computer beeping after trying to flash bios

mainmimimainmimi Texas
edited April 2004 in Science & Tech
I used aflash and got an error message. After that, I had no choice but to reboot and now all I get is beeps. Is there any help?

Comments

  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    sounds like to me your bios is messed up.

    www.badflash.com
  • DexterDexter Vancouver, BC Canada
    edited April 2004
    What barnd/model of motherboard do you have, and what BIOS version were you flashing to? When you say "aflash", I assume you are talking about the Asus Aflash utility?

    Dexter...
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    yes, it was aflash.exe. It is a P2L97 ASUS. (I hope that is the information you are requesting?)
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    When it asked if I wanted to save the original bios, I said "yes", and they are saved on the dos boot disc that had aflash.exe on it. But---when I turn on the computer, it doesn't ever get to the point where the a: drive is recognized.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    bad flash... you need a replacement chip. It's gone.

    www.badflash.com as leishi said.
  • DexterDexter Vancouver, BC Canada
    edited April 2004
    Very likely a bad flash eprom as Leishi and Prime have stated. Just out of curiousity though, what version of Aflash did you use, and what BIOS version did you try to flash to it?

    Dexter...
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    No longer remember, got it at driverguide--most recent version of aflash.exe, the date on it was 4/2004.

    I don't remember the version I had, but was getting an error message at bootup (along with other info at bootup) about bios not being correctly flashed so I came here. I had sent all info to Leonard (here at short-media) and was told that aflash was what I needed. He was going to walk me through it, but I printed lots of instructions and went ahead on my on. Sorry I can't give you the info--didn't make enough notes before I began. I do have "old bios" on the dos bootup disk.

    Dexter wrote:
    Very likely a bad flash eprom as Leishi and Prime have stated. Just out of curiousity though, what version of Aflash did you use, and what BIOS version did you try to flash to it?

    Dexter...
  • DexterDexter Vancouver, BC Canada
    edited April 2004
    http://www.asus.com/support/english/techref/bios/aflash.aspx
    Warning! If you experienced difficulty in the process of BIOS update, do not turn off the power or reboot the system. Just repeat the process of update will do. If problem persists, please use the backup copy of the original BIOS on the floppy disk to overwrite it again. If you cannot use EZFlash to successfully complete the process, then your system may be unable to boot up. If so, pleas contact your local ASUS vendor or dial ASUS Hotline for additional support.

    What exactly was the error message you got in the flashing process?

    Have you contacted Asus or your local vendor for guidance?

    If not, you may be stuck having to buy a pre-flashed eprom from badflash.com :(

    Dexter...
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    Dexter wrote:
    http://www.asus.com/support/english/techref/bios/aflash.aspx

    The error message was on the computer before I tried flashing and was the reason I was trying to flash. I had no choice but to turn off the computer--it hung up and nothing I could do was unhanging it. Before I tried to flash, it was telling me that the bios had not been flashed correctly. (I had not tried). No, haven't asked for help anywhere except internet. I have written to "badflash" and will do as they say. Thanks for your help.

    mainmimi


    What exactly was the error message you got in the flashing process?

    Have you contacted Asus or your local vendor for guidance?

    If not, you may be stuck having to buy a pre-flashed eprom from badflash.com :(

    Dexter...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    I had sent all info to Leonard (here at short-media) and was told that aflash was what I needed.

    Are you confusing different forums? Sorry, the only name similar to "Leonard" here is mine, "Leonardo". To my knowledge, I've not received any communication from you. :scratch:

    EDIT: OK, I found my private message to you from a few weeks ago:
    I've been monitoring your thread on problems with your BIOS.

    Do you have the files yet for a floppy Windows boot disk? If you still don't have them, PM me back and I can email them to you.


    Leonardo
    Short-Media
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    Mainmimi, you have two things you can try.

    First, stick the floppy back in the computer, the one with the aflash and the bios backup on it. Now, dig out your printed out driections. Most computers, as you start them up, have a key sequence or set of keys, some have a special pair of keys you press at once. That tells the computer to FLASH the BIOS. fidn that set of keystrokes in your instructions, try reflashing as said previously.

