BIOS Erased while trying to install Ubuntu from USB

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

Hello to everyone

Here is a strange and hard problem I went in while trying to install Karmic Koala on a Asus Z92J laptop.

I was trying to install the GNU/Linux from a USB flash drive. I didn't setup the boot sequence in the BIOS but was hitting the 'escape' button to display the boot sequence menu. The firts attempt to install got stuck in the middle (at the regional settings) and I restarted the installation process and changed the USB drive (I had two usb drives that I've just prepared before the installation begins). So with the new USB drive I followed the same steps -- first I put the USB drive in the USB port. Then powered the laptop, then started hitting the escape button.

Then suddenly a dos-like screen appeared with three horizontal bars the first saying erasing BIOS, the second reinstalling BIOS, the third saying making verification. After it finished I restarted the computer and now there is nothing on the screen. There is only a brief check of the CD-ROM drive.

In the same day it happened on a friend of mine, also on a Asus laptop but he got the reflex to pull-out the key and turn-off the computer. It was OK after and he continued the installation from a CD-ROM. It is worth saying that I've installed a dozen other laptops with the same USB drives the same day.

Keep in mind to be very careful if you install Linux from a USB drive on an Asus laptop -- if you see something similar to happen pull out the USB drive immediately and turn-off the computer.

I am currently trying to recover the BIOS using the method described on the biosman site (http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html). The CD shows some activity when I power-on the computer. I think that there is some interaction needed, but I can't see what is displayed on the screen because of the faulty BIOS.

Any suggestions, ideas? How to see what is the printed on the display? Is there something I could type blindly in order to apply the BIOS update? Help would be much appreciated.

Best,

Shtereff

[cp]

i don't know what you did but it's not the fault of any linux installer. urban legend.

Asus has a bios update function available from the BIOS itself but it is invoked by pushing ALT+F2 at bootup and it looks for files called *.ROM on available media (yes, usb, too!). additionally it will check the id of update against the installed bios. this is a feature