Updating Abit Bios

[DratUK]

As we have seen a couple of guys having issues with updating the bios. I have spoken with Lvcoyote Super Moderator on the Abit USA forums and you will find the link below to his webpage for updating Abit bios.

http://www.lvcoyote.com/biosflash.htm

Note this is floppy based only.

If you use the flashmenu make sure you uncheck the bootblock option under settings/options.
Always backup your current bios.
Always run your system at default/safe settings and or do not update whilst your system is overclocked.


Buff gilgamesh etc can you go over this and check I have covered everything.
I know most of you are savvy enough that this maybe a waste reading time but if there is somebody new to Abit boards I hope it helps.

[GuntherBierhoff]

When you download a bios and it is named, as in the cas of the quad gt bete bios, .b06 or .b08 should you need to rename as .bin before trying to flash?

[ABIT Sean]

When you download a bios and it is named, as in the cas of the quad gt bete bios, .b06 or .b08 should you need to rename as .bin before trying to flash?

No, Just leave the name as it is.

[0iD]

just tried flashing mine with the B08 (downloaded from the quad gt link in the bios section of the abit forums) from a floppy & the awdflash program gives me a checksum error of 287EH & says its not an award bios. Tried downloading again & with a couple of fresh floppies. Still the same message. And it's not overclocked.

any ideas?

[BUFF]

How to boot an Abit board from a USB flash drive if you don't have a floppy
http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=121953

[0iD]

just tried flashing mine with the B08 (downloaded from the quad gt link in the bios section of the abit forums) from a floppy & the awdflash program gives me a checksum error of 287EH & says its not an award bios. Tried downloading again & with a couple of fresh floppies. Still the same message. And it's not overclocked.

any ideas?

Hopefully it's an issue with an old version of awdflash
http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=122619
will have to try when i get home.

[gilgamesh]

As we have seen a couple of guys having issues with updating the bios. I have spoken with Lvcoyote Super Moderator on the Abit USA forums and you will find the link below to his webpage for updating Abit bios.

http://www.lvcoyote.com/biosflash.htm

Note this is floppy based only.

If you use the flashmenu make sure you uncheck the bootblock option under settings/options.
Always backup your current bios.
Always run your system at default/safe settings and or do not update whilst your system is overclocked.


Buff gilgamesh etc can you go over this and check I have covered everything.
I know most of you are savvy enough that this maybe a waste reading time but if there is somebody new to Abit boards I hope it helps.

Ehup buddy good job there m8

Just a small suggestion if I may, it would be a great idea to cover the arious switch commands such as "awdflash <biosname.bin> /wb etc etc

cheers pal good job

gilgamesh

[Nickg]

When you download a bios and it is named, as in the cas of the quad gt bete bios, .b06 or .b08 should you need to rename as .bin before trying to flash?

changed mine to .bin and it worked fine...otherwise flashmenu wouldnt pick up the file...

also what does BOOTBLOCK do - and why should it be disabled?

also Sean - Bios 12 anytime soon?

[ABIT Sean]

All updates come out on Friday. But abit UK is closed for the easter holidays so I won't know until Tuesday.

[DratUK]

To give an explanation of the various switches for floppy bios update

kt7a_kk.bin = Update filename (example)
/cc = clear CMOS after Programming
/cd = clear DMI after Programming
/cp = clear PNP(ESCD) after Programming
/py = Program Flash Memory
/sy = save the old BIOS to: "OLDBIOS.BIN"
/cks = show Update Binfile Checksum
/R = Reset System after Programming

If you don't want flash the BIOS-Boot-Block (awdflash-Parameter: "/Sb" = "Skip Boot Block programming"). Add this to the above switches.
Bootblock
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/jefn/bootblock.html

Thanks to jefn from AbitUSA forums for the above page.

If a bad flash occurs and you cannot recover then possibly all is not lost.
If the Flashprogram halts before finishing the Update Process: KEEP COOL and

DON'T POWER OFF YOUR PC !

If you are back on the DOS-Prompt: try it again and insert the same Flash-Command once again.
Intact BIOS-Boot-Block
To use the following tipps, it would be helpfull to replace your PCI-Graphiccard by an ISA-Graphiccard, because the Boot Block Code doesn't support PCI-Graphiccards. Using a PCI-Graphiccard, the Monitor would be black the whole time, while trying to make a new Update. But no worry, the Flashprogram sends some different Beep-Codes, which could tell us the current Flash Process Status.

AWARD-BIOS:
We need our Bootdiskette and do only 1 Change on it:
Create (on a 2nd PC using a Texteditor) a File called: "AUTOEXEC.BAT", with only one Line:

"awdflash.exe updatefilename /py /sn" (without quotes!)

Now, boot from Diskette and listen to the Beeps:

While Booting:
2 short Beeps = no Bootdiskette in Drive A:
Continuously short Beeps = no Floppydrive ;-)

After the Flash Process:
Continuously long Beeps = Programming successfully. RESTART!

Hence the need to disable bootblock as that will otherwise be written over during the flash process, consequently if the flash is bad it cannot recover the bootblock files.

I have never needed to do the above so I cannot say whether this would work.
All the above info I have gathered from my own experiences and from the Abit USA forums after some research.
Just thought it would good have it in one thread.
Of course unless you need to flash ie current bios is unstable or you want to gain additional functionality, then why the hell take the risk.
Fortunately Abit support is good despite what people may say and replacement chips or reprogramming of chips can be done through Abit UK.
So dont bin that board if it all goes very wrong!!!!


If anybody else would like to add?