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bios help

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:21 pm
by ALN
Hello, A few months ago I did a bios update and since then I have no longer been able to use my computer.

As soon as switch on the pc I get in to the new bios automatically.

I do get the first screen in black with the bios details and telling me bad checksum...when I press del I into bios. Then when I restart it keeps going to bios until I change jumpers and claer cmos. Then when I restart I get the floppy come on stop and the says something like insert disk but nothing happens.

The computer 'doesn't read' the floppy.

The board I have is an MSI 6340 V5 and unfortunately I have flashed it with an AMI bios for the motherboard revision 1. The original bios as far as I am aware was Award.

I got the new bios from the Packard Bell site (the computer is an Packard Bell make) although the motherboard was replaced with an MSI one due to the original having a fault.

I've tried all methods to recover the bios to no avail.

After reading your site I have manged to get the floppy to read when I hold the cntrl-home button; the new bios is AMI 3.1.

The bios I should have installed is an AWARD bios for the motherboard of revision 5.

I have renamed the award bios to AMIBOOT.ROM and copied it to a floppy and when I switch on the board and hold ctrl- home the floppy comes on and reads. After a short period I get 7 beeps.

I have also tried to use the award bios by creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT ( using similar commands:AWDFLASH.EXE xxxxxx.BIN /CC /CD /CP /F /R /PY /SN) and saving it to floppy as well as the bios and flash utility.

Note the italics are the have been changed to the actual names of the award bios.

Trying this method give me 5 beeps continuosly.

Please help.

How can I use an ami bios boot block recovery to install an award bios. The only bios I can fond for my board is award.
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/search/se ... o=1&chp=46

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:21 am
by edwin
You can't. The recovery block is looking in the wrong place for the floppy, probably due to other I/O chip used. Best chance would be to hotflash the chip in another board or buy one at http://www.badflash.com

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:34 am
by cp
use an amibios to update to a running system with the AMIBOOT.ROM method.
MS-6340 AmiBIOS V1.0:
http://216.158.218.35/edoc/bios_uploads/a6340v10.exe

and afterwards use uniflash to update to Award.
Latest is 4.7
http://216.158.218.35/edoc/bios_uploads/6340v47.exe

have fun :)

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:08 pm
by ALN
edwin & cp thank you for your help. I'll try your method cp. I'll let you know how it goes. Many thanks.

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:52 pm
by ALN
cp tried your method and I get 7 beeps continuously.

Info from ami site states 7 beeps implies: 'no flash EPROM detected'

Is there anything else I can try?

The board was originally award bios for rev 5 and not ami rev 1 board as stated already.

Please help if you can.

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:29 pm
by edwin
http://www.badflash.com or use uniflash and hotflashing with the help of another board that can handle this bios chip.

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:50 pm
by ALN
edwin
unfortunately bios is soldered.