Help: My machine won't POST

Hello all,

I got an old PC from a friend, which I use for "learning by doing". I just finished updating the BIOS, and now it won't POST. If you can help, please read the details below:

MB:ASUS TXP4
Processor: Pentium w/ MMX, 200kHz

What I did:

I carefully (following all of the instructions in the manual) updated the BIOS using ASUS' PFLASH.EXE. I selected the option to "update BIOS including Boot Block and ESCD". I read all of the dire warnings not to turn of the computer during this process. According to PFLASH, the update was successful. At this point I turned off the computer, and restarted it so I could load the default BIOS settings.

What the computer does:

The PS turns on, the fans blow, some LEDs flash, but there's no beep, and nothing boots. The screen remains blank.

What I've already tried:

I double-checked all of the connections to the mobo.

I sought help in the manual and on ASUS' website. There's nothing.

I've taken the battery out to clear the CMOS RAM.

I'd greatly appreciate any helpful suggestions. Thanks,
Dave

The one thing I could think of could be the BIOS update you got... Was it the correct one for that board...My friend did the same thing with his Intel machine and he keep getting random reboots on his 2.43P4 on an Intel board...

come to find out that bios update he used "after he read all the way down" was for the lastest version of his board and not the one he has...Intel had changed something on the lastest release...

Make sure thats the correct UPDATE for that board...

welcome to the forums and excellent post!

What I would do is make sure EVERYTHING is seated properly. CPU, video card, etc.

Learning by doing is the best, if not the only way, to o/c That's how I learned! On a Shuttle P1 board and a 200@266 P1

What I would do is make sure EVERYTHING is seated properly.

Click to expand...

Translation:

+1

Sorry, Namagomi - you left yourself wide open for that one.

Quit beating around the bush, folks.

If you didn't move anything or disconnect any cables, didn't kick the thing down the stairs, etc. then it's safe to say that you toasted it. Really, at this point, checking what revision you used won't help - it won't fix it the board!

Is there a slim chance you have another, identical board? I've read about an last-ditch end user method of saving a bad BIOS flash, called hot flashing or something close. Here's how it works.

Take the working board, plug it in, turn it on. Let the machine boot and get to a C: prompt from a floppy.

Pop the BIOS chip off the bad board.

On the good board, while the machine is still running, F-ING CAREFULLY remove the BIOS chip. BE F-ING CAREFUL HERE!

CAREFULLY replace the good chip with the bad one. Remember, the machine must be running when you do this.

Once the bad chip has been safely installed, you can run the flasher program again and flash the chip back to a revision that you *know* works.

I've never done this myself, nor have I seen a demonstration. I have only read about this method, and I'm not going to tell you to just run right out and try it - since you're hot swapping components that were never designed to be hot swapped, you're running the risk of toasting another board, and you're guranteed to get fun sparks if you insert that chip backwards. Only do this if your number of alternatives has hit absolute 0.

You could go buy another board with a good chip, and use it. I imagine that a board that supports a PI 200 mhz wouldn't cost much at all, since it's really just considered junk/scrap.

If you don't want to buy an extra board, you might be able to cut a deal with Intel (or whoever made your board), and send the bad chip back in exchange for a newly flashed chip. The board is really old, I dunno if you'd be able to do this.

If the machine simply won't boot because the BIOS chip was toasted, then you're not going to be able to fix it with a screwdriver and a bootdisk. You'll either be buying another board or sending the chip somewhere.

first I have heard of hot flashing...sounds a bit dodgy and is asking for some more brakage if you ask me...I would say if you can get your hands on teh better board keep it

If the boot block fucntion is enabled, you may be able to re-install using a pre-prepared boot disc. Not sure if this would work tho'

Hot flashing works.. it made me nervous that I was going to fry my board, my my friend flashed his BIOS with one from some other board so I had to help him out.

Tips:

Before booting up the good machine, remove the BIOS chip and barely reinsert it (so that the pins are just barely touching contacts).

After booting up the good machine, it SHOULD be easy to pull the good BIOS out and put the bad BIOS chip in the same way; dont try and force it all the way down, just far enough to make contact.

When the flash is done (and tested) keep the ex-bad BIOS chip and give him your old one. No reason to take it out again, as it will be the same as the one you gave him, and just introduces more ESD if you try and remove it. Just make sure that you push it in all the way (after powering the machine off)

The same thing happened to my asus a7v266-e. Flashed it. Said flash was sucessfull, it rebooted I was browsing around in bios, and as soon I shut it off and did a cold boot it wouldnt post. I dont know what to do with that board now

Well, it looks like I'll be searching the back alleys for another MB. If I find another one like mine, I'll try the hot flash.

Thanks for the tips.