SOLVED: Dual BIOS both dead

[gr1mey]

Hi all maybe someone can help as this has me stumped.

Bought a dead cheap system off Facebook for parts knowing it wouldn't boot.

Tried to boot anyway and nothing, no signal.

Noticed board had dual BIOS so switched to BIOS 2 and hey presto booted up. I plugged in my trusty Linux ssd and booted into mint without issue.

Curiosity got the better of me so I followed the process to flash BIOS 1 via a USB stick, not sure why but this failed when it tried to auto reboot just got no signal.

Upon reboot in previously working BIOS 2 I now get no signal and the board powers down after about 2 minutes.

Have done hard reset/battery out clear CMOS all that stuff but no joy.

Any ideas if or how this can be rescued?

MSI X99S SLI PLUS
i7 5820k

Thanks!

 

[Thekwango]

That board have a usb flash option?

 

[JollyJamma]

Upon reboot in previously working BIOS 2 I now get no signal and the board powers down after about 2 minutes.

So you’re not getting POST at all and it shuts down after 2 mins?

Just buy a new flashed BIOS for the system off eBay.

You can get replacement BIOS chips for most motherboards these days.

 

[gr1mey]

That board have a usb flash option?

I have the version 1.0 BIOS on a USB stick, I have tried powering on with the stick in the primary USB but I just get no signal.

Does the USB stick need to be made bootable using Rufus to work?

 

[gr1mey]

So you’re not getting POST at all and it shuts down after 2 mins?

Just buy a new flashed BIOS for the system off eBay.

You can get replacement BIOS chips for most motherboards these days.

Hi yes I have thought about that but soldering a chip isn't something I've done.

This motherboard is essentially scrap and I didn't purchase these parts for it so could potentially give it a go, but would have to spend out on tools to do it. Just wondering if there was a solution before going surgical.

 

[Removed User 345456]

Morning mate, had a quick look on MSI's website regarding the support/bios section...
It links the same video as for flashing my 2 MSI boards, all I did was download the BIOS update file, extract it somewhere, create a FAT32 usb in windows or macos, and copy that BIOS file on the root of the USB drive (so NOT in a folder), then plug it into any of the USB ports.

FWIW - my 2nd MSI motherboard has a dedicated motherboard flashing USB port - I believe this is for IF the CPU isn't supported/nothing else is plugged in, and there's a procedure that you'll have to look up, IIRC it's holding the dedicated button down next to the port for X amount of time then releasing it and waiting 15mins then seeing if it powers on, but don't quote me on that being the same for every board of theirs, so do check your manual/try it anyway just incase.
But from a working system whenever I update the bios on either, I have just used any port.

Here is MSI's official video regarding doing it, but you'll see, it's just what I said above.

 

[JollyJamma]

Hi yes I have thought about that but soldering a chip isn't something I've done.

This motherboard is essentially scrap and I didn't purchase these parts for it so could potentially give it a go, but would have to spend out on tools to do it. Just wondering if there was a solution before going surgical.

Double check but some motherboards have a BIOS chip that isn’t soldered.

 

[gr1mey]

Morning mate, had a quick look on MSI's website regarding the support/bios section...
It links the same video as for flashing my 2 MSI boards, all I did was download the BIOS update file, extract it somewhere, create a FAT32 usb in windows or macos, and copy that BIOS file on the root of the USB drive (so NOT in a folder), then plug it into any of the USB ports.

FWIW - my 2nd MSI motherboard has a dedicated motherboard flashing USB port - I believe this is for IF the CPU isn't supported/nothing else is plugged in, and there's a procedure that you'll have to look up, IIRC it's holding the dedicated button down next to the port for X amount of time then releasing it and waiting 15mins then seeing if it powers on, but don't quote me on that being the same for every board of theirs, so do check your manual/try it anyway just incase.
But from a working system whenever I update the bios on either, I have just used any port.

Here is MSI's official video regarding doing it, but you'll see, it's just what I said above.

