Can I use a dual bios system to flash a chip for another motherboard?

[Justus]

I just tried to flash a chip on an ECS motherboard, and it did not take. So now the bios chip is not working, and I can't get the ECS motherboard to POST.

However, I also have a Gigabyte motherboard with a dual bios system.

Since both systems have PLCC bios chips, I was wondering if it is possible for me to put the ECS bios chip in the Gigabyte motherboard and then reflash it using that hardware. I assume that, if this is at all possible, then I would have to use the backup socket, since the main bios is likely soldered onto the board. Of course, I would boot the Gigabyte system from a floppy disk using the standard Gigabyte bios chip.

The ECS has a SiS chipset with an amibios and the Gigabyte has an AMD chipset with an award bios.

Even if this configuration wouldn't work, I'd also be interested in generally knowing if a dual bios system can ever possibly be used to flash a bios chip for another (not identical) motherboard. Anyone know?

 

[kursplat]

i'm probably WAY @#$%!ed up here but that sounds like a great idea. heck if the other bios chip flashed bad and isn't doing you any good , try it. like you say , once you flash to the ECS bios you pull the chip and should be OK. i don't see why the MB will care.
good luck

 

[DieHardware]

Justus put the correct BIOS file and flash program on a floppy. The ECS should access the floppy drive when its powered up, wait for the four beeps then reboot.

 

[Justus]

I tried Die hard's suggestion, but the computer did not try to access the floppy. No post, no nothing except some beeps. Anybody have experience with badflash.com??

 

[Fuzznuts]

I used badflash once for an old MSI board i had a while back now but they were good and i got my chip within 10days i am in europe though and if memory serves me they are based in sweden?

But anyway my experience of them back then was good. + youd only be losing like a 5 quid so its not really worth worrying about now is it

i say give em a go

 

[DieHardware]

No post, no nothing except some beeps.

Justus can you describe them(how many, length and any pauses between them)?

 

[jatwell]

If you want somebody else to reflash your BIOS, here's the cheapest I know of:

http://www.flashbios.org/

It's like $7 and turnaround is pretty quick from what I hear.

You can also "hotflash" your bios like you suggested. The problem you run into with boards that aren't exactly the same is that the flash program checks the board it's in to verify you're flashing the correct BIOS. With different boards, you may run into problems.

Also, with the Gigabyte being a dual bios, I don't really know if you're flashing the socketed chip or the one soldered to the motherboard??

Here's another site with more information and a program that will let you do just what you're talking about:

http://www.pppr.sk/rainbow/hardware/hotflash.html

I actually had to do this for the first time last night and I was lucky enough to have two identical boards. That being the case, I just used AWDFLASH and the bios rom. With different boards, you're most likely going to have to use the UniFlash program from the above link.

Good luck and with the gigabyte board having the dual bios, that should insulate you from screwing up both boards

 

[Justus]

First, the motherboard has been brought back from the dead. Kudos especially to DieHardware.

Essentially all I needed to do was to start the machine up again and allow the needed files on the floppy to finish the update, just as he said.

I suspect that I got myself into a bind by starting off with two floppy disks; one a boot disk (Win98 SE) and another disk with just the bios.rom file and the flash utility program. I had used this arrangement successfully when flashing some other motherboards that have Award bioses. Where I got into trouble is that I did not have any system files on the second floppy disk. Thus, I think what the AmiBios flash update requires is for the system files to be on that second disk, so that when the machince cycles off and back on, it will have all the files on that second floppy in order to finish writing the new bios.rom file to the chip. DieHardware's first suggestion did not specify this, but that is the only reason I can think of why my first effort at following his suggestion did not work, since I at first only used a disk with the flash utility and rom file on it.

I suspect that I don't need a regular boot disk in the first place; just the system files on the disk that contains the flash update files. So why do the posted instructions typically make reference to separate boot disks? I dunno. The fact that these instructions show screen shots of the files on the "second" floppy as not including system files makes sense, though, because these files are usually hidden from view. Anyway, I think I figured it out. Thanks again, all.

By the way, it's pretty amazing what comes back from a google search on "hot flashing". Everything from wierdo "pron" sites to sites on how to cope with the aging process. Luckily, also a few of bios issues.

 

[kursplat]

By the way, it's pretty amazing what comes back from a google search on "hot flashing". Everything from wierdo "pron" sites to sites on how to cope with the aging process. Luckily, also a few of bios issues.

he he he i'm scared to try...