BIOS related issue - Please help!!!

[warrior047]

Hi friends, I would need real help!!! Am so helpless and frustrated!

My Mobo is M2NVM-DVI and the rest of config is AAMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3GHZ. The system was running fine till last month and was running xp and 7 parallely. One fine day I had some issues with drivers or something else which I was not sure of and in process of debug, I had upgraded the BIOS from the default 0201BIOS.ROM to 0905.ROM using EZFlash through a normal USB Pen drive. I hoped that a BIOS update would help! But then the system became horribly slow! Hence I again tried downgrading to 0603.ROM version and then other version as well. Nothing helped.

Hence when I tried to go back to my original 0201BIOS.ROM version which I took as a backup earlier, the EZFlash doesn't allow the revert back and says "Ths model of the BIOS image doesn't match the BIOS ROM currently present."!!

When I read the model name in the EZFlash for these ROM versions, I am shocked to see the below:

0201BIOS.ROM -> M2N-VM
0905.ROM -> M2N-VM (DVI)

Guess this is the reason. My default BIOS has the other model name and all the rest of the ROMs downloadable from the ASUS site are of other model names. There is no way to change these names in the .ROM file as it might screw it up! That bloody ASUS support is useless...am so helpless friends...

Helpless, I again reverted back to the latest BIOS. I also did a clean install of XP. But, still, the system is running in little slow motion mode for everything inspite of clean install. I even checked the core speed through cpu-z and its fine saying 2999 mhz. I suspect this to be because of BIOS.

Please help me downgrade to my original ROM as this is the issue when I try to go back. I seriously trust my old BIOS would resolve the issue....pls help some one...

[pimpom]

I don't have an immediate answer to the BIOS flash and revert problem, but you can easily check for one remote possibility in the BIOS settings. Did you by any chance happen to disable the L1 and L2 caches? Not likely, as the settings would be at defaults when you flashed it. But you might as well check it as it will take only seconds.

[warrior047]

My Mobo is M2NVM-DVI and the rest of config is AAMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3GHZ. The system was running fine till last month and was running xp and 7 parallely. One fine day I had some issues with drivers or something else which I was not sure of and in process of debug, I had upgraded the BIOS from the default 0201BIOS.ROM to 0905.ROM using EZFlash through a normal USB Pen drive. I hoped that a BIOS update would help! But then the system became horribly slow! Hence I again tried downgrading to 0603.ROM version and then other version as well. Nothing helped.

Hence when I tried to go back to my original 0201BIOS.ROM version which I took as a backup earlier, the EZFlash doesn't allow the revert back and says
"The model of the BIOS image doesn't match the BIOS ROM currently present."!!

When I read the model name in the EZFlash for these ROM versions, I am shocked to see the below:

0201BIOS.ROM -> M2N-VM - This is the original BIOS came with Mobo
0905.ROM -> M2N-VM (DVI)

Helpless, I again reverted back to the latest BIOS. I also did a clean install of XP. But, still, the system is running in little slow motion mode for everything inspite of clean install. I even checked the core speed through cpu-z and its fine saying 2999 mhz. I suspect this to be because of BIOS.

Please help me downgrade to my original ROM as this is the issue when I try to go back. I seriously trust my old BIOS would resolve the issue....pls help some one...

[Tech_Wiz]

For Software Bug you NEVER touch BIOS! It has nothing to do with Driver issues.

& If you have upgraded to latest version correctly then I don't think its the BIOS!

[warrior047]

Originally Posted by Tech_Wiz

For Software Bug you NEVER touch BIOS! It has nothing to do with Driver issues.

& If you have upgraded to latest version correctly then I don't think its the BIOS!

Nope...actually may be its a mistake. But then I thought of updating my BIOS to latest version as its very old. Used EZFlash as updated and it was good at the end. But only after that, started my issues. After I reinstalled the OS, my driver issues are no more but then this slowness?

Pls advise

[topgear]

^^ what kind of slowness you facing - can you explain a bit

[warrior047]

Originally Posted by pimpom

I don't have an immediate answer to the BIOS flash and revert problem, but you can easily check for one remote possibility in the BIOS settings. Did you by any chance happen to disable the L1 and L2 caches? Not likely, as the settings would be at defaults when you flashed it. But you might as well check it as it will take only seconds.

I haven't played with these....just that I have upgraded te BIOS and now unable to revert back...

[warrior047]

Originally Posted by topgear

^^ what kind of slowness you facing - can you explain a bit

Yes, When I start the system, once its loaded after quite more than usual time, it stays fine for 50 sec to 1 min...or sometimes not even that!

