"Samantha" said:
...I'm looking to get an AMD XP 3200+ running a 400 FSB ... however ...
my floppy drive controller doesn't work on my A7N8X Deluxe. How do
I get the BIOS **safely** updated without booting from a floppy disk?
Any help on getting me to the latest BIOS would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!!
Samantha
My system:
A7N8X Deluxe
AMD 2400+
1 gig 3200 DDR memory
52x CD R/RW
8x DVD R/RW drive
Asylum 5800 Ultra Geforce FX video card
You could try preparing a bootable CD with DOS on it.
Boot into DOS, and then use the command line form of the
programming command "awdflash /qi aw0702.bin". Bootdisk.com
has some files, if you don't happen to have a way to do
that. Try searching Google for "DOS bootable CD" for hints
on how to do it. (No, I've never tried it. If you succeed,
please post a recipe
))
The absolute safest way to do it, would be to contact
badflash.com and get a replacement BIOS chip with the
release of BIOS code already programmed in it. (Contact
Asus tech support and see how much they charge for one
- I think they send the chip by pony express, so you'll
have to wait a while to get it from Asus.) To remove
the chip from its socket, you can get a nice PLCC puller
from Radio Shack for $10, or you can use a sharp pointed
object and pry at alternate corners of the device until
it pops out. I've removed and inserted a couple hundred
of these, using a sharp pointed object for many of them,
but the tool is a good investment for a beginner. After
four or five insertions, the retention force on the socket
is a lot less, and further operations take less force.
A second device which is nice to have, is the ioss.com.tw
"BIOS Savior". This is a device that plugs into the flash
chip socket, and the device has a socket of its own, which
is used to hold the original flash chip, plus there is a
second flash chip soldered to the assembly. This makes a
"dual flash" BIOS, with a convenient switch to select the
A or the B chip. You can experiment with programming the
second chip, while knowing the first chip is there to
bail you out if there is trouble. You have to select the
correct model, and these run around $20, which is a
reasonable price and comparable to badflash.com shipping
you just one chip. Of course, you still have to program
it, but you won't kill the motherboard trying. Basically
you boot with the "A" chip, flip the switch to "B", try
to program the chip, and if it fails, just flip to "A"
again and push the reset button on the computer. If the
programming works, you leave the computer running from
the "B" chip with the new BIOS image in it.
Here is the chip puller from Radio Shack. There is an edge
on each of the two tips of the puller, that fit underneath
diagonally opposite corners of the chip. The idea is to pull
the chip out equally on all sides as you pull the chip out
of the socket. This way, the legs on the chip don't get
bent and distorted by the removal operation. Reinsertion
is an easy job for your thumb, again pushing equally on
all sides until the chip is seated. You should make a drawing
of the orientation of the chip and where the "dot" is
located on the chip and the alignment "triangle" on the
socket. Those are typical markings used, and may vary with
hardware.
(PLCC chip puller for changing a PLCC four sided flash chip)
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=276-2101
HTH,
Paul
