is recover.

 

[HockeyZ39]

Right as the computer is autoruning the file to recover the BIOS, the computer powers down every time!

 

[HockeyZ39]

Ok so I pulled out the BIOS just for the hell of it, and fired it up. The comp powers up for about 5 or so seconds and then just shuts off, same as when then BIOS is in.

Mite this mean the motherboard is fried? I don't want to pay for a new BIOS chip just to find out it wasnt the problem! =)