Now, nothing is smooth. It takes ages to open a browser...or it takes ages to open a new window... nothing starts soon....and moreover, when I check for processes that take more memory, there ain't a process that takes the lion's share of the RAM. I even checked for the core speed if its low due to some thing else, but its still around 2.9 GHz as normal.

All of these issues were never in before the BIOS update. The only issue I had then was the video lag in movies or games some times.

Please let me knw

[topgear]

follow these steps :

1. Reset CMOS settings ( remove the big battery on mobo and put it back after a couple of minutes )
2. Change the HDD sata cable and connect the HDD to some other port on mobo.
3. Check the HDD for Bad sector ( use HDTune for this )
4. Check your Ram modules with Memtest86+.
5. Install win 7. ( install SP1 too )
6. Download and Install the latest drivers for every HW components.
7. Check your CPU temp ( use HWmonitor/coretemp/HWinfo32 for that )

[warrior047]

Originally Posted by topgear

follow these steps :

1. Reset CMOS settings ( remove the big battery on mobo and put it back after a couple of minutes )
2. Change the HDD sata cable and connect the HDD to some other port on mobo.
3. Check the HDD for Bad sector ( use HDTune for this )
4. Check your Ram modules with Memtest86+.
5. Install win 7. ( install SP1 too )
6. Download and Install the latest drivers for every HW components.
7. Check your CPU temp ( use HWmonitor/coretemp/HWinfo32 for that )

Thanks for these debug steps. Will try these. I have WIn 7 installed as well and its the same performance there as well, or a little better in that.

Meanwhile, to downgrade the BIOS to my original default BIOS which is actually an issue when tried from EZflash utility in BIOS, I got an update from ASUS customer care as below as an alternative.

1. Have the latest BIOS onto the floppy.
2. Have the AFUDOS utility onto the bootable floppy drive.
3. Boot the system in DOS and type afudos /i[filename]
4. The above utility will update the BIOS as needed.

My concern now is, I don't have a floppy drive. How can I do this? I mailed them but in vain. Is this can be done through some how in USB or a CD? If so, how? Any help please?

[topgear]

no need to use floppy drive - just make a bootable USB pen drive
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool description

[asingh]

Make sure the USB is formatted to FAT32 type.

[warrior047]

HI, Need help please.Done as you said as per below:

Mobo supplied AFUDOS was of version 229 but it didn't allow me to downgrade saying my original BIOS is too old. Hence got the version 207 AFUDOS.
Copied the AFUDOS and the original BIOS file to the pendrive. Booted from the DOS.
Gave the command AFUDOS /i0201BIOS.ROM
It completed successfully by erasing and writing flash.
It said "Please restart your computer".

But then I switched the system down and removed the power cable so as to reflect the settings.

Now when I try to restart, the Mobo doesn't come up as saying ASUS. No Boot happening. NO SINGLE BEEP ATLEAST. Just blank screen .Is it something related to the /pbnc command not being used because this is not booting up?

Having referred the forums after this, as per the manual, I also removed the power cables and even resetted the CMOS by removing the jumper from normal (1-2) to clear CMOS (2-3) and then put it back. Removed the battery and waited for 20 min-40 min and then put it back to clear the CMOS.

Power comes to Mobo and Mobo switches on. Fans run and so does processor. But the signal from Mobo doesn't come to monitor. Hence no boot. As a part of debug, removed the cmos chip, removed the graphic card and even removed the RAM and tried the same.

Still the same issue. Boot is not happening. Please help as whats going on inspite of the revert back of the BIOS being successful!! The only thing is I didn't restart the PC immediately and shut it down and then started 5 min later!!!

[insaneYLN]

How old is your motherboard?

[warrior047]

Originally Posted by insaneYLN

How old is your motherboard?

Imported May 2008.
Bought Oct 2008

[warrior047]

Guys, my config is as below:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ (Windsor) - Socket AM2 (940)
2 GB Transcend DDR2 Regular UDIMM - PC2-6400 (400 MHz) - (1 GB RAM X2)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
Seagate 250 GB hard disk
I don't remember the SMPS but I bought it for 400/- that time in 2008.

Everything was working fine till I had this below!

Current Mobo suspected to be bricked by BIOS -> M2N-VM DVI

If at all the repair is an issue with money costing around 1000/-, do you think its worth to buy a new Mobo? If so, what do I have?

I am ready to go for a new Mobo if this costs more...its actually very far so I want to get the decision in one shot then....if they say more, then I will immediately go for a new mobo....pls let me know the suitable and best mobo within 2k-2.5k based on my config provided....please. Because if its less, I can get repaired but then still there would be no special warranty....just to be safe, please suggest me a new mobo as per the need