Why and How to Flash Your BIOS - More Precautions
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There is another way to flash AMI BIOS without the need for a bootable floppy disk. Rename your new BIOS flash file to "AMIBOOT.ROM" then copy it to a floppy disk (that will contain only this file). Insert it into your FDD and reboot. Hold down "CTRL"+ "HOME" to launch the flashing process.
You'll notice that the floppy LED (or the light on the optical device) is going to report that it's reading. Your system will boot up in MS-DOS and then the flashing process will start. Don't expect anything to appear on your screen; you need to wait until you figure out yourself that the LED isn't blinking anymore and it completed its task; you can wait up to a few minutes maximum to be sure that the process is finished.
Eject the CD or get the floppy disk out and reboot your system. If everything goes all right it is going to POST correctly and work as usual; what a relief. You've just saved your system from a bad flash.
But what if this doesn't help? Or what if you've flashed corrupt data also on the boot-block? What can you do then? Well, there are a few ways to flash a new and correct version of BIOS onto the chip. The most popular technique is "hot-swapping." You are going to need another ROM chip that is flashed with the correct BIOS, meaning that it's taken out of a working motherboard which is exactly like yours.
You borrow that chip for a half an hour (from a friend, neighbor, etc), install it in your motherboard and boot up; your system will POST if the data on the new chip is correct. As soon as you've booted up into MS-DOS, you take out the BIOS ROM chip on-the-fly and replace it with your chip (which has corrupt data on it). Then you proceed to flash.
As a side note, please be very cautious and aware that fiddling with components without turning the PC off is very dangerous; you can do more harm than good. Then again, this technique is tried and tested; it works but it's recommended only as a last resort when everything else fails. Basically you're taking out a chip that is powered on, so there is a slight chance of screwing up the entire motherboard's circuitry along with the chip.
Final Words
Great, we've come to the end of this article. You should have understood by now what the whole "bios flashing" process is. I'm also sure that you've already decided whether you're going to flash your BIOS or not with the latest update that's available. That choice is definitely yours. Although you should keep in mind the consequences too. If there are no serious reasons (unsupported hardware components) and you aren't familiar with flashing, also you're afraid, then don't do it. If you do need to flash your BIOS then read and research before proceeding -- do your homework; when you're ready you'll feel ready.
Whatever future problems you may face that are related to computer hardware and computing don't forget to join and ask for help at the "DevHardware Forums."
Good luck and be safe.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
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