dpavusin
asked on
TX430 FLASH BIOS UPGRADE PROBLEM
I have tried to upgrade my QDI board BIOS, the board is TX430 Titanium I Motherboard. I have tried to upgrade bios to version 2.4 fro version 2.2 but it seems that something must be wrong with the bios upgrade because it just blocked out and I had no other alternative than to reset computer.. After reset it gives a strange sound but I can't have video or anything else. Flash upgrade just started (some 10% finished maybe) before it blocked out so I think that BIOS is gone. Is there any way to recover my BIOS? I heard that there's some way with the recovery disc but I don't know the procedure.
P.S. Is there way to upgrade VX boards? I found out a way to upgrade TX board even if flash bios is damaged... but is there such util for VX boards..
PLEASE DON'T SEND ME ANSWERS LIKE: CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER OR RETAILER etc..
TX board has emergancy recovery procedure.. you can just insert bootable disk with BIOS on and upgrade BIOS (there's no video but you can do it by looking at the lights and listening to speaker)
None of the answers so far included this option! It seems that the guy's that were answering this never heard of it...
Thnx.
P.S. Is there way to upgrade VX boards? I found out a way to upgrade TX board even if flash bios is damaged... but is there such util for VX boards..
PLEASE DON'T SEND ME ANSWERS LIKE: CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER OR RETAILER etc..
TX board has emergancy recovery procedure.. you can just insert bootable disk with BIOS on and upgrade BIOS (there's no video but you can do it by looking at the lights and listening to speaker)
None of the answers so far included this option! It seems that the guy's that were answering this never heard of it...
Thnx.
There is usually a prgram on the disk and a copy of the original BIOS. It shouldn't be hard to figure it out, and there should be a readme file on it. Have you taken a look at what files are on the disk?
Is the computer able to boot ?
if not, guess you're out of luck, how will you boot on the upgrade disk and re-write the backup file (if it exists) when the computer's bios is so messed up that the computer won't boot...
Well, this is not going to help. Some motherboards have a 'freshen rebuld BIOS' jumper (but they are rare). Check your maual, or with your dealer...
if not, guess you're out of luck, how will you boot on the upgrade disk and re-write the backup file (if it exists) when the computer's bios is so messed up that the computer won't boot...
Well, this is not going to help. Some motherboards have a 'freshen rebuld BIOS' jumper (but they are rare). Check your maual, or with your dealer...
Good point, I would contact the manufacture.
Usually, if you have failed flash and you not able to boot DOS and
run simple program, you doomed :(_
Only option here is take out BIOS chip and replace it with normal
one from manufacturer.
run simple program, you doomed :(_
Only option here is take out BIOS chip and replace it with normal
one from manufacturer.
ASKER
Edited text of question
ASKER
Edited text of question
Dpavusin:
1. Make sure the system is shut down and unplug the power cord.
2. Look in your motherboard setup booklet and identify the Cmos clear pins and then close a jumper on the pins to clear the Cmos setup and return the board to its defaults, then return the pins to their original configuration.
3. Plug the power cord back in.
4. Insert the Bios upgrade disk in your floppy drive, hold the shift key down and start the computer. Hold the shift key until your motherboard accesses the floppy and reloads the Bios and completes the update.
5. After the update has completed, restart the system normally and boot to the Bios setup and make the changes you desire, save it and let your system boot normally.
If you have a problem, let me know.
Dennis
1. Make sure the system is shut down and unplug the power cord.
2. Look in your motherboard setup booklet and identify the Cmos clear pins and then close a jumper on the pins to clear the Cmos setup and return the board to its defaults, then return the pins to their original configuration.
3. Plug the power cord back in.
4. Insert the Bios upgrade disk in your floppy drive, hold the shift key down and start the computer. Hold the shift key until your motherboard accesses the floppy and reloads the Bios and completes the update.
5. After the update has completed, restart the system normally and boot to the Bios setup and make the changes you desire, save it and let your system boot normally.
If you have a problem, let me know.
