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how to recover bios?

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9 replies

by europanorama

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at this link there is a description how to recover bios in case of an error, but with no details how to setup autoexec.bat

http://www.msi.com.tw/html/support/bios/note/boot.htm

9 replies

by cg it

ummm there isn't an autoexec.bat file in the BIOS of the motherboard. autoexec along with command.com, config.sys, are DOS boot programs.

by the way, which MSI board?? their AMI/Award/Phoenix BIOS flash and recovery instructions might have led you to believe you need autoexec but that would be on a bootable floppy that you use to boot to a DOS prompt. Any Windows 98/ME boot disk will work for this.
I use the two floppy method [easier to find the BIOS exe file than scrolling through all the boot disk files].

Insert the floppy which has the extracted BIOS flash program for your board, then run the BIOS flash program. As an example the MS 6330 mainboard BIOS. This is what you would run to flash the BIOS.

A:\ awdfl783m w6330vms.320
(w6330vms.320 refers to BIOS file, this will depend on the board model)

here's a link to MSI's Award BIOS flash procedure. http://www.msicomputer.com/support/BIOS_award.asp

by cg it

to clarify : on all my MSI boards, [and I only use MSI boards] if I need to upgrade the BIOS, I download and extract a copy of the most current BIOS onto a floppy with nothing else on it. If I have to upgrade or flash the BIOS I use a W9X boot disk and boot to a command prompt. Then I insert the floppy with the BIOS and Flash the BIOS [all one has to do to start the flash is type in at the command prompt the .exe file name [example: awdfl783m w6330vms.320.exe ]

by cg it

The reason I use the two floppy method is that in creating an bootable floppy with an autoexe.bat file to autorun the BIOS flashing, I COULD inadvertently put the that floppy into a machine I want to create a partition on a new hard drive thinking it's just a W98 boot/recovery disk and end up flashing the BIOS instead [and screwing up the motherboard cuz it's the wrong BIOS].

by thechas

Hi Michael,

Here is the text from the MSI page.

For AMI BIOS

Rename the desired AMI BIOS file to AMIBOOT.ROM and save it on a floppy disk. e.g. Rename A569MS23.ROM to AMIBOOT.ROM

Insert this floppy disk in the floppy drive. Turn On the system and press and hold Ctrl-Home to force update. It will read the AMIBOOT.ROM file and recover the BIOS from the A drive.

When 4 beeps are heard you may remove the floppy disk and restart the computer.

For Award BIOS

Make a bootable floppy disk
Copy the Award flash utility & BIOS file to the said floppy disk
Create an autoexec.bat with "awdfl535 biosfilename" in the content e.g. awdfl535 a619mj21.bin

Boot up system with the said floppy (it will take less than 2 minutes before screen comes out)

Re-flash the BIOS & reboot.

For a motherboard with AMI BIOS, you are telling the BIOS to load the AMIboot.rom file from the floppy, and flash the BIOS by holding down the Control and Home keys at boot.

For Award BIOS, you need to create the autoexec.bat file as listed.
If your BIOS file is a619mj21.bin

Autoexec.bat would have 1 line:

awdfl535 a619mj21.bin

Make sure that you hit return at the end of the line.

Chas

by europanorama

Thank you both of you for your highly professional answers.

i have never had problems flashing but the day will now probably never come thanks to your security tips. i am very proud knowing you all.

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