BIOS Flash Help
John Brown
Manual, Abit web pages etc...
thought I'd done all necessary but flashing not carried out. Not sure why
not.
Would be glad of any advice...here's the story:-
Its an ABIT NF7-S v2.0 Motherboard and am trying to flash the BIOS.
Managed to make a bootable floppy onto which included the two files as
required -
the BIOS Flash Utility AWDFLASH.EXE and the BIOS binary file NF7D_27.BIN
Started from the A drive and inserted as recommended as per:-
A:\>AWDFLASH NF7D_27.BIN /cc /cd /cp /py /sn /cks /r_
Expected that would do the trick...but what I got was the following
display...which I don't really understand what it means nor what to do now
:-)
----------------
AWDFLASH V8 .23K (03/21) (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. 2003 All Rights
Reserved
Usage: AWDFLASH [FileName1] [FileName2] [/<sw>[/<sw>....]]
FileName1 : New Bios Name For Flash Programming
FileName2 :BIOS File For Backing-up the Original BIOS
<Switches> ?: Show Help Messages
py : Program Flash Memory pn: No Flash Programming
sy : Backup Original BIOS To Disc File sn: No Original BIOS Backup
Sb : Skip BootBlock programming Wb: Always Programming BooBlock
cd : Clear DMI Data After Programming cc: Clear CMOS Data After Programming
cp : Clear PnP(ESCD) Data After Programming
LD : Destroy CMOS Checksum And No System Halt For First Reboot After
Programming Tiny:Occupy Lesser Memory
Q1 : Qualify flash part number with source file
E :Return to DOS After Programming R: RESET System After Programming
F :Use Flash Routines In Original BIOS For Flash Programming
cks : Show update Binfile Checksum cksXXXX: Compare Binfile Checksum with
XXXX
NVMAC : XXXXXXXXXXXX NVGUID : XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Support nForce Input MAC,GUID Function , with "/wb" to update MAC and GUID
Example: AWDFLASH 6A69R000.bin /py/sn/nvmac :xxxxxxxxxxxx/wb
A:\>
-------------------
So, as I say, I'd be pleased for any guidance.
Thanks, J
Jim Howes
> Started from the A drive and inserted as recommended as per:-
>
> A:\>AWDFLASH NF7D_27.BIN /cc /cd /cp /py /sn /cks /r_
What's that '_' doing after the 'r'? Is it just a cursor included in the
documentation by accident. The display you got specified /R as a switch to
reset after programming, but not /r_
[ste parker]
> Yes, first time flasher..keen not to make error ...been studying Users
> Manual, Abit web pages etc...
>
Use the Abit FlashMenu (assuming you're using Windows); it's far
simpler, but for some reason doesn't seem to be mentioned at all on the
UK Abit site.
http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/bios/flashmenu.php
--
[ste]
"No cars go
Where we know"
John Brown
the Abit manual but perhaps its the curser :-)
Cheers.
J
----------
"Jim Howes" <sewo...@moc.gisorp.backwards.invalid> wrote in message
news:e4coh1$d81$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk...
John Brown
"[ste parker]" <imag...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4cu8oqF...@individual.net...
Les Matthew
wasn't there 2 .bat files in the bios zipfile?
runme.bat and abitfae.bat?
all the ones i have do:
abitfae.bat
awdflash.exe
kr7a_cx.bin
kr7a_cx.txt
runme.bat
thats the contents of the last one i flashed.
just copy em to a bootable floppy and then enter "runme"
and follow the instructions.
les...
John Brown
"Les Matthew" <les...@clara.co.uk> wrote in message
news:114780034...@ersa.uk.clara.net...
OK, Les, I'll give that a go. Thanks. J
John Brown
"John Brown" <John...@NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:e4dk7l$skh$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
Decided to go ahead without any parameters using only the flash utility and
the BIOS binary:-
A:\>awdflash nfc_27.bin
...so using the bootable floppy with the flash utility file and the BIOS
binary files added.....seemed to be going ok...
got to first page where it shows File Name to Program : nf7d_27.bin
and then asks for name of Save Current BIOS:
... so I typed in a name: nf7d_27A ...all well so far...
..bit later got message Disc Full or File Error...damn!!...abandonded the
attempt...
...and sure enough the floppy disc is full as it tried to save current BIOS
details.
Looking at the details of what's on the Floppy:-
Awdflash.exe 40kb
nf7d_27.bin 512kb
nfd_27a 316kb...but presumably incomplete as disc full
Autoexec.bat 0kb
Command .com 91
Config.sys 0
Display.sys 17
Ega2.cpi 58
Ega3.cpi 58
Ega.cpi 58
Io.sys 114
Keyb.com 22
Keyboard.sys 34
Keybrd2.sys 32
Keybrd3.sys 31
Keybrd4.sys 13
Mode.com 29
Msdos.sys 1
Would be glad for any further advise.
Cheers,
J
Jim Howes
> Decided to go ahead without any parameters using only the flash utility and
> the BIOS binary:-
>
> ..bit later got message Disc Full or File Error...damn!!...abandonded the
> attempt...
> ...and sure enough the floppy disc is full as it tried to save current BIOS
> details.
Fairly typical. A typical uncompressed BIOS is rather large. I ran into this
updating my Asus PC-DL board. I worked around it by:
1. Make a copy of the original disk
2. Delete the BIOS image from disk 2
3. Boot disk 1, let it load BIOS, swap disks
4. Save original BIOS. I now have a bootable disk2 that I can use to reload the
original BIOS should I need to
5. Swap discs back, observe that BIOS updater has noticed my attempted treason,
and has got annoyed and quit.
