• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

help" bad flash, cant boot from PCI

legendplis

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
4 (0.00/day)
I have (well, had) an AGP x850pro. I flashed (what I now know to be) a bad or incompatable bios to it, and now my computer won't POST with the x850 in even if I set the PCI card to init first, so I can't get to DOS to reflash another bios to the x850.

However, I can boot with just the PCI card in, or together with a working AGP card, so I know it's not a problem with the PCI card, mb or bios settings.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated!
 

SlipSlice

New Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
770 (0.12/day)
Location
Indiana
Processor AMD ATHLON 64 SAN DIEGO 3700@2.42GHZ
Motherboard ASUS A8N5X
Cooling 1X80MM CASE FAN, 1X80MM CPU FAN, 2X120MM FANS(ONE TAKING AIR OUT..OTHER FOR HARDDRIVE
Memory 1.5 GIG, DDR400 CORSAIR
Video Card(s) eVGA 7900GS KO
Storage 160GIG WESTERN DIGITAL 7200RPM
Display(s) Acer 22' Widescreen
Case ROSEWILL CASE 5600 SERIES..2 BLUE LED CASE FANS
Audio Device(s) SOUND BLASTER LIVE 24 BIT!
Power Supply SPARKLE 400 WATT
Software WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION..its gr8/LOTS OF GAMES
Does your X850 have a jumper on it? It is probably going to be blue if so maybe white. I had a bad flash a while back ago, and I didn't have a jumper, but im sure yours does, it is much newer than the 9550.
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
714 (0.11/day)
System Name Xbox 360 Super Elite
Processor 3.2GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon
Memory 512MB 700MHz GDDR3 RAM
Video Card(s) ATI Xenos @ 500 MHz
Storage 250GB
Display(s) 26" Samsung LCD HDTV
Case Super Elite (COD:MW2 Edition)
Audio Device(s) 5.1
Power Supply 120w
Software NXE
take out the X850, and put in the PCI card and install it, in the bios also select your primary graphics card as PCI. then insert the X850 then reflash.
 

legendplis

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
4 (0.00/day)
sniping: sorry if this is a noob question, but what do you mean by replace the EEPROM, and how do I go about doing that?

Slip: it doesn't have a jumper :/ (ATI AGP x850pro with VIVO)

cjoyce: I already set it to init PCI first. When I have PCI+working AGP card, the PCI card works fine (monitor plugged into PCI card), but when I power on with PCI+bad flash x850pro, it won't POST, even with init PCI first
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2005
Messages
797 (0.12/day)
System Name Current
Processor Core i5 2500k
Motherboard Z77MA-G45
Cooling Cooler Master Tx3
Memory 8gb DDR3 1600Mhz
Video Card(s) Evga GTX 960 4GB GDDR5
Storage (1) SAMSUNG 850 EVO 500GB
Display(s) ASUS PB278Q 27" WQHD 2560x1440 IPS
Case Fractal Core 1000
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply 430 Watt Corsair
Mouse Logitech g602
Keyboard K70 LUX Mech LB, Red LED, Cherry MX Brown
Software Windows 10 + Hackintosh
legendplis said:
sniping: sorry if this is a noob question, but what do you mean by replace the EEPROM, and how do I go about doing that?

Slip: it doesn't have a jumper :/ (ATI AGP x850pro with VIVO)

cjoyce: I already set it to init PCI first. When I have PCI+working AGP card, the PCI card works fine (monitor plugged into PCI card), but when I power on with PCI+bad flash x850pro, it won't POST, even with init PCI first

This may be a shot in the dark, but check your bios for this:
Init Display First: PCI/AGP
make sure it says PCI insted of AGP.

Sometimes its overlooking little things like this that drive you mad, but just an idea. If this isn't it im out of ideas.
 

legendplis

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
4 (0.00/day)
on closer inspection, my card does have a jumper/flick switch type thing. The only problem is there is no description of what it does in the documentation.
It looks like:

ON | KE
O | O
X | X
1 | 2


The O and Xs represent possible switch places, and the Xs show which side the switch is flicked towards at present. The problem is, I have no idea what ON and KE mean, and what the 1 and 2 represent.
Next to this switch box thing, the characters SW1 are printed on the circuit board.

