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Need help! PVI-486SP3 can't access bios bootblock screen

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First post, by Turboman

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I may have destroyed my motherboard or something I don't know. I was programming a TMS27C010A on my PC with the programmer once I was done I put the chip into my motherboard and set it for 5V, I turned it on and I noticed some hieroglyphics I double checked everything I inserted the chip correctly. I turned it on again and then all of a sudden I get this

Award Bootblock Bios V1.0
Bios Rom checksum Error

Detecting floppy drive a media....
Drive A error. System Halt.

I put my old working bios chip back in and I get the same thing. What happened?

Reply 1 of 5, by ZanQuance

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Check and see if the clear cmos jumper was left on clear, some boards double this for bios recovery mode where it reads from a floppy with the bios bin on it

Reply 2 of 5, by Turboman

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There is no clear bios jumper on this board. I already have the battery out.

Reply 3 of 5, by ZanQuance

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Hmmm, not sure then. You can try and reflash by putting the bios rom onto a floppy.

Reply 4 of 5, by ThisOldTech

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I want to chime in on this ancient thread in case someone else comes across it looking for answers.
I have an Asus PVI-486SP3 here that wasn't POSTing at all... I replaced some broken tantalums and it came back to life!
Then... I got the infamous "Award Bootlock BIOS" Checksum Error...
Then it said insert system disk (hinting more that it wanted a boot disk?)
I tried a disk with the bios file -- but it also wouldn't recognize boot disks.

So, I *was* going to try some other steps to reflash the BIOS BUT!!!
I ran across a thread on another ancient forum where someone mentioned the board doesn't like EDO RAM?!
So, I tried a stick of non-EDO and boom! The board posted perfectly!

Hope that helps someone else!

I rescue old PCs and keep them from being recycled... and preserve Dos/Win 3.11 Software on https://www.ThisOldTech.ca.
Current Machine: AST Advantage! Adventure 6066d Cyrix DX50, 32M, 500MB, Vibra16 + CD/Floppy

Reply 5 of 5, by crackintosh

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ThisOldTech wrote on 2021-06-07, 23:12:
... Then... I got the infamous "Award Bootlock BIOS" Checksum Error... ... So, I tried a stick of non-EDO and boom! The board p […]
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...
Then... I got the infamous "Award Bootlock BIOS" Checksum Error...
...
So, I tried a stick of non-EDO and boom! The board posted perfectly!

Thank you! Got same troubles. changed RAM - motherboard Boot Ok!

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