Where to buy a new (or just new to me) BIOS chip?

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Killen
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:08 pm

Where to buy a new (or just new to me) BIOS chip?

Post by Killen »

Where could I buy a new (or just new to me) BIOS chip for my BP6?

I was experiencing the BIOS update freeze mentioned in other posts, when the entire block I live on lost power. The power came back half an hour later, but now my BP6 won't boot.

I have followed the links listed in other posts related to this issue (BIOS freeze when updating), but only getting 404's. The BIOS chip I have lost the sticker with any part numbers/serial numbers some time ago, so searching by that information is not possible for me. So where could I buy a new (or just new to me) BIOS chip for my BP6?

I'm not in any rush, but it would be nice to have something in the works by the new year.


Oh, and for the record, here's my "used to be working fine until I tried updating the BIOS earlier today" BP6:

2 x 500 MHz Celerons (not oc'd), 66 MHz FSB
768 MB PC 100 RAM (non ECC)
5 x 80 GB HD's (1 on UDMA/33 controller, 4 on HPT366 Controller)
Video: nVidia Geforce2 MX, 32 MB
Sound: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
2 x gigabit NIC's
48X CD-ROM
32X CD-R/RW
250 MB Zip Drive
RAIDMAX 420 Watt PSU
No-Name Case (very crowded)
InactiveX
BeOS Forever
Posts: 1385
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:25 am
Location: UK

Post by InactiveX »

Hi there Killen. Good to have you on board, and I hope we can sort out your BP6!

I have had a bad flash on my BP6 before. I brought it back from the dead by using an old ISA video card. Using one of these cards, you can get the BP6 to just about function with a display and floppy drive. From there you should be able to flash with the appropriate boot floppy and BIOS files.

FYI, the BIOS chip on my BP6 reads:

AWARD
© 1998
PCI/PNP 686
216434205


ABit may be able to supply you with another chip if you contact them.

On the other hand, somebody here might have a non-functioning BP6 that could be a BIOS chip donor! Let us know which part of the world you are in.

Welcome to our club, and let us know how you get on! :thumbs:
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Killen
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:08 pm

Post by Killen »

Thanks for the advice. I am located in the San Francisco Bay area, and if anyone
in that area would like to donate a working BIOS chip, I would greatly appreciate
it. Should that not be possible, I think I know a store in San Francisco that might
still sell used ISA video cards.

I'll be sure to post the outcome (hopefully good) of this latest adventure in
restoring my old BP6.
InactiveX
BeOS Forever
Posts: 1385
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:25 am
Location: UK

Post by InactiveX »

See if you can get an ISA video card. Provided your BIOS chip is working, you should be able to get it back up with just a monitor, keyboard*, floppy drive and bootdisk including BIOS files.

I've kept an ISA video card stashed away ever since the bad flash I mentioned earlier, just in case.

I would strongly advise you to use the last working BIOS .bin file you had.

Good luck!

*That will need to be a PS/2 keyboard rather than USB.
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