mobo needs new BIOS, but won't post

[ThePiston]

Isn't there some piece of hardware I can use to resurrect it?

 

[Foxery]

Need a little more info about your situation. What does the new BIOS add? What is preventing the board from POSTing now? Does resetting it with the "Clear CMOS" jumper/switch help?

If you are referring to using a new CPU that the board doesn't support, then you can plug in an old CPU...

 

[ThePiston]

nope - i had this mobo which just got a new bios that supposedly supported 45nm. I upgraded the bios, then put in the 45nm chip - nothing. I took out the chip and put in the old and and still no post. Both chips are fine and work in other systems. The mobo just got botched and nothing burned out or anything. I'm pretty sure you can use some PCI slot thingy to post into to reset bios. clearing CMOS didn't work.

 

[mindless1]

When you upgraded the bios did it show the message that it had finished?

Try clearing CMOS again, maybe the following is what you did but to clarify:

1) Disconnect AC power.
2) Pull out the battery.
3) Use clear CMOS jumper.
4) Leave unplugged for at least 10 minutes, 30 would be better.
5) Put battery back in.
6) Reconnect AC power.
7) Wait 15 seconds then try to start system.

While you're waiting on step 4, pull out all but one memory module and any cards that aren't crucial (all but video). Keep the old CPU installed. Try turning it on several times in a row, in case it's barely instable due to a bios change rather than a bad flash. Try not only pressing the case power button but every now and then turn off the PSU or unplug AC from it for 20 seconds then restore AC power to it and try again.

The message that the flash finished would tend to suggest it's not a bad flash since it normally (not knowing what you used to flash it) reads back the contents of the chip to verify it's intact.