Award BIOS flash update failed (I think)

Since I needed to install a 120G hdd I upgraded my BIOS to 6.00 from
4.51PG yesterday. I bought this update at esupport.com after running
their tool to identify my old BIOS version.
The upgrade itself worked like a charm, no errors during install. At
reboot I saw an error message flashing by saying something like "Flash
error". The system booted perfectly and ran beautifully for hours (W2K
advanced server) then started giving a blue screen stating it had a
"hard error", dumped memory pages to disk and rebooted. This turned out
to be a loop so it won't get past the initial windows login screen.

Since it has never done this in 6 years of extensive usage I suspect the
update to be the cause.

I will contact support for this but I'd like to know if any of you
people out there have had similar problems. Googling I stumbled on tips
like re-install without any peripherals and such. I am just afraid I
will screw up the BIOS permantly.

Thanks

Remco wrote :

Since I needed to install a 120G hdd I upgraded my BIOS to 6.00
from 4.51PG

wrong, 4.51 and 6.0 are hmm bios types, not bios versions. There are
two types of award bios, 4.51 is older , 6.0 is newer. But they are
types, not versions.

yesterday. I bought this update at esupport.com after
running their tool to identify my old BIOS version.

wrong again, never, and I mean NEVER download bios from someone who is
not your motherboard supplier.

The upgrade itself worked like a charm, no errors during install.
At reboot I saw an error message flashing by saying something like
"Flash error".

Flash chip unknown ?

The system booted perfectly and ran beautifully for
hours (W2K advanced server) then started giving a blue screen
stating it had a "hard error", dumped memory pages to disk and
rebooted. This turned out to be a loop so it won't get past the
initial windows login screen.

propably not bios related, more like crapping windoze (on its own)

Since it has never done this in 6 years of extensive usage I
suspect the update to be the cause.

not likelly

I will contact support for this but I'd like to know if any of you
people out there have had similar problems. Googling I stumbled on
tips like re-install without any peripherals and such. I am just
afraid I will screw up the BIOS permantly.

reinstall WINDOWS, its really that simple, and dont forget to reboot
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?si...d=128&tid=103&
tid=201
:P

What is your motherboard model and rev ?


Pozdrawiam.
--
RusH //
http://randki.o2.pl/profil.php?id_r=352019
Like ninjas, true hackers are shrouded in secrecy and mystery.
You may never know -- UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

RusH wrote:
Remco wrote :


Since I needed to install a 120G hdd I upgraded my BIOS to 6.00
from 4.51PG


wrong, 4.51 and 6.0 are hmm bios types, not bios versions. There are
two types of award bios, 4.51 is older , 6.0 is newer. But they are
types, not versions.

Same difference.

yesterday. I bought this update at esupport.com after
running their tool to identify my old BIOS version.


wrong again, never, and I mean NEVER download bios from someone who is
not your motherboard supplier.

They're authorized. If that's true, I don't know. I checked Award and
they didn't supply what I was looking for.

The upgrade itself worked like a charm, no errors during install.
At reboot I saw an error message flashing by saying something like
"Flash error".


Flash chip unknown ?

"unknown flash error". I checked.

The system booted perfectly and ran beautifully for
hours (W2K advanced server) then started giving a blue screen
stating it had a "hard error", dumped memory pages to disk and
rebooted. This turned out to be a loop so it won't get past the
initial windows login screen.


propably not bios related, more like crapping windoze (on its own)

Agreed, windows is crap but I need it. Wrong, I solved the problem by
resetting the bios to safe settings. Problem, and message, gone. Box
running like a charm now. Obviously the default setting from the flash
install were not for my system. Didn't check what the difference was
thoufh. Don't care either.

Since it has never done this in 6 years of extensive usage I
suspect the update to be the cause.


not likelly


I will contact support for this but I'd like to know if any of you
people out there have had similar problems. Googling I stumbled on
tips like re-install without any peripherals and such. I am just
afraid I will screw up the BIOS permantly.


reinstall WINDOWS, its really that simple, and dont forget to reboot
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?si...d=128&tid=103&
tid=201
:P

What is your motherboard model and rev ?


Pozdrawiam.

Thanks.

/dev/null wrote :

wrong, 4.51 and 6.0 are hmm bios types, not bios versions. There
are two types of award bios, 4.51 is older , 6.0 is newer. But
they are types, not versions.


Same difference.

no, bios versions are usually in the same bios type, I never saw any
transits between 4.51 to 6.0 in one motherboard model.

wrong again, never, and I mean NEVER download bios from someone
who is not your motherboard supplier.


They're authorized. If that's true, I don't know. I checked Award
and they didn't supply what I was looking for.

motherboard ! Award is NOT your motherboard manufacturer. Asus / Abit /
ECS ..

"unknown flash error". I checked.

on boot ? thats strange

Agreed, windows is crap but I need it. Wrong, I solved the problem
by resetting the bios to safe settings. Problem, and message,
gone. Box running like a charm now. Obviously the default setting
from the flash install were not for my system.

there are no default flash settings. Settings are stored in CMOS. CMOS
is permanent on your motherboard and its not changing between flashes.
It is wery wise to "load default setings" after every bios upgrade,
because new bios can havwe different placement of parrameters in CMOS
memory.

Pozdrawiam.
--
RusH //
http://randki.o2.pl/profil.php?id_r=352019
Like ninjas, true hackers are shrouded in secrecy and mystery.
You may never know -- UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

RusH wrote:
/dev/null wrote :


wrong, 4.51 and 6.0 are hmm bios types, not bios versions. There
are two types of award bios, 4.51 is older , 6.0 is newer. But
they are types, not versions.



Same difference.


no, bios versions are usually in the same bios type, I never saw any
transits between 4.51 to 6.0 in one motherboard model.


wrong again, never, and I mean NEVER download bios from someone
who is not your motherboard supplier.



They're authorized. If that's true, I don't know. I checked Award
and they didn't supply what I was looking for.


motherboard ! Award is NOT your motherboard manufacturer. Asus / Abit /
ECS ..
I get your point. I'll check them later today.


"unknown flash error". I checked.


on boot ? thats strange
Your telling me.. Thing is I discovered that if I set floppy drive to
none the message is gone. Even stranger.


Agreed, windows is crap but I need it. Wrong, I solved the problem
by resetting the bios to safe settings. Problem, and message,
gone. Box running like a charm now. Obviously the default setting
from the flash install were not for my system.


there are no default flash settings. Settings are stored in CMOS. CMOS
is permanent on your motherboard and its not changing between flashes.
It is wery wise to "load default setings" after every bios upgrade,
because new bios can havwe different placement of parrameters in CMOS
memory.

Pozdrawiam.

Well, I did a repair on w2k and changed the setting for floppy to the
one present. The box has been running ever since.

I just hope it stays that way....

Thanx.