BIOS checksum error

[todayshorse]

Just looking for further thoughts on this one.it happened today for no apparent reason when i switched my main PC on. Starts to boot, then goes to a 'award bootblocker v1.0' screen, tells me about the checksum error and tells me to insert the system disc.....

Much searching revealed im not alone !

Thank god ive a laptop or id be completley stuck - thankfully a year or so ago my PC became solely for FS and associated stuff, and my laptop i use for everything else!

Im aware i need to flash the bios which ive attempted to do by downloading the correct bios from packard bell. However they say i need to create a boot CD rather than a floppy.....my CD-rom/DVD thing isnt working in this state, so i have to use the floppy! Problem there mainly because the BIOS is in ISO format and too big to add to the boot/flash disk...

Much faffing, almost got it going, and i can flash the bios, but nothing changed. Just kept restarting with the same error then reflashing the bios over and over. Now it doesnt do anything other than beep at me!

Im resigned to dumping the PC after ive salvaged the H/D, the DVD, and the graphics card and other various bits....and buying a new one or building my own possibly.

However ive removed the CMOS battery and am going to leave it overnight before having one last go tomorrow.

Anyone any other ideas because its had me at my wits end all day!

[Groundbound1]

*** I'm no expert, and could be wrong about any or all of what follows***

[todayshorse]

Cheers m8 - funny that you mention PB stopped selling PC's in the mid 90's under this name - i bought this in 2004 from a well known electrical outlet and it certianly, at the time, wasnt cheap!


Everything ive searched and read said that a BIOS flash was the way to go - and possibly the only way to recover - this is why it only gets as far as the initial screen (you know the one that says youve got this graphics card, this much memory and so on - then jumps to the 'award biosblock' screen. The BIOS is essentailly 'corrupt'

Well had another go this morning, its back as it was instead of beeping at me but still does the same......

[Groundbound1]

Will it let you access the BIOS, to make changes at all?

[MWISimmer]

Packard Bell still sell PCs in the UK, exclusively made for DSG Retail Group, more commonly known as Currys, PC World and Dixons.

[todayshorse]

Will it let you access the BIOS, to make changes at all?

No. I cant access anything. The only thing it lets me do/or it will do is load somthing from a floppy. Nothing works, not even my hard drive is there according to my PC at the moment!

A boot disk will get me to various screens that really dont help me at all - and the flash disk ive made does simply that. Although i can break out of it and get the prompt 'A:\>' but thats it!

[Groundbound1]

Again, not an expert, but it doesn't sound good.

The bright side however, is that since I was wrong about the age of the machine, (PB hasn't sold pcs in the US in almost two decades, hence the confusion) you may have an easier time finding a BIOS chip, should that turn out to be the problem. (and I'm not saying it is)

Your absolutely sure the BIOS flash you're trying to use was made for your EXACT model computer?

[todayshorse]

Yep, defo. I inputted my serial number into packard bells website and it came up with the exact model and everything i need to download and stuff.

However, i seem to have just fixed it

Frustrated with the flash the bios crap which obviously wasnt working, i went to phoenix's website (think they make the BIOS for companies like pack bell to mess about with and fit in there machines)

That led to to some diagrams for the motherboard and posistions of jumpers....

One was to reset the CMOS somthing or other (i forget what im a little confused at the mo!) - which seemed to leave my PC lacking power of any sort, so i returned it to the original position....and hey presto, everything fired up ok

I was just about to start with the screwdriver as well......

Thanks for your input guys - now i can flash the bios the way PB wants me to do it and hopefully this wont happen again. Whatever it was...

Although i have been checking prices for building my own...

[Groundbound1]

Good to hear it! I was going to ask you about the jumpers next. In fact, the only reason I didn't, was that you said you pulled the CMOS battery out overnight, and I thought that would have done the same thing.

At least your simming again, and that's what counts!

[todayshorse]

Indeed...i imagined the CMOS battery would do the same thing. Bizarre.

Anyway its working and its stable (ive reluctantly turned it off to hook everything back up but it started up ok!) and its firing up if anything, better than it ever did!