BCM IN440ZX - no video after updating BIOS

[tinker21]

I have a Micron DR737 board (aka BCM IN400ZX) and updated to the most recent BIOS found on at the page for this board. There were no issues with the motherboard, except that it did not see large hard drives. http://www.bcmcom.com/tech/IN440ZX/IN440ZX.htm# Windows XP was running fine, and identified large drives properly.

The flash seemed to go perfectly, with no errors. I saved the old BIOS to the floppy disk I used to flash. When I rebooted, there was no video display. I switched to PCI video card, still no display.
I see a jumper between the PCI cards for "BIOS recovery". There are no directions in the user manual (see link above) for how to use this option.

I tried switching the BIOS recovery jumper from the Off position to ON for (with the power cord removed) for about 30 seconds, changed the jumper back, and rebooted - still no video display.

What can I do to get my system up and running again?

[edwin]

send the old bios file to elhvb@outlook.com for comparison with what you flashed. not 100% sure it's fully compatible with th retail version.

[tinker21]

Thank you for the reply. I should have thought about OEM modifications by Micron before flashing!

[edwin]

Micron bios:
07/23/1999-i440BX-W977TF-2A69KB3FC-00
MICRON BIOS VERSION 2.71

BCM bios:
02/12/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KB3JC-00
PENTIUM II/III AGP/PCI/ISA SYSTEM BIOS VER:1.02(#20861)

Different ID and more important: different I/O chip. Is the bios chip in a socket on your board? If so you may get away with hotflashing it in another board that supports this bios chip.

If not we need to hope it reacts to a checksum invalidation/recovery procedure. We actually have a patched update for the Micron variety on our big disk page that is slightly newer than your, a version 2.8

http://wims.rainbow-software.org/edwin/ ... Presto.txt
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/edwin/ ... Presto.zip

Let us know about the bios chip first, we take it from there.

[tinker21]

The BIOS chip is socketed, not soldered. It has a gold Presto label, with another (white) label pasted on top. The Presto label reads:

© 1998
176199826

The white label pasted on top (over AWARD) reads: 2.61
I can pull the BIOS chip but don't have access to any other board with the original BIOS. Thanks for your help!

[edwin]

You need a board with the same socket and compatible with your bios chip. That is all:
http://www.overclock.net/t/102206/how-t ... -bios-chip

[tinker21]

If not we need to hope it reacts to a checksum invalidation/recovery procedure. We actually have a patched update for the Micron variety on our big disk page that is slightly newer than your, a version 2.8

How to go about using the BIOS recovery procedure?
I don't have any compatible board for hotflashing.

[edwin]

Short-circuiting the chip
Another way to clear the CMOS RAM is to reset it by short circuiting two pins of the BIOS chip for a few seconds. You can do that with a small piece of electric wire or with a bent paper clip. Always make sure that the computer is turned OFF before to try this operation.
Here is a list of EPROM chips that are commonly used in the BIOS industry. You may find similar chips with different names if they are compatible chips made by another brand. If you find the BIOS chip you are working on matches with one of the following you can try to short-circuit the appropriate pins. Be careful, because this operation may damage the chip.
CHIPS P82C206 (square)
Short together pins 12 and 32 (the first and the last pins on the bottom edge of the chip) or pins 74 and 75 (the two pins on the upper left corner).
gnd
74
|__________________
5v 75–| |
| |
| |
| CHIPS |
1 * | |
| P82C206 |
| |
| |
|___________________|
| |
| gnd | 5v
12 32
OPTi F82C206 (rectangular)
Short together pins 3 and 26 (third pin from left side and fifth pin from right side on the bottom edge).
80 51
|______________|
81 -| |- 50
| |
| |
| OPTi |
| |
| F82C206 |
| |
100-|________________|-31
|| | |
1 || | | 30
3 26

Dallas DS1287, DS1287A
Benchmarq bp3287MT, bq3287AMT
The Dallas DS1287 and DS1287A, and the compatible Benchmarq bp3287MT and bq3287AMT chips have a built-in battery. This battery should last up to ten years. Any motherboard using these chips should not have an additional battery (this means you can’t flash the BIOS by removing a battery). When the battery fails, the RTC chip would be replaced.
CMOS RAM can be cleared on the 1287A and 3287AMT chips by shorting pins 12 and 21.
The 1287 (and 3287MT) differ from the 1287A in that the CMOS RAM can’t be cleared. If there is a problem such as a forgotten password, the chip must be replaced. (In this case it is recommended to replace the 1287 with a 1287A). Also the Dallas 12887 and 12887A are similar but contain twice as much CMOS RAM storage.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21 RCL (RAM Clear)
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

NOTE: Although these are 24-pin chips,
the Dallas chips may be missing 5 pins,
these are unused pins.
Most chips have unused pins,
though usually they are still present.

Dallas DS12885S
Benchmarq bq3258S
Hitachi HD146818AP
Samsung KS82C6818A
This is a rectangular 24-pin DIP chip, usually in a socket. The number on the chip should end in 6818.
Although this chip is pin-compatible with the Dallas 1287/1287A, there is no built-in battery.
Short together pins 12 and 24.
5v
24 20 13
|___________|____________________|
| |
| DALLAS |
|> |
| DS12885S |
| |
|__________________________________|
| |
1 12
gnd

Motorola MC146818AP
Short pins 12 and 24. These are the pins on diagonally opposite corners – lower left and upper right. You might also try pins 12 and 20.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

Once you have done that the board should be ready for this procedure (use the Award variant):
http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html

If it doesn't work, time for a fresh programmed chip from
http://www.flashbios.org
or
http://www.badflash.com

[tinker21]

I will explore the options for short circuiting the chip as a last resort, in case I make another mistake. Meanwhile, I read the bios recovery info for the Award flash at the first link. Just to be clear, do I have to short circuit or otherwise clear CMOS before I attempt the bios recovery procedure?

Is is possible to re-flash the bios at boot in a non-interactive way through use of command line switches in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file? This would bypass lack of video.

BTW, there is no CMOS jumper on this board - but there is a "bios recovery" jumper, but I have no idea how to use it.

I will look under the AWARD label to see what is printed on the chip itself.

[tinker21]

The chip is an AMD, with the following part number:

AM 29F002NBT -120JC

It's square, in a brown socket.

[edwin]

I'll look that one up.

[tinker21]

I think my best option is send the chip off to one of the re-programming services. I might try the bios recovery option first, if I can figure out the correct procedure.