Ideas? :/
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
96 (0.01/day)
legendplis said:
on closer inspection, my card does have a jumper/flick switch type thing. The only problem is there is no description of what it does in the documentation.
It looks like:

ON | KE
O | O
X | X
1 | 2


The O and Xs represent possible switch places, and the Xs show which side the switch is flicked towards at present. The problem is, I have no idea what ON and KE mean, and what the 1 and 2 represent.
Next to this switch box thing, the characters SW1 are printed on the circuit board.

Ideas? :/

The switch will do nothing for you, its for TV out PAL/NTSC.

The EEPROM is a small 8 pin surface mounted chip that holds the BIOS (its a small memory IC). You would have to get a EEPROM with the correct BIOS on it for your card and unsolder the EEPROM on your card and solder the EEPROM with the right BIOS on your card.

I just fix a enginering sample X1800GTO for a revewer that messed out a flash. Here is a pic of what the EEPROM looks like. The white paper ring is around the EEPROM.
 
Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
446 (0.07/day)
System Name Desktop
Processor 7800 x3d
Motherboard Giga b650i aorus ultra
Cooling pk-3 | conductonaut | AC LF II 280
Memory 64g Gskill X5 ddr 6000 cl30
Video Card(s) 7900 xt
Storage 2Tb Inland Premium
Display(s) Armada 27 1440p 165 + 25 1080p 240hz
Case Tt Black Armor : Phantek Evolv shift xt
Audio Device(s) Ae-7
Power Supply Aresgame 850 sff
Mouse Razer Viper ulti
Keyboard Saitek Eclipse I, II, & III
Benchmark Scores assd 6600|x5675 Cne11.5 -1102|Timespy 24000 | TS Extreme gpu 1 - 87 fps
just flash the bios back blindly. boot into dos, with floppy containing the correct bios and the flashing utility and then flash the bios by typing in the command. it worked for me
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
96 (0.01/day)
oinkypig said:
just flash the bios back blindly. boot into dos, with floppy containing the correct bios and the flashing utility and then flash the bios by typing in the command. it worked for me
The system will not boot with the X850 pro in. The BIOS on the card is realy messed up and won't alow the system to boot if the X850 pro is in. There is no blindly flashing back the BIOS in this case. You have to replace the EEPROM that has the right BIOS. I have run into cards like this and its the only way to fix them.
 

legendplis

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
4 (0.00/day)
thanks sniping. guess my card is dead then, since I haven't a clue where to get a working EEPROM chip from, and i've never soldered anything in my life!
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
96 (0.01/day)
thanks sniping. guess my card is dead then, since I haven't a clue where to get a working EEPROM chip from, and i've never soldered anything in my life!

Do you want to save the card. I can try to fix it for a small price if you want. I just did the same thing for a X1800GTO for a reviewer that did a bad flash. I was able to fix it and ship it back to them.
 

Taylor

New Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
25 (0.00/day)
Just a post watcher here, but the fact that you guys and girls would do such great work for people here is amazing. I'm impressed and soooo thankful I found this site. Total noob here with too many posts already asking many questions...:laugh: Hope he gets fixed up. I'd love to just be able to make a fan speed adjustment to my cards BIOS. I'm not sure about a total flash. Great work all..
Taylor
 

JC316

Knows what makes you tick
Joined
Jan 24, 2006
Messages
9,397 (1.42/day)
System Name Budget Gaming
Processor AMD FX6300
Motherboard Gigabyte 880GMA-USB3
Cooling Coolermaster Hyper 212+
Memory 8GB Ripjaws DDR3 1600
Video Card(s) HD7850 1GB
Storage 1TB Sata2
Display(s) Acer 24" LED
Case Generic black
Audio Device(s) Stock onboard
Power Supply FSP Aurum Gold 650W
Software Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
It may not be a lost cause. Put the PCI card in by itself and go into your BIOS. Then change to display PCI first, then install the X850. It might boot up if you do it that way.
 

ARTOSOFT

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
369 (0.05/day)
Location
Singapore
I am sorry, I can't help anything for this case. Just my curiosity:

The problem is, where to get eeprom with correct bios on it?
Is the vendor willing to help you for the case like this?

Regards,
Arto.

Edit: Ah yes...., EEPROM Writer....., stupid me.
 
