Shuttle SN41G2 Bios Update Interrupted

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I've spent many hours over the past few days reading about updating the bios waiting for my new Shuttle to arrive. The Shuttle was going to replace my Platinum XP as my home theater pc. I finally got it and first thing I wanted to do once I got everything installed and running was update the bios. I downloaded the bios from the Shuttle website and was all set. I booted from a Windows 98 CD and had just starting flashing the bios from a usb flash drive when my electricity WENT OUT!!! Once back on the computer wouldn't boot up. The bios only takes about 20 seconds to flash and I was almost through it. Now thats some bad mojo. I'm gonna have to pay to ship it back and wait probably more than a week to get a refund. So, I'm gonna have to put my old machine back together now. I'm not realy happy right now. I guess one good thing will come out of it. Mwave.com now has the SN45G in stock, they didn't when I ordered the SN41G2 last week, and its $10 cheaper. So, I'm gonna order that one as the replacement. So, maybe it worked out okay after all?

[minibubba]

that's some real bad luck on your part...
maybe now you'll condsider getting a UPS?

[asklepios]

: omg: thats the first thing u gotta guard against when you live in an area with power problems!
anyways its good that it didn't hurt you too much :thumb:

[Lava Lamp Freak]

: omg: thats the first thing u gotta guard against when you live in an area with power problems!
anyways its good that it didn't hurt you too much :thumb:

This was actually the first time I've been without power in the one and a half years I've been in this house. (Actually it did go out once during the middle of the night during a thunderstorm. I unplug my computers when its storming.) I just think its the black cloud that floats over my head. One year ago, almost to the day, my car broke down 5 blocks from work and I had to walk in the pouring rain with no umbrella. When I got to work my computer wouldn't boot. My hard drive had crashed and I had to have it replaced. Fortunately, I only lost a few days of work since I had just backed up a few days before. What blows my mind is to think that if I had just went upstairs and got something to drink before I started, like I was thinking about doing, I wouldn't have been in the middle of flashing the bios when the power went out. But I can't dwell on that which I have no control. Looking to the bright side I'm gonna be able to exchange it for the SN45G, nForce 2 Ultra, which wasn't in stock when I ordered the SN41G2 last week.

[amd_man2005]

If thats got an AMI bios, you could put the new bios an a floppy and rename it AMIBOOT and put it in start up, itll fix it Let it go for 3bbeps/5minutes and it should fix it. I dont know if that trick works with other bios makers though

[minibubba]

If thats got an AMI bios, you could put the new bios an a floppy and rename it AMIBOOT and put it in start up, itll fix it Let it go for 3bbeps/5minutes and it should fix it. I dont know if that trick works with other bios makers though

I've alwawys been under the impression that if the power goes out/comp reboots while the BIOS is being flashed that the BIOS is toast...unless you have a dual bios system like gigabye provides

and if the BIOS is toast how would you be able to boot off a floppy to repair it :?:

[amd_man2005]

I've alwawys been under the impression that if the power goes out/comp reboots while the BIOS is being flashed that the BIOS is toast...unless you have a dual bios system like gigabye provides

and if the BIOS is toast how would you be able to boot off a floppy to repair it :?:

I dunno how it works, but my power went out during a bios flash with my parents m810 system and i tried that trick, and it worked. Id heard it in many places before

[Lava Lamp Freak]

If thats got an AMI bios, you could put the new bios an a floppy and rename it AMIBOOT and put it in start up, itll fix it Let it go for 3bbeps/5minutes and it should fix it. I dont know if that trick works with other bios makers though

Thanks for the info. I've already sent the computer back and have ordered a replacement so I can't try this. Its good info to know, though, in case something like this happens again.

According to this website, http://www.msi.com.tw/html/support/bios/note/boot.htm, you can also reinstall the Award bios, which the Shuttle has, and restore the bios using a similar method.

Update: I just found this info on a website.

Modern motherboards based on Award BIOS have a boot-block BIOS. This is small area of the BIOS that doesn't get overwritten when you flash a BIOS. The boot-block BIOS enables recovery of a corrupted BIOS, and only has support for the floppy drive.

[amd_man2005]

Ah, time to bust out the PC book for once, its in here somewhere.

According to Soot Mueller's book, Generally there in any motherboard with a soldered on Flash ROM,there is a Special area of the FLASH rom, unerasable, non modifyable area for this exact purpose of restoring the BIOS in the circumstance of a misflash, or other extenuating circumstance which causes your bios to become corrupted

[minibubba]

According to Soot Mueller's book, Generally there in any motherboard with a soldered on Flash ROM,there is a Special area of the FLASH rom, unerasable, non modifyable area for this exact purpose of restoring the BIOS in the circumstance of a misflash, or other extenuating circumstance which causes your bios to become corrupted

that's a new one on me, I don't think I've heard that in any of the classes I've taken or books I've read...but it is entirely possible that I just missed it along the way :confused:

[amd_man2005]

that's a new one on me, I don't think I've heard that in any of the classes I've taken or books I've read...but it is entirely possible that I just missed it along the way :confused:

Its he only PC book Ive ever read, from the Early P3 era, 1800pages of pure knowledge. Helped me lots with what I know, all for $1 at a garage sale :) Yea minibubba your supposed to actually READ those books and not sleep during the classes. :laugh: :laugh:

[asklepios]

that's a new one on me, I don't think I've heard that in any of the classes I've taken or books I've read...

i agree with you whole heartedly...never read abt it anywhere :?:

goes to the bookshelf and starts tearing away every bit there...die you silly things...die

[minibubba]

your supposed to actually READ those books and not sleep during the classes. :laugh: :laugh:

I doubt I would have passed my A+ exam on the first try with a score of 719 in OS Technologies and 865 in Core Hardware and got an A in a dual class (2 classes in one) if I didn't pay attention and read

According to Soot Mueller's book, Generally there in any motherboard with a soldered on Flash ROM,there is a Special area of the FLASH rom, unerasable, non modifyable area for this exact purpose of restoring the BIOS in the circumstance of a misflash, or other extenuating circumstance which causes your bios to become corrupted

I have since looked through 2 of my books here and all I find is the adverse affects of flashing the wrong BIOS and failed flash attempts, nothing that supports that /\
although while that doesn't mean you are wrong, I'll stick with my thoughts that failed flash = :grr: until I find more proof to support your statement

in reading yet another book I came across this quote:

It is critical that you do not power-down or reset the PC while the flash process is proceeding. Doing so will interrupt the flash process and leave your BIOS corrupt and unrecoverable. (Bigelow's TRoubleshooting, Maintaining & Repairing PCs; (c) 2000 )

[amd_man2005]

Exactly as it appears on page 369 of Scott Muellers upgrading and repairing PC's 11th edition

Minibubba, i was just kdding, dont take it serioulsy

[minibubba]

Minibubba, i was just kdding, dont take it serioulsy

yep, definately too much coffee for one day...