Problem Hot Flashing

[nYmph]

I just got my new bios chip from EPOX today and made 2 floppies with the 3305 and 3129 bios files on them... I got into dos and removed my new bios chip and inserted my old bios chip. I tried to flash but everytime I hit y to program it says UNKNOWN FLASH and then kicks me back to an A prompt.. I have also tried flashing by typing in the switches and I have tried pretty much all of them. I am sure that the chip itself is correctly inserted and making contact with the pins. And I have tried to also swap disks with both bios, and still the same thing... Does this mean that my bios chip itself is done?


nYmph

[dresuk]

Are you using the latest addition of awdbios?

Are you overclocked?

Have you rest cmos?

[nYmph]

Using version 8.12 awdflash

Nothing is overclocked, everything is defualt just as it came from EPOX.

Yes, have cleared cmos as well...



nYmph

[Uncle Bob]

I have seen this before when the BIOS chip is truly toasted. Not much more to do with it, I'm afraid. Warranty perhaps?

[Uncle Bob]

Another thing:
WHen in DOS do you run awdflash.exe?
If so, when asked for the BIOS you MUST type it in exactly as it is named ie: *RDA224.bin" or whatever. If you aren't sure get back to A prompt and type DIR/W and see what is listed. Perhaps that is why you are getting the error message. If you are already doing this....uhoh, see above post, sorry dood!

[nYmph]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob
Another thing:
WHen in DOS do you run awdflash.exe?
If so, when asked for the BIOS you MUST type it in exactly as it is named ie: *RDA224.bin" or whatever. If you aren't sure get back to A prompt and type DIR/W and see what is listed. Perhaps that is why you are getting the error message. If you are already doing this....uhoh, see above post, sorry dood!

No prob..... Actually I made sure of that before as well...

I did speak with a tech over at EPOX and he basically said the same thing about it truly being fried... Fortunatly, and I have to say I was kinda suprised, he told me to send him my old bios chip and he would send me a new one so I could still have a spare.

I thought to myself, that was nice of him , but I wont get my hopes up to high yet, until I actually recieve the new bios chip...

As far as the one I recieved today it works fine and I am rasing my FSB slowly at like 5mhz increments... This bios is different though in the fact that it restarts my computer twice after I save and exit....

The funny thing is Im actually holding my breath and my heart pounds everytime I save and exit my new settings... Somthing so simple should not instill fear into a person worrying that this save and exit could be the last save and exit they see for this bios chip!

Oh well, Thank you for the replies just the same!


nYmph

[Uncle Bob]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Take it easy till you get another chip if you are worried.

[bldegle2]

Abit is selling a bios recovery setup with their new Nforce boards.

Basically, you pay a litttle extra, they give you a remover and a spare bios chip and instructions for hot swapping.

it appears that the Nforce chipset and the bios use so much memory each time it writes a new bios that at some point it can reach a limit of total bios fubarage, thus the bios recovery setup.

more and more MB manu's may be making these 'kits' available at purchase, Abit had so many requests for bios chips............................................. .....

baldy

[Uncle Bob]

About freakin time, eh? I finally got a puller from EPOX, I'd done it so many times! It was a cheap investment, IMHO.

[nYmph]

Originally posted by bldegle2
Abit is selling a bios recovery setup with their new Nforce boards.

Basically, you pay a litttle extra, they give you a remover and a spare bios chip and instructions for hot swapping.

it appears that the Nforce chipset and the bios use so much memory each time it writes a new bios that at some point it can reach a limit of total bios fubarage, thus the bios recovery setup.

more and more MB manu's may be making these 'kits' available at purchase, Abit had so many requests for bios chips............................................. .....

baldy

Im just suprised in this day of technology that most leading MOBO makers are not manufacturing boards with an intergrated backup bios... I have heard rumors of only one company doing this so far....


nYmph

[popcicle]

It was my understanding Version 8.12 is a no-no. Need to

use 8.22a or later.


Pops.

