Kitz Forum
Chat => Tech Chat => Topic started by: roseway on September 16, 2007, 04:27:43 PM
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I had a bright idea today. Because of a couple of hardware error messages during booting (caused by known BIOS bugs) I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade the BIOS. I downloaded the latest version and the upgrade program, put them on a bootable floppy, and did the upgrade, making sure that I kept a copy of the original version so I could revert if necessary.
The wretched thing wouldn't boot from the hard disk any more :'( :'( :'(
I reinstalled the original BIOS and still it wouldn't boot from the HD.
I dug out the OS installation CD and used it to repair the bootloader. Still it wouldn't boot from the HD.
I installed a different Linux distro on a spare partition. This wouldn't boot either.
I've fiddled with BIOS settings, installed and reinstalled BIOSes, all to no avail.
In desperation I removed the hard disk and put it in another PC, and it worked. That's what I'm using now while I ponder what to do with the other machine (the one I built a few months ago and was so proud of).
There's going to be a sign on the study wall from now on, saying "DON'T TRY TO UPDATE THE BIOS!!!"
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oh dear eric, i'm so sorry to hear of your loss :(
i take it u have loaded bios defaults?
have u checked that the hdd is detected in the bios?? if it is, check the boot sequence and try trapping F8 as soon as it turned on to get a boot menu and select the hdd from the list.
good luck !
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Yes, thanks Paul, I've done all those things. Everything in the BIOS setup is quite normal, and the HD is recognised, with the right parameters.
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How weird... presumably if the hard disk is booting in another PC then it would appear to be nothing to do with the bootloader or the MBR.
Presumably you've cleared the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard? Are you sure you've got the BIOS for the correct revision of your motherboard (if that's an issue?)
Apart from that, I'm pretty much out of ideas.
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>>> Presumably you've cleared the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard?
I haven't actually tried that, so I will, thanks.
>>> Are you sure you've got the BIOS for the correct revision of your motherboard (if that's an issue?)
Pretty sure. It's an Asus M2V, and the Asus site doesn't list different revisions. There are varieties called M2V plus other letters, but mine is just plain M2V.
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>>> Presumably you've cleared the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard?
I haven't actually tried that, so I will, thanks.
Chris beat me to it, but you may have to clear the CMOS with the power turned OFF.
(Some do, Some don't)
Good luck.
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oh $*@%
nightmare :'(
I really hope you manage to get it sorted .
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I did try updating a 486 a long time ago, but I killed it and could not recover it, so I leave Bios updates well alone now.
Good luck with it.
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You're absolutely right Michael. I didn't have to do this one - the boot error messages were really only cosmetic and didn't affect the functioning of the machine.
Anyway, I tried clearing the BIOS as Chris suggested, but it still made no difference. The thing seems to have lost the ability to boot from the hard disk. I decided to waste no more time on it, and I've ordered a replacement motherboard which should arrive today. I could have bought a replacement BIOS chip, but I don't think I have a lot of faith in the companies supplying these.
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i fitted my new mb and gfx card last night. the old agp slot was too sloppy to hold the gfx card and was getting coloured blocks on the screen and crashing so went for a pci-e board. only took 15 mins to swap the bits over and to my amazement, on 1st boot xp loaded without bsod'in !!
loaded all revevant driver and it was ok.
i went for my shower etc and the missis asked 'can i use it now' ..... 'yeah it working ok ' i replied and i went downstairs to crack a beer open.
10 mins later i heard her call 'it gone again'. i went up stairs to see a 2 inch wide picture on the monitor :(
damd monitor's knackered now!!!!!
anyone got a spare????
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Oh dear, computers do like to bite you on the bum from time to time, don't they? :'(
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Pwiggler, secondhand CRT monitors are pretty cheap if you're not too fussy. If you look around you should be able to pick up a 17" one for about 15 quid.
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yeah cheers floydy, just had a look at my local pc shop ...... they're sellin 2nd user 17" crts for £19 + vat with a 28 day warranty.
its either that or pinch my daughters monitor (or swap em coz they're the same monitor HOO HA HA HAHA )
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You could try your local small ads paper too.
My local Cash Converters always have monitors going for about 15. :)
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My new motherboard arrived this morning, and I'm pleased to say that my poorly PC is now well again. Another lesson learned.
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How bizarre though. Updating the BIOS should never cause it to stop booting from the HD. I've never seen that happen before!
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Bizarre indeed. I'm going to do a bit more searching around to see if it's a known problem.
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Maybe the board was on the way out anyway, and updating the BIOS was the last straw for it.
Glad you're getting it sorted tho. :)
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Thanks. Yes, you could be right, it might just be a hardware failure.
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Maybe the board was on the way out anyway, and updating the BIOS was the last straw for it.
I would doubt that.
Or why would they ALWAYS strongly advise that you should know what you are doing or leave it up-to a expert, not to mention the other warnings that sometimes it may not be reversed if anything goes wrong of which can and does happen from time-to-time.
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o i dont know .... on oem machines we have to tattoo the bios (legal thang) which involves updating dmi info and if it done too many times them the bios can stop accepting info or part of it then we have to replace the mobo
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Maybe the board was on the way out anyway, and updating the BIOS was the last straw for it.
I would doubt that.
Or why would they ALWAYS strongly advise that you should know what you are doing or leave it up-to a expert, not to mention the other warnings that sometimes it may not be reversed if anything goes wrong of which can and does happen from time-to-time.
As it just has, unfortunately, to poor Eric.
However, there has to come a point where even the experts can't solve something, which is purely out of their hands.
I would consider myself an 'expert' (that really sounds big-headed doesn't it!! :-\ ), the point is I would update a BIOS, using the tools provided by the motherboard manufacturer, as roseway has done, and would expect it to go smoothly and work properly. This certainly isn't a problem that should ever come from a routine BIOS upgrade!!
I should think the warnings are mainly to prevent people doing silly things, e.g. flashing with the wrong BIOS file, turning the PC off or resetting it, right in the middle of the BIOS flashing, doing it on a notebook computer on battery power, etc.
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>>This certainly isn't a problem that should ever come from a routine BIOS upgrade!!
No I agree, I have on one occasion updated my own BIOS (seemed a good idea at the time, not that it needed it or made any difference) and fortunately it all went smoothly.
Trouble is we mainly only get to hear of problems when they go wrong, never of the 1,000s of times there is no problem.
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>> This certainly isn't a problem that should ever come from a routine BIOS upgrade!!
Indeed not, and I certainly carried it out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The thing that tends to make me believe the hardware failure theory is that I kept a copy of the original BIOS and restored that after the problem occurred, and it still wouldn't boot from the HD.