BIOS Updates forum

I'm sure that I need to use a modified version of UNIFlash V1.25 to write a new 2MBit BIOS chip for my MB in order to enable DMA66 support.

My MB is a Superpower SP-A586B with a 1MBit intel P28F001BXT FLASH ROM BIOS chip. In order to flash the latest BIOS I have to replace the 1MBit chip with a 2MBit chip. I have found surplus ASD AE29F2008 to be available here.

The ASD AE29F2008 came surplus out of an unknown computer using an AWARD 686 BIOS. I'm sure that I will need to overwrite the ASD's 686 BOOTBLOCK BIOS in order to make it compatible with my ALADDIN5 M1542 A1/M1543 B1 chipset. The AMI or AWARD flash utilities will not overwrite the BOOTBLOCK BIOS.

UNIFlash has support for the ASD AE29F1008 FLASH ROM Chip
*AE29F1008 = Winbond W29EE011 | 128KB
but doesn't list the 2MBit ASD AE29F2008 FLASH ROM Chip.

Do you have information about the 2MBit ASD AE29F2008 FLASH ROM Chip that would enable you to add it to the list of UNIFlash supported flash ROM BIOS chips?

Also do you know if the complete BIOS which is downloaded off of manufacturer's web sites contains the BOOTBLOCK portion of the BIOS and whether this is just not written with a normal BIOS flash.

I think that ASD AE29F2008 should be detected as Winbond W29C020. Have you tried it?

Hallo!

I have tested this 2 MB ASD Chip. Uniflash and amiflash detected it as Winbond. Amiflash can write it correct and Uniflash can't write the bootblock. I have tested it on a 741 LMRT Board from PC Chips with SIS 620 Chipset and AMI Bios.

I had one Winbond W29C020 and I had smilar (or same?) problems with bootblock. I think that it was write protected, but now it looks more like some other problem.
I will buy some boards (SiS630&VIA694-based) this week to do some UniFlash testing. Maybe one of them will have W29C020 chip...

I tried the UNIFlash program and it did indeed recognize the 2 MBit ASD AE29F2008 as a Winbond W29C020. I saved a copy of the original BIOS code onto disk and later that file was reported as "device unreadable" so I can't recover the code.

The UNIFlash program tried to write the updated BIOS and froze during the write. Now it won't recognize the chip at all. Damaged chip?

The computer is down until I use another MB to flash a SUPERPOWER BIOS onto a new chip and install it.

To Ger@ld who posted a reply, what version of AMIFLASH did you use to successfully flash the ASD AE29F2008? I will try the AMIFLASH with another surplus chip.

I'll also try to find a BIOS chip that is directly supported.

To RAINBOW: Are you Rainbow Software? I sent you an e-mail directly. The UNIFlash program reports itself as Ver 1.22 when you actually run the program. The download says Ver 1.25. Is thhis correct that download Ver 1.25 unzips to UNIFlash Ver 1.22 OR is there another more recent version I should be using?

Yes, I'm Rainbow Software
AmiFlash that's on my website works well with W29C020 (http://rainbow.ht.st/hardware/hotflash.html). Use the latest version of UniFlash - older versions had no time-outs in Winbond flashing routines, resulting in hang when block protection was enabled on the chip.

Hallo!

Yes try amiflash from Rainbow. I also use this version.