Identify and Fix Dead BIOS? - Badcaps

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HexaPro

Member

Join Date: Jul 2011

Posts: 36
#1

Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

09-01-2011, 01:21 PM

I got an ASUS and an ASRock board that power on but doesn't light up the screen. All fans are working, tried it with a new CoolerMaster SilentPro M500, tried different CPU and RAM on a workbench but still nothing happened.

ASUS:
Baked the ASUS (Got no hot air rework station yet). No recap (No bulging caps found).
But still nothing on the screen and no beeps even when the RAM or VGA removed.

ASRock:
Rinsed it with thinner and replaced all the caps.
Same problem with ASUS but sometimes it would beep if the RAM removed and sometime it would POST and stop at "Initializing controller" or whatever (I forgot what it says, it's too fast and I was too furious to read it).

Is this a BIOS problem? What are the symptoms for BIOS problems? How to fix or flash a dead BIOS? I think a BIOS troubleshooting info list would be great for future diagnostic and repair. If anyone know anything about these BIOS problems and solutions please post it here. Thanks everyone.
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brethin

Badcaps Legend

Join Date: Dec 2008

Posts: 1907

Country: USA
#2

09-01-2011, 02:55 PM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

Both could be a Bios problem but more troubleshooting would be required to really find the problem. I would use a POST test card and see where that leads before I did anything else.
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PCBONEZ

Grumpy Old Fart

Join Date: Aug 2005

Posts: 10661

Country: USA
#3

09-01-2011, 05:18 PM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

Onboard video?

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HexaPro

Member

Join Date: Jul 2011

Posts: 36
#4

09-02-2011, 12:31 AM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

Originally posted by brethin

Both could be a Bios problem but more troubleshooting would be required to really find the problem. I would use a POST test card and see where that leads before I did anything else.

I've tried everything, believe me (read my post again). I do thinking about buying a good POST card.

Originally posted by PCBONEZ

Onboard video?

ASRock use onboard video, ASUS use discrete video.

I've found this, this and this. Too bad it's out of production now. Haven't tried the manual way though, got no SPI header cable yet.

Is the chipset died? What are the symptoms of a dead chipset?

Last edited by HexaPro; 09-02-2011, 12:42 AM.
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holmes222

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2009

Posts: 61

Country: INA
#5

09-14-2011, 09:53 AM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

hi.. looks like the bios is borked ..no beep ..no sign ..just spin of fan
i succesfully managed to bring back maximus formula motherboard that suffer from dead bios ..just fan spinning ..no beep
i flashed the bios through SPI header on motherboard using diy spi flasher (from parallel/lpt port to spi header) ...read ..identify ..unlock ..erase ..program
finally maximus formula got back again ..alive as normal board ..
so ..if you have SPI header on that mobo ..do it for experience
here is my simple spi programmer ..based on the site you linked
part list :
- parallel to serial idc 10pin
- 4x 120/150/270ohm resistor 0.25w/0.5w
- cwsdpmi (program need to run spipgm2)
- spipgm2.exe
- motherboard with parallel port ( use old trusted abit nf7-s)
Attached Files
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bp1

Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Posts: 46
#6

09-15-2011, 11:54 AM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

I corrupted the bios on my toshiba laptop a few weeks ago.
I used a method called crisis recovery which required just a floppy usb drive. This site here http://punj-technology.blogspot.com/...-recovery.html

recovered my dead laptop.
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Sparks88

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2011

Posts: 110
#7

09-15-2011, 07:00 PM

Re: Identify and Fix Dead BIOS?

asus have a bios recovery feature in case you brick it, check the manual for the correct key to press at boot.
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