Restore default BIOS settings to factory settings. Rewriting and restoring Flash BIOS of the motherboard

Also, before installing a new version, you can copy the old version or, if you do not have such an opportunity, you can make a copy with a similar one motherboard. Once you have found your firmware version, copy it along with the program onto one medium. After this, we insert our disk into the drive of a non-working PC and when the system boots, BIOS recovery begins immediately.

Restoring BIOS using ASUS BIOS Updater

In order to protect yourself from problems that may arise in the future, you can use another utility - ASUS BIOS Updater, which will help you create a backup copy of your current BIOS version before the update operation. Format the USB flash drive to the FAT 32 or FAT 16 file system, then download and save the latest BIOS firmware on it and ASUS utility BIOS Updater.

Connect the USB flash drive to a free port on the computer and turn on the computer. While the computer is booting, press the “F8” button to call up the boot menu, in which select “CD-ROM”. Before doing this, you need to install a boot disk with the FreeDOS operating system into the drive. After loading the OS, in the command line, select the drive letter that is assigned to the flash drive, for example “d:” and press “Enter”. Then you can run the command to create a file in which to save old BIOS, - type and run “bupdater /o filename.rom”, where it should be indicated correct name firmware file.
Well, not like that in cunning ways and certain utilities, we were able to independently restore BIOS. As they say, the eyes are afraid, but the hands do. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this article, leave them in your comments. In one of our articles you can also learn about BIOS, as well as

Before touching on questions about BIOS (Basic Input Output System) firmware, it is worth recalling what a BIOS is and why it is needed.

When you turn on a laptop or computer, the first thing that is loaded is a small program that checks whether all devices are working, configures these same devices, and it is this program that launches the bootloader operating system. Simply put, BIOS is a very important piece of software. Without it, a laptop or computer simply will not boot. The procedure for checking and setting up equipment is also called POST (Power On Self Test).

While the main BIOS is running, it is also possible to execute other similar programs. Usually this is the BIOS of the video card, as well as the BIOS of other complex devices such as some RAID controllers. At the end of execution, control is transferred back to the main BIOS.

The program itself (BIOS) is stored on a memory chip on the motherboard. This chip can be reflashed by updating the same program.

Like any self-respecting program, the BIOS has settings. These are the ones we can change when entering the settings menu. On Acer laptops, eMachines and Packard Bell This menu is called up by pressing the F2 key. Only a small part of the settings is available to the average user. There are actually a lot of them. All these settings are stored in EEPROM memory. They are the ones that are reset when you remove the small battery on the motherboard or switch the corresponding jumper.

So, we seem to have found out what BIOS is. Now let’s decide on the question of why it should be updated at all, i.e. Why flash the BIOS?

Flashing the BIOS of a laptop is recommended in case of any problems that may be related to the laptop devices; it is not worth chasing just the new version, because In some cases, the firmware may cause the laptop to not work. As they say, it works - don’t touch it))
This is on the one hand.

In the latest BIOS version, developers usually fix identified bugs previous version and they add new features that give rise to new bugs, and so on in a circle, until the developer gets tired and the flow of indignant letters from users dries up.
Usually, new BIOS versions fix many errors and add support for new devices.
They usually add support for new laptop hardware, such as new types of processors, video cards, more memory, and also eliminate problems such as spontaneous password occurrence, processor operation only at a reduced frequency, display inoperability after resuming from sleep mode, incorrect operation of function keys, dusty , cloudy screen, change in fan speed depending on the load, these can be various errors that are related to the operation of the video card, Wi-Fi adapter, sound, Web camera and many other devices, etc.
This is from the other side.

In general, it is up to the user to decide whether to flash the BIOS or not. And he and only he is responsible for this decision.

