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Thread ID: 10109	2001-07-05 11:22:00	bios error after flashing	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
15072	2001-07-05 11:22:00	I have flash updated the bios on my ASUS PVI-486SP3 board from version Award 4.50 to 4.51PG. I did this so that the Cx5x86 100MHz CPU would be recognised, and would run at better than 66 MHz, the date would be reported correctly (Y2K issues), a bug with my sound card would be fixed, and a few other things would be sorted. As far as I could tell, the flash went successfully - until I came to reboot. Now after the board does POST, I get the following: ERROR -- Can't Write ESCD. It will not boot from floppy or the hard drive. Has my flash upgrade failed?? How do I fix it if I can't boot from floppy? I have looked through FAQ's on numerous BIOS websites, and can't even find one to tell me what the ESCD is !! Let alone how to fix it. Has anyone any brilliant ideas? The ASUS site if it is of any use : www.asus.com.tw	Guest (0)
15073	2001-07-05 11:37:00	You may have gotten the wrong BIOS update as i think the ESCD stuff is only on newer 586 boards. If you saved the origional bios when it gave you the option, I know of two possible ways to restore it. I have an award bios and it gives me the option at boot to press Alt-F2 to load an upgrade from floppy. The other way is some boards have a jumper to load a stripped down bios with floppy only support (have a search around). Failing that you could replace the chip.	Guest (0)
15074	2001-07-06 02:08:00	Hi. If the BIOS update is the wrong one, it may be ASUS fault - it came from the official ASUS page. I was very careful to get the right version by checking the serial numbers etc. Do you know what the ESCD stuff is? I looked on my main machine (SLot 1 BX board), and I note that after it POSTs, there is an entry for ESCD for each hard drive in the machine. So I'm guessing that it is some kind of software interface for the HDD controller?? Also what version of Award BIOS do you have? I have tried ALT-F2 but nothing seems to happen. At what stage in the POST do you press ALT-F2? I have had a look, but the only bios-related jumper I can find is the one to change the VPP so that the BIOS can actually be re-programmed, and of course the 'Clear CMOS' jumper. If I have to replace the chip, is it possible to steal one off another board, and to reflash it with my 'saved' state from the original BIOS, or do I need to plug in a 'new' BIOS?? Thanks for your help.	Guest (0)
15075	2005-09-01 05:16:00	Hi, was wondering if you ever found out what caused your error in the bios...Error:cant write ESCD I have had the problem since upgrading my processor to an AMD 2400 with a new bios chip with version 1011 on it...also tried and flashed it to 1015.002 beta bios but it did not help. Asus doesnt know why and thought maybe you found the answer long ago??? Thanks	Soulcommander (300)
15076	2005-09-01 10:45:00	have you tried setting everything to defaults? maybe even taking the battery out for a while... Most PCs (except really old ones) have an ESCD---an "Extended System Configuration Data"--- area in the BIOS. The ESCD remembers information about your hardware (especially Plug and Play devices) from boot to boot so your system doesn't have to sniff out and allocate resources for each device from scratch--- thus speeding boot time. If the ESCD area fails, the system may still boot, but more slowly because each piece of hardware has to be re-identified and re-set up. You also may get odd behavior because the hardware resource allocations (IRQs, etc.) can change from boot to boot. (See www.pcguide.com ) "Flashing" a BIOS--- running a special program to update the software and data electrically "burned" into the BIOS chip--- can sometimes fail. As you say your BIOS has been flashed, my guess is that something didn't "take" during that process, and that your ESCD area or subsystem is scrambled. I'd suggest you try re-flashing your BIOS with freshly-downloaded files from either the BIOS maker or motherboard vendor site. That will probably fix things, but if not, it may mean that your BIOS chip itself has developed a problem. In that case, I'd consider getting a new BIOS chip. They're not very expensive: See www.google.com	Agent_24 (57)
15077	2005-09-01 15:37:00	Hi Agent....Yeah I have done all that...took battery out, jumpered the pins for 15 sec and went into bios and did a reset configuration data as well as set everything to defaults...nothing helped. I have searched the internet high and low and only find posts stating this error message with Asus boards. I have an A7v266-E....all this happened when upgrading it 7/29/05 from bios version 1004b with a AMD 2000+ Xp proc. to a 2400. I ordered the bios chip from Asus with the 1011 bios for support for the new 2400 processor. The first 2 chips Asus sent wouldnt even post!!!! The next 2 they sent posted fine but I had this error message. Asus only seems to return calls if you keep on them and make demands. I haven't been very impressed with their support on this matter. Still waiting for that call about the 2 bios chips that I sent back and as to why they wouldnt post. Still waiting on the call as they were going to test this on one of their A7v266e boards. I suppose they will never call. HELP does anyone know???	Soulcommander (300)
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