Grains BIOS Repair
BIOS Recovery
Assuming you can get your hands on a complete ROM or Binary file for your machine then at least a repair can be attempted. Once the BIOS code has been replaced and the chip is placed back in its socket the machine should work normally.
Recovering a damaged BIOS is simply a matter of replacing the missing or damaged code contained within the BIOS Chip or EEPROM.
This is not always as easy as one would expect. Besides problems with the availability of some OEM makers BIOS ROM or Binary files, some PC makers insist on soldering the EEPROM to the mainboard. If your EEPROM is soldered to the mainboard then any repair attempt becomes just a little more difficult.
If you have a dead motherboard as a consequence of a failed flash or bad flash or have had a power failure during the update procedure. The first thing to do, is try any crisis recovery options available from the motherboard makers. Some manufacturers have a crisis recovery procedure in place to recover from a failed flash update, although they are not well publicised.
Makers can also choose to disable these options.
SPI Flash-SPI Headers
The SPI Flash types are the most common type of EEPROM being used on modern PC's and Laptop's. It is possible to program these devices by using the SPI header available on some of the new Mainboards. In some cases where there is no header a test clip can be used in conjunction with a suitable programmer.
Laptops normally do not have a header but can sometimes be reprogrammed with a test clip and an ISP programmer. Some Desktop mainboards can be programmed in this way also. Providing your programmer is capable of this type of programming then you shouldn't have to much of a problem with these boards.
You will need an ISP header and test clip for the programmer or improvise by making your own. In some cases the chips need to be removed to program them
AMI BIOS Recovery
In most cases with AMI BIOS all one needs to do is put the rom file on a floppy disk and boot the machine. You may have to rename the ROM file to AMIBOOT.ROM in some cases. The file should load automatically and the machine should then restart normally after the process has finished
Phoenix Crisis Recovery Mode
There is a phoenix utility available to assist making the recovery disk. The file wincris.exe, can be used to make a Phoenix Crisis Recovery disk which can sometimes be used in an attempt to restore your badly flashed machine.
The Phoenix crisis recovery process involves preparing a Bootable disk using the Utility wincris.exe and the updated or backup BIOS code which is renamed to BIOS.WPH Phlash16.exe is also needed
Most makers with Phoenix BIOS require you to press a certain combination of keys whilst the machine is booting to initiate crisis recovery,. The choice of Key can be set by the maker and can be different for any given model or machine.
Using Fn or Windows Key with B or Esc, or F, or W only, should get you into to recovery mode. And a floppy drive is best, preferably a toshiba model or similar. You may find you have to try different USB ports also to get a result. Some versions of Wincris.exe will also make a usb flash drive for crisis recovery
Crisis recovery procedures differ a little between makers. For that reason you need to consult the crisis recovery information at your PC maker or motherboard makers web site and also read your manual and service information.
Also check your BIOS makers for any recovery options. These procedures only work if your board is able to read the floppy, USB or CD-ROM on boot up. If you have a board that wont access the drives after a bad flash then you will probably need to reprogram the BIOS chip or EEPROM using a programmer.
Some boards have a boot block recovery jumper that can be used to restore your BIOS.
Flash Recovery-Config
Some motherboard makers incorporate a flash recovery-config jumper or boot block recovery jumper on their motherboards. This can often be used to recover from a bad or failed flash. On most machines a small segment of the flash ROM does not get overwritten when you perform a normal flash update. This small portion of code contains a basic boot block which can enable the machine to reload another BIOS from floppy disk.
If you have a laptop or desktop without a floppy. You can either fit a floppy in the conventional manner or in some cases a USB floppy or CD-ROM can be used.
Before using our Soldered BIOS Service it is important that you check out all recovery options for your motherboard or Laptop. You could restore your machine easily and without cost just by doing a little research on the Internet.
A visit to the makers web site is recommenced if you have a dead machine, and I would do this before anything else along with reading the manual.
BIOS Chip-EEPROM
Besides the code being damaged or corrupted it is possible that an EEPROM or BIOS chip could have an internal fault. It does happen occasionally, and if this is the case then the EEPROM would need to be replaced with a new programmed part to restore normal operation.
CMOS
On boot the important content of the BIOS Chip-EEPROM are stored in CMOS, which is a small volatile memory chip maintained by the battery. This small volatile Memory chip stores any user settings available in the bios code
In most cases it is the contents of the chip that cause any problems, but the possibility of a faulty EEPROM or CMOS part should not be overlooked.
Other Recovery Options
If you just suspect the BIOS code or CMOS is bad because you have a board that powers up but has no display then try this checklist.
- Read the manual.
- Remove all uneeded hardware, drives CDs DVDs extra RAM PCI cards etc. Any faulty items such as PCI cards and drives can also stop your machine from booting.
- Reseat memory, and also try a different slot and different memory.
- Check your board supports the CPU and memory size you are using, I have seen cases where the motherboard simply doesn't support the processor being used check CPU support for your motherboard at your motherboard makers web site.
- Test CPU, Memory and Video card in another machine, also swap out PSU.
- Check any jumpers that may be on the motherboard. If jumpers or switches are used to set the FSB speed then check they are set correctly.
- Unplug and reseat the EEPROM or BIOS Chip this can sometimes restore normal operation. The act of pulling the eeprom cleans the contacts, oxides can build up on the contact surfaces.
- Check CMOS Battery Voltage, sometimes a board will not boot if the battery is low.
- Switch the machine off and unplug from mains. Disconnect the power lead to your motherboard and clear CMOS. Normally there is a jumper on the motherboard somewhere for this, although some makers do not fit one at all. If you don't have a clear CMOS Jumper you can try removing the CMOS battery for a few minutes whilst the machine is powered off. Sometimes this can be enough to restore normal operation. Try all BIOS recovery options for your board.
CMOS Battery
Most computer's will boot with a flat CMOS Battery, although they will loose there user settings within the CMOS. I have seen instances where some motherboards will not boot at all if the CMOS battery Voltage is low.
If you have a non booting board, this should be one of the first thing's that you check, along with clearing the CMOS.
The nominal Voltage for the CMOS Battery is approximately 3.0 to 3.3 volts. If the Voltage is any lower than 2.8 Volts then the CMOS Battery should really be changed. The reason for this is that the battery will be approaching the end of its useable life span, and the voltage will drop rapidly.
Removing the CMOS Battery can also clear the CMOS settings. With most desktop PCs removing the CMOS battery for a few minutes may also remove any BIOS Password.
There is another BIOS Recovery option if you have two identical boards. Hot Swapping can recover a chip in an emergency, but you will need to be careful. Do not use a different type of BIOS chip in your board as you may damage the board, they need to be the same.