Mail Archives: opendos/2000/12/05/04:16:26
Yes, I have thought of that, in fact I know the EEPROM replecemnt for it and
though about doing a Hot Swap. That is where you have the power going to the
MB and removing the ROM after the system has booted, then replacing the ROM
with the EEPROM, they loading the new flash ROM with the new BIOS. I even
downloaded a program that will remove that code from the BIOS, but I decided
it is not worth the expense and effort to do this, because I don't plan on
using this board that much longer as my main machine. For DOS and/or Linux,
it won't be that big a deal becuase I'll just use another controller.
I know that Hot Swapping can be dangerous, but I have done it in the past
and have many years experience as an electronic tech. As an alternative, I
could just take a new EEPROM or EPROM and have a freied do it on his EPROM
programmer. But I just don't think it's worth the effort at this point.
AMI has programs available to do things with your BIOS that cannot be done
in CMOS, and since this partcular BIOS does have that ability to turn off
that feature, I could do it that way, but I have yet to find such a utility
for AWARD BIOS. I have checked and searched the internet for one and have
come up empty.
J-Mark, the manufature of the MB is of no help at all, but I might try
writting them again since it has been several months and maybe get luvky and
find someone with a brain in their head. The person that wrote me seems to
be some kind of PR airhead, that has no clue about such things. I just got
stuck with an EPROM instead of an EEPROM and J-Mark made both types. But
when you get in contact with a non technical person that has no clue about
anything except doing her nails and hair, what can one expect! I may try to
get in contact with someone in engineering, those people I can talk to the
understand the language. I almost always get positive results when I talk to
engineering and technical people.
I remember many years ago when I was thinking of building the COMAC ELF
computer described in Popular Electronics in very early 1976, I called RCA
(maker of the chip) and asked to talk with an engineer. I asked him where I
could get information on the chip both hardware and software. He said the
book cost $5, but said oh, what the heck, I'll just send you one at no
charge. That was the first PC I started to build.<g>
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Kitt" <lists AT sk2 DOT org>
To: <opendos AT delorie DOT com>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 4:02 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Optimizing CONFIG.SYS...
> On Sat, Dec 02, 2000 at 02:45:11PM -0700, Patrick Moran wrote:
> > loading any SCSI drivers and that is where it resides. I cannot turn off
the
> > MB BIOS for this. Some MB can, but I got stuck with one that does not.
It is
> > EPROM and not FLASH so I can't even remove the code from the MB BIOS.
>
> I don't know if this will help, and you might have thought of it already.
> Anyway, if you look at the EPROM, there should be a part number on it
> (possibly beneath a sticker). Look it up on the web, and you should be
able
> to find a datasheet for it, and determine its characteristics - voltage,
> pins and capacity. Then you can buy a compatible EEPROM or Flash ROM and
get
> someone to write a BIOS image to it; I'd imagine you know someone with an
> EEPROM or Flash ROM writer, if you don't own one yourself. Then swap the
two
> chips, and the new BIOS should load...
>
> In fact, once you've done that, if you're using a Flash ROM you might be
> able to reprogram it subsequently using just the motherboard and a program
> such as UniFlash which supports many different Flash ROMs. That way you
can
> experiment to your heart's content, safe in the knowledge that you've
still
> got the original EPROM if things go pear-shaped.
>
> Stephen
>
> --
> __| | /_ ) Stephen 'SKČ' Kitt Truly great madness can not
be
> \__ \ . < __| steve AT sk2 DOT org achieved without
significant
> ____/_|\_\ http://www.sk2.org intelligence. -- H.
Tikkanen
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