Please help, serious BIOS failure!

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 16:56

Spec in sig, I just tried to flash my BIOS using the update utility in the nvidia control centre from the P23 beta to the final P23 version. It got half way through then crashed to the blue screen of death, rebooted. And now all I get is constant repeated short beeps from the case speaker and this on screen:

I have a keyboard plugged and but not a floppy drive. I could get one if need be though. Please help, I really don't know what to do to sort this out

trojan698 · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:13

Ouch! Doesn't look good.. I take it you've tried clearing the CMOS?

paulhuk2 · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:33

trojan698 said:
Ouch! Doesn't look good.. I take it you've tried clearing the CMOS?

Clearing the CMOS just resets the settings to factory defaults, it doesn't physically wipe the CMOS data.

I'd look for a flashing utility that you can run from a bootable floppy, so you might have to grab yourself a cheapo floppy drive.

Good luck!

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:35

clearing CMOS didn't do anything. And when I try to use a bootable floppy it's no good because it doesn't detect my keyboard

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:38

Ouch, looks like you killed your board.

eracer2006 · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:39

can you get into bios to change the HALT ON ALL ERRORS to HALT ON NO ERRORS ?

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:40

Try getting a floppy and reflashing that way, but id say its a dead board now if it crashed half way through flashing, thats why flashing your BIOS is risky.

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:42

eracer2006 said:
can you get into bios to change the HALT ON ALL ERRORS to HALT ON NO ERRORS ?

no

LoadsaMoney said:
Try getting a floppy and reflashing that way.

It says I need AWDFLASH.EXE, not only that but the PC doesn't see my keyboard any more so I can't update the BIOS because I can't select anything

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:45

Is it a USB keyboard, tried a PS2 one if you can.

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:47

it's a USB, I have a USB to ps2 keyboard adapter knocking around somewhere. I'm looking for a copy of AWDFLASH on the interweb too at the moment.

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:54

According to the EVGA website you don't need AWDFLASH :-

FLOPPY (Floppy Disk and Disk Drive Required)
Download the following executable: NF68_P23.exe
Insert blank floppy disk into drive and run executable
Restart machine, and set floppy as the primary boot device
After flash, power off PC completely, on reboot load defaults in BIOS .

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:56

that's exactly what i've done though. And it says it needs AWDFLASH.EXE just after it loads from the floppy

Things change I've changed · 23 Dec 2006 at 17:59

just an idea, this may work, it may not, if you can get it too boot up using the floppy drive but you still can't use the keyboard then using another computer you may be able to make a *.bat file or edit the *.bat file on the bootup disk to auto run NF68_P23.exe, I can't remember how to do it but somebody on here should know.

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:01

You can get AWDFLASH from here

hp7909 · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:02

LoadsaMoney said:
{snip}but id say its a dead board now if it crashed half way through flashing, thats why flashing your BIOS is risky.

Lol... why such a quick conclusion :confused:

If crashed/etc when updating BIOS, simply order a replacement chip or send off current one & have it re-flashed. Personally, I do both, i.e. get replacement chip, test & be sure not other problem then send of duff chip to be re-flashed*. That way you have a back-up chip just in case it happens again. Oh, did that for my A8V-Deluxe board

Try RecoveryBIOS.com

*though you could hot-flash instead

LoadsaMoney · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:06

hp7909 said:
Lol... why such a quick conclusion

If crashed/etc when updating BIOS, simply order a replacement chip or send off current one & have it re-flashed. Personally, I do both.

Why the need to get a replacement chip, or send his off if he aint killed it then. :confused:

hp7909 · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:10

LoadsaMoney said:
Why the need to get a replacement chip, or send his off if he aint killed it then.

Maybe corrupted it?

XtAsY · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:21

I once had a similar problem. To correct it I went onto another computer and got a new floppy disk and made it a bootable floppy. The I put AWDFLASH on the floppy along with the latest BIOS for the motherboard. I then ran AWDFLASH to reflash the BIOS and all went well and I could boot again. Make sure you know the name of the .bin file for your new BIOS because AWDFLASH will ask for it before you can flash.

My advice is never try flashing BIOS inside Windows. Always use AWDFLASH.

AWBbox · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:23

Ok, with AWDFLASH on the disk too (thanks LoadsaMoney) it comes up with a promising BIOS update screen. However, no ports on the motherboard seem to be working. Everything is dead, even the ethernet port doesn't have the little green light.

I don't have a ps2 keyboard, but I do have one of these:

I use it for the mouse that is part of the Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse combo of the family PC. Would it be safe to try this with my Saitek Eclipse II?

XtAsY · 23 Dec 2006 at 18:24

AWBbox said:
Ok, with AWDFLASH on the disk too (thanks LoadsaMoney) it comes up with a promising BIOS update screen. However, no ports on the motherboard seem to be working. Everything is dead, even the ethernet port doesn't have the little green light. I don't have a ps2 keyboard, but I do have one of these:

I use it for the mouse that is part of the Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse combo of the family PC. Would it be safe to try this with my Saitek Eclipse II?

might as well give it a try. It's not going to hurt anything.