Please help, serious BIOS failure!

Things change I've changed · 24 Dec 2006 at 01:23

I don't know if your still up dude but try doing it manually (presuming your keyboard works),

download the bios *.bin file HERE and Awardflash utility HERE then download this utility to make a bootable floppy disk HERE

First make a bootable floppy disk using the win98se.exe, then copy across onto the route directory of that disk the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe, now boot up the computer using the boot disk you have just made, once at the command line make sure you are in the route directory of A:, now type the following *awdflash NF68P23.bin* (don't include the *) if that does'nt work then try *awdflash NF68P23.bin /f*

this_is_gav · 24 Dec 2006 at 10:33

I don't think he can type anything on that PC, but if you add that line to an Autoexec.bat file (on your current working PC), then it should do that command automatically.

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 11:44

this_is_gav said:
I don't think he can type anything on that PC, but if you add that line to an Autoexec.bat file (on your current working PC), then it should do that command automatically.

It can't do that i'm afraid, it just sticks at the 'Unknown flash type' screen and never gets any further than that. I've even found the lastest version of awdflash (8.64 as opposed to 8.22a) but it makes no difference

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 12:06

lowrider007 said:
I don't know if your still up dude but try doing it manually (presuming your keyboard works),

download the bios *.bin file HERE and Awardflash utility HERE then download this utility to make a bootable floppy disk HERE

First make a bootable floppy disk using the win98se.exe, then copy across onto the route directory of that disk the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe, now boot up the computer using the boot disk you have just made, once at the command line make sure you are in the route directory of A:, now type the following *awdflash NF68P23.bin* (don't include the *) if that does'nt work then try *awdflash NF68P23.bin /f*

I can't get this method to work either, after I use win98se.exe the disk is full so i can't put either the bios file or awdflash on the floppy too

am i doing something wrong?

If I format the floppy as is MS-DOS startup disk from 'My Computer' there is enough room to put the BIOS file on too. Would this work?

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 12:29

AWBbox said:
It can't do that i'm afraid, it just sticks at the 'Unknown flash type' screen and never gets any further than that. I've even found the lastest version of awdflash (8.64 as opposed to 8.22a) but it makes no difference

Of course you can !

The boot floppy only needs io.sys, msdos.sys, command.com, autoexec.bat and the bios files (bios.rom, awdflash e.t.c.). Delete the other crap to make room.

COMMAND LINE SWITCHES !

Why is this taking so long to be fixed ?

A method of flashing an Award BIOS is to automate it. By creating a prepared bootdisk with the flashing utility and the BIOS .bin file on it, you can create a bootable disk that will flash the BIOS and perform other functions for you without having you type anything. After you have created a bootable floppy, using you favorite text editor, open the autoexec.bat file located on the floppy disk. If one is not present then just save the file once you have created it to the floppy as autoexec.bat. The following code will completely automate the flashing procedure for you:

@echo off
if exist oldbios.bin goto old
awdflash.exe newbios.bin oldbios.bin /py /sy /cc /cp /cd /sb /r
goto end
ld
awdflash.exe oldbios.bin /py /sn /cc /cp /cd /sb /r
:end

The awdflash.exe is the name of the flashing program you are using. The newbios.bin is the name of the bios image you downloaded for you motherboard. The oldbios.bin file is the name of the bios you choose to save the old bios (your current BIOS) onto floppy as. IF your BIOS flash fails, the old BIOS is in backed up in oldbios.bin. You can just reboot with that floppy again and the process of flashing the bios to the old version is automatic. As long as the oldbios.bin is present on the floppy, it will get flashed to the BIOS. After flashing the BIOS to a newer version remember to remove the floppy from the drive. The process of flashing the BIOS is automatic, so if you leave the floppy in the drive it will flash the BIOS again.

Just make sure that the bios file you use is the CORRECT one!

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/tutorial/article/flash-award-bios

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/jefn/bootblock.html

http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html

Google Bootblock

Things change I've changed · 24 Dec 2006 at 12:39

ns400r said:
Of course you can !

COMMAND LINE SWITCHES !

Why is this taking so long to be fixed ?

Just make sure that the bios file you use is the CORRECT one!

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/tutorial/article/flash-award-bios

dude, have you read through the thread, the problem is not that simple, it's not just about updateing the bios, intially the OP'er did'nt have use of his keyboard or mouse due to a previous currupt bios installation which put a twist on things.

AWBbox said:
I can't get this method to work either, after I use win98se.exe the disk is full so i can't put either the bios file or awdflash on the floppy too am i doing something wrong?

If I format the floppy as is MS-DOS startup disk from 'My Computer' there is enough room to put the BIOS file on too. Would this work?