[nYmph]

Originally posted by popcicle
It was my understanding Version 8.12 is a no-no. Need to

use 8.22a or later.


Pops.

Do you have a link to where it states that? I was not aware of that. If that is true, it's a shame that EPOX includes 8.12 in the bios archive that it has on their website... Thanks...


nYmph

[popcicle]

Let me go way back with some of these pages

and dig it up.

And I also remember reading on the Epox website that

anything earlier than 8.22a may have a tendency

to corrupt while flashing a nForce2.



Pops.

[popcicle]

Here we go. Direct from Epox website. Knowledge Base for
the 8RDA+.


http://www.epox.com/html/motherboard...3C2x3o2R3rO2j3

EDIT: Can't get the link to copy and paste. It's about a mile
long.

Go to Epox website. Then Support. To Knowledge Base.
Choose 8RDA+. Read the BIOS upgrade section.


Pops.

[nYmph]

Originally posted by popcicle
Here we go. Direct from Epox website. Knowledge Base for
the 8RDA+.


http://www.epox.com/html/motherboard...3C2x3o2R3rO2j3

EDIT: Can't get the link to copy and paste. It's about a mile
long.

Go to Epox website. Then Support. To Knowledge Base.
Choose 8RDA+. Read the BIOS upgrade section.


Pops.

Thanks for the link.... I can't believe that EPOX would actually tell people to use version 8.22a when flashing the nforce2 bords, but then NOT include this version of awdflash in the latest bios archive THEY have on their website!!

The chip I sent back was probably fine and it just needed to be flashed with the 8.22a version! How nice....

BTW where can I get this new awdflash version 8.22a?


nYmph

[Uncle Bob]

Originally posted by nYmph
BTW where can I get this new awdflash version 8.22a?


nYmph

New version of Award Flash uploaded - version 8.22a.Download the latest Awdflash.exe here

[nYmph]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob
New version of Award Flash uploaded - version 8.22a.Download the latest Awdflash.exe here

Thanks!


nYmph

[Uncle Bob]

No problemo. I uploaded it and the 3-7-03 BIOS for 8RDA & 8RDA+ to our files as well.

FYI: from EPOX

The Boot Disk Method

Create a bootable floppy disk in accordance with the instructions laid out in the manual of your particular operating system. This bootable floppy needs to be able to boot to a DOS console capable of executing normal MS-DOS batch and executable files.
Download the required BIOS image file from the EPoX website.
Copy to this floppy disk a copy of AWDFLASH.EXE and also a copy of the BIOS binary image file called xxxxxxxx.bin
Insert the diskette into drive A, reboot your system and boot from the diskette.
When booting is finished, type awdflash *.bin /sn/py/cc/ (dependant of the name of the BIOS image file) and then press return to run BIOS upgrade program.
The BIOS will automatically flash and reboot the machine.
After this, press DEL to enter the BIOS setup and select to "LOAD OPTIMIZED DEFAULTS". After doing this select to "SAVE & EXIT"
Please note that this does not create a backup of the BIOS binary file.
For Command line help on Award Flash utility, type AWDFLASH/? at the command prompt and press return.

I always use LOAD OPTIMIZED DEFAULTS before Flashing as well.

[Aedan]

Originally posted by bldegle2
it appears that the Nforce chipset and the bios use so much memory each time it writes a new bios that at some point it can reach a limit of total bios fubarage, thus the bios recovery setup.

Actually, it's because the the FSB settings are stored in the FLASH. As I'm sure everyone's seen, manufacturers tell people to NOT overclock their machines when flashing the BIOS.

With the earlier BIOSes, the FSB settings would be written back to the FLASH whilst the machine was overclocked. This led to the increased likelihood of corruption and unworkable settings.

The new BIOSes that do the reset before writing the settings look like they might well fall back to known good settings before trying to FLASH the FSB settings back into the BIOS. The second reset then seems to go back to the normal (user) settings.

This helps to avoid the non-POST issue!

Áedán