Dennis
ASKER
I liked proposed solution from dew associates but, is this solution generally for all board or only for TX or VX board?
I know the procedure to freshen TX board, but I have problem with VX board.. I went to my hardware dealer and replaced the BIOS wit new ver. 1.3 (this is JET VX board, ) but now I can't upgrade it to v.1.5 BIOS (my original intention)
When I try upgrading the message appears, error erasing flash BIOS.. and I have to reboot computer..
Can you help...
I know the procedure to freshen TX board, but I have problem with VX board.. I went to my hardware dealer and replaced the BIOS wit new ver. 1.3 (this is JET VX board, ) but now I can't upgrade it to v.1.5 BIOS (my original intention)
When I try upgrading the message appears, error erasing flash BIOS.. and I have to reboot computer..
Can you help...
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ASKER
Sorry, I did not want to upset you, but I had problem which was urgent, I tried to upgrade BIOS (we had some problems with CD ROM recognition on some company machines). On two machines QDI TX 430 Titanium I and JET VX board (I'm not sure which exact model) upgrade operation was not successful. We had to do something about it quickly. I tried posting message to E.E. but as you can see until you came all the answers were really uncomplete or very basic.
I'm not computer guru, but I can help myself and this kind of answers could not help me much, I know this myself. Your answer was first complete and exact answer.
I tried waiting for an answer but we needed these machines quickly.. I saw that QDI TX board tries to boot from the floppy even if BIOS was damaged, so I tried to find out is there a way to use this (I did not know about the emergancy recovery procedure than), and soon after posting my first question to E:E. (after 20 min maybe) I found out that there's way to upgrade some Intel boards automaticaly, so I tried with QDI board (just inserted disc and waited till it booted up, than ran the procedure "blindly")
But I could not help myself with VX board, so after waiting day or two for an answer about BIOS upgrade I went to service and they changed BIOS , I repeat, I could not wait, we needed this machine desperately!
Now, I have two problems:
1. QDI board BIOS upgrade v2.4 seems to be invalid, I tried upgrading BIOS couple of times, but it always halts after 10% done, than I have to use emergancy recovery procedure (I'm pro in this operation now..) I can restore (write to BIOS) v2.2 without any problems. I tried contacting QDI about this but without success.
2. After changing BIOS on VX board service put v 1.3 (they said that they couldn't put later version chip because of incompatibility with other board components). I tried upgrading this chip to v 1.5 but without success, every time I try I get error flash bios could not be erased.. (or something like that).
So far theese machines are running fine, with some minor problems. Until I find out the sure way to upgrade BIOS I'll leave them like this. (There's ancient proverb: Don't mend what's working... now I know what they ment by it..)
Thnx for your help, If you know how to safely upgrade my BIOS-es (especially VX, because I think there must be something wrong with it) I would be grateful. Anyway thanx for your answers so far, they helped me a lot.
Regards,
Damir
I'm not computer guru, but I can help myself and this kind of answers could not help me much, I know this myself. Your answer was first complete and exact answer.
I tried waiting for an answer but we needed these machines quickly.. I saw that QDI TX board tries to boot from the floppy even if BIOS was damaged, so I tried to find out is there a way to use this (I did not know about the emergancy recovery procedure than), and soon after posting my first question to E:E. (after 20 min maybe) I found out that there's way to upgrade some Intel boards automaticaly, so I tried with QDI board (just inserted disc and waited till it booted up, than ran the procedure "blindly")
But I could not help myself with VX board, so after waiting day or two for an answer about BIOS upgrade I went to service and they changed BIOS , I repeat, I could not wait, we needed this machine desperately!
Now, I have two problems:
1. QDI board BIOS upgrade v2.4 seems to be invalid, I tried upgrading BIOS couple of times, but it always halts after 10% done, than I have to use emergancy recovery procedure (I'm pro in this operation now..) I can restore (write to BIOS) v2.2 without any problems. I tried contacting QDI about this but without success.
2. After changing BIOS on VX board service put v 1.3 (they said that they couldn't put later version chip because of incompatibility with other board components). I tried upgrading this chip to v 1.5 but without success, every time I try I get error flash bios could not be erased.. (or something like that).