The latest BIOS version for your laptop model can be found on the manufacturer’s website in the section Drivers. For Acer This .
Download the latest version specifically for YOUR laptop models. This note is very important to take into account!
If you don’t accept it, you’ll have to part with your laptop and be on your way to a repairman’s house))) In the best case, you’ll have to “dance with a tambourine” to restore the BIOS, or the flasher will simply refuse to flash the chip due to incompatibility of BIOS types.

The description of the changes is usually located in a file called release in the BIOS archive or just a couple of lines of description on the BIOS page.

Need to flash ONLY BIOS from OWN laptop models.

Instructions for the firmware are also located in the archive with the BIOS in a file called readme. Usually you need to run a file with the bat extension from the same archive, or exe, if the developer has packaged the BIOS, instructions for the flasher, and the flasher itself in it for the convenience of users. Like, one click and you have new firmware.

A flasher, also known as a flasher, is a program that flashes the BIOS.

A collection of flashers for DOS and Windows from Phoenix And InsydeH2O can be downloaded from the link: download
You can flash it from Windows or from DOS. It is believed that DOS is much safer, but the author of these lines has repeatedly flashed the BIOS from Windows without fatal consequences. You just need to follow some simple safety rules:
- close all running programs, antivirus;
- turn off everything network connections, Internet;
- charge the battery, connect mains power;
- disconnect (if connected) all (except the mouse) devices connected via USB
If you are flashing in Windows Vista or Seven, run the executable file as an administrator. The battery must be inserted and charged at least 30%, or better yet, fully charged. The process itself takes a minute or two.

It is advisable to run the file with the bat extension from the BIOS archive. The archive with the BIOS can first be unzipped in separate folder. The fact is that for some models, for example Acer Aspire 5530, it prescribes non-trivial actions when flashing the firmware.

@echo off bioschk3.exe if errorlevel 1 goto SouthBridgeROM:ECROM echo EC Side... PHLASH16 jalb111.wph /c /x /s /bbl /pn /mode=3 goto exit:SouthBridgeROM echo SB Side... echo EC Updating ... call spi /flash -bFD60 -v20000 -i -nid k26a111a.rom PHLASH16 jalb111.wph /c /x /s /bbl /pn /mode=3:EXIT

I think that if in some versions of this laptop model you simply flash the BIOS (without additional firmware keyboard controller k26a111a.rom) something terrible will happen (for the owner;)) By the way, from this bat it is also clear that when flashing the firmware it is also flashed bootblock(which is not common), which means that if problems arise during the firmware, then the likelihood of recovery using Crisis Disk decreases.

However, this is rare. Usually, just flashing your BIOS is enough.

Phoenix BIOSes have the file extension .wph, .rom, and InsydeH2O .fd.
It should be noted that if the archive contains both .wph and .rom files, then the latter is a BIOS backup (image) and it will not be possible to flash it - it is missing at the end of the file proprietary information for a flasher, but for a programmer it is quite suitable.

By the way, if you downloaded the latest BIOS firmware from the Acer website for yours model, but the flasher refuses to flash it - it says that the version is incorrect (and your BIOS is almost the first available version, “from the time of Ochakov and the conquest of the Crimea”), you can try, following the example, try first to flash not the latest version, but some intermediate one.

BIOS firmware

If you do not want to run the bat file from the archive (perhaps you are smarter than the developers, or they forgot to put it there), then:
(The following applies to the Phoenix BIOS, although with the InsydeH2O BIOS the procedure is approximately the same)

1) you can flash the BIOS from DOS

Just in case, prepare a Crisis Disk, it will be discussed below.

Create a bootable USB flash drive, according to the article

We write a flasher and a BIOS file to it

Launch the flasher, examples:
If the bios is from Phoenix:
phlash16 /x /c /mfg /mode=3 my_bios.wph
If the BIOS is from InsydeH2O:
flashit my_bios.fd /fe /b

These are almost standard options, more about them below. If you need something specific, add additional firmware options to your liking. But, generally speaking, it is better to look into the bat file, which should be in the archive in the DOS firmware, and copy the options for the flasher from there.

