EP-35c-ds3r Bios Problem

[ru1thirst]

Need major help here. I used the bios update program that gigabyte gives you on cd called @bios. I wanted to check for a bios update because with this new build, it would not boot up with 2 sticks. So I just put in one and got it to post and boot. I then installed vista 64 bit home prem, then installed motherboard drivers from supplied cd. Everything was fine but when I tried the same boot with the other stick of memory in, it wouldn't boot. I figured it was a bios setting. Maybe have to bump the voltage a bit or something. But first I used the @bios software to check if there was a newer bios. It found one and which was F3b and now I find out the "b" is for beta but its "supposed" to be stable. Anyway, the bios update seemed to go fine. It downloaded and installed then it said it would now restart. Well it now just sits on a black screen saying its "Scaning bios image in the hard drive" or something like that and it does nothing and goes nowhere. I tried many times. I pulled out one stick of memory and left the one good one in and tried again. Still the same. I ended up clearing cmos and tried again. Same problem.
Anybody use this bios update process before and really does anybody know how to get back to being able to start up my machine again. I just want to be able to get in and load the old bios file that the @bios program made a backup of and is sitting in "my docs". What or where do I look for way out of this nasty loop?

 

[Modelworks]

@bios should be removed from all cd and the websites.
Its the #1 cuplrit with bad bios flashes.
It did not cause my problems but when I searched I found it caused plenty of problems for others.

Your board shows two independent bios chips. Its supposed to switch to the good one when 1 bios fails. Try unplugging the pc, remove the battery and clear the cmos with a jumper on the pins.

If that doesn't work then try removing all hdd cables and leaving just a floppy.
If it searches the floppy drive , then you can put a copy of the bios on that and see if it will restore.

If not then your pretty much out of luck.
Gigabyte removed floppy support from lots of bios because they think their virtual bios works so well.

Chips are soldered and even if they weren't you can't easily re-flash them without expensive hardware. I only found 1 guy selling replacements for these type of chips and he was in the uk, and by the time you figure cost of chip+shipping its more than an rma would cost.

Only option then is to RMA the board.
Maybe someone else has some more suggestions.
Good Luck.

 

[ru1thirst]

Modelworks,
Thanks for the ideas and thoughts. I've tried just about everything and still nada. I just called "The Egg" and got an rma and just got back from dropping off at UPS. What blows is they won't get it till Thursday so that means most likely Monday or Tuesday return to me. So a weekend of looking at my stuff waiting to be built. Another thing that blows is that I got a small taste of the speed of the machine setup with the E8400 and the board. It flies on just the one stick of 2gb ram but just couldn't get it to work with the 2nd stick. They wouldn't work together. So may have to go with something other than the Patriot 8500 ram. Hope it detects and runs fine on the new one when it gets here! Fingers XX

 

[ru1thirst]

Another quick question. i've never been through this before. When the new mb arrives, since it will be the same make and model, do I have to reinstall windows or will it be ok? Or probably better of just reinstalling windows anyway?