Boot up and it goes Beep beep beep beep beep......

Hot-swapping and Boot-Block flash & Boot block flash and floppy support
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c
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Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:42 pm

Hello

Been reading alot of posting about problems and situation similar to mine. Pls kindly advise. This is my first time flashing a BIOS and its straight into the swarms.

I finally found my corresponding bin file and flash utility from:

http://www.bns-computer.de/Support/mb_520.htm
(Thanks to Wimsbios and BNS)

So, I managed to upgrade my BIOS from:
06/21/96-i430VX-2A59Ht5BC-00
to:
10/15/97-i430VX-02271997C-00
using the tools provided from that web site. (52x1016s.bin and awdflash.exe)

It was working fine and doing okay. It could now detect for CD-ROM drive boot when start up. Well, was only happy for a few mins.

I went on to find out that there was a patched BIOS meant for higher hard disk capacity!
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/index. ... 0&count=40

Btw, my mobo is PC Chips M520
http://www.stud.fernuni-hagen.de/q39981 ... s/m520.gif
I've checked and double check that this is my no name mobo. Alot of research for past 2 months.

I then continue to download the patched BIOS from:
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/ajz/PC ... MC%20L.zip
There were two versions, large block flash and small block flash. I wasn't really sure, but I downloaded the big block one.

With the same utility from bns computer (AWD Flash ver 5.2c), I went on to flash the patched BIOS. After it completed its back up, it prompt for reboot, I (stupidly) went to turn off and then back on the PC. After which it was the worst feeling since the blue screen of death. It sounded off a continuous beep. Its a consistent and urgent beep. Nothing on the screen.

I went on to clear the CMOS by removing the round battery and also taking out the jumpers. I got info from the manual (in German I think).
ftp://ftp.bns-computer.de/bns-computer/ ... D/M520.PDF

Tried to start up without the battery and jumpers, so as to clear the CMOS. Plug them back in and boot again. Nothing.

I even took out the Award BIOS chipset. Its details shows:
Award Software 1995
PCI/PNP 586
S/N 043196338 V_____________*LOGO*

I damaged the pins abit, but had them bend back to normal. After removing the chipset, I did a boot up so I could clear whatever memory left before. Nothing.

I took a chipset from another mobo (later version) to plug into my M520 mobo to boot up. Nothing.

I placed everything back into my mobo including jumpers and battery with the Chipset back in. Boot up. Nothing.

Can't think of anything, and decided to take out the chipset again. I thought I head to the shops and buy a new one, as I doubt there will be any reprogramming service available in my country.

All this was yesterday. Today, I did another extensive search and found that I could still save the BIOS chipset (mobo or kernel or whatever), by using the special boot block BIOS feature as found in:
http://www.wimsbios.com/HTML1/faq.html#q9

I think I have a corrupt BIOS. The patched BIOS from Rainbow-Software site I've downloaded was not useful for me, not disasterous. Not blaming anyone, but myself.

I've checked on other web sites that says similar ways to recover my old BIOS. This one in German:
http://www.bns-computer.de/Support/bios/bios_rec.htm

My question is: How do I recover my old BIOS to save it back to my previous bin file?

I don't really know how to create an autoexec.bat file.

Pls kindly advise.

Thank you very much.

C
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

c wrote: So, I managed to upgrade my BIOS from:
06/21/96-i430VX-2A59Ht5BC-00
to:
10/15/97-i430VX-02271997C-00
using the tools provided from that web site. (52x1016s.bin and awdflash.exe)
Well, that was the big hint. The 52x1016s.bin is the small block flash version, and in the case of this BIOS I think you will find it is mentioned in the OEM message (top left of the memory count screen, below the Award logo) - and listed in our table of BIOSes so that you can check.
It was working fine and doing okay. It could now detect for CD-ROM drive boot when start up. Well, was only happy for a few mins.

I went on to find out that there was a patched BIOS meant for higher hard disk capacity!
There were two versions, large block flash and small block flash. I wasn't really sure, but I downloaded the big block one.
Ooops. You have now flashed a BIOS with a bootblock that does not know how to drive the BIOS chip.
All this was yesterday. Today, I did another extensive search and found that I could still save the BIOS chipset (mobo or kernel or whatever), by using the special boot block BIOS feature as found in:
http://www.wimsbios.com/HTML1/faq.html#q9

I think I have a corrupt BIOS. The patched BIOS from Rainbow-Software site I've downloaded was not useful for me, not disasterous. Not blaming anyone, but myself.