Options command line for Phoenix Flash Utility for DOS - Version 1.7.0.0 Phoenix16.exe

USAGE: Phlash16 [@rspfile] romfile Override the default BIOS image name BIOS.WPH with "file". @rspfile Response file containing more options /A:address 32 bit address where to put the File Image. /B:file Override the default BIOS image name BIOS.WPH with "file". /BBL Program boot block. /BU[=name] Backup flash memory into BIOS.BAK before programming. If "name" specified, override the default filename BIOS.BAK. /C Clear CMOS checksum after programming. /CS Verify BIOS.WPH image checksum. /DMC:string Specify chassis manufacturer DMI string. /DMM:string Specify motherboard manufacturer DMI string. /DMS:string Specify system manufacturer DMI string. /DOxx:string Specify OEM DMI string number xx. /DPC:string Specify chassisasser tag number. /DPM:string Specify motherboard product ID DMI string. /DPS:string Specify system product ID DMI string. /DSC:string Specify chassis serial number DMI string. /DSM:string Specify motherboard serial number DMI string. /DSS:string Specify system serial number DMI string. /DUS:string Specify UUID DMI string. /DVC:string Specify chassis version DMI string. /DVM: string Specify motherboard version DMI string. /DVS:string Specify system version DMI string. /DESC Check the descriptor mode. /DEV Display device information from WPH file. /EXIT Exit without rebooting. /E2 Generate a new UUID when current UUID is (FFF...FFF). /H or /? Help screen. /I Verify image size matches flash part size. /MODE=n Specify mode n (0, 1, 2, 3). /MFG Manufacturing mode - Automatically reboot without keypress. /N Program only if BIOS.WPH is different than system BIOS. /NOB Do not allow an older BIOS to be flashed to the platform. /NIC Update network controller driver with *.lom files. /NOBIOSINFO Do not display BIOS date and part number while flashing. /O Override (disable) all options from BIOS.WPH. /P Production mode (minimize messages and delays). /PF=string String to pass on to command line. /PN Program only if same BIOS part number. /REMOTE Specify remote operation over RS232 /RO[=name] Read contents of flash part and save to a file. /R=n Retry flashing a block n times if flash fails. /S Silent operation (turn off speaker). /SWAP=NO Disable Axx autodetection. /T Show debug timing info (Warning: flash is done TEN TIMES!) /V Verify each block after programming it. /VBL Show warning for Vista Bitlocker. /VGA Update VGA module with *.dat files. /X Ignore XMS memory manager check. /Z Zero before erasing a block. /UUID Generate a new UUID . /DOSKEY Ignore DOSKEY check . /Mod:filename Update current system BIOS with the module specified by filename. /Fbin:filename Update current system BIOS DMI with the interface file specified by filename, do not need image file. /FileUUID Generate a new UUID to BIOS image(Will not flash). /ShowFileUUID Show UUID of a BIOS bin file. /Force Update BIOS from image file directly without any modification. To update the entire system BIOS you also need the following file: BIOS.WPH (the interface file with the BIOS image) /BB Update recovery (BootBlock) section only. /BC Clear the BIS Persistent Storage Area. /BR Preserve the BIS Persistent Storage Area . /CC:xx Change country code (language) with xx /CF Copy customer data area from file (CDABIN). /CR Preserve the customer data area. /CPU Update CPU microcode with the newest revision. /E:2 Turn on the enhanced security option. /E:4 Turn off the enhanced security option. /E:8 Turn on binding on the POV card. /E:16 Turn off binding on the POV card. /L Preserve the Logo . /L:xx Replace the Logo with xx (image logo file) . /MB Update both Bios and Bootblock. /PD Copy preboot notification from file (PBNTXT). /PR Preserve the preboot notification. /VCPU Update variable size CPU microcode. /W:xx Administration password xx (7 bytes ASCI string).