If you've got another floppy then keep the startup disk and copy the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe onto the other formatted floppy disk , once booted up take out the startup disk and insert the disk with the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe files on and then try it.

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 12:40

ns400r said:
Of course you can !

COMMAND LINE SWITCHES !

Why is this taking so long to be fixed ?

Just make sure that the bios file you use is the CORRECT one!

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/tutorial/article/flash-award-bios

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/jefn/bootblock.html

http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html

Google Bootblock

wow that looks good :eek:

i'll give this a go...

edit: didn't make any difference. It's just the same as before

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 12:54

lowrider007 said:
If you've got another floppy then keep the startup disk and copy the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe onto the other formatted floppy disk , once booted up take out the startup disk and insert the disk with the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe files on and then try it.

ok, i'll try this. But should I use the win98se.exe to make the disk bootable or the one from 'My Computer'?

Things change I've changed · 24 Dec 2006 at 13:01

AWBbox said:
ok, i'll try this. But should I use the win98se.exe to make the disk bootable or the one from 'My Computer'?

use the win98se.exe to make a boot disk, then use that to boot into your computer with the currupt bios, then take out the disk and put in the other floppy disk that you have copied the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe files on to then make sure your on the A: drive at the command prompt then try typeing the following *awdflash NF68P23.bin* (don't include the *) if that does'nt work then try *awdflash NF68P23.bin /f*

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 13:08

lowrider007 said:
use the win98se.exe to make a boot disk, then use that to boot into your computer with the currupt bios, then take out the disk and put in the another floppy disk that you have copied the NF68P23.bin & awdflash.exe files on to then make sure your on the A: drive at the command prompt then try typeing the following *awdflash NF68P23.bin* (don't include the *) if that does'nt work then try *awdflash NF68P23.bin /f*

I'm afraid there's no opertunity for me to type anything in this process. And when I tried this method, when the win98se boot disk was in it came up with

then when I put the disk with the .bin and awdflash etc in it came up with

the screen was more messed up looking than the picture can show, many white blotches were flashing all over the screen, sometimes with purple letter 'm's inside

not pretty

Phil2008 · 24 Dec 2006 at 13:29

Theres 2 files not only the AWDFLASH.EXE. The AWDFLASH.EXE is the utilty software that flashes the bios, but you need the other file to, so the AWDFLASH.EXE has something to update, if that makes sense?

I would download the bois version you had on before and extract the files to a bootable floppy. Hopefully it should boot up from the floopy and run the flash utilty then you shoud be able to get your previous version of you bios back.

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 14:12

speedy2004 said:
Theres 2 files not only the AWDFLASH.EXE. The AWDFLASH.EXE is the utilty software that flashes the bios, but you need the other file to, so the AWDFLASH.EXE has something to update, if that makes sense?

I would download the bois version you had on before and extract the files to a bootable floppy. Hopefully it should boot up from the floopy and run the flash utilty then you shoud be able to get your previous version of you bios back.

I had both files and the BIOS file on the disk at the time. The result was shown on the last screen I posted.

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:27

Use an older version of awdflash.exe. Look on the motherboard CD that came with the board, maybe that has the correct version. Also, the file name in your screen shot appears to have a space in it. Rename the bios file to something simple like bios.rom and adjust your autoexec.bat file to load this simplier named file.

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:28

Question: what's EVGA RMA service like? Anyone have first-hand experience? My board still qualifies for the Standard RMA service. According to the EVGA web site, their tech support and RMA services will be back on tuesday so i'll try to get it done asap.

edit: in answer to

ns400r said:
Use an older version of awdflash.exe. Look on the motherboard CD that came with the board, maybe that has the correct version. Also, the file name in your screen shot appears to have a space in it. Rename the bios file to something simple like bios.rom and adjust your autoexec.bat file to load this simplier named file.

The BIOS file doesn't actually have a space when you see the name in the windows GUI. Also, there is nothing on the CD that came with the mobo that is at all helpfull in this case

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:44

Still rename it and try again.

FLOPPY (Floppy Disk and Disk Drive Required)
Download the following executable: NF68_P23.exe ( ftp://ftp.evga.com/BIOS/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

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:48

The BIOS file doesn't actually have a space when you see the name in the windows GUI.

But the file name as typed in your autoexec.bat file and called by awdflash might have !

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:50

It does the same as before, 'Unknown Flash Type'

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 17:56

What command line switches are you using after awdflash.exe bios.bin ?

ns400r · 24 Dec 2006 at 18:02

Can you copy and paste the contents of the autoexec.bat that the file above creates when it makes the boot floppy please. Also, exactly what files are on the newly created floppy.

AWBbox · 24 Dec 2006 at 18:02

Throughout the whole process I never actually have the opertunity to enter any command lines. Or even press any buttons on the keyboard at all for that matter.