FIC 486-PIO-3 BIOS Flash Fails Every Time

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

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


--=20
Saludos desde Cancun, Mexico
KURIAKI

Si buscas una actualizacion de BIOS deberias visitar:
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="ftp://roby.sytes.net:48" target="_blank">ftp://roby.sytes.net:48</a>
Si no sabes que placa madre tienes, sigue este link: =
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.unicore.com/biosagent/ba.exe" target="_blank">http://www.unicore.com/biosagent/ba.exe</a> ejecuta el Bios Agent, salvas =
los resultados en el archivo bios.txt y me lo envias a esta direccion: =
kuriakibios DeleteThis @prodigy.net.mx



"Dave" <djb.remove-this DeleteThis @the-ballards.delete-this.us> wrote in message =
news:1uf7ex5e0dijt.xpdfvlv9ti85.dlg@40tude.net...
 > 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:
 >=20
 > =B7 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.
 >=20
 > =B7 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.
 >=20
 > =B7 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.
 >=20
 > =B7 Tried flashing straight from the Command Prompt with "AFLASH3
 > 1175G705.BIN /Py /Sn" and it did the same thing.
 >=20
 > =B7 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.
 >=20
 > 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.
 >=20
 > Any ideas?
 >=20
 > TIA for the replies,
 >=20
 > Dave<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->