I've checked on other web sites that says similar ways to recover my old BIOS. This one in German:
http://www.bns-computer.de/Support/bios/bios_rec.htm[/quoteI think there's one in English

My question is: How do I recover my old BIOS to save it back to my previous bin file?
You cannot recover your old BIOS. You can use the last one that worked, or the correct (small block) patched one.
I don't really know how to create an autoexec.bat file.
An autoexec.bat file can be created using a text editor such as notepad. All it needs to contain for BIOS recovery is the command you would type to flash the BIOS, e.g. awdfl628 52x1016s.bin /f/sn/py/cc/cd/cp. Make sure it is really called autoexec.bat and not autoexec.bat.txt. You will need a bootable diskette with no config.sys, the autoexec.bat, the flasher program and the BIOS image.
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
c
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:42 pm

Hello NickS

Thank you for your reply. Do you mean to say that 52x1016s.bin is the same as your small block flash BIOS from Rainbow Software site? So, I've had a patched BIOS installled before the crash? What is small block and large block? The 52x1016s.bin file I downloaded was from the bns computer web site, not from Rainbow.

I tried to recover my BIOS using the bootable floppy method. It did not work. I save into the floppy:
COMMAND.COM
AUTOEXEC.BAT
52x1016s.bin
AWDFLASH.EXE

Alongside with DRVSPACE.BIN, IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS (3 Hidden)
These hidden/system files were created when I use:
format a: /s
command

In my AUTOEXEC.BAT, I've wrote:

@ECHO OFF
@AWDFLASH 52x1016s.bin /py

I haven't tried your suggested switch options yet. But I doubt it. Let me explain.

I tried to boot up with the floppy, the machine had a beep, pause, and then beep continuously. I left it running for about 3 minutes. The beep kept on going. I think if I didn't switch it off, it will keep on going beep beep beep beep..... I pressed the reset button and the same. Finally switched it off.

Is there still hope? What I did do wrong with using that large block flash from Rainbow web site? I don't understand why it crashed just like that even when the utility did show that BIOS has been reprogrammed and called for restart. What did I do wrong?

Pls advise.

Thanks again
C
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

"Small block" and "large block" refer to different types of flash EEPROM device. Each EEPROM device has an ID which can be read by software. If the wrong code is put into the flash device the boot block which checks and loads the rest of the BIOS will not recognise the device and will probably fail to load.

- Try clearing CMOS to see if that makes any difference. Different BIOSes store extended information in different areas of CMOS. Your manual will tell you how to do this.
- Does the system try to read the diskette ?
- Does the board have an ISA slot ? Do you have an ISA video card ? If so, try using the ISA video card to see if any diagnostic information comes up on it.
- Do you have an ISA diskette controller ? try connecting the diskette drive to this.
- Check out the "hot flash" BIOS recovery technique (see the post on BIOS recovery at VIA in the "Collected Wisdom" forum, or the article at www.rainbow-software.org).

There is a patched version of 52x1016s.bin on our website (up to 64GB IIRC, though the 128GB version may be in my "untested" area), but if you used the "large block" version that was not it.
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

NickS - FYI -

c has the same post going over at The PC Chips Lottery. Sounds like he will need to hotflash (no Boot Block screen coming up). I mentioned the 64GB bug patched file there, in case he want's to try it eventually. Have you heard back from the guy wanting the "BIG" patch for his M530 yet?? I think I still have a copy of the 06/21/96-i430VX-2A59Ht5BC-00 BIOS, if he wants to have that back.
c
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Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:42 pm

Hello KachiWachi, NickS and all

Thank you for your replies. Yes, I did a same post to the other forum for any advise possible. Sorry for long delay reply.

Just to recap. Mobo is PC Chips M520. When I turn it on, it sounds off a quick beep-beep, followed by continuous urgent beeps. I believe the beeps may not apply to diagnostic as its AMI that uses those indicators. Nothing on screen. BIOS chip is from Award. Its a 586 series chip. Processor is P-133.

With much hard searching, I have recently acquired an ISA video card and a ISA I/O conroller card for FDD and HDD.

I think these are the tools for recovery. Could anyone pls advise on it?

I have previous tried using hot flash, but it could not be done as the working mobo was a newer version (Celeron). Doesn't work when I slot in the corrupted BIOS chip to hot flash. It just stay hangs there after executing the command.

Could anyone pls advise on recovery?

Thank you again.

C
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