Thanks buddy, I'm familiar with how to update BIOS, the issue I am having is that the motherboard will not post so I have no signal/picture, BIOS is corrupt. Thanks.

 

[Removed User 345456]

Thanks buddy, I'm familiar with how to update BIOS, the issue I am having is that the motherboard will not post so I have no signal/picture, BIOS is corrupt. Thanks.

No worries, I only mentioned it as above you asked wether the USB had to be bootable etc I just wanted to make sure you weren't trying to flash it formatted as the wrong type, IIRC mine supports FAT32/NTFS and I used either MBR or GUID. Does yours have one of those dedicated usb ports with a button for flashing it in the even of anything really bad happening like my B550M does? IF so I'd try that just to be sure.

Have you tried using HDMI/DP on the GPU and all the ports it has, just to eliminate that being the issue?
If not do you have a spare GPU that you can try? Or does it have onboard graphics so that you can try that HDMI/DP port for video output?

 

[gr1mey]

No worries, I only mentioned it as above you asked wether the USB had to be bootable etc I just wanted to make sure you weren't trying to flash it formatted as the wrong type, IIRC mine supports FAT32/NTFS and I used either MBR or GUID. Does yours have one of those dedicated usb ports with a button for flashing it in the even of anything really bad happening like my B550M does? IF so I'd try that just to be sure.

Have you tried using HDMI/DP on the GPU and all the ports it has, just to eliminate that being the issue?
If not do you have a spare GPU that you can try? Or does it have onboard graphics so that you can try that HDMI/DP port for video output?

Thanks. As above I know GPU is good as have had this board booting into OS. It is only after trying to flash BIOS 1 it has bricked both BIOS 1 & 2.

 

[Removed User 345456]

Thanks. As above I know GPU is good as have had this board booting into OS. It is only after trying to flash BIOS 1 it has bricked both BIOS 1 & 2.

Ah ok, have you tried just incase though booting off the integrated GPU if your cpu has one? Or using all the ports on the graphics card itself? Just to rule it out.
Does yours have that dedicated port? Maybe you could flash both BIOS if so via that even with no video out, which mine will do even without a cpu/ram etc - obviously depends on your feature set but might be worth looking it up, it's sposed to take up to 15 mins.

 

[gr1mey]

Ah ok, have you tried just incase though booting off the integrated GPU if your cpu has one? Or using all the ports on the graphics card itself? Just to rule it out.
Does yours have that dedicated port? Maybe you could flash both BIOS if so via that even with no video out, which mine will do even without a cpu/ram etc - obviously depends on your feature set but might be worth looking it up, it's sposed to take up to 15 mins.

I will try again tonight with single stick of ram and the bootable usb with good bios on it and see what happens.

If not I will be soldering in a new chip, never done that before but I like a challenge

 

[tamzzy]

does it have onboard graphics so that you can try that HDMI/DP port for video output?

X99 chips do not have igpu

 

[gr1mey]

Double check but some motherboards have a BIOS chip that isn’t soldered.

Yeah nah these are soldered in.

Gotta weigh it up now, spend the money on the tools to fix, pay someone to fix or just bin it off and sell the other parts.

 

[Quartz]

Surely you have a soldering iron? Check out the Adamant IT channel on YouTube for umpteen videos on BIOS flashing and replacement.

 

[gr1mey]

UPDATE:

Fixed this last night using a CH341 programmer with SOIC8 clip, had to cut the plastic nose of the clip back a bit to expose the pins, but finally got a good connection.

Interestingly I couldn't flash the main BIOS as it had some kind of protection circuit, but the secondary BIOS flashed easily enough. Once I was back in I flashed the main chip via AFUDOS.

 

[Quartz]

UPDATE:

Fixed this last night using a CH341 programmer with SOIC8 clip, had to cut the plastic nose of the clip back a bit to expose the pins, but finally got a good connection.

Interestingly I couldn't flash the main BIOS as it had some kind of protection circuit, but the secondary BIOS flashed easily enough. Once I was back in I flashed the main chip via AFUDOS.

Excellent!