BIOS flashing error

[tom187]

Hello,

Stats on the computer are as follows:
AW9D-MAX Motherboard
-New BIOS chip with newest update installed [v.17] (Same problem before and after new chip installed. When old chip was flashed found out to be
the video card and not a bad BIOS update)
8GB G-Skill RAM (4 x 2GB sticks)
Nvidia Geforce 460 GTX 2GB (old video card that works with v.17 BIOS is the ATI Saphire 2900 HD Pro 512MB)
Q6600 Quad Core (old CPU was the 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo)
Windows 7 64-bit

Underlying problem (details of what has been currently done to this point are in the two following e-mails):

I have a properly flashed BIOS chip (v.17) and want to downgrade the BIOS to (v.15) because the new video card has been tested to run only on that version... too bad I found this out after I originally flashed the BIOS. My process of flashing is described in second e-mail.

When trying to flash the BIOS to an earlier version I get the following error... exactly as typed:

No AWDFLASH.EXE!!! or you may have not execute the .exe file to be a .bin file yet.
Flash Failure!!!

Just in case it may help the following is an e-mail I wrote to Abit describing the situation fully and what has been done up to this point:

I have an Abit AW9D-MAX motherboard and had recently installed a new video card, more RAM, and a new CPU. However, the CPU had arrived later than the other parts which by that time were already installed and running just fine. The new processor is the Q6600 Quad and the old one was the 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo. Everything is compatible, the processor was installed correctly and booted successfully but after a certain amount of time the computer would freeze. This problem occurred whether in Windows or in DOS or booting off of the Windows CD. I thought that this was because of the BIOS so I flashed the BIOS to the newest version on your website and now it gets stuck at the first screen with the same picture as on the box with a label which says "Press Tab for POST screen and Press DEL for BIOS." The postcode when it freezes then (where the top quarter of the monitor then quickly glitches to black) is 5b.

According to your appendix postcode 5b is "(Optional Feature) Show message for entering AWDFLASH.EXE from FDD (optional)" and I can't find any solutions to the problem. I did a complete reset on the motherboard [removed the battery, reset CMOS, removed the power cord from the power supply, and removed the power cords connecting the motherboard to the power supply] only to have the same problem continue. Now that the BIOS is flashed I found on the internet about a version of BIOS (v.17) that is not compatible with the video card installed and I should use the BIOS (v.15) instead. After installing the old video card I was able to get to DOS to flash the BIOS back two versions but am having the error described.

They had responded with absolutely no help saying that they have been working on closing since 2008 and redirecting me back to where to find the BIOS files.

E-mail to person who I had purchased a new BIOS chip from with the newest update to which I received no response:

I have recently purchased a new BIOS chip from you on ebay with the most current BIOS version installed. After doing some research (because the computer was freezing at the post screen) I found out that it was the video card. Upon putting in the old video card I can now get to DOS to flash the BIOS once again and apparently instead of the newest version of the BIOS (v.17) I need an older version to make my new video card work or even boot the computer which is BIOS (v.15).

I have the 5 files (including AWDFLASH.EXE) for flashing the BIOS from Abit's website on a bootable CD which is how I have done it on other computers, but i'm not sure how this error fits in with downgrading the BIOS to an older version. Bootable CD includes a DOS boot image from Windows 98 burned as a bootable CD on Nero 7. I am hoping your expertise in BIOS chips could give me a hint on how to approach this problem.



I know for sure everything is installed correctly after testing each part. Also, unfortunately, the board does not offer a recovery to factory defaults feature.

Thanks for your time and any help that anyone may be able to offer,
Tom

[TheWiz]

Hi Tom,

It is very well possible the AWDFLASH version from ABIT doesn't work with their own BIOS or the chip (sounds crazy right?) I reccommend that you take the BIOS image you want to downgrade to and follow these instructions specifically:

http://bios-mods.com/biosupdate.html

Thanks,
TheWiz

[j_a_m_i_e123]

Hi mate,

Just found your thread and I think I'm having exactly the same problem with ABIT AW9D-MAX BIOS.

I recently attempted to upgrade my CPU from an E6600 2.4ghz dual core to Q6700 2.66ghz quad core. Just as you found, the PC would start, but then freeze after a few minutes. So (just as you did) I decided to upgrade to the latest Bios (1.7). I installed the new bios successfully (from DOS) but then - hey presto - it froze on the POST screen (picture of Samurai guy with the top quarter of the screen missing) with 5b error on mobo LED.

I have a GTX 460 (which has been running great on my old Bios version) so having seen your post I'm guessing this is my problem and its conflicting with the new BIOS!

So if I manage to get into DOS (using another graphics card) I'll probably have the issue you had here trying to roll back the BIOS. Did you ever find a solution?

I also considered buying a new chip pre-installed with the old BiOS version. But looks like u had issues with that...

THANKS,
Jamie