6. Restart process, but this time do not save the BIOS (because I already have)
7. Panic when the system fails to boot afterwards (discovering that this new
BIOS takes 20 seconds to do a full self-test on the board) but alteast fixes the
hang-on-POST-when-USB-device-connected problem.
>
> Would be glad for any further advise.
>
Two final statements.
1. If, after flashing the BIOS the system behaves strangely, try a CMOS reset,
as the structure of the CMOS data may have changed, and wierd values may have
been introduced.
2. Despite some evidence to the contrary, anyone who suggests you flash your
BIOS from within windows should be taken away, locked up, and forced to use
windows 95 on a system with less than 4Mb of memory.
Jeff Gaines
>..bit later got message Disc Full or File Error...damn!!...abandonded the
>attempt...
[snipped]
>Would be glad for any further advise.
As well as Jim's suggestion you could take the crud off the floppy :-)
A plain boot floppy will have:
Command.com
IO.sys
msdos.sys (if it's DOS7/Win98)
You don't need autoexec.bat or cofig.sys (you will get a message about
setting the time without them, just press 'Enter').
That should give you enough space.
--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Using XanaNews 1.18.1.3
John Brown
"Jim Howes" <sewo...@moc.gisorp.backwards.invalid> wrote in message
--------------------------
Job done..blimey bios flashing should be added to the list of marriage,
moving
house and death for high stressfulness level :-)
And wouldn't have been possible to accomplished without the help of
knowledgeable
newsgroup members for which very grateful.
Did the flashing just with A:\>awdflash nfc_27.bin and deleted all from
floppy except
Io.sys, Command.com and Msdos.sys
Mind you things a bit wobbly afterwards..but then remembered the need to
reset CMOS :-)
Thanks again. J
-------------------------------------
Rob Hemmings
"Jim Howes" <sewo...@moc.gisorp.backwards.invalid> wrote in message
news:e4eq6u$928$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk...
Jim, I'd go a bit further on your final point #1 and say that you
should always load the BIOS defaults after flashing a new
BIOS ver and then adjust them to your preferences afterwards.
I'm pretty sure not doing this was the reason for 'BIOS death' on
on a few NF2 mobo's. Luckily when this happened to me, I
had another identical mobo and used the working one to hot-flash
the dead BIOS chip. 100% with you on #2 - if OS goes tits-up
during flash process, then one dead PC and only way to repair
is back to manu for re-flashing (soldered-in BIOS chip), a new
BIOS chip by post or hot flashing if you're brave and lucky enough
to have another identical chip handy!
Regards,
--
Rob
John Jordan
>
> Jim, I'd go a bit further on your final point #1 and say that you
> should always load the BIOS defaults after flashing a new
> BIOS ver and then adjust them to your preferences afterwards.
> I'm pretty sure not doing this was the reason for 'BIOS death' on
> on a few NF2 mobo's.
You can't damage a BIOS image simply by having bogus CMOS data. At
worst, you'd just need to reset the CMOS (using the jumper, or removing
the battery).
--
John Jordan
Jim Howes
> You can't damage a BIOS image simply by having bogus CMOS data. At
> worst, you'd just need to reset the CMOS (using the jumper, or removing
> the battery).
One of our enterprising users managed to set a password which s/he immediately
forgot. Cue CMOS reset, simple eh? Umm.. Where's the jumper...
Eventually, after much reading of badly-translated taiwanglish 'manuals' I
discovered that the Dallas 12887, which was of course soldered to the board, had
had its CMOS reset pin snipped off. I could not remove the battery, because
that particular device has an integrated battery. Nothing like putting a
limited life-span on a board (it does have pins for an external battery, but the
helpful designers had not bothered to connect that up, either).
One replacement part and some desoldering/soldering time later, we finally get
the system going again. Thank $DEITY that this was before the days of
surface-mount components everywhere, as my soldering 'skills' are not great (but
if you want all 25-pins on your parallel port shorted together, I'm your man..)
Of course, the /cc switch in the original post should cover all of this.
Albert Ross
<r...@NOSPAM.le.ac.uk> wrote:
>Jim, I'd go a bit further on your final point #1 and say that you
>should always load the BIOS defaults after flashing a new
>BIOS ver and then adjust them to your preferences afterwards.
>I'm pretty sure not doing this was the reason for 'BIOS death' on
>on a few NF2 mobo's. Luckily when this happened to me, I
>had another identical mobo and used the working one to hot-flash
>the dead BIOS chip. 100% with you on #2 - if OS goes tits-up
>during flash process, then one dead PC and only way to repair
>is back to manu for re-flashing (soldered-in BIOS chip), a new
>BIOS chip by post or hot flashing if you're brave and lucky enough
>to have another identical chip handy!
I'd go further than that and suggest resetting to defaults also
*before* doing the flash.
YMMV though, I had an Abit board which was no problem, and an MSI
board ditto, but an Asus which was an absolute pig and I worked out
(others came up with different solutions)
[1] reset to defaults
[2] flash BIOS from floppy
[3] change settings ONE PAGE at a time and save and reboot before
turning to the next page
a pain yes and fortunately the most recent BIOS has been a permanent
fixture, pity it took them seven goes to get it right . . .
Johnny B Good
from Albert Ross <spam@dev_null.com.invalid> contains these words:
> [1] reset to defaults
Obviously not a Jetway product then. :-)
--
Regards, John.
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