So far theese machines are running fine, with some minor problems. Until I find out the sure way to upgrade BIOS I'll leave them like this. (There's ancient proverb: Don't mend what's working... now I know what they ment by it..)
Thnx for your help, If you know how to safely upgrade my BIOS-es (especially VX, because I think there must be something wrong with it) I would be grateful. Anyway thanx for your answers so far, they helped me a lot.
Regards,
Damir
Okay, on the VX board, check the booklets that came with the board. There may be a set of pins that need to be changes to unprotect the bios and allow it to be rewritten.
On the QDI board, have you visited their Internet site and looked for any Bios upgrade files. The Bios you now have may be damaged, and in addition, you may want to check for pin protection as well.
Normally earlier flash upgradable boards protected the bios from viruses by setting a pin-out. As an example, Supermicro uses pin 1-2 closed on J-11 to protect, and pin 2-3 to unprotect and allow upgrade.
Dennis
On the QDI board, have you visited their Internet site and looked for any Bios upgrade files. The Bios you now have may be damaged, and in addition, you may want to check for pin protection as well.
Normally earlier flash upgradable boards protected the bios from viruses by setting a pin-out. As an example, Supermicro uses pin 1-2 closed on J-11 to protect, and pin 2-3 to unprotect and allow upgrade.
Dennis
ASKER
No, unfortunatelly there's nothing about BIOS upgrading in the booklets that came with the VX board. I thought that there was virus protection turned on when I tried to upgrade flash, but it wasn't. I think it's possible that there's pin-out, only, I'm not sure how I menaged to erase BIOS the first time, maybe the service set this pin-out. But the guy in service told me that he tried upgrading this v1.3 to v1.5 but he received the same response (could not erase flash..). Maybe this chip they replaced could not be rewriten.
About QDI board, I have downloaded BIOS upgrade from http://www.qdigrp.com/html/bios.html it's dated 11-25-97, first I thought that there must be something wrong with the archive I downloaded, but it's zip archive and if it was damaged in any way I would of seen it. Anyway, I downloaded it again, but it's all the same.
I think that there must be something wrong with this upgrade. It's not possible that QDI has pin protection because I updated v2.2 several times (almost every time after trying to apply 2.4 it damages BIOS so I have to emergancy recoverv 2.2 from boot disc)
I thought that there was problem with my BIOS settings, before upgrading almost all the manufacturers suggest you to turn off all the caching settings in your BIOS, I've tried this, even tried seting it to default values (most compatibile) but nothing helps.
Well, I won't waist more of your time. Thanks for all the suggestions, I've learned a lot. (I bet this was the worst earned 100 points in your life..)
Damir
About QDI board, I have downloaded BIOS upgrade from http://www.qdigrp.com/html/bios.html it's dated 11-25-97, first I thought that there must be something wrong with the archive I downloaded, but it's zip archive and if it was damaged in any way I would of seen it. Anyway, I downloaded it again, but it's all the same.
I think that there must be something wrong with this upgrade. It's not possible that QDI has pin protection because I updated v2.2 several times (almost every time after trying to apply 2.4 it damages BIOS so I have to emergancy recoverv 2.2 from boot disc)
I thought that there was problem with my BIOS settings, before upgrading almost all the manufacturers suggest you to turn off all the caching settings in your BIOS, I've tried this, even tried seting it to default values (most compatibile) but nothing helps.
Well, I won't waist more of your time. Thanks for all the suggestions, I've learned a lot. (I bet this was the worst earned 100 points in your life..)
Damir
Damir: Relax, we are all volunteers here just trying to help in areas where there is much help. I would call the motherboard manufacturers and raise a little hell about the problem.
Dennis
Dennis
ASKER
Thnx for suggestion, I already have! But, only problem is that they're not responding at all. Looks like they ignoring this.. Well, I can always post this to some certain newsgroups...
I'll send you an answer from QDI if I ever get one..
I'll send you an answer from QDI if I ever get one..