Foxconn BIOS ate my NF4UK8AA

[supernaut]

Hopefully someone around here can help me out.

In May 2005 I bought a Novatech PC fitted with a Foxconn NF4UK8AA-8EKRS mobo. Apart from a run-in with a probable power spike that took out most of its internals once (!!) it's been pretty solid.

Recently I have been having problems with the wireless keyboard and mouse - the machine was randomly locking up. Having eliminated everything else, the issue was narrowed down to some sort of interaction between keyboard/mouse combo, BIOS and the (then) latest round of XP updates.

So I grab the latest BIOS (49GW1P47, 17/3/2006) off the Foxconn site and flash the board on the principle that it can't do any harm. No errors, everything went through and checksummed fine. Go to reboot, and nothing. No startup screen or POST.

I have done the usual tricks/troubleshooting - cleared CMOS, tried to boot the board with the bare minimum, moved memory around and nothing has worked.

Any suggestions as to what to try from here? There is a jumper described as 'Recovery' in the manual but it is also not recommended to be touched (no explanation of its use).

One other option could be to get a physical BIOS PROM and exchange it. Any ideas where I could source one from?

Any advice gratefully received. Foxconn Global support has not got back to me and Foxconn UK have tried to suggest that this is all Novatech's problem because they sold me the board - despite the fact that Foxconn supplied the BIOS image, and I flashed it! So I am less than impressed with the Foxconn after-sales...

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[gwendes]

Foxconn will supply a new BIOS chip for about £5 - don't let them fob you off!

[supernaut]

Foxconn will supply a new BIOS chip for about £5 - don't let them fob you off!

Thanks for the comment - just put the phone down from talking to Foxconn UK and they will see if they have a BIOS chip on a returned board - they won't order a chip in specially :( This is despite pointing out that it's their BIOS update that probably caused the problem in the first place, and generally playing the very pissed off customer card.

I'll update the thread if I get any further.

[Benjy]

Dear Supernaut,

Following your conversation with a member of the Foxconn team a replacement BIOS with the BIOS update will be shipped out to you today and should arrive with you on Monday/Tuesday.

We hope that this will fix your problem!!

Thanks & Best Regards

Foxconn UK

[supernaut]

Following your conversation with a member of the Foxconn team a replacement BIOS with the BIOS update will be shipped out to you today and should arrive with you on Monday/Tuesday.

Well, Ben, it's now Saturday one week later and nothing has arrived. No calls, no emails, simply silence and no promised BIOS. Not even a note saying "It's in the post from Taiwan".

However credit where credit is due - Foxconn main support finally got back to me....and suggested that I clear the BIOS (tried that), and if that doesn't work then send it back to the supplier for repair :(

So the question must be "what next?". I can:


1. Wait for Foxconn to supply a working BIOS on a chip. However this is not looking good, despite Ben's assurances.

2. Return the PC to Novatech for a paid-for repair. This does save me time, and would pin down the cause once and for all.

3. Buy a new, working mobo and change it myself - I have all the rest of the parts after all! Anyone got any suggestions?


Chris
Still with a totally dead PC

[Taxation]

flash the bios yourself :?:
steal somebody elses bios chip :?:
wait longer :?:
they are what i would consider

[supernaut]

Hurrah! Foxconn UK have sent me a PROM with the latest BIOS on it - thanks guys. :D

It has confirmed what I thought - something went horribly wrong with the BIOS flash. Swapped chips, and the machine bursts into life. Whether it was the BIOS, or something else that killed the machine, who knows. But I do note that this version of BIOS is version 49GW1P61 (26/04/06 release?) which is later than the version currently available on the Foxconn website. Coincidence?

Again, thanks guys.

Now to solve the original intermittent lock-up problem which is still there despite the BIOS update.... I'll start another topic for that.

Chris

[Nox]

Thanks for replying to the thread glad to see they finally came through, even if it didn't resolve the problem

Nox