MS-6178M, Award or AMI

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Chas2003
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Greetings everyone. I've been lurking around the forums for quite a while and have gleaned some very interesting and worthwhile information from you all.

I now have a bit of a snag and would like help. An extensive search has left me going around in circles.

I have been given the above motherboard, but it seems to have a problem with the IDE controllers. I have tried everything to resolve this but on the recommendation of a friend decided to re-flash the BIOS. It was a pull from a Tiny (UK Computer Comp.) machine and has what appears to be a Tiny proprietary BIOS. This is a AMI Bios, the boards originally ship from MSI with an Award BIOS.

I have tried to flash a MSI (Award) BIOS using both AMI and Award flashers with no success. I have also tried UniFlash but can't seem to re-write the boot block.

Can anyone offer advice.

Detail from the current BIOS flash screen:

A617801 V1.90MR 110401
63-10B1-001169-00101111-071595-WHITNEY-1WHITNEY-H
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
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Did you find the "write boot block" option in the Advanced menu in Uniflash ?
Chas2003
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Yes, but each time it comes up with a verification error.
NickS
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You installed the BIOS flash unlock jumper JP3 ? (I'm looking at the MSI 6178 manual here, which may not be quite the same...)
Chas2003
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Yes, JP3 was in the 'BIOS FLash Unlocked' config, ie. jumpered/shorted. Still no joy.

/Your help is much appreciated m8 :)
NickS
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Does the Award flasher identify the chip or does it say "unknown flash" ?
Chas2003
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It displays "SST 49LF004A /3.3v" sometimes, but not always. Sometimes it will display "Unknown Flash".

Award flashers prior to 812 will allow me to back-up the existing BIOS but then it will display "Programme files part number does not match with your system". It has also displayed many checksum codes (although I don't know what the significance is). 49D4h & D46FH being two of them. I've tried many combinations of Flashers/Bios files.

AMI Flash just says something about ROM size being wrong each and every time. As stated earlier Uniflash will try, unsuccessfully to re-write the boot block.

I'm out of my depth, I don't really understand much of this, I suppose the motherboard is ready for the dustbin. I was hoping to get it running to build a starter PC for my little 'un.

Lastly, would the problem which prompted the Flash, ie, more often than not the drive is not being detected, be caused by a corrupt BIOS (IDE controllers ?) or is the board itself phsyically damaged ?

regards
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
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It does sound as though there is something dodgy about the board if it comes up with different checksum values for the BIOS. Disconnect the IDE cables, remove any add-in cards except the graphics, clear the CMOS (turn off /disconnect power at the wall before changing jumper JBAT1/J26 according to the manual I downloaded - "your mileage may vary"). If you have two memory sticks, try them one at a time or swap one in from elsewhere. Can you try another CPU ?

The BIOS is actually held in the Intel i810 chipset's i82802 FWH (Firmware Hub) so you can't simply swap the BIOS chip or "hot-flash". I dislike the FWH approach.
Rainbow
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The FWH can be (hopefully) hot-flashed, if it's installed in a socket (not soldered to the board).
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
NickS
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@Rainbow: I haven't come across one in a socket yet, but there is always hope!
Rainbow
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I've seen it on Abit SA6R board (when I was replacing capacitors there...)
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
pwochung
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I got the same M/B. I tried to flash a Award BIOS into it and it died. I guessed the boot block had been corrupted. But the 82802 (FWH) do sit in a socket. I want to know if I can take the FWH out and put it in a socket A's M/B and flash the correct code and return.
pwochung
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I succeeded in flashing an Award BIOS into the board (original proprietor AMI BIOS by Tiny) and everything is OK. I used uniflash. It's great. Thank you!
potOgold
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Try this link for more info on 6178L or 6178 M boards
(also a good idea to visually confirm the chipset on it)
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/rl/ser ... index.html
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