Command line options for InsydeH2O Flash Utility for DOS - Version 1.3i FLASHIT.exe

USAGE:Flashit filename /? , H This flash utility help /1 Save current BIOS to file (1Mbits from memory) /2 Save current BIOS to file (2Mbits from memory) /4 Save current BIOS to file (4Mbits from memory) /8 Save current BIOS to file ( 8Mbits from memory) /16 Save current BIOS to file (16Mbits from memory) /AB Check battery life percent /AC Do not check AC plug in /ALL Flash all /B Flash PEI volume /BEEP On flashing beep /BIOS Flash BIOS region /C Clear COMS /DC Disable comparsion in normal flash process /Desc Flash DESC region /DI Disable ID display /E:Offset(Hex), Size(Hex), Address(Hex) Update fix size from file offset to physical address / EC Flash EC (by applicaion) /EC:String Flash EC (by applicaion) and BIOS (by IHISI) /ECB Flash EC (by applicaion) with BIOS (by IHISI) /EV Erase variable (ASCII) /EVG:GUID Erase variable (ASCII) by user's GUID /FD Flash DXE /FE Flash EC /FILE:FILENAME Before Flash to erase variable from file. /FL Flash logo /FM Flash CPU Microcode /FN Flash OEM NVS /FP Flash password /FT:value Flash OEM special type /FV Flash Variable /G Save current BIOS to file (from IHISI). /GbE Flash GbE region /GU:String Compare GUID with current BIOS /I:String Update logo (may need Himem.sys) /LF Load Fd file by another floopy disk /LG:String GUID. Update small logo required.(Must use with /I, /WV, /WU) /MC Skip all platform model check /ME Flash ME region /N Do not reboot after flash /O:String Output file (Must use with /I) /PI Dump BVDT protection MAP /PMCA:ModelName Used to check Platform model name /PMCAF:FileName Used to check Platform model name /PN Flash non-SPI flash part /PQ Query ROM protection MAP in current ROM /PR Query region MAP in current ROM /PS Flash SPI flash part /RB:Filename Read variable (To a binary file) /RM Protect the region who is not in the same address /RV Read variable /S Shutdown after flash /SE:String Compare serial number with current BIOS /U Show confirm message /UU:String Compare UUID with current BIOS /V Verify file integrity /WB:Filename Write variable (From a binary file) /WH:Filename Write HDCP key /WU:String Write variable (UNICODE) /WV:String Write variable (ASCII) Attachment: Your usergroup does don't have permission to access attachments

After flashing the firmware, the laptop reboots and voila - you have new firmware. This is if everything went smoothly. By the way, before flashing the new one, you can make a backup of the old BIOS, the key is /BU.

2) you can flash the BIOS from Windows

Close all running programs, disable antivirus, disconnect from the network and the Internet
The BIOS file should be in the same folder with the flasher. YOUR laptop models
Run Winflash or Winflash64 as administrator
First, make a BIOS backup without flashing
If you need something specific, click the Advanced button
Flashing the BIOS

Restoring BIOS in case of unsuccessful firmware

What to do if everything goes wrong? While flashing the firmware, the laptop froze and had to be turned off, they flashed the BIOS from another laptop model, someone accidentally launched an antivirus, the music played well during the flashing, but not for long...

It’s worse if you do everything according to the instructions, but it turns out like a crooked idiot, although, in general, you’re not like that (okay, let’s respect the equality of citizens - you’re not like that)!

In general, if after rebooting or turning on the laptop (immediately after flashing the firmware) you see a black screen, the system does not boot, although the cooler is working, and the indicators are lit or blinking, or the laptop beeps - you have two options.

1) make a Crisis Disk and use Crisis Recovery Mode to try to restore the BIOS.

Attempts almost always end successfully (if the BootBlock BIOS was not damaged during the previous firmware)

2) flash the BIOS on the programmer by unsoldering it yourself or taking it to a service center.

