Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (
More info?)
On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:57:53 -0400, "J&SB" <jandsb@cox.net> wrote:
>Thanks for the detailed run-down. I'm going to get one of these for my
>A8N-SLI Deluxe. I think the price is a bargain for the peace of mind that
>you get. What other boot device would support this procedure? I'm one of
>those guys with a relatively new rig, and they just don't put floppies in
>them any more.
>Thanks,
>Jim
1 -- It would theoretically work with any device from which you can
run AWDFLASH.EXE under DOS -- floppy, optical, hard drive. If you can
boot a USB key drive to DOS, it could work from that.
2 -- HOWEVER, remember that in my experience, AWDFLASH refused to
write to the BIOS Savior (the "checksum-error" problem). With
EZFlash, my method, it might require a floppy. I'm not really sure
whether EZFlash can look anywhere other than the floppy drive for the
..BIN file. Maybe someone here knows. If not, I'll run it and report
back.
3 -- It would theoretically work using the Windows GUI BIOS flasher.
Of course, that might give the checksum error, too. I've no idea why
AWDFLASH did that and EZFlash did not, but the Windows flasher might
go either way.
It's true that some manufacturers don't include a floppy these days.
For the rare occasion when you're flashing a BIOS, IF there's no way
to use EZFlash with an optical drive AND neither of the other two
methods work, I think it would be easy enough to connect a $9.95
floppy drive. No need for a mechanical installation -- just put a
shoe box beside the open case, put the floppy on it, and run the data
and power cables to it for the few minutes it takes to do this little
job.
Lastly, I'll give the time-honored caveat, "YMMV." For me, AWDFLASH
wouldn't work, but EZFlash worked beautifully. There's no guarantee
that in another machine the computer gremlins wouldn't prevent both
those methods from working. If it was the version of AWDFLASH that
caused it not to work and the particular version of EZFlash that did
allow it to work, then the situation could change with new releases of
either. But what do you have to lose by trying. If it doesn't fly,
RMA the thing to the e-tailer.
>
>"milleron" <millerdot90@SPAMlessosu.edu> wrote in message
>news
😱numb1ljq0iud8uh25r4tg8ege4eiljmfj@4ax.com...
>> On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 20:09:00 -0400, "J&SB" <jandsb@cox.net> wrote:
>>
>>>Say Ron,
>>>Now that you've identified the right BIOS Savior, would you mind going
>>>through your installation and flashing procedure step-by-step for us who
>>>walk with trepidation when it comes to this sort of thing? Thanks in
>>>advance. I'd really like to get one of these and rest easier.
>>>Jim
>>
>> Sure.
>> 1 -- Before I installed my motherboard, I used the neat little
>> BIOS-chip extractor supplied by IOSS to remove the PLCC BIOS chip.
>> Just like CPUs, these things go in only one way, and it's easy to tell
>> because one corner of the chip and socket are not square. The
>> instructions illustrate how to keep things in alignment.
>> 2 -- plug the BIOS Savior into the motherboard socket vacated by the
>> original BIOS.
>> 3 -- keeping the alignment in mind plug the original BIOS chip into
>> the identical socket on the top of the BIOS Savior. At this point,
>> the original chip is plugged into the Savior, and the Savior is
>> plugged into the mobo. There is NEVER an ELECTRICAL CONNECTION
>> between the EPROM in the BIOS Savior and the original BIOS chip
>> mounted in the BIOS Savior.
>> 4 -- with the BIOS Savior switch set on ORG (for "original"), boot the
>> machine with a bootable floppy containing awdflash.exe in the drive.
>> 5 -- run awdflash.exe and elect to save the original BIOS to the
>> floppy, giving it any name you wish.
>> 6 -- flip the BIOS Savior switch to "RD1."
>> 7 -- run awdflash again, this time telling it that you want to
>> reprogram the BIOS. Type in the name you gave the SAVED original
>> BIOS, and let it write that BIN file to the BIOS Savior's chip.
>>
>> In my case, AWDFLASH gave a checksum error when trying to flash the
>> BIOS Savior. I had saved the original BIOS as ORIGINAL.BIN, so I set
>> the Savior to ORG, hit ALT-F2 during POST, and used Asus EZFlash
>> instead of awdflash.exe. After EZFlash was running, I set the BIOS
>> Savior to "RD1," and proceeded with the flash. EZFlash had no trouble
>> flashing the BIOS Savior. Now I have the same version of the BIOS in
>> both the Savior and the original chip. The data stored in CMOS is
>> therefore appropriate for both, and I can POST with the switch set in
>> either position.
>>
>> After you get this far, you can leave the switch on either setting:
>> A -- you can leave it set on RD1. This leaves your pristine original
>> BIOS sitting there unused, while you run day-to-day from the BIOS
>> Savior's chip, keeping the original in reserve. You might even want
>> to remove it and put it somewhere else for safekeeping.
>> B -- you can set the switch back to ORG, running day-to-day from your
>> original BIOS, and using the BIOS Savior as a backup. If you get a
>> badflash, simply clear the CMOS, flip the BIOS Savior switch, and boot
>> from the known good backup.
>> C -- a development engineer could have different versions of the BIOS
>> in the Savior and the original chip and switch back an forth from one
>> boot to the next. I suspect that you'd have to clear CMOS to do that.
>> Not sure.
>> D -- you can use the BIOS Savior as a flashing device, something like
>> they do at badflash.com. If a friend had a messed-up BIOS, you could
>> extract the chip from his computer and then plug it into the BIOS
>> Savior. You'd then simply boot to a floppy, flip the switch, and
>> reflash his bad BIOS.
>>
>> This really takes the fear and worry out of flash a BIOS. If it goes
>> bad, just flip a switch, and you're back in business.
>>
>>>"milleron" <millerdot90@SPAMlessosu.edu> wrote in message
>>>news
😛i5kb1tqrldgttk7bdkvrf416fm4sanuqq@4ax.com...
>>>> On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 02:58:26 -0400, "FG" <personne@videotron.cam>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>My advice : contact them by e-mail, stating the type and number of
>>>>>your BIOS. They usually answer rapidly. My guess is that as long
>>>>>as the BIOS is the same size it will work.
>>>>>
>>>>>As long as you disconnect your computer and proceed with care,
>>>>>your board will not be damaged.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm still going to buy the only BIOS Savior that IOSS makes and see if
>>>>>> it works. If it doesn't, then it should be a fairly simple matter to
>>>>>> remove it and plug the original BIOS back into its original slot.
>>>>>> I've never done this before, though, so I'm wondering how great a
>>>>>> likelihood there is of damaging the mobo or BIOS chip using the
>>>>>> chip-extracting device supplied with the BIOS Savior. Anybody know?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ron
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> FG,
>>>> You were correct. The size of the RD1-PMC4 is the same size as the
>>>> A8N-SLI BIOS, I did not damage anything, and it DOES WORK!
>>>>
>>>> The use of the included BIOS-chip extractor was not well documented,
>>>> but once I figured it out, it popped the original BIOS out almost
>>>> effortlessly. Installation was a breeze -- thirty seconds flat.
>>>>
>>>> I am thrilled to finally have a computer with a working BIOS Savior
>>>> installed. I can flash new BIOS versions at will without having to
>>>> fear that I'll screw anything up.
>>>>
>>>> VERY, very importantly, I could not program the BIOS Savior with
>>>> AWDFLASH.EXE, the newest version available for download at Asus, ver.
>>>> 8.24, I believe. It gave a checksum error and refused to proceed.
>>>> HOWEVER, I then tried the built-in Asus EZFlash (ALT-F2 during POST),
>>>> and it copied the original BIOS file, 1004, to the BIOS Savior just
>>>> as though it was writing to the regular BIOS chip. I could then leave
>>>> the BIOS Savior set to RD1 and reboot. It's perfectly transparent. I
>>>> cannot recommend the BIOS Savior highly enough. I'll report this
>>>> success to IOSS, but it seems like they're no longer updating their
>>>> compatibility pages. I deduce that they don't care if they sell this
>>>> product any longer or else their marketing department should all be
>>>> fired en masse.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, spread the gospel. BIOS Savior RD1-PMC4 is compatible with
>>>> the A8N-SLI series.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ron
>>>
>>
>> Ron
>
Ron
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram