QDI motherboard flash bios problem

[WSW]

I have two QDI Explorer I motherboards. When I powered them up with Windows 95 or 98 or DOS 6.2 boot disk, both boards displayed the following message sequence on screen:

Award BootBlock BIOS v.1.0
Copyright (c) 1995, Award Software, Inc.
BIOS ROM checksum error
Detecting floppy drive A media ...
Drive media is 1.44mb
Starting Windows 95...
A:

I put a QDI BIOS Recovery Disk with the latest BIOS in the floppy drive. One of the board was successful in flashing the BIOS and it works fine now.

The second board failed flash BIOS. When I tried to flash the BIOS using AWDFLASH v6.6, it gives warning message "Erase Chip Fail". When I use v7.63 and later AWDFLASH to flash the BIOS, the computer hung.

Any ideas why flash BIOS won't work in the second motherbaord?

[Hpro]

Yes are there any jumpers on the board which can be used to lock out the bios from being flashed?

[Hpro]

and also if thos two boards are identical why don't you remove carefully both of the chips - then inserting the one which you cna't flash into the computer just flashed successfully - and then flash it on that computer and look what's the outcome - ..

[WSW]

I checked the manual and with QDI, there is no jumper to lock out the BIOS on these motherboards.

Unfortunately the BIOS chip (29EE010) is soldered onto the board. I cannot do a hot flash.

[Hpro]

I have version 8 here - do you want it , let me know ...this does some really incredible things ..

[WSW]

I already tried version 8.01 and 8.02. The board hung on both versions. What version do you have? I'll try anything that helps. Please send your version 8 to fableking@yahoo.ca.

[WSW]

Is there a universal flash BIOS software that can flash 29EE010 chip?

Is there a software that can test whether the BIOS is corrupted?

[Hpro]

Sorry WSW just forgot about the Flash util - I have sent it a minute ago as soon I saw your post - yes - get someone who has a desoldering machine and the remove the bios from the board - buy a new chip - BTW, 28F001-BT15(intel) - will just do fine if you can't get 29EE010 the chip will be about 3 USD or so...If you have removed it then also buy a 32pin socket DUAL IN LINE which matches the bios chip - and solder this one into the board instead leaving the possisbility to hot swap bioses..

There are several utils out there but most of them needing ths chip out of the board.. Try to use only a few MB RAM istead of the full amount and set the speed to the lowest possible speed you can - make sure the CPU sits Firm and the do not connect anythings else - may makeing a new START DISK on your Win98 computer will do the trick then copy the AWD800.exe and the bios files on to it - to make a disk use this command line below - BTW Flash 800 doens't care about memory managers anymore - but best is to turn them off anyway..

At the C:\Prompt type following command line - either in DOS or Windows..

format a:/s/u/autotest and press enter
NOTE: Autotest only available under Win98

this will Create a bootable floppy - test the floppy first on the other system and also on this system without trying to burn the bios.. then if it has loaded ok just type AWD800 and enter - give th path to the new bios - and then you can either save the old one or not - I think there is no need to save the old one - then just burn the bios..
HTH

[WSW]

I tried to flash the BIOS with AWDFLASH.exe ver 8.00. Similar to other version 7.00 and up, the PC will hang after I entered the BIOS file name. It didn't even ask whether I want to save the old BIOS.

Looks like the BIOS chip on the board is toasted. It'll be a while before I can find a replacement BIOS chip.

In the meantime, I am considering buying an inexpensive BIOS chip flasher. Does anyone has experience with the c't-Flasher from Germany? It comes as a ISA card that plugs into a slow PC. Is it a good product? Anyone has problem with this product?

[Hpro]

I use a HI-Lo System Eprom Burner and those are quite inexpensive you can look at the Website Here those burners are very reliable and the new model can be used on Windows Platform (I don't like this ) use them on REAL dos is much fater and more accurate..a 2mb burner you can buy for as little as a 100USD or may even less - you will be able to burn most used chips with then even the spider and then also it will come with a complete software - using SCSI interface ISA and or PCI which connects the external burner to it - the interface is shipped with the burner..as the cable is also..

If you need the chip just let me know - can sent it to you but you - if you need the Socket also just again let me know..

then also I have a utilitly here it's called MODBIN.exe have all the versions even the newest on which is version 6.0 - this will not work on your bios but I also have the older one 4.50.75 which definately will work on your computers bios - let me know if you want it - then all you have to do is placing that file on the diskette also and then execute MODBIN - when the program has started then press ALT+L this will try to read the bios into memory if it can't read it then you will get a error message of what actually is wrong with the bios - .. This util ahs many functions - be careful using it on working bioses - you can overwrite the bios very easy with this - modifying almost all the entries in there..then there is also CBROM.EXE another good utiltiy - but this one has to find a working bios on the computer to get the data out of it..

[WSW]

The modbin.exe and cbrom.exe utilities sound interesting. Could you send them to my yahoo.ca email address?

I still have several motherboards that need repair. The utiltiies will be handy.

Where did you buy the EPROM burner? There are several models for sale at Hi Lo Systems. My budget is about $100. Which one do you recommend?