Last edited:

ARTOSOFT

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
369 (0.05/day)
Location
Singapore
Just a post watcher here, but the fact that you guys and girls would do such great work for people here is amazing. I'm impressed and soooo thankful I found this site. Total noob here with too many posts already asking many questions...:laugh: Hope he gets fixed up. I'd love to just be able to make a fan speed adjustment to my cards BIOS. I'm not sure about a total flash. Great work all..
Taylor
Yes, indeed, I learn a lot from this forum also.

Regards,
Arto.
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
96 (0.01/day)
I am sorry, I can't help anything for this case. Just my curiosity:

The problem is, where to get eeprom with correct bios on it?
Is the vendor willing to help you for the case like this?

Regards,
Arto.

Edit: Ah yes...., EEPROM Writer....., stupid me.

I modded a ATI 9600 video card so I can hot swap the eeprom. I boot up the system and when at the A: promp I hot swap the eeprom and run the flash program.
 
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
3,651 (0.53/day)
Location
Little Rock Arkansas, United States
System Name Monolith
Processor Intel Xeon E3110 Wolfdale@3.5GHz
Motherboard MSI P35-Neo
Cooling Active Air
Memory 4GB DDR2 800
Video Card(s) Sapphire HD 3850 512MB PCI-E
Storage 1 x 80GB Internal, 1 x 250GB Internal, 1 x 40GB External
Display(s) Acer X203w
Case Generic black case with locking front bezel
Audio Device(s) Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS
Power Supply 500 Watt Seasonic M12
Software Windows 7 Ultimate x64

savor_of_filth

New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
198 (0.03/day)
Location
S.E.A
Processor AMD B50 X4
Motherboard Biostar 790GX 128
Cooling custom H2O cooling
Memory Crucial Ballistix 2 X 2GB D9GMH
Video Card(s) Amaze 4870 512mb | Accelero Twin Turbo
Storage 500GB WDC AAKS & 74 GB WD raptor
Display(s) LG 2260
Case Modded Big and old Simbadda Bio Sniper
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi xtreme music
Power Supply Silverstone ZEUS 750W | Seasonic SS-500HT
Software 7
ask x800professor or infrared!!
 
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
2,058 (0.30/day)
thanks sniping. guess my card is dead then, since I haven't a clue where to get a working EEPROM chip from, and i've never soldered anything in my life!

legendplis your EEPROM chip is working but it is flashed with PCI-E BIOS most probably. Almost two years I am talking about the syndrome ("first flash" than call for help and finally read) and VGA BIOS testing software (without flashing - RamBios1.5) but nobody was interested to even try. That software becomes interesting after bad flash with wrong BIOS but at that time it is too late ;) .
What is done is done. In order to fix your card you have to find a people which know how to do that and have the programmer for your EEPROM chip type. They have to unsolder the chip (easy operation) to re-programme it (with X850PRO AGP BIOS which should come from your side - if you are not sure AGP or PCI-E is: JUST ASK).
 

ARTOSOFT

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
369 (0.05/day)
Location
Singapore
I modded a ATI 9600 video card so I can hot swap the eeprom. I boot up the system and when at the A: promp I hot swap the eeprom and run the flash program.
Ok, I've got the idea. Clever :respect: .

Regards,
Arto.
 
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
2,058 (0.30/day)
It is sounds good idea. But to fulfil that operation will be needed a plug (from the card's side and from EEPROM's side). Without the EEPROM the card should boot together with PCI video card. After the boot in DOS it is necessary to plug the EEPROM and to flash adapter 1 (not 0).
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
96 (0.01/day)
It is sounds good idea. But to fulfil that operation will be needed a plug (from the card's side and from EEPROM's side). Without the EEPROM the card should boot together with PCI video card. After the boot in DOS it is necessary to plug the EEPROM and to flash adapter 1 (not 0).
Without a eeprom with the right BIOS on it, ATI flash will not see the card. You have to boot the modded card with a eeprom with the right BIOS so the BIOS will go to system memory and ATI flash will see the modded card.
 
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
2,058 (0.30/day)
Yes it was exactly what I am talking about. Great idea :) . Of course the AGP or PCI-E card will not boot without BIOS chip but will allow to the PCI VGA to boot together with the AGP or PCI-E and respectively to be flashed.
 
Top