Just tried UNIFLASH and can’t get that to work either. I’ve backed up my current BIOS and CMOS etc, but it’s asking for an image file and I don’t know where it is or what it is. The one downloaded includes no such thing. Even the utility that comes with it asks for one. 🙁

Am confused. The picture shows a Asus P5N-E which is socket 775, and 1406.bin has nothing to do with MS-6156. Is that just some random picture?
Unknown flash type means the flasher does not have the eeprom part # internal listed and does not recognize it. You need to peel the label and write down the actual eeprom type.
The Award bios package has an autoexec.bat (usually I rename to flash.bat) which you need to run as it loads w6156ims.160 which is the Award bios file.
Without a eeprom programmer you may also run into an issue trying to flash an Award bios onto a chip with AMI if the boot block is not cleared and re-written with the Award one.

Horun wrote on 2024-12-13, 03:18:

Am confused. The picture shows a Asus P5N-E which is socket 775, and 1406.bin has nothing to do with MS-6156. Is that just some […]
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Am confused. The picture shows a Asus P5N-E which is socket 775, and 1406.bin has nothing to do with MS-6156. Is that just some random picture?
Unknown flash type means the flasher does not have the eeprom part # internal listed and does not recognize it. You need to peel the label and write down the actual eeprom type.
The Award bios package has an autoexec.bat (usually I rename to flash.bat) which you need to run as it loads w6156ims.160 which is the Award bios file.
Without a eeprom programmer you may also run into an issue trying to flash an Award bios onto a chip with AMI if the boot block is not cleared and re-written with the Award one.

Sorry, yes - that’s just a random picture. It was just to show what the utility screen looks like.

When you say ‘peel the label’ what do you mean exactly? Does that .160 file need renaming to a different file type?
I think I did try the autoexec at one point, but I don’t recall what it did, if anything. Also, I think this is where I should use the UNIFLASH as that allows the option to clear the boot block, which I’ve also backed up, along with the CMOS and image.

I read somewhere as well that I need to use the AMIFLASH utility if I aim to change it to Award, and vice versa if I want AMI. Is that true?

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-12-12, 18:49:

The readme suggests I add the files to a bootable floppy disk, but whenever I tried to boot from it on startup, it kept complaining it wasn't a valid disk. And I tried a second floppy. Same issue. So in the end, I tried to do it directly from the HDD.

Sounds like your issue is more with creating a bootable disk, not so much flashing as you're not getting far enough to try that.

You didn't say what OS you are running or how you made a bootable diskette.

All the BIOS flash tools I've seen that require you to make a boot floppy, run under DOS (thats pretty much the
only common (at least in the day) OS that can boot from a floppy)

Assuming this is a DOS system, you would simply do something like:

C:> format A: /s

This will make a bootable DOS diskette with nothing (other that the DOS system file) on it.
You would then copy on whatever files they direct you to.
(If one is AUTOEXEC.BAT, take a close look at it to see what it's going to do, probably
just run another of the tools you are directed to copy on - In cases like that I tend to NOT
use an AUTOEXEC but just run to tool directly after booting - otherwise any time you boot the
disk it will try and flash the BIOS)

If the system is NOT running DOS, then you will need to make the boot disk on a DOS system!

(Usually not a great idea to try and flash BIOS from an HD boot - a floppy can be "cleaner", not installing
extra drivers, loading TSRs etc... all of which can interfere with the flashing process...)

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com ::: "Daves Old Computers"->Personal

DaveDDS wrote on 2024-12-13, 05:27:

Sounds like your issue is more with creating a bootable disk, not so much flashing as you're not getting far enough to try that. […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-12-12, 18:49:

The readme suggests I add the files to a bootable floppy disk, but whenever I tried to boot from it on startup, it kept complaining it wasn't a valid disk. And I tried a second floppy. Same issue. So in the end, I tried to do it directly from the HDD.

Sounds like your issue is more with creating a bootable disk, not so much flashing as you're not getting far enough to try that.

You didn't say what OS you are running or how you made a bootable diskette.

All the BIOS flash tools I've seen that require you to make a boot floppy, run under DOS (thats pretty much the
only common (at least in the day) OS that can boot from a floppy)

Assuming this is a DOS system, you would simply do something like:

C:> format A: /s

This will make a bootable DOS diskette with nothing (other that the DOS system file) on it.
You would then copy on whatever files they direct you to.
(If one is AUTOEXEC.BAT, take a close look at it to see what it's going to do, probably
just run another of the tools you are directed to copy on - In cases like that I tend to NOT
use an AUTOEXEC but just run to tool directly after booting - otherwise any time you boot the
disk it will try and flash the BIOS)

If the system is NOT running DOS, then you will need to make the boot disk on a DOS system!

(Usually not a great idea to try and flash BIOS from an HD boot - a floppy can be "cleaner", not installing
extra drivers, loading TSRs etc... all of which can interfere with the flashing process...)

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com ::: "Daves Old Computers"->Personal

Okay, I’ve created a UNIFLASH boot disk with my backup boot image, just in case things go wrong. And I’ve made the boot disk for the BIOS flash. It seems to have recognised the correct image file now, but it seems to remain stuck. The green floppy light is stuck on as well. And it doesn’t respond to key presses.
I did come across a forum post last night from someone saying they had issues with this utility that’s bundled with this version and they tried 7.70 instead. So I guess that’s what I’ll have to try next.

Rename the BIOS image to something simple like bios.bin and then flash it with UniFlash! This should work, it must work!

MSI encoded some information in their BIOS file names - "w6156ims.160" means it's an Award / Phoenix-Award BIOS (w) for the MS-6156 with Intel chipset (i), it is a retail BIOS from MSI (ms) and the version is 1.60. For flashing this could be impractical (depends on used tools), Award / Phoenix-Award BIOS images should be renamed to "bios.bin", Phoenix and AMI BIOS images to "bios.rom" for simplicity and to reduce sources of error.

kind regards
soggi

soggi wrote on 2024-12-16, 22:44:

Rename the BIOS image to something simple like bios.bin and then flash it with UniFlash! This should work, it must work! […]
Show full quote

Rename the BIOS image to something simple like bios.bin and then flash it with UniFlash! This should work, it must work!

MSI encoded some information in their BIOS file names - "w6156ims.160" means it's an Award / Phoenix-Award BIOS (w) for the MS-6156 with Intel chipset (i), it is a retail BIOS from MSI (ms) and the version is 1.60. For flashing this could be impractical (depends on used tools), Award / Phoenix-Award BIOS images should be renamed to "bios.bin", Phoenix and AMI BIOS images to "bios.rom" for simplicity and to reduce sources of error.

kind regards
soggi

Oh. I forgot to post an update here. I managed to get it sorted in the end. 😀 I did use Uniflash and I just simply typed in the name exactly and it found it. Had to copy and paste the file in the same folder, I think.

OK, good to hear! Yes...it has to be in the same folder, most simple is to have it both on C:\ and open it after booting into console with a Win9x CD.

kind regards
soggi