The BIOS is responsible for starting up a PC and making sure it runs properly.
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a computer chip on the motherboard with one very important function: to provide the program that starts up a PC with all the necessary features to make it run properly. A corrupt BIOS can make a computer completely unusable. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence, and there are a couple of options available for rescuing a corrupt BIOS.
Instructions
1. Consult the motherboard documentation to find out the manufacturer of the BIOS that has been corrupted. Then go to the manufacturer's website on any working PC to download an updated copy of the BIOS; go to the website's utilities or tools section for more information on downloading the latest BIOS revision and a flash utility. Next, insert a floppy disk and right-click on "Floppy Drive" in My Computer and choose "Format." Check "Create MS-DOS Boot Disk" and hit "Start." This is going to be your system recovery disk. Copy the BIOS revision and flash utility you just downloaded onto the system recovery disk.
2. Insert the recovery disk into the floppy drive of the PC with the corrupt BIOS. If the boot sector of the BIOS is okay, you can flash the BIOS using the recovery disk you just created in Step 1. Power up the PC; it should read Drive A, the floppy drive, before loading Windows, as long as the boot device has been configured in the standard order. The PC should boot into DOS, where you can continue to flash the BIOS.
3. Type "dir" in the DOS prompt. Then look for something that says "flash.exe" and "xxxx.bin" in the list of files. Type both file names into the DOS prompt with a space between them and press "Enter." The machine will begin the flashing process and then ask you to save the BIOS version. Press "Y" for yes; it's always a good idea to have a current version of the BIOS on hand. A status report at the end of the update verifies that the system is OK. If the boot sector is corrupt, however, and this procedure does not work, go to Step 4.
4. Order a new BIOS chip from the motherboard manufacturer. You can get all the information you need for ordering right from the motherboard documentation. Open the PC by removing four screws at the back of the machine while wearing an anti-static wristband. Slide off the cover and locate the BIOS chip on the motherboard. Consult your documentation if you need assistance finding the BIOS chip.
After you find the chip, power up the PC to perform a hot swap (also known as "hot flashing"), which means switching out a computer component while the power is on. The process is safe as long as the heavily shielded BIOS removal tool is used. The BIOS removal tool is a large, heavily insulated set of tweezers. If you are unsure, consult a professional for help with this step.
5. Remove the old corrupted BIOS chip from the motherboard using the BIOS removal tool. Insert the BIOS chip in its place. Shut down the PC and restart again as normal.
Tags: BIOS chip, recovery disk, BIOS removal, BIOS removal tool, corrupt BIOS, from motherboard