Black screen after bad BIOS update P4S8L

Hot-swapping and Boot-Block flash & Boot block flash and floppy support
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danidaniel
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Hi all,

I've bought a samsung SyncMaster 2043nw and my P4S8L did not support the max resolution 1680X1050.
I read in this forum that upgrading the BIOS it shoud be ok to reach the desired resolution. I downloaded the BIOS file from your site and as I wasn't able to flash it via boot CD (something with the extended memory message that I also read there) I decided to do it through the ASUS winflash utility.

When I started the ASUS winflash utility it told me that the BIOS file I downloaded was correct. It erased the ROM, flashed the new ROM and in the verification ROM stage it gave me an error.
I forget it and continued working with my computer but when I restarted it... just nothing, no beeps and a black screen.
No bootable CD was able to start it again so I decided to try to reset CMOS putting the jumpers in the 2 & 3 pins but still nothing.
I don't know what to do & I'm totally lost.

Can anybody helps me with this issue?

Thanks a lot in advance,
edwin
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check for bad capacitors first:
http://www.badcaps.net

now then, is this a retail board or one in a branded system like HP/Compaq or Sony?
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
danidaniel
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Thanks Edwin,

A physical review of the capacitors of my motherboard doesn't show any sign of being bad.

My computer is a Barebone ASUS Pundit (AB-P2600).

Thanks again for your help.

maybe it's beter try to use a new video card using the PCI slot. In that way, and supposing that the computer will be back to live again, I can avoid the BIOS updating and all the related problems...

Thanks again
edwin
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yep, you can at least try.
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
danidaniel
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I've tried again to clear CMOS switching the jumpers from the 1&2 pins to the 2&3 pins, without electric power and even removing the battery for 10 min and after back to the 1&2 pins but... still black screen and no beeps.

What does means that when I start computer any beep sounds?
how can I know if it's a problem with the graphic card? or any other device?

thanks
cp
BIOS Guru
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Location: Germany

and in the verification ROM stage it gave me an error.
this means that the contents of the eeprom were not updated correctly. correctly means that they differ from the file that you supplied to the flasher. either the data couldn't be written to the eeprom chip because it is damaged or the data couldn't be transfered to the chip correctly. award bioses have a bootblock that is executed in case of emergency. it checks for a floppy drive and boots it. if you have a floppy drive connected it should start seeking a disk if the machine is powered on as long as the bootblock is still intact.
if it is not you'll need to reprogram the eeprom chip on an external programmer or on another mainboard.

i don't trust windows flashers in general but they seem to work for most people out there. i'll rather use a DOS flasher like uniflash in conjunction with an ISA flasher or an external flasher.
If you email me include [WIMSBIOS] in the subject.
danidaniel
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Thanks for your clarifying answer CP!!

as i've been told by an expert is exactly what you have been telling me in your post.
In that sense, I was thinking of extracting the bios from the motherboard and bring it to a store that can write it supplying the correct file.
as you tell me that with a boot floppy I may recover it, I will try first this option before extracting the bios.
I have a some questions:
* as my computer do not have a floppy drive, may I connect one external floppy by the usb port? will it be recognized? should I do it by the serial port?
* can you tell me wich is the exact bin file I need to update my bios?
the last file I've found in the ASUS web page is the 1011.001 file updated on 2008/06/02. Is it the correct one corresponding to my computer?

thanks again very much for your help
cp
BIOS Guru
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Location: Germany

you can use the bios file from our website. it is the latest file from the ASUS site with patched video bios and it is proven to work (just search the forum for P4S8L).

here is a thread about recovering a P4S8L:
http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/topic10568.html

i really don't know if a USB floppy will work and i don't know if a parallel port floppy would. it depends on the BIOS if it has USB support integrated in the bootblock. as the bootblock is quite small i doubt that a USB floppy will work. parallel floppy support is just flipping a few bits in the SuperIO but depends on the wiring of the parallel/floppy port on the mainboard.
if you really want to be sure just connect the floppy drive to the internal floppy port. this is really the easiest way and fool proof. if the drive isn't accessed then (given a working floppy drive) you have to remove the bios chip and have it reprogrammed (or do it yourself) or order a preprogrammed chip. there are several sources for preprogrammed chips available on the net.
If you email me include [WIMSBIOS] in the subject.
danidaniel
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Unfortunatelly I have no an internal floppy port on my motherboard. P4s8L do not have one.

I will go this afternoon to a spetial store that can reflash the BIOS in the ROM with this ROM file.

The questions I have are:
* Is this the correct ROM file? At least is the one I've been trying to blash before the accident: http://www.wimsbios.com/files/vgabiospa ... L/1011.zip

* when I extract the file I have only an archive named: 1011.001 the question is if it is the correct extension. Not a .bin or a .rom? have I to rename it?

Thanks again. Hope to be close to the end... will tell you this night!
cp
BIOS Guru
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 9:07 pm
Location: Germany

the link posted in your previous message is the correct one for your mainboard. it would have worked in the first place if the flasher wouldn't have failed.

the file in the archive you can download is the BIOS binary. tell the guys to flash it into the chip. just plain flashing, no swapping of any bytes or other magic needed. tell them to verify if the contents really match the file just to make sure that the bios chip isn't damaged.

the extension doesn't say anything about the contents of the file. the file in the archive is the binary BIOS (if you prefer to have a .rom or .bin file feel free to rename it). while other OS evaluate the file by its contents a famous OS from redmond prefers to evalutate them by their extension. which is rather stupid and hiding the extension of known files (default setting) makes confusion and security risks even worse.
If you email me include [WIMSBIOS] in the subject.
danidaniel
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I finally found an electronics store that could save the BIOS binary I downloaded from your web page.
the process was ok and when I went back home with my BIOS newly flashed I FINALLY SAW THE BIOS SCREEN AGAIN!!
And the best thing is that I'm finally able to see in 1680X1050 resolution.
Thanks 1000 times for your help, the full process has cost 5,8 € of flashing the BIOS and uncontable hours but now... who matters!!!!
cp
BIOS Guru
Posts: 1914
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 9:07 pm
Location: Germany

success! finally :) have fun with your new widescreen-able machine.
If you email me include [WIMSBIOS] in the subject.
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