VP-6 Bios flash

Remember a few weeks back when I said that I couldn't flash my VP-6 bios? We all decided to take the bios out of my other VP-6 and flash it. Well I did that tonight.

And it didn't make a bit of difference. This bios won't flash either. I don't think that this is coincidence.

I emailed Abit about a month ago asking them if they accidently let some boards go with locked bioses. (Epox did this a few months ago) I haven't recieved an answer.

I also noticed something very interesting. Abit only uses Award bios' right? Well the chip from my new VP-6 is a Pheonix chip. It has a Pheonix sticker right on it instead of a Award sticker on it. When you boot it up, it has an Award bios loaded into it though.

Weird huh?

The bios flash program awdflash.exe, will run. And it will get to the point when it starts to flash. You get that "DO NOT POWER OFF OR RESET YOUR COMPUTER AT THIS POINT!" That's where it just stops doing anything. And you have to hit reset. Luckily it isn't hosing the bios when you do this because it never actually starts the write process. But it's still a scary point for this to happen.

Any ideas? I have tried everything.

And no. I'm not sending it back in to Abit. I'm not paying for an RMA and I'm sure as hell not going 6 months without a computer.

Not familar with the vp6.
Some boot block jumper or bios setting maybe.

Hmmm thats funny I just flashed my bios to the FINAL YT bios. Well my bios chip says Award. Try ordering a new bios chip and try

I heard Phoenix bought Award, can't remember where I read it, but it is true.

If Pheonix bought award then that would explain the difference in chips.

But it doesn't explain why this board wont flash. Regardless of what BIOS chips is in it.

I have tried everything. I have tried a third BIOS today from a friends board. It won't flash that one either. I have pulled everything but the floppy and the vid card and tried to do it. I have set everything in the bios to default. I have cleared the bios then tried to flash.

It just won't do it. Buying a new bios won't help. If the three I have tried don't work, none of them will. I'm going to have to flash my chip from my buddies board.....

Phoenix Technologies and Award merged in 1998. This has nothing to do with why you can't flash that BIOS though. If other chips can't even be flashed it appears it's Abit's fault. I've never heard of a BIOS that is flash-locked from the board level though. Usually they just write protect the BIOS itself. Very strange.

Flashing your BIOS from another board seems to be the only logical solution to me too. Shouldn't have to be that way but don't blame you for not wanting to send it in. I wouldn't want to either if it still works.

Tell me about it. And you can't get an answer out of Abit.

That is really starting to bother me. We sit here and chastise online retailers for not answering emails, why do we sit here and take it from motherboard manufacturers.

I have send them many emails on this subject in the last two months. I think it's time for a phone call.