Need some help flashing my KR7A-RAID BIOS.

[Megatomic]

My "new" KR7A-RAID came with BIOS version 6N on it and older HPT372 code (I think it is 2.0.1024 or somesuch). I want to use a newer version of the HPT372 bios and newer drivers as they improve performance over the older code. So I downloaded the latest bios file (9N) and put the files that extract from it onto a clean new formatted floppy. I then boot to floppy using a Dr. DOS (Caldera DOS) disk. So far so good. I then put in the disk with the BIOS update software on it and run the runme.bat file. It asks me a couple of times to strike a key when ready and asks me if I am sure. It then executes the BIOS flash program and shows me the name of the bios file it is going to use to flash my BIOS with.

Then it does nothing else. I have tried many times to flash the BIOS. I even left it at that point for 10 minutes once and it did nothing. It never erased the original code from the BIOS chip and it never attempted to write the new code to the chip. I then power the computer down (using the power switch), wait 5 seconds to let the memory dissipate any data still stored, and restart the system. It's just as if I never tried to flash the BIOS.

Any ideas as to where I may be going wrong here? This BIOS flash procedure that I follow has worked for many years for me on any boards save those made by Abit. I killed two KT7A-RAID BIOS chips when I used one of those boards.

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[RanDum72]

I usually flash a BIOS this way:

-boot to winME floppy and choose 'minimal boot'
-insert diskette with BIOS files (usually just the BIOS file and the Award flash utility)
-type 'AWDFLASH'
- it will ask you to type in the name of the BIOS file. just type it and press enter.
-everything is self-explanatory from there.

 

[Megatomic]

Well, I gave up on trying to use the Abit provided batch files to flash the BIOS and went old school on it. I used the awdflash + BIOS file name + command switches and the flash went off without a hitch.

Next time I hope to remember to do this as well (it will save me a lot of frustration).