Bios Update-ASUS P5K

[Nabobalis]

So I'm updating my Bios using ASUS Update, the process goes fine as it says its erased and wrote the new bios but then when it goes to verify it it fails. So I'm not sure what to do and I turn my computer off, to go to sleep and when I wake up in the computer doesn't even POST, it turns on everything spins and then it shuts off and turns back on and shuts off and so on and so on.

Any way of recovery? Or am I going to RMA it?

[Splash]

I know it's closing the gate after the horse has bolted, but never EVER use Windows based BIOS flashing. I'm not sure what key you have to press during POST to start the BIOS flashing tool, but if you can get that info from your manual and you have the bios flash on a USB key/floppy disk you may still be able to reflash from there.

Failing that you're looking at a replacement ROM - not sure that the warranty will cover failed BIOS updates...

EDIT - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/.../t-146857.html may be of some help

[fat jez]

There is a bios recovery procedure for the P5K, which I don't have to hand, but I'm sure a quick google search will find it. RTFM, where you will find the recovery procedure on page 4-8. If I can do that, couldn't you?

I second Splash's response - NEVER flash in Windows, it is fraught with problems. The bios flash tool built into the bios itself will read from floppies and usb keys and what's more, it works! That Asus tool cost me a motherboard before when I first started out, which I was able to recover by hot swapping the bios (i.e. borrow a working bios, install that, boot, remove working bios, put dodgy one in, flash - not an option any more though, since it is soldered in).

Cheers,
Stephen

[Clunk]

You might be able to put the Asus cd in the drive, and then just try and boot up as normal, if its not too far gone, it will try and fix itself.

[Nabobalis]

It doesn't boot that far to be able to do that. I saw that in the manual but nothing when I tried it.

[fat jez]

It doesn't boot that far to be able to do that. I saw that in the manual but nothing when I tried it.

OK, fair enough. RMA time then, I'm afraid. Try doing a quick google search for something like "p5k corrupt bios recover) and see if anybody else has found a way round it.

Cheers,
Stephen

[zephod]

Found myself the same way after using abit's flashmenu to update the BIOS. In that case all that could be done was to send the chip to be reprogrammed as there was no post at all. However, in another occurence with the same board, a similar crash during update left a partial post complaining about pretty much everything under the sun. In this case we were able, after about 3h of fighting, to cause a command line boot of abit's flash tool and get the latest BIOS up and running. However, if you get nothing at all, like I did, getting the chip reprogrammed seems to be the only way out.

--- UNLESS ---

If you know someone with the same board, and their works , then you can hotflash the chip. This is done by removing your chip from your mobo, letting them boot their PC to the command line bios flash tool, swapping the chips whilst the PC is on (OMG!), and then flashing the damaged chip. Apparently, this works. I never tried it, too scared...might wanna google it a bit rather than taking my word for it...or perhaps someone more experience on the forums can comment...sounds nuts to me!

[Nabobalis]

According to scan, BIOS updates are not under warranty. So what is covered under warranty?

[Splash]

Hardware/software failure, pretty much. Why would you expect something you did to do a motherboard to be covered under warranty?

Sorry - that sounded harsher than it was supposed to, but the vendor cannot be held responsible for a BIOS flash carried out AFTER the item was delivered to you. I know some vendors will flash a BIOS for you for a small fee, but essentially they're then taking on the risk involved in the flash.

EDIT - Out of interest which BIOS revision did you flash it with?

[Nabobalis]

Was the latest one, the 0501.
So what does it mean by Non-Repair Grounds. So would it be possible to get ASUS to RMA it?

[Splash]

Non repair grounds basically states that they will not accept a return for repair or replacement under those circumstances. As stated on the link you provided though it's down to the vendor (Scan in this case) and I can't see why a vendor would cover something going wrong when flashing the BIOS, in much the same way as if you killed it when fitting a new CPU or similar.

[Clunk]

Non repair grounds basically states that they will not accept a return for repair or replacement under those circumstances. As stated on the link you provided though it's down to the vendor (Scan in this case) and I can't see why a vendor would cover something going wrong when flashing the BIOS, in much the same way as if you killed it when fitting a new CPU or similar.

I have to disagree.

People need to be able to easily update their bios, to fix certain problems.

The windows flash tool thing regularly goes wrong, even when followed to the letter.

If they dont cover it under warranty, they shouldnt encourage people to use it.

Personally, I think they should either fix it or ditch it, there are 3 other ways of flashing the bios on most Asus boards, and that is 2 more than most other manufacturers offer.

[Mad-Max]

I know it's late and might not help but have you tryed clearing the CMOS (bios) for a long while, as it says in the manual.

[Nabobalis]

That's what I'm doing. I'm giving it a couple of more hours and then I will see if it works.

[Splash]

I have to disagree.

People need to be able to easily update their bios, to fix certain problems.

The windows flash tool thing regularly goes wrong, even when followed to the letter.

If they dont cover it under warranty, they shouldnt encourage people to use it.

Personally, I think they should either fix it or ditch it, there are 3 other ways of flashing the bios on most Asus boards, and that is 2 more than most other manufacturers offer.

I don't disagree with you at all - they should just ditch the Windows flash tool. Given that you can start the BIOS flash tool on boot with a simple keypress (no bootable floopy required) and that it will read from a USB key I really can't see the need for a tool to flash from within Windows where there will be so many variables (antivirus software being a biggy) that could interfere.

It always used to be the case that wherever you looked people advised you to avoid Windows flashing tools like the plague, it makes me wonder why that's not the case any more. There's certainly still a fair amount of horror stories like this one.

But again, I still can't see why a BIOS flash would be necessarily covered under warranty. The board was (I assume, otherwise how do you get into Windows) working as intended when delivered from the retailer, so unless the BIOS update was required to fix an issue (in which case I suppose there would be a case to answer, as it may have prevented an RMA in the first place) why would they be obliged to replace it?

Not intentionally trolling, just trying to see it from both sides.

[Nabobalis]

Didn't work, looks like I'm buying an other one. Do you just bin a broken motherboard, or is there a proper way of disposal?

Edit: Would it be worth it to get scan to update the BIOS for a tenner or just do it my self using the BIOS?