In principle, you can also make a programmer yourself, example No. 0, example No. 1, example No. 2, example No. 3, ...

A little explanation of the meaning of the process.

Recovery procedure Phoenix BIOS uses boot-block. Boot-block contains code that allows you to boot the system in Crisis Recovery Mode (CRM). loading BIOS after turning on the laptop, it queries all devices of the laptop and if all devices critical for operation are identified, the system boots. In this case, the results of the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) diagnostics can be seen if you have the so-called. POST card. The BIOS signals some POST codes with a beeping sound. Table of POST and Beep codes for PhoenixBIOS

If you boot into crisis recovery mode (CRM), then the devices are not polled; the BIOS firmware starts immediately, unless, of course, a USB FDD (floppy drive) or USB Flash (flash drive) with a crisis disk is connected to the laptop. CRM only runs basic laptop systems. You won't see anything on the screen, the keyboard and hard drive won't work.

So, how to flash the BIOS in Crisis Recovery Mode.

First you need to disconnect all devices from the laptop (mouse, keyboard, USB devices, printers, external monitor and so on), remove the disks and floppy disks, and also remove the battery.

00 - disconnect the power adapter from the laptop
01 - connect USB FDD or USB Flash with Crisis Disk to laptop

03 - connect the power adapter to the laptop
04 - turn on the laptop (press the Power button).
05 - in about 10-15 seconds. release the and buttons (after the activity indicator on the FDD drive lights up, goes out, and lights up again, and reading from the floppy disk (or flash drive) begins).
06 - the system should start booting from the FDD (or flash drive)
07 - the process takes ~ 3-5 minutes. and GOES WITH A “BLACK” SCREEN! (i.e., nothing is displayed on the screen; the fact that the process is in progress can be seen by the activity indicator of the FDD drive (or flash drive))
08 - at the end of the process, reading from the FDD drive will first stop, the FDD drive activity indicator will go out, and then after some time (~ 1-2 minutes) the laptop should automatically reboot.

InsydeH2O

The BIOS flasher from InsydeH2O is built-in, so there is no need to copy it to a flash drive.

Prepare a working computer with a USB FDD drive or USB Flash
- insert a blank floppy disk (or flash drive into a USB port) into the drive and format it to FAT32
- copy the BIOS file for YOUR laptop model, previously renamed, onto it.
You can find out the name from Acer support or look it up in the service manual, ask here on the website, in the topic "Prabivis..." :), and you can also run PhoenixTool(the latest version can be downloaded from the link here), feed it your BIOS file, get this picture

"?" - this is a glitch, it's actually "d".
You can also then look into the BIOS folder and open SLIC.txt


Those. V in this case The correct BIOS file name for flashing firmware in Crisis Recovery Mode is BIOS.fd

Next:
00 - disconnect the power adapter from the laptop.
01 - connect a USB-FDD drive with a floppy disk or USB Flash to the laptop
02 - press and hold the and buttons (hold until step 06).
03 - connect the power adapter to the laptop.
04 - turn on the laptop (press Power Button).
05 - in about 10-15 seconds. release the buttons and
(after the activity indicator on the FDD drive or USB Flash lights up, goes out, and lights up again, and reading from the floppy disk begins).
06 - the system should start booting from FDD or USB Flash
07 - the process takes ~ 3-5 minutes. and GOES WITH A “BLACK” SCREEN!
(i.e., nothing is displayed on the screen; the fact that the process is in progress can be seen by the activity indicator of the FDD drive or USB Flash)
08 - at the end of the process, reading from the FDD drive (or USB Flash) will first stop, the FDD drive (or USB Flash) activity indicator will go out, and then after some time (~ 1 minute) the laptop itself should turn off.
09 - press the Power button - the system should work.

If the BIOS is not flashed, it means the file name was incorrect.

P.S. If the reading indicator blinks for more than 15 minutes, the laptop can be turned off, which means something went wrong.

What to do if you can’t log into CRM.

