hot swapping on an asus 17m266

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May 19th, 2002, 06:08 PM
dr_jones

hot swapping on an asus 17m266

I've been reading up on hot swapping techniques, have read ruslans guides and other related material. Know i've got an old socket 7 motherboard with possible bad bios chip and would like to get it up and running again. I've downloaded the bios file and have flashing programs . Ruslan mentioned that most asus boards will write to the boot block. I've got an asus a7m266 (theres no jumper for enabling/disabling boot block write) but was wondering if the board will be okay to write the entire file to a new chip, boot sector and all??
I'm gambling a bit since i havent installed a zif socket but i've got a steady hand and a chip removal toll(errgh he whipperers a little uncertainly) well dint like my board that much anyway :)
thanks
May 20th, 2002, 02:21 PM
Ruslan

As an author of mentioned topic, I will answer...
Jumper for boot-block in motheboards is used mostly as hardware protection of re-writing of that boot-block (by virus,for example).If that "boot-block write enable/disable" jumper is absent, it means what by default that boot-block can be re-writed by aflash utility from ASUS.
(By the way,awdflash utility from AWARD by default does not support reflashing boot block).

Both of motherboards does have chips in same package (DIP32),I guess...Then...
Aflash utility from ASUS supports reflashing 1MBit chips as well as 2MBit сhips, so, there should be no problems...but use fresh version of that utility...

1. Put original BIOS chip into socket lightly (but there nevertheless should be reliable contact with BIOS socket).
2. Boot PC into DOS сommand promt mode.
3. Pull out original chip out of socket - but carefully! Do not touch to contacts by removal tool (if that tool is made of metal).
4. Insert chip You want to reflash into the socket. But be careful! Do not insert the chip in wrong polarity - You can fry chip within one second in that case!
5. Run aflash utility. Utility have to recognize the chip's type correctly.
Choose option no.2. (reflashing all,including boot block).
Type the name of image file (I would recommend to rename that file beforehand to something short like 1.bin for convenience).
Ignore incompatibility message (it is obvious <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> ) and press Enter. Chip will be reflashed. But make sure - chip should be reflashed completely, i.e. 1mbit chip - from adress 00000 to 1FFFF, 2mbit - from 00000 to 3FFFF. If it needed, You can repeat reflashing.
Good luck!
May 23rd, 2002, 05:12 PM
dr_jones

Okay thanks for the reply..

By the way if i were to put the chip in the wrong way will i risk damaging the motherboard as well as the chip??
May 23rd, 2002, 05:16 PM
dr_jones

Sorry forgot to ask.. Do i have to replace the original chip in motherboard BEFORE i turn off the pc?? or can i power down with bios chip absent(easier and safer to put it back in when the machines turned off)
May 24th, 2002, 10:28 AM
Ruslan

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by dr_jones:
 By the way if i were to put the chip in the wrong way will i risk damaging the motherboard as well as the chip??<hr /></blockquote>Yes! Not so far one of our techies ("newbee") did insert sucsessfully reprogrammed BIOS chip back in motherboard,but in wrong polarity. Damn... :(
Weird thing - BIOS chip survived, but motherboard - didn't.
Usually - motherboard survives, chip -no ... :mad:
Nothing to say, I was ready to <img src="http://forum.ixbt.com/moderator.gif" alt=" - " /> him! :D
So,be careful here! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
May 24th, 2002, 10:51 AM
Ruslan

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by dr_jones:
Sorry forgot to ask.. Do i have to replace the original chip in motherboard BEFORE i turn off the pc?? or can i power down with bios chip absent(easier and safer to put it back in when the machines turned off)<hr /></blockquote>Not sure,what You call as "original" chip... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
but well,I will try to explain what I meant.

You should replace original (i.e. good) BIOS chip in good motherboard what You're using as a host BEFORE running flash utility - that's why we call it as "hot-swap" (because power is ON).
That's why I recommended to use ZIF socket...

But once You finished reflashing, You can turn OFF motherboard even with non-original chip inserted (what You just have reflashed for another motherboard), or without BIOS chip at all.
But make sure (especially if it is an ATX motherboard), what power cord is taken out (or ATX switch on PSU is OFF - if where is such one).
May 24th, 2002, 04:55 PM
dr_jones

I just wandered if it was okay to switch off the machine without a bios chip in it??
This would make it safer and easier for me to plug the asus's bios chip(original) back in without the risk of shorting anything while it was on.
T
May 26th, 2002, 12:32 AM
Stryfe

It should be. The information on the BIOS chip is usually only read when the computer is turned on or you are flashing it.

Ruslan, please correct me if I'm wrong.
May 26th, 2002, 07:42 AM
Ruslan

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by dr_jones:
I just wandered if it was okay to switch off the machine without a bios chip in it??
This would make it safer and easier for me to plug the asus's bios chip(original) back in without the risk of shorting anything while it was on.
T<hr /></blockquote>May be,I didn't clear explain it...sorry... :rolleyes:
Yes, of course - You can do it without problems.

You see, during booting original BIOS is copying into faster RAM (if BIOS shadowing is set as "Enable" in BIOS settings (by default in most of ASUS motherboards I have seen)).That copy of original BIOS will be kept in memory till You'll switch power OFF or press "reset" button...

That's why possible to do hot-swaps... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
May 26th, 2002, 08:03 AM
Ruslan

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Stryfe:
The information on the BIOS chip is usually only read when the computer is turned on or you are flashing it.

Ruslan, please correct me if I'm wrong.<hr /></blockquote>Not on 100%, but true (see my reply above). <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Most of aplications all the time are using sub-programs from BIOS (what itself is also set of packed small programs),but they are using
COPY of original BIOS located in faster RAM instead of accessing much more slower BIOS chip.
As addition,BIOS content can be copied into into L2 cashe (cashed), and thus, it can bit speed up "read from BIOS" operations.
May 26th, 2002, 07:10 PM
dr_jones

Thanks again and sorry for any misunderstanding as soon as i get the asus mobo out of the case and onto a testbed i'll fire it up and try to get the old mobo working again.

As you can see...

<a href="http://www.coolcasemods.com/gallery.php?id=120&s=0" target="_blank">http://www.coolcasemods.com/gallery.php?id=120&s=0</a>

my case is a little wobbly when the top is off:)
Going to have to fix some inside braces to support the upper leg poles..