New motherboard or BIOS chip, right?

Factual Questions
1

This is precisely why I hate flashing the BIOS on a computer.

Because of an issue I was having with XP Pro recognizing all the space on my hard drive when installing it (but not with Home or Windows 7), it was recommended to me that I flash the BIOS.

Since my motherboard is an Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe, I went to the Asus website and downloaded the BIOS update 1701. I followed the instructions in the manual to update the BIOS through the Asus EZ Flash utility built into the BIOS. After doing some writing to the BIOS chip, it gave me an error that said (paraphrasing here), this file is not the correct one for this BIOS.

It rebooted itself. Well, it tried to anyway. It just came up to a blank screen. No diagnostic beeps. No BIOS flash screen. No nothing. But, I feel that it could have at least given me an ASCII picture of somebody flipping me off, because that’s pretty much what’s happened.

Now when I power the computer on, it stays on for about 4 seconds, then powers itself off. Doing some checking around, I’ve read that 1701 is an incorrect version for my motherboard, despite it being listed on the website for my board. Thanks Asus. I appreciate it.

Upon further research, other people with this problem have had luck with the following:

  1. Open case.
  2. Pop CMOS battery.
  3. Move jumper block CLRTC from 1-2 to 2-3.
  4. Wait about 10-20 seconds to drain and clear.
  5. Move jumper block back to pins 1-2.
  6. Place CMOS battery back in.
  7. Close case.
  8. Power the puppy up.

Unfortunately, I’m not one of those other people. Mine still powers down after about 4 seconds.

Is there anything else I can do to try to get the motherboard to at least POST again?

Thanks.

cf’75

2

I’ve never gone through this personally (odd that Asus would show 1701 for your MB, but it be the incorrect one) - but I would do the following:

  1. Call Asus tech support to see if they have any other ideas (unlikely - but at least get a ticket started for RMA purposes). Unfortunately this means suffering through scripted response procedures, including rebooting, and having to explain approximately 12 times that no, you do not get a Windows log in screen because it never gets anywhere close to that far!

  2. Assuming they have no other options available for you to try, see if the BIOS chip is removable, meaning they could send you a replacement BIOS chip with the new firmware. I’ve done this sort of thing with enterprise level tape libraries - but whether the home sector of computing has removable F/W chips, or soldered ones - I dont know.

  3. Finally, you may have to send the MB back to have it reflashed.

3

Bad recommendation. Do not trust the person who gave you this advice. I know it was probably a tech support guy, but unless the motherboard is bleeding edge, there are lots of more probable causes with less damaging possible side-effects. It’s not exactly a BAD idea to update your BIOS, but A) the BIOS company may have screwed up, B) they generally give impossible-to-understand directions for reflashing, and C) if anything goes wrong, you’ve converted your > $100 mobo into a brick. I do it as a last resort, and I know what I’m doing (B doesn’t usually bother me).

That said, most reflash utilities will actually check that the board you’ve got goes with the BIOS you’re trying to reflash with. I have trouble believing that ASUS screwed up that badly. It’s possible that it either did no actual erasing or writing (even though it looked like it did), or actually succeeded (even though it looked like it didn’t). In either case, the CMOS could have been causing the problem.

Which brings us to the steps you mentioned. The technique described only resets CMOS. While resetting CMOS is sometimes a good thing, it’s not going to help if the flash part was actually rewritten with garbage. Still, the board may be POSTing and you just can’t tell because it doesn’t get very far (video and even keyboard lights happen only after several other things).

All of this just says 1 thing: there MIGHT be other possible solutions, but most likely, you’ve got to get a new BIOS chip or mobo. I’d call ASUS technical support – they might be willing to ship you a new chip for your board, especially if you point out to them that the website said it was good and it really wasn’t. If you can get the chip (with a good BIOS, obviously), AND the one that’s there is in a socket (many are), it’s a matter of using a thin object (like an icepick or small screwdriver) to pry out the PLCC I assume you’ve got and putting in the new one (note the orientation!).

Yes. Get a port 80h reader. That will let you know if the board is alive at all, fetching instructions. They’re cheap, but even if you find out that something’s happening, you’ll still be stuck trying to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. I don’t recommend this option, really, but it’s there.

New BIOS or new motherboard are really the only other options. Again, ASUS SHOULD help you, since their website and tools are what screwed you up.

EDIT: Also, if you get hold of an ASUS tech, make sure you ask to speak to a higher level support person or their manager. They’ll usually agree, and you’ve saved yourself some time doing endless reboots and saying “no, I still didn’t get the Windows screen”.

4

Start reading here. You can also get help on the boards on that site.

Your best hope is if you can do the boot block flashing. Using the correct BIOS of course.

I have personally done the hot flashing technique. You need an matching flash chip. (I scrounge these from scrap MBs but you can easily buy them online nowadays.) To say that is a measure of last resort and requires tremendous care is an understatement.

5

You don’t just need a matching chip, you need a chip with the right BIOS on it, or at least an older version that will boot the board. And then you’ve already solved the problem.

Hot swapping is evil. I’ve done it, but it’s evil. I don’t recommend it to a layperson. Heck, I don’t recommend it if there’s any way you can avoid it. If it’s a PLCC, and you want to hot swap, make sure you DON’T use an icepick or screwdriver, because they’re made of metal and conduct. Use something else long and skinny.

6

Nope. Boot working machine. Replace chip with bad chip. Flash chip. Shutdown. Put good chip back in. Put flashed chip in its MB.

If the two MBs are more or less the same you can use the maker’s flashing software. If they differ significantly, you have to use one of the generic flashers available on the Wims Bios site.

Like I said, I’ve actually done this.

7

Oh, I see. You’re talking about using a separate mobo that has a chip that will boot on that board, and said chip is the same basic type as the one you want to reflash.

Sure. That should work.

The chips can’t just be the same brand, btw, but actually the same kind of internals. Unless you really know what you’re doing, exact same part numbers are the only way to be sure.

And all caveats about hot swapping still apply.

8

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I just bit the bullet and bought a new motherboard. I figured that was the easiest course of action. Probably more expensive than replacing just the BIOS chip, but it’s an easier and faster fix.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions!