failed bios update

Hi,
I have serious problem with my Toshiba satellite u400-157 laptop after failed bios update. about a month ago I try to update the bios driver so, I download a new version after i fill the form about the type and model Number ..etc. in Toshiba Europe website, then I click the auto start icon to install the new bios driver, first it work well until it reach 50% and stopped working then I close it and restart the laptop but the screen won't flash!!! only I here a long beeb.
I went to Toshiba branch in my country but they told me to replace the motherboard so I write to you guys if there is another way to fix my poor laptop
thanks........

 

You might need to put it down to a learning experience. The manufacturers have BIOS upgrades mixed in with their driver updates, but the BIOS is not a driver that runs a piece of hardware, it is the software on the processor chip that loads all the information about your computer when it starts up (the CMOS chip).

The BIOS is hard-coded, you don't just update it like drivers, you "flash" the information onto the CMOS chip. It is the most delicate process you can run on a computer, if it stops before completion the motherboard is dead (you could try replacing the CMOS chip, but it is probably unavailable, you might find one on the floor where they manufacture the motherboard ).

My "sage" suggestion , don't run a BIOS upgrade via Windows unless your Windows system is completely stable. Check if the manufacturer offers other methods of upgrading the BIOS (like running it from a boot disk), investigate and consider doing those first. Easy to wise after the fact , sorry, but I hope this information gives you some insight.

A maybe, disconnect any power, chargers and the battery. Press the power-on button and hold it down for a minute or so. See if that changes anything.

Matt

 

Ouch ........

As another possible approach, you may be able to replace the chip itself with a properly reprogrammed chip. The odds may be a little long on this but if you have a surface mounted socket which holds the actual chip, this is quite doable. Your job is going to be to research this and/or pull the machine apart to make a visual determination.

If you get lucky and there is a surface mounted socket, you can purchase a new (and properly programmed) chip from jack@badflash.com. Then its simply a matter of pulling the old chip and inserting the new one. This will cost roughly $25 including shipping.

If, on the other hand, the chip itself is soldered to the mainboard, you may need to replace the board if you can't boot to a floppy.

This may sound like a daunting task but its not as difficult as it sounds.

 

Hi Rockster, the days of "socketed" BIOS chips on laptop motherboards have been long gone since about 2002 if not longer.

Badflash, biosman and all those services are geared toward desktop motherboards. Laptop motherboard BIOS configurations (especially newer boards) now incorperate other sub-chips that also perfrom part of the BIOS functions.

There are a very few facilities out there that actually perfrom BIOS repairs on these newer laptop boards. Another alternative would be to replace the motherboard and be done with it.

One facility that I found about 3 weeks ago and seem to be doing the majority of the soldered BIOS recoveries is: AQSTech you can see their daily repair log here: aqstech.com/aqslive

 

Sorry but that is not exactly correct. The BIOS is not stored on the CMOS chip. The BIOS is stored - flashed - in "firmware" on a EEPROM chip. It is not "hard" coded. Hard coding is "permanent" programming (typically on a PROM chip) and requires physically replacing the chip to change the code. EEPROMs can be reprogrammed (flashed) and are "semi-permanent" (firm) "non-volatile" storage devices meaning the data stored on the EEPROM is retained even after power is removed.

A CMOS chip is used to store supplemental and "user" BIOS customization information (date and time, boot order, drive information, etc.). Data is not "flashed" on to the CMOS chip, it is simply, but temporarily stored on the CMOS, exactly like data is stored in regular system RAM. The CMOS, like system RAM, is highly "volatile memory" - meaning it will lose all it's stored data almost instantly once the "holding" voltage is remove. And because that data will be lost almost instantly, motherboards have a CMOS battery that is used to keep (hold) the data even when the computer is unplugged from the wall.

***

Now to this problem - when the BIOS EEPROM chip was being flashed with the new BIOS code, if something happened that caused the flashing to become corrupted, then it is very likely the EEPROM chip was damaged. These chips can be replaced by a qualified technician and years ago, that's what we did because it was very costly to replace motherboards. As Kerry noted, most boards today do not use socketed EEPROMs. It is cheaper to solder the chip directly to the board, than it is to solder a socket, then insert the chip. So today, it is cheaper to replace the whole board. Now if me, I would certainly pull the CMOS battery to reset it in the hopes that will get you back to a point where you can try to flash again via a bootable CD. But note this "Hail Mary" is a desperate act with little hope of success.

For future reference, I NEVER update a BIOS unless,

1. The update addresses a problem I am having,
2. The update addresses a security issue (very rare),
3. The existing BIOS became corrupt (also rare).​

Note two events years ago convinced me (and my bosses) that all computers will be on a good UPS with AVR. (1) A power outage during disk defragging and (2) a power outage during a BIOS flash.

 

There is some good information there from both KerryNose and Bill.

Yes, I'm aware of the transformation away from sockets. Perhaps the toughest soldering job I ever accomplished was replacing a broken surface mounted socket on a Netpliance I-Opener (the manufacturer actually epoxied the chips to discourage those who wanted to convert these devices to full blown working computers - thanks to codeman's hack).

Bill - you and your bosses would have liked the BIOS Savior which permitted piggy backing a second chip that could be toggled at will. This made it pretty easy to test modified bin files and still recover from a bad situation.

 

We tested those, but they did not meet military standards for ruggedness and there might have been a TEMPEST issue too - never a good thing when dealing with military communications. But that was okay because they sent us to micro-miniature soldering techniques school to learn how to work on multi-layered boards without burning up heat sensitive devices, boards, or nearby circuits.

Note that populated PCBs are commonly coated with epoxy resins to keep moisture and other contaminates out, thus keeping corrosion at bay. It also minimizes stresses on connection due to vibrations - and being dropped out of the back of C-130s.

The most difficult soldering job was probably replacing a 96 pin cable harness in a tower (as in Air Traffic Control tower) 40-channel tape recorder console. I had to lay on my back with the cable over my head, using flashlights to see while trying to keep excess solder and flux from falling on me. I certainly understood after that why the Air Force did not allow folks with color-blindness to be electronics technicians!

 

Guy's,

Let's consider other newbies here

@barot...

Why did you try to flash the BIOS in the first place? This is rarely recommended and as you have found can result in a dead machine.


For everyone else...

If you must flash the BIOS you should ask...

1) Do I really need to do this.
2) Do I have the correct ROM image.
3) Am I sure it's a BIOS issue and not just some rogue software.
4) I will not power down my computer for the 5 or so minutes it takes (even if it looks like it has crashed).
5) Go back to 1) at least three times.

Flashing your BIOS should not be taken lightly. Unless you have good reason to just say no.