Computer won't start after updating bios

[bizzyd1441]

I just updated my bios for the first time since I got my Asus P5B Deluxe mobo a couple of years ago. My bios version was 1004, and I was updating it via a downloaded file to the newest version that came out in august. After it finished updating it told me to restart my comp, which I did, but now it won't turn back on. When I press the power button nothing happens, no beeps or lights or anything. Will resetting the cmos fix this? I really have no idea how updating the bios would make the computer not start.

 

[AmberClad]

How did you update it? Using the Windows-based application? If yes, then the board might be bricked now .

 

[bizzyd1441]

I downloaded the update from the Asus site and used the AsusUpdate utility to update it via a file. It seemed to work fine, told me to restart, which I did. Why would updating the bios through Asus' own utility brick my mobo? Anything else I can do about it?

 

[AmberClad]

You'll need to RMA the board.

For future reference, use anything but the ASUS Update application to do the BIOS flash (EZ Flash works well). I think we see one of these threads about a bricked ASUS board every few weeks or so. Here's one of the more recent ones.

Someone mentioned that the ASUS forums even has a thread with a warning not to use ASUS Update for BIOS flashes. I sort of wish the mods here would sticky a warning too, since ASUS boards are fairly common.

 

[o1die]

You can try using the cmos jumper; move it over one pin for a few seconds with the power supply unplugged from your case, then return to the original position. If your board still won't post, then you'll have to use your asus motherboard cd and the crashfree bios 3 recovery program; I haven't used it, but it's included with many asus motherboards. I would read the manual for instructions and see if your board came with it on the motherboard cd.

 

[bizzyd1441]

Okay, so I manually reset the cmos jumper expecting it not to work. And surprisingly, it did. After it booted up I checked my bios version and it was updated. So basically I am like wtf right now. I update the bios using Asus update utility, the comp fails to start up, I reset the cmos jumper, it starts up and the bios is correctly updated. ??? Whatever it works, I'm just confused now, but it works.

 

[Quiksilver]

I'm pretty sure your supposed to clear the cmos after updating the BIOS every time...

 

[bizzyd1441]

Originally posted by: Quiksilver
I'm pretty sure your supposed to clear the cmos after updating the BIOS every time...

I didn't see that in anything I read about updating the bios. That includes the step-by-step instructions on the Asus support site, but that doesn't really surprise me. Well that's probably right then, it makes a lot of sense out of what happened.

 

[AmberClad]

Heh, sorry about that. I've heard enough horror stories about AsusUpdate (including cases where the person did clear the cmos afterwards and try the recovery CD, and it still did no good), that I assumed that once the board got to that state, it was done for. Glad you got it working.

 

[OCChronic]

AmberClad is still right. I never trust Windows based BIOS flash, no matter what company made the mainboard and utility.

Why?

It's not the utility that pooches the process. It's the processes that run in the background which compete for CPU time that are the real culprits. If a process hangs or hiccups during the exact moment the BIOS chip is being programmed AND it conflicts or hangs the flash porcess, the result is a corrupt BIOS which the program won't always be able to detect.

Windows based FLASH utilities are a marketing idea which should not have seen the light of day, EVER!! If you don't have enough BIOS savvy to be able to do a DOS based or BIOS based flash, then you have no business flashing a BIOS in the first place.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Wow, I can't believe that update utility actually worked. :shocked: