So, what type is your BIOS chip?

I wrote down the writing from the sticker on the bios chip:
AWARD
PCI/PNP 586
S/N 164235531@1998

I also posted a couple of pics:

The real chip type is under the sticker.

MX C984811
28F1000PPC-12C4
RM228710
TAIWAN

Is there any way to force awardflash to flash the bios?

This one is re-programmable. It requires 12V on Pin 1 while flashing.

The Award tool at least detects (or guesses) the correct size and flash technology. It's quite possible 28F010 and 28F1000 are compatible. The command codes are.

Either the flash chip is worn out, in which case the erase fails as not all bytes return to the blank state, or there's something with the 12V (jumper, or the flashing tool can't enable them, in case they are not always applied).

You could check if the 12V are on Pin 1. Another option is to somehow get another chip programmed.
On the other side this is an ETEQ chipset - back then the opinion was not very high.

Here is a line that should force the flash but do not blame me if anything goes wrong.

Awdflash yourBIOS.bin /f /cc /cp /cd

I think the best (more expensive) way is to replace the whole chip.. Its unclear if the chip self is worn out, or just the rom is getting corrupt.
Iam trying to find a bios upgrade for your board..

Do you have a picture of the whole board?

Maybe here is some usefull information:

http://web.archive.org/web/19970331102620/htt … com.tw/bios.htm

Iam finding the boards manual:
http://www.motherboards.org/files/manuals/107/m5eh1011.pdf

SY-5EH5 / SY-5EHM V1.0

So i guess the latest could be also an OEM motherboard..
You can give it a good with a new eprom chip and try looking for the bios of that SY-5EH5 board (should i think the same compatible rom.

http://www.wimsbios.com/forum/other-bios-upda … -type-t307.html

Robin4 wrote:

I think the best (more expensive) way is to replace the whole chip.. Its unclear if the chip self is worn out, or just the rom i […]
Show full quote

I think the best (more expensive) way is to replace the whole chip.. Its unclear if the chip self is worn out, or just the rom is getting corrupt.
Iam trying to find a bios upgrade for your board..

Do you have a picture of the whole board?

Maybe here is some usefull information:

http://web.archive.org/web/19970331102620/htt … com.tw/bios.htm

Iam finding the boards manual:
http://www.motherboards.org/files/manuals/107/m5eh1011.pdf

SY-5EH5 / SY-5EHM V1.0

So i guess the latest could be also an OEM motherboard..
You can give it a good with a new eprom chip and try looking for the bios of that SY-5EH5 board (should i think the same compatible rom.

http://www.wimsbios.com/forum/other-bios-upda … -type-t307.html

Maybe it's a dumb question but ehm...where to I get myself such an EPROM burner? And how much do they cost? Those things seem like very handy for someone like me 🤣

@nahkri, it is mostly bios chip problem. the error 'unknown flash type' displayed after successful system post & pci device listing indicates that it is not able to write(probably read too) the ESCD area of the bios rom, which we normally see like 'updating ESCD'.
You can try a local chip programming service shop for flashing the bios in case the flash write routines are corrupt. they charge very less and saved me a lot during my bios mods. but please be careful while lifting the chip out of the socket if you decide to do it.
by the way are you able to boot to os even now? in that case just don't bother with the error msg.

Tetrium wrote:

Maybe it's a dumb question but ehm...where to I get myself such an EPROM burner? And how much do they cost? Those things seem like very handy for someone like me 🤣

@Tetrium, if you do a lot of bios mods or updates, it will be real handy. it also costs more than a new motherboard, definitely not cheap.

Tetrium wrote:

Robin4 wrote:

I think the best (more expensive) way is to replace the whole chip.. Its unclear if the chip self is worn out, or just the rom i […]
Show full quote

I think the best (more expensive) way is to replace the whole chip.. Its unclear if the chip self is worn out, or just the rom is getting corrupt.
Iam trying to find a bios upgrade for your board..

Do you have a picture of the whole board?

Maybe here is some usefull information:

http://web.archive.org/web/19970331102620/htt … com.tw/bios.htm

Iam finding the boards manual:
http://www.motherboards.org/files/manuals/107/m5eh1011.pdf

SY-5EH5 / SY-5EHM V1.0

So i guess the latest could be also an OEM motherboard..
You can give it a good with a new eprom chip and try looking for the bios of that SY-5EH5 board (should i think the same compatible rom.

http://www.wimsbios.com/forum/other-bios-upda … -type-t307.html

Maybe it's a dumb question but ehm...where to I get myself such an EPROM burner? And how much do they cost? Those things seem like very handy for someone like me 🤣

Like here:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p20506 … cat=0&_from=R40

Price it really worth! I did a lot of bios repairing with it.. Always suc6! The best it works on windows xp.. Cant recommend to use it on vista or windows 7 / 8.

Keep i mind that you also need an UV eprom eraser, otherwise you cant clean the windowed versions. That one i also got it from ebay.. Very cheap one, but really works on hobby projects just fine ( i need to modified then wall plug / wire only, its was already for 220volts. those just works on our 230volts plug whe using in the netherlands).. Ill putt them in for about 20 minutes and they are cleared. Its recommend to verify with the eprom writer if they are really cleared..

Well i managed to solve the problem,so to speak,i took the bios chip out,left it out for a while and later when i placed it back on the mb,didn't pay atention to the notch on the chip and the socket and put it in backwards so the chip is definatly dead now.

sorry to hear that. you could easily get a replacement flash chip(plcc or dip??) and program it from a local electronic services shop. i found a shop near my locality which specializes in college projects and they had these eeprom programmers and charged an equivalent of less than a dollar.

or you could order a replacement chip(programmed) from many online websites.

Not sure if replacing the bios chip is worth the money,since this is a old board which i bought for 2 euros and wasn't even sure i'm gonna use it for a build.I'd rather get another mvp3 ss7 board.

I have this bios chip,from an unused,acorp ss7 board with via mvp3,this chip is fine,can i delete the bios on this 1,write the soyo bios onto it and use it in the soyo board?

your soyo board has the Macronix chip(access time of 120 ns) which is normally programmed/erased with 12V. this winbond one is a 5V chip with a slightly inferior access time of 150ns. afaik it won't work out and will probably get burnt.

Ok,so if i manage to find an identical Macronix chip,i can erase it and write the soyo bios.

it need not be identical, only needs to be similar and the following parameters are important:
a) programming voltage(12v)
b) access time (120 ns or better i.e 90 ns)
c) package, obviously (DIP)
and most importantly your soyo motherboard bios should be able to identify the alternate flash chip, otherwise you will get unknown flash type message. the motherboard bios normally has a database of the different types and makes of flash chips upto that period. so if you are using a newer chip type then it may not recognize it unless you update your bios.
so, if you get an identical chip you don't have to worry about these things and only need to take care of the removing & inserting part. if the identical chip is in a different motherboard type and model, then you may need to 'hot flash' it(google will help you), slightly risky. if you are not comfortable get the services of an eeprom programmer.