BIOS Updates forum

Please help, I HAD a BIOS with the following settings of information:

Award Software Inc, ROM PCI/ISA BIOS
Version 4.51G
V.656VXD M3.4 08-25-1997
i430VX
BIOS REVISION: 2A59GJ1DC-00

From looking at www.wimbios.com with the AWARD BIOS ID's, I found that the motherboard was a Jetway J-656-VXD with an intel VX chipset.

I proceeded to download the 'special' awdflash.exe file on this site designed for 656VX chipsets and the appropriate BIOS *.bin file, which was "vxd-m50.bin", as the version M3.4 above indicated.

I booted the PC with a DOS boot disk without any TSRs, and executed the awdflash.exe command using the command line: "Awdflash a:\vxd-m50.bin /SN/PY/CC/R" as directed on the jetway weblink from this site ( http://www.jetway.com.tw/evisn/download/update.htm )

The awdflash program executed, identifying the bin file and showing a progress bar filling white, and then the last 3/4 bars turned blue, before the PC went blank and remained so for about 5 minutes. Upon seeing no disk activity, I turned it off and on again.

Unfortunately, the BIOS has stopped working and all I now get is a blank screen. The floppy and hard disk lights come on, and the floppy seems to be capable of reading without any display on screen. Upon bootup, i hear two beeps in succession, followed by a low pitched "ta-dum" beep.

Looking at the forum posts, I believe my only recourse is to hot flash the BIOS chip - but I do not know how. I have tried to clear the CMOS via placing a jumper between the pins for 5 mins with the PC turned off, but this does not help. I am convinced that I used the correct BIOS file, and have since read the the awdflash program is notorious for reliability!

Can someone please advise on how I can get my BIOS back?

Many thanks, Atull

AtullGupta wrote:Upon bootup, i hear two beeps in succession, followed by a low pitched "ta-dum" beep.

Try a bootable floppy with uniflash and put "uniflash -e bios.bin" in autoexec.bat. If you want to see something, use ISA VGA card.

To make a bad problem even more confusing - I followed the instructions on the uniflash website for the bios autoexec execution on floppy disk.

I created a win 98 boot disk with system files, the uniflash program and the bios file "vxd-m50.bin". In the autoexec.bat file, I typed in the line:

@uniflash -e vxd-m50.bin

However, by placing the disk in the drive and booting up the PC, for some reason the floppy light seems to stay on, and there is no recognisable activity going on with the floppy drive - can anyone explain?

Thanks, Atull

The last blue lines you saw when you flashed your bios indicated that you did not include bootblock in the flashing process.

It seems that your newly flashed bios image is incompatible with your bootblock. This shouldn't have been a problem had you included bootblock in the flashing process.

Anyway, the good thing is that you can still recover your system via bootblock. Try another floppy drive and a new diskette.

Was the floppy drive working OK on the system previously?

If not, the light staying on can indicate that the data cable is connected incorrectly (reversed) to the floppy drive.

Hello, I am now even more unsure what is going on. When I first reported the problem, I decided to get myself a replacement Award BIOS chip, as I believed that it might come in handy. This arrived before I placed this post today.

I took your advice and replaced the floppy disk drive with a new one, and with the new BIOS connected, and having cleared CMOS and replaced the motherboard battery (and without any disk in the drive), the system finally booted. This BIOS was version 4.50G (older than my previous one) and did not recognise that I had a Pentium MMX processor installed. So I thought rather than take a risk of flashing this chip badly, and now with proof that the system is bootable, that I would replace the badly flashed Award BIOS chip on the motherboard.

Having done this, I got the blank screen syndrome again. I initially booted up without the flash disk on board to see if the screen would pop up, but I seemed to get some repeated beeps from the PC. The new disk drive light did light up. I switched off and on again - with the same result, and no screen display. The third time I retried it, I placed the uniflash disk in the drive, but now the drive failed to light up.

So I figured that I'd accept the older BIOS on the other chip I'd acquired - and swapped back around again, clearing CMOS and replacing the motherboard battery again, with the alternate chip loaded. This was exactly the same setup used when it worked, but now I started getting a blank screen once more - with no lights on the floppy drive, and no beeps at all.