Happens. If you are sure that your boot block is safe and sound, you can try different “shamanic dances with a tambourine”:

Try installing a fully charged battery before starting the BIOS recovery process;
- try a small capacity flash drive (such as 128-256Mb, up to 2Gb is also suitable), or even better USB FDD (for bios from Phoenix);
- try to remove the hard drive and DVD drive;
- try connecting the device with Crisis Disk to different USB ports of the laptop;
- try different versions of Wincris.exe (for bios from Phoenix);
- try different versions of phlash16 (can be found in the first part) (for bios from Phoenix);
- try other key combinations Fn + B, Fn + Home, Win + B or Win + Esc, Ctrl + Home (although for Acer Fn + Esc or, sometimes, Fn + B or Fn + Home are usually suitable).
Pressing the Power button again helped someone.
Someone found it helpful to press the Esc key again after pressing the Power button.
Installing a battery helped someone after connecting the power cord.
Jerking the BIOS battery helped someone.
And for some, installing only one memory stick in the lower (first) slot.

Firmware on the programmer will help everyone))

Conclusion

I hope that this text was useful to you.
I also hope that the 3rd part of the text will never be useful to you)))
I want to express my gratitude Fuzzy, lovelissimo, Dimas
If you notice an inaccuracy or error, do not hesitate to tell the author about it))
Errare humanum est.

P.S. Discussion of successes and failures in the firmware, where to find the required bios file, how to rename the bios file from InsydeH2O, etc. etc. It’s better to post in the appropriate forum topic

Edited by: reylby- December 27, 2016
Reason: added a way to find out the correct file name

Sometimes a computer owner is faced with the need to clean the system of various bugs that interfere normal operation. This can be done by reinstalling the operating system, or using special utilities. But there is a method that has several undeniable advantages over them.

Resetting the settings to factory defaults will help restore the device to functionality in most cases, even if you cannot start the OS. This method is especially relevant for those who do not want to waste time reinstalling the OS.

When restoring factory settings, the OS will be reinstalled automatically. You will not need to enter the OS activation code again. The version of Windows that came with the laptop when purchased will be restored.

By rolling back the BIOS, you will eliminate the problems listed above. In this article we will look at how to return a laptop to factory settings and restore its functionality. There are several methods, which we will take a closer look at.

The option to reset settings may be needed if:

What are the factory settings?

Factory settings are set by the manufacturer for a specific computer or laptop model. They store BIOS settings and computer configuration parameters. Such information is located in dynamic memory device called CMOS.

All factory settings take up very little space and are separately powered - from a small battery located on the motherboard. You can reset the laptop parameters without access to the BIOS. To do this, simply remove the battery, wait 30-40 seconds, and insert it again.

After the reset process is completed BIOS settings and the OS is reinstalled, you will receive the laptop in the same condition in which you bought it in the store.

It is worth noting that to successfully return the device to factory settings, in addition to CMOS, you need a Recover partition, which stores installation files and other necessary system information.

Video: Laptop factory settings

Where is Recovery located and its activation

A hidden partition on the hard drive that stores all the files needed to restore the system is called Recovery. It is created by default on all laptops, and is deleted or damaged in most cases as a result of incorrect user actions.

You can see where the hidden section is located:

There you can also see the size that Recovery occupies on the HDD. Typically this is 20-25 GB of system information and installation files.

If you have Toshiba laptop, then you probably already noticed that on drive D there is a system folder called HDD Recovery. It also stores the information necessary to reset the system, so it cannot be deleted.

Activating Recovery starts the reset process custom changes BIOS, restoring factory settings, and reinstalling the OS and system programs and drivers.

To activate Recovery, press a specific hotkey combination. This will allow you to enter the system menu, where you can select several system recovery options. It should be remembered that each manufacturer has its own combination of hot keys; below we will look at the most popular ones.

