p6889k wrote on 2021-08-03, 01:34:

So, now i'm stuck on boot with the "Building DMI Pool ." message.

That routine writes stuff to the EEPROM. If it can't write to it, it hangs (unlike the ESCD update one, which only gives you the "Write error." message).
In any case, as you deducted by yourself, means the EEPROM got borked.

p6889k wrote on 2021-08-03, 11:31:

I'm curious, do these old EEProms have a limit to how many times they can be reflashed? How does a chip go bad, to the point whe […]
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I'm curious, do these old EEProms have a limit to how many times they can be reflashed? How does a chip go bad, to the point where it cannot be successfully flashed again?

If I buy one of the EEProm programmers:
- Should I buy a specific new chip to program? What type, from where? The current one in the board is 32pin in DIP socket, with the words PCI/PNP 686, which I assume is just some Award manufacturer reference to the loaded Bios type, not the chip itself.

- I have in the meantime purchased a brand new old stock Award chip on eBay with the same model number PCI/PNP 686, it's labeled with year 1998 vs mine year 1996, but has the same PCI/PNP 686 label on it, so am hoping I would be able to directly plug it in, get it to boot and then reflash to the mother board BIOS. And if that doesn't work, buy an external programmer and reprogram it there. Or would I be better off with some newly made Bios chip? Which one?

Yes. no idea how many though or failure modes.

erhm... the PCI/PNP686 is just a label. the true chip id is underneath the label.
You can see it if you tear off the label.

first time also I hear about the DMI routine writing to the eeprom.

I ended up purchasing this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082CKV47V. Should receive it by Thursday and then am going to have fun learning how to use this little monster. I'll try to first reprogram the original chip that's in the board now, if that doesn't work I'll try the replacement chip I ordered and if that doesn't work I'll have to come back here and ask for more advice 😀

p6889k wrote on 2021-08-03, 15:06:

I ended up purchasing this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082CKV47V. Should receive it by Thursday and then am going to have fun learning how to use this little monster. I'll try to first reprogram the original chip that's in the board now, if that doesn't work I'll try the replacement chip I ordered and if that doesn't work I'll have to come back here and ask for more advice 😀

I will always keep a small stockpile of eeprom chips from decommissioned hardware. Just for reasons like this.

I'm willing to bet the chip is fine, it wouldn't post otherwise. But I imagine there is some setting corruption and/or it just cant write anymore.

The Award chip problem is solved, got the TL866II Plus programmer, popped the Award chip to it, reprogrammed it to W285 Bios and computer boots now. Very easy procedure. Thank you everyone for your advice. Now I'm thinking what other cool things I could do with this programmer...and not brick something along the way 😀

p6889k wrote on 2021-08-05, 21:45:

The Award chip problem is solved, got the TL866II Plus programmer, popped the Award chip to it, reprogrammed it to W285 Bios and computer boots now. Very easy procedure. Thank you everyone for your advice. Now I'm thinking what other cool things I could do with this programmer...and not brick something along the way 😀

Glad it worked .

Bricking things along the way is part of the fun, as long you have the means to unbrick them . 😉

p6889k wrote on 2021-08-05, 21:45:

The Award chip problem is solved, got the TL866II Plus programmer, popped the Award chip to it, reprogrammed it to W285 Bios and computer boots now. Very easy procedure. Thank you everyone for your advice. Now I'm thinking what other cool things I could do with this programmer...and not brick something along the way 😀

AWESOME POSSUM!

i use my programmer about once a month, and it has paid for itself 10 times over.

Here is a pitfall to avoid with these programmers; the adapters SUCK. The sockets last maybe 20 times and then they start to fail, giving you false dead chips and bad reads/writes. Invest in a ZIF plcc32 adapter like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/321556448799