No POST after failed BIOS flash

[JustAnAverageGuy]

After having some issues with the 1302 bios, I decided to revert to 1011.006. Using the newest version of AsusUpdate (their Windows BIOS flash utility), it managed to erase the EEPROM, get 80-90% of the way through the flash EEPROM step before rebooting prematurely on it's own. I've never had problems with AsusUpdate before and I've used it several times in the past.

Needless to say, it isn't working now.

I can turn the computer on, fans spin, etc, but no beeps, no POST, nothing on the monitor.

Am I hosed? Are my only options to either purchase a new motherboard or RMA?

Asus A8N-SLI Premium rev 1.02

 

[Lord Evermore]

Assuming you have a floppy drive, you might be able to recover it. Create a bootable floppy disk with nothing but the clean DOS boot files (command.com, io.sys and msdos.sys). Put the DOS version of the flash utility on it along with the flash image file. Create an autoexec.bat file containing nothing but the command line for the BIOS flash to write that image (depending on the utility, you might need to include command line switches to prevent it from prompting the user or trying to create a backup of the BIOS, and to do an unconditional write so it doesn't check the current BIOS state). Boot to that floppy and the BIOS might automatically run whatever is on that floppy, thereby flashing the BIOS; that portion of the BIOS is supposed to be unchanged even with a bad flash and should still function. I'm not entirely sure this is still the case, but it was as of about 2 or 3 years ago.

If that doesn't work, you can buy replacement BIOS chips from some places online. Or if you know someone with the same board, you can use their system to flash your chip. Boot their computer to a DOS boot disk with the flash utility and file on it, pull out the good BIOS chip and put in the bad one and flash it, then reboot to test it. Of course there's a risk here from you pulling a chip out while the system is live, or just damaging the chip when you pull it. Local computer shops that happen to have that same board, or perhaps just a board with a compatible chip, might also do this for a fee.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

All I have with me is a USB floppy drive

 

[2Dead]

Now, I could be wrong here but wouldn't you be able to reset the bios to the original? I had an A8N-SLI Deluxe and was able to reset the bios by removing the cmos batter and changing the jumpers for like 15 seconds for it to reset. Afterwards, I was able to flash my bios to the version I wanted. You may want to check you manual to see if you can do the same.

 

[Lord Evermore]

When you remove the battery you are only resetting the CMOS setup information, the configuration of drives, controllers, CPU and memory speeds, et cetera, which is stored in a tiny bit of RAM in the BIOS chip (or somewhere). Removing the battery wipes out the memory, just like turning off power to your PC wipes out main memory.

A BIOS flash is actually rewriting the BIOS code. That can't be changed except by flashing new code to the chip with a special program. (In old computers it wasn't even a flashable chip, it was hard-coded at the factory and had to be completely replaced if it failed or needed to be updated.) The first step that the flash program does (after verifying that the new BIOS file is the right one for the board) is to erase the existing BIOS in preparation to write the new one. If the new flash fails while erasing or after erasing, then there is no longer any BIOS code available to boot the system, so the CMOS settings are irrelevant.

 

[2Dead]

Ah... It's been a while since I had worry about that. The same thing happened to me but I was able to put on a old image like in your post Evermore so I guess you already had it covered. O well, just trying to be helpful.

 

[Runes911]

ASUS CrashFree BIOS2
The CrashFree BIOS2 feature now includes the BIOS auto-recovery function in a support CD.
Users can reboot their system through the support CD when a bootable disk is not available,
and go through the simple BIOS auto-recovery process.
ASUS motherboards now enable users to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.

There ya go.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: Runes911

ASUS CrashFree BIOS2
The CrashFree BIOS2 feature now includes the BIOS auto-recovery function in a support CD.
Users can reboot their system through the support CD when a bootable disk is not available,
and go through the simple BIOS auto-recovery process.
ASUS motherboards now enable users to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.

There ya go.

Neat! I was wondering why the optical drives kept trying to read the CDs in them.

Now I just need to figure out where I can download an .iso because all my CDs are a few hours away

I'm assuming they're talking about the green driver CD? Suppose I could have it mailed to me.

- JaAG

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: JustAnAverageGuy
I'm assuming they're talking about the green driver CD?

- JaAG

Anybody? Support CD == Green Driver CD?

 

[Old Hippie]

Support CD == Green Driver CD?

Yep. Just checked mine. The manual says to just insert the disk and it will check the BIOS. If it's buggered, it'll fix it.

 

[Lord Evermore]

That'd probably work if you just made a bootable CD using the same floppy image as I suggested. The Asus CD may just use special software for examining the BIOS to determine whether it needs to run or not.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

Support CD == Green Driver CD?

Yep. Just checked mine. The manual says to just insert the disk and it will check the BIOS. If it's buggered, it'll fix it.

Good deal. :thumbsup:

Should be in my mailbox by tommorow.

:heart: Asus

 

[So]

I had a bad bios flash on an asus board about 2years back...I had no luck with any remedy. Fortunately the thing was new (and had been unstable since day one, which was why I was flashing) so I was able to exchange it w/ the retailer. Not much consolation, but good luck. :beer:

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Well, CD arrived in the mail this morning.

Unhooked pretty much everything except one stick of RAM, CPU, PCIe vid card (Don't have a PCI one with me), and one optical drive. Put the CD in. I can't see anything on the monitor so I have no idea if it's expecting me to push a button or what.

Keyboard toggles (num/caps/scroll lock) also seem unresponsive; both when using a USB and PS\2 keyboard.

The manual says an Award Bootblock screen should come up. Tried leaving it on for half an hour while I went out to lunch, no luck

The board itself has been kind of flakey for the past two or three weeks about turning on after being off overnight. (i.e. push button, nothing happens) Paperclip trick still worked though. Got tired of having to open the case to turn it on, so I decided to revert the BIOS to when this wasn't a problem.

After the failed flash, I did some searching and it seems other people are having cold boot issues after 9-10 months. Apparently it's some sort of hardware failure and not a BIOS issue at all. I picked mine up in last year in November, so I'll probably just call 'em on Monday and see where to go from there.

- JaAG

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Going out to eat bump.

Post above updated with steps taken so far.

- JaAG

==========

*edit 9/14/06*

Replacement motherboard installed today. It seems to already exhibit the same flakiness about the cold boot stuff.

I e-mailed Asus about my problem last Saturday and I have yet to hear back from them about my *original* motherboard problem (Bad BIOS flash). It has now been four full business (Mon - Thur) days without a reply. That is just flat out pathetic.

I e-mailed Antec to see if there was a known problem between the two components before I went out for dinner. I wasn't expecting a reply until at least tommorow. Came home and I had a reply, a *good* reply, in my inbox by the time I got back. Two hours? :Q Awesome!

Tech support rating:
Asus: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:
Antec: Two :thumbsup: s *WAY* up.