Restoring settings using hotkeys

In order to return your laptop to factory settings, you should remember several hotkey combinations. When the system boots, you should press hot keys to access BIOS menu Setup, from where you can start the process of restoring parameters.

Depending on the computer manufacturer, hot keys and their combinations differ:

1. Toshiba - depending on the model F8, or 0, or Fn+0;
2. Sony - F10;
3. Acer – Alt and F10 at the same time;
4. HP, LG and Lenovo – F11;
5. Samsung – F4;
6. Fujitsu - F8;
7. ASUS – F9;
8. Dell - both Ctrl and F11, but in some models F8;
9. Packard Bell - F10. If you have Windows 8 installed, you can use the power button when you log in. You should hold down Shift and at the same time select the “Reboot” menu item;
10. MSI – F3, and on some models F11.

How to reset a laptop to factory settings via BIOS

Using hot keys, you can roll back custom system changes and return the BIOS to factory settings.

On the black screen that appears, select sequentially:

1. option "Running the recovery center" for Sony, or "Troubleshooting your computer" for Toshiba, or "System Recovery" for HP;
2. menu item "Load Defaults BIOS".

Depending on the manufacturer, the option name may vary: "Load BIOS Setup Defaults", "Load Safe-Fail Defaults", but the words "Load" and "Default" will definitely be present.

Preparation

Prepare for a factory reset:

After you start the process of resetting the settings, the process of collecting information and preparing system files. This may take some time, so don't worry.

Recovery process

Once you start the recovery process, all actions will be performed automatically, without your participation. The computer may reboot if required by the installed software. During the process of resetting the settings, device drivers will be restored and standard system programs will be installed.

It is worth mentioning that it is not always possible to successfully reset the settings on a laptop. This is possible if:

What can you do if you deleted hidden Recovery section from hard? You will have to look for a bootable settings disk or an image of a hidden partition for your laptop. They can be found on the Internet, and sometimes manufacturers offer to buy such disks for system recovery on official websites.

If there are no ready-made images for your laptop, you can ask the owners of a similar model on computer forums to create such an image for you. And to avoid this situation, you can create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD for your laptop yourself, which you can keep on hand and use when necessary.

Update or update old versions of drivers for video cards, sound cards and others computer components has long become a common operation for many users who want to increase the performance of their hardware, give them new functionality, as well as fix known errors that annoy you during operation.

Often the source of glitches when several modern computer devices work together is the motherboard or its chipset. With the latter, the issue is resolved in the same way as with video cards. By installing the latest drivers for the operating system you are using, you can work around the issues that have been bothering you. In reality, not everything is as simple as you would like. Errors may also be hidden in the BIOS of the motherboard. Then there is no way to do without rewriting (flashing) Flash content BIOS.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is basic system input/output: a kind of firmware designed to enable collaboration system devices PC. The BIOS is also the "middleman" between the operating system and hardware resources. The Flash prefix means that update can be rewritten multiple times. Flash BIOS is installed in all modern motherboards. It would be stupid to use an outdated BIOS version when the manufacturers themselves have already taken care of correcting their own errors and released a new version.

Where can I get the firmware?

Of course, all the latest firmware (small files with the .bin extension) are posted by motherboard manufacturers on their http and ftp servers. Network users can officially register their product or simply subscribe to mailing list company news. Then they will be periodically sent information about updating driver and BIOS versions. Files with firmware take up a little disk space in archived form, so it won’t be difficult to “pull” them even from a server that does not support resuming.

In addition to the firmware itself, you will also need a program (exe file) that directly performs the rewrite. This is usually located on the floppy disk or CD that came with the motherboard and is described in the user manual. It is not recommended to use utilities that overwrite BIOS from other boards. Even if they rewrite the contents of the BIOS, there is no guarantee that everything will happen correctly.

