FIC 486-PIO-3 BIOS Flash Fails Every Time

[Dave]

I'm trying to flash the BIOS on an old FIC 486-PIO-3 motherboard, but the
flash utility fails before it flashes the BIOS. Details:

· FIC 486-PIO-3 (486-PIO3 silkscreened on the motherboard); Award Modular
BIOS v4.50G; current BIOS version 1.15G105; current BIOS string at POST is
04/01/96-VT496G-2A4L6F0IC-00; 16MB RAM. Oddly, I have 128k cache RAM
installed, but it reports "Cache Memory: None" on the BIOS POST info
screen.

· Copied the flash utility (AFLASH3.EXE) and BIOS file (1175G705.BIN) to
blank bootable floppy; created a CONFIG.SYS file on the floppy and added
HIMEM.SYS.

· Booted off the floppy; started the flash utility; put in the BIOS
filename; it starts, saying "Blanking Flash Memory - 00000 OK" then
immediately terminates to the DOS prompt.

· Tried flashing straight from the Command Prompt with "AFLASH3
1175G705.BIN /Py /Sn" and it did the same thing.

· For grins and giggles I tried using an older BIOS (115G705.AWD) with a
different flash utility (FLASH52C.EXE) and got a similar result - the same
message from the flash utility, but it didn't make it back to the DOS
prompt.

I suspect there's a jumper on the motherboard that serves to block BIOS
writes, but I can't find anything in the documentation that indicates what
particular jumper it may be. There are a several jumpers on the
motherboard that aren't defined in the motherboard documentation (JP1, JP2,
OUTLET, RESUME), but I don't want to start experimenting with mystery
jumpers unless it's my last resort.

Any ideas?

TIA for the replies,

Dave

[KURIAKI]

1175G705.BIN is a corrupted file.
Try with 1175J705.BIN instead.
I'm going to send you by e-mail.
New BIOS string looks like:
04/08/97-VT496G-2A4L6F0IC-00
--
Saludos desde Cancun, Mexico
KURIAKI


Si buscas una actualizacion de BIOS deberias visitar:
ftp://roby.sytes.net:48

Post by Dave
I'm trying to flash the BIOS on an old FIC 486-PIO-3 motherboard, but the
· FIC 486-PIO-3 (486-PIO3 silkscreened on the motherboard); Award Modular
BIOS v4.50G; current BIOS version 1.15G105; current BIOS string at POST is
04/01/96-VT496G-2A4L6F0IC-00; 16MB RAM. Oddly, I have 128k cache RAM
installed, but it reports "Cache Memory: None" on the BIOS POST info
screen.
· Copied the flash utility (AFLASH3.EXE) and BIOS file (1175G705.BIN) to
blank bootable floppy; created a CONFIG.SYS file on the floppy and added
HIMEM.SYS.
· Booted off the floppy; started the flash utility; put in the BIOS
filename; it starts, saying "Blanking Flash Memory - 00000 OK" then
immediately terminates to the DOS prompt.
· Tried flashing straight from the Command Prompt with "AFLASH3
1175G705.BIN /Py /Sn" and it did the same thing.
· For grins and giggles I tried using an older BIOS (115G705.AWD) with a
different flash utility (FLASH52C.EXE) and got a similar result - the same
message from the flash utility, but it didn't make it back to the DOS
prompt.
I suspect there's a jumper on the motherboard that serves to block BIOS
writes, but I can't find anything in the documentation that indicates what
particular jumper it may be. There are a several jumpers on the
motherboard that aren't defined in the motherboard documentation (JP1, JP2,
OUTLET, RESUME), but I don't want to start experimenting with mystery
jumpers unless it's my last resort.
Any ideas?
TIA for the replies,
Dave

[Roger Hunt]

Post by KURIAKI
1175G705.BIN is a corrupted file.
Try with 1175J705.BIN instead.
I'm going to send you by e-mail.
04/08/97-VT496G-2A4L6F0IC-00

I received the file and tried to flash it with AFLASH3.EXE and
FLASH52C.EXE, however it also failed at the same point as the others.

(snip)

I have jumper setting data sheets for the PIO-3 and PIO-3 rev A1, from
Total Hardware99.

There are jumpers to do with flashing (and cache), and I can email the
data to you as a couple of .htm attachments (to preserve text
formatting) if you like.

Regards

[Roger Hunt]

Post by Roger Hunt
I have jumper setting data sheets for the PIO-3 and PIO-3 rev A1, from
Total Hardware99.
There are jumpers to do with flashing (and cache), and I can email the
data to you as a couple of .htm attachments (to preserve text
formatting) if you like.

That would be great! The only documentation I have is partial pages in
.PDF files from the FIC Web site.

On the way ...
(I think I've de-spammed your email addy correctly).

Best of luck!

[KURIAKI]

Try with Awdflash v5.5:
http://elektronika.vega.bg/archive/awdflash.exe
--
KURIAKI
Looking for a BIOS? ftp://roby.sytes.net:48
Do you want to identify your motherboard model?
e-mail to ***@prodigy.net.mx
89.176 BIOS strings updated everyday.

Post by KURIAKI
1175G705.BIN is a corrupted file.
Try with 1175J705.BIN instead.
I'm going to send you by e-mail.
04/08/97-VT496G-2A4L6F0IC-00

I received the file and tried to flash it with AFLASH3.EXE and
FLASH52C.EXE, however it also failed at the same point as the others.
Here's the flash utilities and BIOS files I've tried so far that have
AFLASH3.EXE - File dated 8/12/1997
FLASH52C.EXE - File dated 6/7/1996
115G705.AWD - File dated 4/5/1996
1175G705.BIN - File dated 4/6/1997
1175J705.BIN - File dated 4/6/1997
1175J705.BIN - (Received by e-mail)
I did e-mail FIC tech support through their Technical Support Form. If I
can get something to work I'll post the solution so others won't have to go
through the trouble I'm going through to get this thing flashed.
Dave