    Second, there is a chence the flash worked but the settings in old BIOS were nto compatible with new BIOS. Look inside computer, and near the round battery or whjere your mothebroard manual tells you it is, there is a CMOS reset jumper. You need to have computer off, and PSU UNPLUGGED from the motherboard to reset CMOS safely. Move jumper to reset position, and leave for about 20-30 seconds, THEN move jumper back to normal place and THEN plug power connector back onto motherboard. IF computer now boots to BIOS, you have a basic set of settings restored. Having a computer OC'd when flashing can leave settings fubarred for a new BIOS, sometimes resetting CMOS overcomes this.

    However, it is quite possible your next step will be badflash.com....
    But, try those things first or have a tech friend do that for you if not sure about this kind of thing.

    -->> One note, not waiting long enough while computer is flashing, and turning it off before flashing is complete, can be fixed with these two processes often. Computer should give you a series of beeps when done flashing, then you CTRL-ALT-DEL when it prompts you if it does. BUT, follow printed driections over what I say if they say different details.

    Also, if you have a good tech friend, and have had motherboard for a while, have him\her change out the CMOS battery also, please.

    John D.
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    I used to build motherboards for Compaq, and am a little familiar with the inner workings of a computer, but not trained at anything else and lost in this situation. I am familiar with cmos, but there are NO pins with jackets anywhere near the battery and none "standing alone". Only a set of 3 where all the jackets are located identically each to the other. If memory serves me, that's not cmos. I wasn't aware motherboards were built without it, but I can't locate it.

    This computer (with 20+ others) were in my nephew's office and it went bankrupt. I've been "redoing" them and selling them for him. I know nothing about any of them and most certainly, have no books/manuals. They are all pentium II's, so not worth a LOT of effort. However, I'd like the experience to get it working.

    I tried removing the battery for a while and rebooting without it. No change after replacing it. I haven't a clue which keys to try at bootup---I did try the delete key, but it starts beeping immediately upon powerup.

    Thank you SO much for trying to help. If I've told you anything that will help you help me take a step further, I'll appreciate it a bunch.

    mainmimi

    Ageek wrote:
    Mainmimi, you have two things you can try.

    First, stick the floppy back in the computer, the one with the aflash and the bios backup on it. Now, dig out your printed out driections. Most computers, as you start them up, have a key sequence or set of keys, some have a special pair of keys you press at once. That tells the computer to FLASH the BIOS. fidn that set of keystrokes in your instructions, try reflashing as said previously.

    Second, there is a chence the flash worked but the settings in old BIOS were nto compatible with new BIOS. Look inside computer, and near the round battery or whjere your mothebroard manual tells you it is, there is a CMOS reset jumper. You need to have computer off, and PSU UNPLUGGED from the motherboard to reset CMOS safely. Move jumper to reset position, and leave for about 20-30 seconds, THEN move jumper back to normal place and THEN plug power connector back onto motherboard. IF computer now boots to BIOS, you have a basic set of settings restored. Having a computer OC'd when flashing can leave settings fubarred for a new BIOS, sometimes resetting CMOS overcomes this.

    However, it is quite possible your next step will be badflash.com....
    But, try those things first or have a tech friend do that for you if not sure about this kind of thing.

    -->> One note, not waiting long enough while computer is flashing, and turning it off before flashing is complete, can be fixed with these two processes often. Computer should give you a series of beeps when done flashing, then you CTRL-ALT-DEL when it prompts you if it does. BUT, follow printed driections over what I say if they say different details.

    Also, if you have a good tech friend, and have had motherboard for a while, have him\her change out the CMOS battery also, please.

    John D.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    You might also try F2 for BIOS. Most proprietary systems open the BIOS setup with that.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    mainmimi wrote:
    I used to build motherboards for Compaq, and am a little familiar with the inner workings of a computer, but not trained at anything else and lost in this situation. I am familiar with cmos, but there are NO pins with jackets anywhere near the battery and none "standing alone".
    .
    .
    .

    Thank you SO much for trying to help. If I've told you anything that will help you help me take a step further, I'll appreciate it a bunch.

    mainmimi

    I have seen CMOS jumpers on Compaqs in between PCI slots, among other places. Compaq likes to hide them. The other way, on a Compaq, is this:

    Power it down.
    Pull the mobo connector off.
    Make sure CASE is grounded or on an aniti-stat mat.

    Remove battery, leave out for about ten-fifteen minutes, put back in. You just did a CMOS clear the OTHER way, without discharging cell doing so.

    ADDED: How old are these things??? IF you can see a round coin cell type battery in a black socket, do as above. IF, however, you see any ohter kind of battery or no battery, let me have arod picture, ok??? Soem of the real old Compaqs had DALLAS cleocks with battery cells inside the capsule thta looks like an IC with the word Dallas and a clock face on it. THEY ARE rechargable, so in that case, UNPLUG the dang speaker, let it sit for three days to a week, then try flashing again.

    Ditto for an old cell that looks like a stack of nickels sideways with a blue or gray glossy coating on it, soldered on, though that will have a four-pin riser with a jumper in center or a battery connected to two outer pins with single connectors that hopefully got heat shrunk or are real insulated connectors. IF you have a stack-of-nickels turned sideways, about five-seven nickels thick, look for corrosion where it is soldered on. Bad corrosion means a battery pack R&R or a battery pack from Duracell fastened to two outer pins of four-pin riser or a 3 V rechargable NICAD Type B pack soldered in its place.

    John D.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2004
    mainmimi wrote:
    ...This computer (with 20+ others) were in my nephew's office and it went bankrupt. I've been "redoing" them and selling them for him....

    Caution - risky!

    As a last resort, If you have an identical MB (Same version, revision, etc) you can try this:

    Boot up the good computer. Carefully swap the good bios chip in that computer with the bad one from the messed-up flash. Re-flash the bad chip.

    Not for the timid, but if these aren't worth much money it could bail you out for zero $$$.
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    Sorry, didn't mean to imply that "this" board was a compaq. It is Asus P2L97. It's driving me crazy!
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    mainmimi wrote:
    Sorry, didn't mean to imply that "this" board was a compaq. It is Asus P2L97. It's driving me crazy!

    That set of ideas works for many many boards, from 1981 up. Coin Cell, usually a red jumpered or green jumpered or blue jumpered or yellow jumpered (unique to surrounding jumpers color, usually) three pin riser will be present (jumper also known as SHUNT), always can pull CMOS battery itself with anti-stat precautions and no power present to motherboard AT ALL, and typical CMOS decay will be 1-20 minutes depending on CMOS adn if motherb oard caps have any juice left in them. Other kinds of batteries are typical of older machines, and can be handled as explained. CMOS\BIOS\Clock logic is that simple, essentially, though BEFORE CMOS was used commonly the silly things had other problems whihc required much more creativity to solve.

    I have found CMOS jumpers:

    Under a PCI video card, at end of a slot between board edge and slot end. Under an AGP video card, the part that hangs over and locks, inboard end.

    Within an inch of battery-- in any direction.

    Across board from battery, seen both horizontally and vertically.

    But for coin cell battery equipped board, CMOS jumper riser should be a three pin riser, single shunt-- see if you have an EMPTY three pin riser ( |_|_| when seen sideways), any chance the shunt came OFF??? For older boards, should be a FOUR pin riser with one or no jumpers on it.

    John D.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2004
    (I've been helping mainmimi via PM.)

    Make sure you don't put the new one in backwards!

    Here is the pic:
  • mainmimimainmimi Texas
    edited April 2004
    Prof, what can I say!! Thank you so very much. I see it and I am printing all your instructions including not to put it in backwards. Thanks for taking such time for a novice. I have to check the other computers to see if I have the exact same board and if I do, I'll work on it tomorrow and report what has happened.

    Your friend for life, mimi
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2004
    You're quite welcome.

    Make sure you follow Asus' instructions to the letter. As you already know, second chances are hard to come by in the bios flash business. :vimp:
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