AMI (I think) Recovery Help

[Kanzu5665]

I am not quite sure where to put this thread.

Hello all, I have been lurking around these forums for the last few days, in hopes of gleaning information to recover my computer from a bad BIOS update. (I shut down the computer while the computer was updating the BIOS. [The computer froze] After briefly researching this problem, I found that that action was the worst possible mistake one could make) The computer does not display video output on boot and then beeps twice (one short, one long) repeatedly. I have tried the AMI recovery method listed in the tutorial with floppy disks, cds, and flash drives. I have a question regarding this process. When I turn my computer on, the keyboards briefly light up (flash, blink) momentarily, but then turns off as the computer continues to POST. The computer beeps again after. Does this mean that the keyboard isn't functional, so that the computer can't access the floppy drive and the BIOS? How can I resolve this issue?

Other side questions and information:
My computer is a hp p6102f desktop (Link here) with a M2N78-LA (Violet) Motherboard (Link here. Since the computer is non functional, I looked at an online motherboard's manual and saw that an AMI BIOS was listed. Since the motherboard has different versions, could it possibly be AWARD or Pheonix? (These thread here suggest that it could be a different BIOS)

The main thread that I have been using from this website was this:
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-Pe...date-Issue
I have tried the method and I got three different BIOS versions. 5.09, 5.16, and 5.22
(I extracted the executable and renamed the approximately 1.00 mb file into AMIBOOT.ROM)
I have also used this thread from the HP forums as a resource.

Please please let me know if you need any information. I will pretty much be online all the time that I am awake for the next two/three days trying to find a way to recover from this mistake. :'(

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

[Deimus]

Hi Kanzu,

I'm having the exact same problem but with a p6210y HP, same motherboard, same mistake... computer froze while the "recommended" HP update was taking place, had to restart it and I knew it was going to be dead after that or I could've just left it on forever, same result, a bricked motherboard...

Just curious, where you able to at least get a C:\> prompt while using floppy disks? In every forum it seems that this is one way to fix it, but I can't even get to that point, no matter what kind of floppy boot disk, it'll just do nothing but beep away.

Sorry I cannot help you after my tests, we have been through the same experiments, I've been dealing with this for the last 3 days and I'm seriously considering buying a new one since I can't find any method that actually gets me closer to the light...

Thanks

[Kanzu5665]

3 days? What a coincidence! Me too! (Stupid HP Software update!!!)

As for the C:\ prompt, there is no video at all. I believe this is common (after searching the internet) as the BIOS boots up the video card, so no BIOS, no video. I'm trying to play it by ear - listening to the beeps, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be beeping while it tries to recover.

My contingency plan is to swap out the motherboard. :'( (Let's hope that we can fix this!)

[Deimus]

Yes, it was the stupid update, I think its a good HP technique for users to buy new computer/hardware or support, too bad I didn't pay too much attention to what the update was about I'm sure we will be getting more and more users with this issue soon, those timed updates will be happening to everyone and if not lucky enough, their system will crash and will join us looking for a solution.

Last thing I found that could make sense in my case, is that maybe the floppy drive cable is damaged, read somewhere that windows isn't that picky when reading a 3 1/2 disk, but apparently is not the same case in DOS or with the corrupted bios we have, that the cable must be in good shape and the floppy drive clean, I never heard before of that difference in reading but oh well.

I haven't tried this since I'm at work, now its a long shot, but could make sense because the drive I used was in an old dusty pc, even though it worked fine with the windows xp it had installed (i used that one to copy the ROM files and boot disks wannabe). At this time, its worth to try anything.

[Kanzu5665]

Good tip! It reminded me that I may have not corrected the floppy drive correctly. (I used the middle connector instead of the end connector) Now, the floppy drive lights up and spins the floppy, most likely searching for the BIOS. Unfortunately, I am still getting the two beeps, so that was not the only problem. I am going to try recovering using the AWARD method - I read a post earlier saying that hp loads an ami bios on the motherboard, but the bootloader stays the same as what the OEM programmed originally. (makes sense, can't be written) The bootloader, according to the post, is a phoenix bootloader. So, I'll try Award and then Phoenix.

EDIT: whoops, just found out it wasn't the same beep code. instead of two beeps, it is three. according to this, it says that it is unable to start flashing, instead of missing the AMIBOOT.ROM. I wonder what this means? I may as well start with other BIOSes while I ponder that.

[Kanzu5665]

I did it! I did it! Bios has been recovered successfully. It is indeed an ami bios, but instead of naming it AMIBIOS.ROM, since hP manufactred it, it should be named HPBIOS.ROM also, make sure you have the correct bios file. I found the answer here and I followed it because the person had the same motherboard.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Deskt...d-p/360147


Let me know how It goes Deimus! Good luck!

---

And then HP software update had the nerve to ask me to install the same incorrect BIOS again!!!

Going to be posting this on every forum I see. so psyched!

[dsalvio]

Hello All,
I was looking for a solution with this problem since a long time and I found the answer there.
So I address great thanks to all participants

[Bantuwa]

Hello What programs did you use to extact the executable files from the different bios .bin files?

The main thread that I have been using from this website was this:
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-Pe...date-Issue

"(I extracted the executable and renamed the approximately 1.00 mb file into AMIBOOT.ROM)
I have also used this thread from the HP forums as a resource.

Please please let me know if you need any information. I will pretty much be online all the time that I am awake for the next two/three days trying to find a way to recover from this mistake."

[chris89]

Hi, my M2N78-LA GL8E Violet got accidentally flashed to incorrect v5.29

I popped the HPBIOS.ROM (Renamed v5.22) in the root, installed floppy on the board then pressed power, split second click of floppy then nothing...

What do I do to get it to work?