I fear that I have done something to the boot blocks on both floppy drives. Switching between them on boot up attempts, one stays continuously lit, whilst the other does not light up at all. I am always confronted with a blank screen and nothing lighting. I have not knowingly flashed the second BIOS chip - so believe that it is in working order. My concern is the boot block, but to be honest I do not understand how this works and why I must replace the floppy drive. I have no more floppy drives left. Is there a way of resetting floppy drives?

Thanks, Atull

Stranqe things, PC's - I tried switching on again - with nothing happening. I left the PC on for about 2 mins. I then hear a high pitched buzzing sound - which I think comes from the floppy (the original one). Thinking that this is an omen, I turn off the PC and turn it on again, and voila! The PC comes back to life. There was a message related to CMOS - which I think said "CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded".

The BIOS version is now v4.50G, dated 01/05/1996 RELEASE, recognises my MMX as a PENTIUM-S CPU at 200MHz.

Other notable differences are now i430FX and the BIOS revision, which is now 2A59CF54C-00. This revision suggests a Fugutech M507 PnP (PcChips) or Concord COA-507 or microgram(MG) model: ??? or ATC1000 (A-Trend) or Amptron PM-7600 motherboard.

Obviously this is wrong, but now that I have a working chip on board - I need to correctly flash the chip for the original settings that I had. I am assuming that I must stay away from awdflash (which botched up my system in the first place), and probably go for Uniflash instead - maybe using my boot disk. I would like confirmation that the original BIOS file vxd-m50.bin is the correct one to use for my motherboard, as the original revision 2A59GJ1DC-00 suggests. The markings on the motherboard confirm a J656VXD as well.

I'm not going to do anything more yet - I would like to get reliable instructions on how to update best from my existing BIOS to the most upto date one for the correct motherboard from someone out there please. Many thanks, Atull

This situation is not uncommon to the old motherboards I have repaired.

First, run Memtest86+ to determine if you have a defect-free RAM. Just Google to find it on the web. This is freely downloadable. This has been my most reliable way of troubleshooting RAM, and it didn't fail me so far.

Second, run a deep system diagnostics first to fully assess your motherboard/processor/drives condition. There is a demo version of AMIDIAG 6.20 for DOS at AMI's website, and it has all the system board component diagnostic tests, esp. CPU, BIOS, RTC, CMOS, L1 & L2 Cache, Drives etc.

Just send me an email should you need detailed assistance.

Does the board physically contain the FX or the VX chipset?

Can you post a photo of what you have?

hi!! I have a similar problem.. I was flashing my j656vxd motherboard...but when uniflash was almost finished of flashing.. sound 2 beeps and no signal in the monitor.. so I left it by 10 min there.. so I reboot the system...and nothing happens.. i used uniflash with the bios Vxd-s60.bin
because the model of my motherboard requieres this version...
the problem is that I don't know how activate the boot block method in the motherboard..because when I turn on the pc nothing happens.. no signal..no beep..no nothing.. well only once sounded 1long beep and followed by 2short beeps.. but now when I turn on the system nothing happens...
I don't know if I can activate the boot block with a jumper or something.. anyone knows?? please help me?!?! I reall appreciate it!! thanks friends...

I had the same board too, long ago, and the very same thing happened. I had to resort to hotflashing the chip on another board.

and how can I do that?? could u tell me pliz Bro?? is it difficult or what? tell me please::?? I really need to know how to fit my problem with this board..so I really aprciate is you could help me.. ok?? please!

Hi!! well Mi problem is similar...but how can I make for configuring mi motherboard to start from diskete...I mean I turn on the pc..but nothing happens..no beeps no video..no nothing...hehe is almost dead... waaaaa.. I know that theres a jumpers configuration to make available the diskette at the beginning..but how can I do that>>>??? which is the Jumpers configuration??? and Wich jumpers??
My problem was that when I was applying the new Bios in My J656VXD rev2 almost at the end...something happened..and the screen became black...and sounded some beeps..and later nothing happened.... so when I restarted...happened that, that I was saying before..no video..no beeps... so I would like to know how can I fix this..If there is a solution jejeje..thanks...I this is a great Forum..thanks!!