xDarkBonEx wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:23:

Hello! […]
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Hello!

I've made a terrible mistake, I tried to update the bios on mentioned board. I've got a correct bios file, for this specific model and revision, unfortunately even though the process finished successfully without errors the PC stopped working.

It gives no beeps on start, keyboard seems to start because the NumLock keys are on.

Is there any way to rescue it without buying some kind of programator or giving it to someone to program it?

If no, what kind of programator I would need to do it myself?

Thank you in advance!

Erase the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard.
Sometimes it needs to have the safe settings loaded before working.
Try swapping the video card to other slots.

Hi,

If even after doing what Nexxen suggested it still doesn't work, remove the power cable(or if you have a switch to turn the PSU off then you can use that too), then remove the battery, wait for 5 minutes then put the battery back then the cable and start it, sometimes this work when the clear CMOS jumper doesn't.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:35:

Erase the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard. Sometimes it needs to have the safe settings loaded before working. Try swap […]
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xDarkBonEx wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:23:

Hello! […]
Show full quote

Hello!

I've made a terrible mistake, I tried to update the bios on mentioned board. I've got a correct bios file, for this specific model and revision, unfortunately even though the process finished successfully without errors the PC stopped working.

It gives no beeps on start, keyboard seems to start because the NumLock keys are on.

Is there any way to rescue it without buying some kind of programator or giving it to someone to program it?

If no, what kind of programator I would need to do it myself?

Thank you in advance!

Erase the CMOS using the jumper on the motherboard.
Sometimes it needs to have the safe settings loaded before working.
Try swapping the video card to other slots.

Thank you for the reply!

I've tried to clear CMOS, by taking out coin cell and by setting a jumper, it didn't work.

As for video card, I'll try it asap.
Maybe after leaving it unpowered for 3 months changed something.

MagefromAntares wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:46:

Hi,

If even after doing what Nexxen suggested it still doesn't work, remove the power cable(or if you have a switch to turn the PSU off then you can use that too), then remove the battery, wait for 5 minutes then put the battery back then the cable and start it, sometimes this work when the clear CMOS jumper doesn't.

Numlock works, the board isn't all dead.

Next move would be to set up a boot disk with flash utility forcing reprogram.

Last resort is swapping bios chip to another motherboard.

@ xDarkBonEx
Before all this, if you put a bootable disk in, does it load anything?
If you have a Ms-dos disk it should load it with the nice sound of the floppy drive 😀

xDarkBonEx wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:23:

Hello! […]
Show full quote

Hello!

I've made a terrible mistake, I tried to update the bios on mentioned board. I've got a correct bios file, for this specific model and revision, unfortunately even though the process finished successfully without errors the PC stopped working.

It gives no beeps on start, keyboard seems to start because the NumLock keys are on.

Is there any way to rescue it without buying some kind of programator or giving it to someone to program it?

If no, what kind of programator I would need to do it myself?

Thank you in advance!

If you have ISA videocard insert it (remove PCI videocard before it) and turn on your computer to see is there anything on screen
Or connect floppy drive and check is there any activity trying to boot it from floppy

Okay so, changing the Video card slot didn't help, floppy is alive and when I insert a diskette it tries to read something (the diskette itself is dead unfortunately).

Unfortunately Nothing is displayed on the screen.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:53:

MagefromAntares wrote on 2026-06-10, 09:46:

If you have a Ms-dos disk it should load it with the nice sound of the floppy drive 😀

About this, does it mean that with possibly borked bios the MS-DOS startup disk can omit it and simply start the MS-DOS?

Do I understand that correctly?

xDarkBonEx wrote on 2026-06-10, 11:21:

Okay so, changing the Video card slot didn't help, floppy is alive and when I insert a diskette it tries to read something (the diskette itself is dead unfortunately).

Unfortunately Nothing is displayed on the screen.

Most likely it tries to read the diskette and boot from it, it is a good sign. Some motherboards have recovery disks that can be written on the disk, this one however seems to not a have specific one for it (at least not easily findable on the net).

If it can boot from the disk then you can create a special boot disk with the AWDFLASH.EXE(This board according to the web searches I did only came equipped with an AWARD BIOS), the BIOS image file(You might wish to try a different version than what you flashed before it went wrong, maybe that version has some issues with this particular instance of the board and re-flashing with it brings you back to the same no display state, there are a couple of ones on this website:https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/soyo-sy-5eas) and an AUTOEXEC.BAT that starts the AWDFLASH.EXE with proper arguments, I don't remember the exact arguments to give the utility now, maybe someone else on this forum can help with that?

