Are you sure you have the right BIOS file for your board version? There were several different boards in the P2B family, and that error can result from trying to flash an unsupported BIOS.

Looking through my files, it looks like I used AFlash 2.21 when I updated my P2B-DS. Also, what BIOS version are you trying to flash? 1014 Beta should be the latest one.

Some time in the past, I must have downloaded BIOS version 1014.003 (latest beta BIOS) because I've got a sub folder on my main machine called P2B. I copied that folder across to the first (of two) Asus P2B boards, so that I could flash its BIOS. The flash procedure was successful. Then, I simply unplugged the first successfully flashed mobo, and plugged in the second P2B board for flashing. I used exactly the same flashing technique, but this time I was not successful.

It's interesting. Both boards have Asus rev 1.12 written on the PCB, but the second troublesome board has a white sticker on the parallel port which says -

PO0036.5899

I wonder if this some kind of "OEM identification label"?

I've got 2 related questions! 1) On both boards, there is a chip next to the socketed Award chip. This chip has Winbond written on it. Unlike the Award chip, it's soldered on to the PCB. What is this winbond chip? Does it have anything to do with the mobo's BIOS?

2) Let's say that I cannot flash the troublesome board, because it's BIOS chip is an OEM chip, and cannot be flashed using "generic" flash utilities. Could I get around this problem by physically removing the socketed Award chip, and replacing it with the "successfully flashed" Award BIOS chip - from the first mobo? And what about the soldered on Winbond chip - I cannot remove this - perhaps this chip is not important?

Thanks a lot for any comments.

I'm guessing you're probably talking about the SMBus chip. On my P2B-DS it's a Winbond W83977TF. It has absolutely nothing to do with the BIOS.

Yes, swapping the BIOS chip over should work. Of course, that would leave the other board without a BIOS chip... I'd suggest just getting another chip of the appropriate model, hotflashing it in the working board, then installing it into the troublesome board.