Rewriting Flash BIOS

The process of rewriting Flash BIOS is essentially similar to the process of installing drivers. The main difference is that all operations with Flash BIOS are performed in pure DOS, i.e. without placement in RAM all kinds of drivers and programs. Before overwriting Flash BIOS, you must first disable System BIOS and Video BIOS caching in BIOS Setup (set the System BIOS Chacheable and Video BIOS Chacheable options to Disabled). Then, while the operating system is loading, press F8, and in the menu that appears, select " Safe mode command prompt only". This is followed by "handles" or some simple file manager such as Norton Commander, DOS Navigator or FAR to get to the directory with the firmware and Flash BIOS rewriting utility. For example, for Award BIOS this utility may be called awdflash.exe, or for AMI - amiflash.exe. Why "may"? Some motherboard manufacturers create their own versions of flashing utilities that take into account additional settings a certain model motherboard. The name can be anything. The main thing, I repeat, is to use a utility designed specifically for your motherboard. Before flashing a new BIOS version, you will be prompted to save the current version. Agree. Sometimes a freshly flashed BIOS does not work correctly or simply does not work as you expected. This happens quite rarely, but still...

Restoring a damaged Flash BIOS

You've probably heard more than once stories about BIOSes hopelessly damaged by viruses or crooked hands. In such cases, either the authors of antiviruses panic, because they want to glorify their wonderful software product, or people who do not know that a BIOS that was incorrectly overwritten or corrupted by a virus can be restored.

The simplest method is suitable for Award BIOS with the so-called Bootblock Flash Support. This unique feature of some boards allows, if the Flash BIOS fails, to boot from the drive and display video on the ISA video card. With PCI, AGP, and a hard drive, this “trick” will not work, because they require a correctly working BIOS.

So, remove the PCI or AGP video card, insert it into one of the free ISA slots. Prepare a boot floppy disk with a rewriting utility recorded on it and correct firmware. Boot from it and flash the BIOS. After rebooting, the BIOS will begin to function correctly.

Intel has gone even further to provide Flash BIOS disaster recovery on its motherboards. To restore a faulty BIOS on an Intel motherboard, there is no need to look for a life-saving video card for the ISA bus from someone. You just need to switch the "Flash Recovery" jumper to the "Recovery Mode" position, insert the special boot floppy disk that comes with the motherboard into the drive, and turn on the computer. The BIOS recovery program will automatically overwrite the correct version. All you have to do is wait a couple of minutes, turn off the computer and return the jumper to its original position.

The most painstaking work of restoring the BIOS will be faced by all owners of motherboards without emergency Bootblock support. They cannot do without another (working) motherboard that supports the same type of Flash BIOS chip. The operations described below require some skill and dexterity, so if you perform them for the first time, be extremely careful not to accidentally damage the pins of the ROM chip.

Now everything is in order. Turn off the computer with a working BIOS. Carefully, using two bent paper clips (Fig. 1), prying the microcircuit from the non-lead edges, remove the ROM chip and tie it with rings of harsh thread (Fig. 2). This homemade mount will be used to remove the chip. Insert the tied microcircuit into the connector, but do not clamp it all the way (Fig. 3).

It is enough that the leads only touch the connector contacts. Turn on the computer and, having booted into clean DOS, pull the threads. The chip should easily come out. Note that the computer remains operational. Now wrap the faulty chip in the same way and insert it into the free space. Download the BIOS flash program from the motherboard, on which the recovery is performed. Use the firmware that you saved when rewriting, or the firmware from the installation floppy disk (CD). Next, rewrite the BIOS as in the case of a simple update of the old version, but it is not necessary to save the faulty version as soon as the flashing process is complete. completed successfully, turn off the computer and remove the chip with the corrected BIOS. Now you can insert it into the socket of the affected motherboard and perform the first boot of the “crash”, but successfully restored Flash BIOS.

To restore damaged BIOS chips, you can also use a programmer that “understands” your type of ROM. If there is such an opportunity, use it. This method is better than experimenting with someone else's motherboard. Although, those who don’t take risks don’t drink champagne.