Here is an image I saved of the procedure for an Award BIOS.

Okay so I did everything in the instructions, floppy is spinning but I don't know if it's doing something as I have no display.

How long the flashing takes on this of machines?

@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11

Update: it seems that this method doesn't work, disk is spinning at constant speed and it doesn't seem to read anything.

I think I would need a programmer to fix this PC. Would you kindly recommend something that is not super expensive?

Thank you!

xDarkBonEx wrote on Today, 09:13:

@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11 […]
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@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11

Update: it seems that this method doesn't work, disk is spinning at constant speed and it doesn't seem to read anything.

I think I would need a programmer to fix this PC. Would you kindly recommend something that is not super expensive?

Thank you!

Which version of awflash you use?

xDarkBonEx wrote on Today, 09:13:

@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11 […]
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@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11

Update: it seems that this method doesn't work, disk is spinning at constant speed and it doesn't seem to read anything.

I think I would need a programmer to fix this PC. Would you kindly recommend something that is not super expensive?

Thank you!

As @Ydee says there are still possible avenues to explore without resorting to a (E)EPROM programmer, however if you wish to skip right into using a programmer:

I don't think there is anything super special about this motherboard's BIOS chip, so I think any generic DIP programmer supporting the correct number of pins would be good, but to be sure you can check the exact type number of the ROM, it might be covered by the AWARD BIOS sticker on it.

To give a more exact recommendation I would need:
1. Define "super expensive", I know people to whom a Core-I7 is cheap, while I also know someone to whom a used P4 is expensive, a cost range would be better.
2. Do you wish to use the ROM programmer only on this motherboard or more generally useable with multiple kinds of ROMs?
3. Do you want a complete single unit ROM programmer that you can plug-in into a PC or assembling it from a KIT for you is a possibility?
4. While giving your exact location on the internet is unwise, if you can give at least the continent or country where you live can make a recommendation easier, for example there is no reason to recommend a programmer which is only readily available in Europe, while you live in the USA as the cost to ship it and various custom duties can exceed the cost of the programmer if not available at a more nearby vendor.

Ydee wrote on Today, 10:03:

xDarkBonEx wrote on Today, 09:13:

@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11 […]
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@Nexxen @MagefromAntares @Repo Man11

Update: it seems that this method doesn't work, disk is spinning at constant speed and it doesn't seem to read anything.

I think I would need a programmer to fix this PC. Would you kindly recommend something that is not super expensive?

Thank you!

Which version of awflash you use?

There are a number of old posts online pointing to this board failing to properly update during a BIOS flash, leaving the board in various states of 'bricked'. Any recovery re-flashing seems to suggest using either awdflash v5.3 or v5.5

A more unlikely thought is; did you try a brand new coin cell battery?

I asked because some versions of the flasher don't work properly—not even the ones included with the BIOS update from the motherboard manufacturer. Just yesterday, I updated the BIOS on an MSI PM8M3V, and while the included awflash 859G identified the EPROM, it just sat there with a blinking cursor and didn't respond to any commands. It wasn’t until I used the newer version 873 that it worked).
Without a video output, it’s hard to tell.
That’s why I’d try more versions of the flasher before he will have external programmer.

Okay so, @Ydee @PC Hoarder Patrol
I've used 7.80 as this was the one I used before bricking it. I'll try older versions as you've suggested, also I used a brand new coin cell.

@MagefromAntares

1. For me reasonable cost would be around 80 $ or 300 PLN
2. Would be nice to use it for wider range of chips, not only this one.
3. I do know how to solder as I fix stuff as a hobby (recent rescue: 1996 monochrome crt display)
4. I live in Poland so buying on eBay or Amazon is fine, also AliExpress is good.

To my knowledge,
using a floppy to recover the BIOS could require:

1. a boot disk with a batch file forcing the award flash utility to overwrite
2. a boot disk with the bios file
3. a normal floppy with the bios file
4. a specific image written to a floppy

At this point if you are willing to buy a programmer it makes little sense insisting, unless, you want to find the solution to the riddle.
80$ is enough for a very good programmer.

@Nexxen

I will try to fix this without buying programmer, I leave the purchase as a last resort 😁

I will update you later today if changing the awdflash version worked.