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BIOS Hell
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Author | Message |
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0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
I hope everyone's having a better day than I am - My computer committed BIOS-cide. The BIOS was being updated with a fix for a watchdog timer issue that would cause the computer to power off even if the watchdog timer was set to "disabled". Obviously the fix didn't come soon enough, and now I'm stuck. Since the BIOS chip is in a socket instead of being soldered onto the motherboard, I'm considering yanking the cadaver out and replacing it. Does this sound like a good idea, or is the computer 100% FUBAR? |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51468 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
I hope everyone's having a better day than I am - My computer committed BIOS-cide. If the bios is in a socket, you should be able to replace it with a good chip with a compatible bios on it. What mobo is it? "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
Francois Piednoel Send message Joined: 14 Jun 00 Posts: 898 Credit: 5,969,361 RAC: 0 |
I hope everyone's having a better day than I am - My computer committed BIOS-cide. I can help, what is the CPU and Motherboard you are using? On Core 2 based PC, there is a recovery mode. Who? |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
Commell LV-670. The chip reads... PhoenixBIOS™ D686 BIOS ©Phoenix 1998...followed by the serial number. |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
It's a P4 box, though I can't remember if it's Northwood or Wilamette or Wocka-Wocka-Wocka. BOINC lists it as "GenuineIntel x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9 2398MHz [x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9] [fpu mmx]" but because it was running Windows NT 4 Service Pack 6 it omits SSE among other features. |
Francois Piednoel Send message Joined: 14 Jun 00 Posts: 898 Credit: 5,969,361 RAC: 0 |
It's a P4 box, though I can't remember if it's Northwood or Wilamette or Wocka-Wocka-Wocka. i guess, you already tried this: phoenix this guy has similar problem on P4 based, most of the time, you got to remove the CMOS jumper, and boot on a recovery disk. usually, you ll find this recover disk at the PC vendor web site. who? |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
i guess, you already tried this: phoenixYes. It was very informative, but unfortunately I wasn't able to locate anything useful. this guy has similar problemHe was able to boot off a floppy, and I haven't been able to so far - USB or internal. on P4 based, most of the time, you got to remove the CMOS jumper, and boot on a recovery disk.I've already done the tricky jumper trick (it's a miniATX) without much luck, but I'll keep scouring the vendor's site. Thanks for the help, who? Addendum: I forgot that BIOS beeps when GIGO hits the [processor] fan because I don't have a speaker in the box. I'm checking Phoenix's site again. |
Francois Piednoel Send message Joined: 14 Jun 00 Posts: 898 Credit: 5,969,361 RAC: 0 |
i guess, you already tried this: phoenixYes. It was very informative, but unfortunately I wasn't able to locate anything useful. ok, do you have a floppy drive? if so, with the jumper CMOS removed, the LED of the floppy should be on 5 seconds after you turn on. If it does not, your safety sequence in the bios is gone too. You will need a reprogrammed ROM. Pretty hard to find. email me on a private message all your config details, including brand and motherboard number, I can contact the OEM and get the chip if you need it. who? |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51468 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Here is a link to Commell's update site for that board, you can download the bios and the Award bios flash tool. If the flash tool will boot and run off of the floppy, you may have a chance. "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
Sorry about the crossed-wires earlier, but I discovered the beep codes while you were replying. It's long-short-short (morse code "D"), followed by an unending series of higher-pitched short beeps. From what I have read it means that BIOS can't start the video routine(s). I'll reconnect the floppy with the jumper absent to see if the safeties are gone. |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
I've got the disk already made, but unless it'll boot from the floppy there's little use for it. |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51468 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Sorry about the crossed-wires earlier, but I discovered the beep codes while you were replying. It's long-short-short (morse code "D"), followed by an unending series of higher-pitched short beeps. From what I have read it means that BIOS can't start the video routine(s). I have often found that the 'video' error beep codes very often indicate a RAM problem. You might try subbing some different RAM and try again. "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
Well, at least I now know what the beep tone is for a floppy drive who's cable has been plugged in the wrong way 'round (reminds me of my 8-bit days). I'll try to reseat the RAM next, but so far the floppy is making its usual grinding sounds. I'm about to plug the VGA into the box to see what's going on. Addendum: Video-out is not working, but it seems that the computer is booting (or at least attempting to from an internal floppy drive. I'm setting up a disk image in VirtualPC that will call the flashing tool from AUTOEXEC.BAT (so I have have some sort of a clue as to what'll be happening). |
Philadelphia Send message Joined: 12 Feb 07 Posts: 1590 Credit: 399,688 RAC: 0 |
It's a P4 box, though I can't remember if it's Northwood or Wilamette or Wocka-Wocka-Wocka. I had a soda in my hand when I read this and almost dropped it on my computer, LOL. |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
It's a P4 box, though I can't remember if it's Northwood or Wilamette or Wocka-Wocka-Wocka. Sorry about that! The last thing I'd want is someone else to have a hardware problem on account of humor. Anyway, VirtualPC is being rather uncooperative at the moment (not sure why) so I'm going to restart and see if that clears things up. |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51468 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Well, at least I now know what the beep tone is for a floppy drive who's cable has been plugged in the wrong way 'round (reminds me of my 8-bit days). If is trying to read the floppy, is the led on the floppy showing any activity? If it is really trying to load from the floppy, I would expect the light to be on. And it might be verrryyyy slow, so give it some time if it seems to be trying. "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51468 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
It's a P4 box, though I can't remember if it's Northwood or Wilamette or Wocka-Wocka-Wocka. He might have one of those Brambleweeny cpus that Simon had online for a time............ "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
UncleVom Send message Joined: 25 Dec 99 Posts: 123 Credit: 5,734,294 RAC: 0 |
http://www.badflash.com I haven't had to these guys in a number of years, but they saved my bacon with a new chip after a flash went no response bad. HTH UncleVom |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
Heaven knows I wouldn't mind a Brambleweeny 57 and a really hot cup of tea! It looks like I can't coax VirtualPC to write directly to the USB floppy drive, and Disk Utility on OS X doesn't want to either, but yes indeed the floppy drive LED on the P4 is doing the five-second-long blink mentioned earlier. I'm going to break out my older, floppy-savvy computer and try to get that to write the disk image. |
0xF09F8687 Send message Joined: 7 Jul 07 Posts: 18 Credit: 3,120 RAC: 0 |
You won't believe how convoluted the process was (I had to start with VirtualPC and MS-DOS 6.22, make a disk image, copied the BIOS flashing tool and new BIOS to the disk image, copy that into a subdirectory on the virtual DOS computer, format the disk image from within DOS with format a: /s, copy the flash stuff back onto the disk image, write AUTOEXEC, mount the disk image in the Finder, tweak Disk Utility to support the (old) NDIF format, pass that disk image onto a USB thumb-drive, and crank up my laptop (which fortunately still has a bootable Mac OS 9 partition)), but I finally got to print the disk image to a floppy. So... I turn on the power, I get the beep (morse code "D"), the floppy comes to life, and then... well... without video-out I haven't a clue. I'm hoping that it's booting, but when I boot from the disk image in the Virtual DOS environment, everything grinds to a halt once "Starting MS-DOS..." comes on the screen... very frustrating... I'm re-titling the thread "BIOS Hell" since "mayday" no longer applies. All of you have been very helpful - thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction. |
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