BIOS Chip Failure! Any BIOS Restoration Suggestions?

[Dputiger]

I'd try removing your motherboard battery for twenty minutes or so. This will completely clear the BIOS and will reset it to factory defaults. Hope this helps.

[Babulmiah]

Hi,

I have a Tyan Tsunami S1846 motherboard on a PC which no longer works, it will not POST.

When powered on, the PSU/CPU fans spin and the keyboard lights up, but nothing else happens.

I have been able to determine that the BIOS (AMI BIOS) chip has been over written by the Win95.CIH virus (after extensive testing), and was wondering if anyone knows how this damage can be repaired.

I have tried "clearing the CMOS" using the on board jumpers with the PSU disconnected, with the hope that I could try and "flash" a BIOS back on, but have been unsuccessful.

Anyone know any other methods, or where I can get a cheap BIOS chip with the AMI BIOS on the dallas chip within the U.K.?

Note: I have scoured the Tyan website (httP:\\www.tyan.com) and written to tech support (no response) but have found nothing there helps me.

All help appreciated.


[UPDATE 2000/06/05 @ 16:30GMT]

Hi,

Thanks all for responses. Answers to following queries...

1.
I know it is BIOS failure as have tested all other components on other PCs (prob PC is not actually mine), hence CPU/RAM/PSU/Video et al. are fine.

HDD reported no partitions, and using recovery tools, I extracted and examined contents of master boot records. From analysis, and knowledge in area I traced cause as W95.CIH virus.

I traced a repair tool "FIX-CIH.EXE" from www.grc.com (http://www.grc.com) (cTaylor, there is more info about HDD fault detecting also here), and used it to repair HDD damage. It worked fine.

Virus check of HDD picked up many infections by W95.CIH (so I DEFINETLY know this is the cause) and repaired.

2.
Unfortunately, removing the PSU from MoBo and battery, and setting "clear CMOS" jumper and leaving for 24HRs (to allow ABSOLUTE full clear) has no effect. Hence know BIOS is either absolutely DEAD :-( (but unlikely), or contains NO info at all (most likely). Either way, the result id the same - NOTHING!.

Lesson to be learnt = always use good antivirus and test all foreign files. It only takes one virus, on one file to kill your PC - or atleast give you a major irrattation.

Thanks for all help guys/girls!

[This message has been edited by Babulmiah (edited 06-05-2000).]

[howste]

Maybe something in this thread will help: http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/006110.html

Good luck http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Steve

[fvay]

I dont know how you came up with the conclusiotn its a bios virus. symptoms are same for a failed cpu.
If you are so sure its bios. you can buy one for $20 from mwave.com. cant help with UK thing sorry,
regards
Frenil

[ctaylor]

I just read up on this virus. It sounds like your symptoms coincide with the capabilities of this virus to flash your BIOS chip.

Could you please share how you traced down the identity of this virus? Do you know the cause from someone else who may have sent you the infection?

This is something I would like to know on the off chance I encounter the CIH.1003, CIH.1010, of CIH.1019 <virus> on any of the machines I see.

[This message has been edited by ctaylor (edited 06-03-2000).]

[ctaylor]

I know this is a longshot, but have you called any of the local pc shops near you?

One of the shops around here would sell bad motherboards (upon request) for somewhere in the ballpark of $10/board. Buy a bad board and you may be able to salvage a good BIOS chip and sometimes some good SRAM/EDO RAM/SDRAM.

A few telephone calls might just give you access to a bad board of identical make for the chip you want.

[Babulmiah]

Does anyone know if using a BIOS from one motherboard in another motherboard of a different make/model would work (assuming same BIOS maker e.g. Award to Award, AmiBios to AmiBios)?

For example using the BIOS (AMI) from an Abit board or another manufacturer in a Tyan motherboard.

I don't know much about this, so any comments apprecited :-)

[ctaylor]

BIOS chips are custom programmed for the hardware on the board.

Swapping BIOS chips from dissimmilar boards is a very long shot. Given which manufacturing facility and which stage of the manufacturing cycle the same model of the same board was made at for the same company, the BIOS chip programmign may have changed to address hardware substitutions made due to supplier availability.

Swapping BIOS chips from identical makes and models of boards is not an absolute guarantee that it will work, but it is worth a shot.

[bdunn]

you could use the hot swp method for re-flashing if you have another board of the same model. Worst case if you have the right BIOS contact http://www.badflash.com and he can burn a new chip for you.