Bootlock fails after unsuccesful BIOS update

[taroking]

My motherboard: Biostar M6VLR
I tried upgrading my bios with the VLR0527F.BIN file that i obtained from the http://www.biostar-usa.com/mbdownloads.asp?model=M6VLR website.
However, half way throught the flash, I lost power.
When I rebooted, I got the Bootblook Bios screen:

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BIOS ROM checksum error

Detecting floppy drive A media....
INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER 

I tried the steps outlined in http://www.biostar.com.tw/support/bios/index.php3. I made a bootable windows 95 disk and loaded the desired program and bios image, but fore some reason it stops after getting to the part of detecting the floppy drive A media. The floppy drive read light is on, but nothing happens. I then tried rebooting the computer with the floppy disk in it and still no success. I also tried using the automatic update suggested in the forum, by modifying the autoexec.bat, but still no luck.

Th error is always the same:

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BIOS ROM CHECKSUM error
Detecting floppy drive A media.... 

1) Is there a way to revive my motherboard?
2) The main reason I tried flashing my bios was because it couldn't detect my new hard drive (Western Digital 250 Gig IDE), my old HDD was a WD 20 gig. Does anyone know if there is a limit to this motherboard? I was unable to locate any information on this.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! I have spent a whole weekend trying different things to no avail. :(

[NickS]

You're not using a USB keyboard, are you? Just a chance but, if you are, try using a PS/2 type instead.

Quite often manufacturers have forgotten to tweak the bootblock BIOS to suit their particular hardware so the chipset isn't set to use the floppy drive properly - it may be expecting to see the interrupt from an FDD controller in a non-existent ISA slot .

The picture at Biostar shows the BIOS chip in a socket. If it is in a socket on your motherboard and you have access to another motherboard with the same sort of socket you may be able to recover by hot-flashing (http://rainbow.ht.st/hardware/hotflash.html - redirected, target page pops up) or buying a replacement.

Re: >128GiB support; latest BIOS was 27 May 2003,

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BIOS Version : Phoenix-Award BIOS v6.00PG
   BIOS Info : 05/27/2003-601-686B-6A6LIB09C-00
BIOS Message : VLR0527B

so a good chance it has but I can't say for certain. It's confusing that they list the BIOSes with the oldest at the top, as most manufacturers do it the other way round.

[KURIAKI]

It's confusing that they list the BIOSes with the oldest at the top, as most manufacturers do it the other way round.

And it's confusing too that their web sites around the world shows different BIOS updates for the same motherboard model.
According to Biostar China, the latest BIOS update was VLR1020F.BIN:
VLR1020F
10/20/2003-601-686B-6A6LIB09C-00
http://www.biostar.com.cn/supports/bios ... &Value=231

[taroking]

Thank you for the replies.
I am not using a USB keyboard.
I tired the following:
I waited for the message to appear:

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BIOS ROM checksum error

Detecting floppy drive A media....
INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

I pressed ENTER (with no floppy in drive) and the floppy drive light came up briefly. I then got the error message:

Code: Select all

BIOS ROM checksum error

Detecting floppy drive A media....
INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER
INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

So then I inserted the disk and tried again. Lights went up and stayed on. But nothing else happened. No more error messages, nothing.

What I find weird though is that my motherboard has a built in video card, but for some reason it still uses my added PCI card. I reseted the cmos by toggling the jumper and removing the battery. I also removed the video card. However, it still uses the PCI video card as opposed to the built in one. (When I removed my videocard, the built in one didnt show anything and I got this beeping error sound, which I think means missing video card) Is this normal?

Other than hotflashing, is there another way to reflash the bios chip? Can I use an eeprom programmer to do the trick? If yes, where can I find a good reference on how to do it. I couldn't find it on the forum or online.

My last question is: if originally my bios had a splash screen(VLR0527B), is it okay if i flash it with a bios without the splash screen(VLR0527F)?

[NickS]

What I find weird though is that my motherboard has a built in video card, but for some reason it still uses my added PCI card. I reseted the cmos by toggling the jumper and removing the battery. I also removed the video card. However, it still uses the PCI video card as opposed to the built in one. (When I removed my videocard, the built in one didnt show anything and I got this beeping error sound, which I think means missing video card) Is this normal?

It's difficult to say what is "normal"; it is not surprising. This could mean that it is looking for the FDD interrupt on the PCI bus as well, but I doubt that you have a PCI FDD controller to test this.

Other than hotflashing, is there another way to reflash the bios chip? Can I use an eeprom programmer to do the trick?

Yes, if you have a chip in a socket you can program it with an EEPROM programmer. Do you have access to one?

If yes, where can I find a good reference on how to do it. I couldn't find it on the forum or online.

I think we assume that if you have an EEPROM programmer you know how to use it. Hot-flashing is cheapest but requires a little care (don't short any pins together while the power is on, don't bend any pins) and access to another motherboard. If you know someone with an EEPROM programmer, take them the chip and the .BIN file. It is as simple as copying the .BIN file into the EEPROM.

My last question is: if originally my bios had a splash screen(VLR0527B), is it okay if i flash it with a bios without the splash screen(VLR0527F)?

Should be. You may also wish to try the later BIOS that Kuriaki mentions.

[stephan_g]

IIRC Win95's and later DOSes cannot be used with the barebone bootblock BIOS. Create a boot disk with something oldschool like MS-DOS 6.22 instead (use a disk image from the web if needed).

[taroking]

Thanks for all the help.
I managed to flash my eeprom with the new bios with an eeprom programmer. (Which was easy as pie) But I think I might have broken something else along the way when I tried removing the chip. oh well... sucks to be me. I guess it is time to get a new mobo.
Again. Thanks for everything!