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Help, I've messed up a BIOS flash!!

2K views 23 replies 5 participants last post by  forris 
#1 ·
Eeeek!!! I was clearing out some old files and I have accidently run (from within XP) a BIOS flash utility for my old AOpen AX6BC mobo. MY current mobo is an MSI K8N Neo2. From what I can recall, the utility perfoms the BIOS flash the next time that the PC is rebooted. The file is called ax6bc110.exe. I have tried to delete the file both from Windows and from a Dos box, but I am being told that the file is in use. I have looked in Task Manager but I cannot find an entry that relates to this file.

Any help would be great (once you've stopped laughing!). I shall be leaving my PC on until I get this sorted!!

Thanks,
Darren
 
#3 ·
Hi, thanks for the reply.

After I double-clicked the exe file, a DOS box came up, ran a few commands, and then disappeared after a couple of seconds (too fast to catch the text). I have used this before, on the AOpen board, and I'm pretty sure that it interrupts the POST at reboot to flash the BIOS.

Darren
 
#5 ·
Nothing in the Temp folder. Searched using Google Desktop and found only the original .exe file (which I can't delete). I suppose I really only have a couple of questions -

1. Will a BIOS flash for an AOpen board affect an MSI Board (both Award)

2. Does the flash util use the .exe file at reboot, if so can I boot using a Linux disk (or other) and manually delete the file?

Thanks
 
#6 ·
Question #1-I don't know but I wouldn't want to take the chance

Question #2-I'm not familiar with how MSI handles the flash. Most times when you flash the BIOS you just flash it, and it's done.

Have you tried re-naming the original file and see if you can delete it?
 
#7 ·
Unable to rename the file (file in use).

Here's another thought - according to file properties the file is linked to custom Autoexec.NT & Config.NT files. Can these be edited, or interrupted at POST in order to skip the flash?

Also, when XP says that a file is in use, is there a way to tell which program is using it? I've been through every process in Task Manager none of them seem to be what I'm after.
 
#9 ·
Do you have Hijack This installed? If not go to http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

go into your hard drive and make a folder called Hijack This. Download and install Hijack This to that folder then launch Hijack This. When it launches click on "none of the above just start the program". In the next Window click "scan" and then examine the Hijack This scan to see if anything related to Aopen is listed. You MAY be able to remove the file with Hijack This
 
#10 ·
win2kpro - that was the first thing I did after I realised my mistake, but found nothing from AOpen. Also compared the log with one from a few days ago and could see no anomalies.

tonkacat - will this definately work? I ask because this obviously means turning the PC off which I do not want to do unless I'm pretty sure my BIOS will not get flashed!

Thanks
 
#11 ·
Personally, I don't think changing the BIOS jumper will stop the file from loading, just my opinion.

Go to control panel>folder options and click on the "view" tab. Check "show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "hide protected operating system files", click apply, click OK. Then do another search for the file.
 
#12 ·
I'm not an expert so I'm not 100% sure. All I can tell you is it worked for me when I was working on a computer with the same problem. If it doesn't work replacing the battery may work. You can buy a new one at Walmart for a few bucks. This worked on another computer when resetting the bios junper didn't work.

win2kpro you are probably correct. Like I said I am not an expert.
 
#13 ·
tonkacat - thanks, I will save your solution for a last resort (no offence!)

win2kpro - I already had those settings (I consider myself a fairly knowledgable user, although I may have to rethink that!!). I know where the .exe file is, I just can't find the process that is using that file in order to stop it.

Darren
 
#14 ·
I may be wrong but I believe Windows is using the file, or actually not using the file right now, but the file is ready to be installed with the trigger being the reboot.

This is sort of a tough call. Since the file is for an Aopen board and you are using an MSI board, when the trigger occurs the MSI board may recognize that it is not a correct file and not flash the BIOS with it, and on the other hand it MAY try to flash the BIOS with the wrong firmware. If your BIOS has a provision to save the current BIOS to a floppy I would go ahead and save a copy to a floppy.

I'm still thinking, and I thought about Pocket Kill Box, but with Pocket Kill Box although it would probably kill the file, it kills it on restart so that really isn't much help as the file would probably try to install before it could be killed.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, thats my dilemma! I don't know which order things will happen when I reboot. I think I will take your suggestion and try to save the bios. I'll then reboot into something other than Windows and delete the file. If I don't get back to you for a while, you'll know it went wrong!
Say a prayer for me!
 
#16 ·
I would suggest going to the BIOS manufacturers web site and doing two things. Get the current flash file for this BIOS and also get the instructions on the proper way to install it.

Then you will have all the bases covered if rebooting fails.
 
#18 ·
Result! (sort of)

Well, as you can see, I haven't killed my PC. I decided to use MSI Live Update to re-flash my BIOS as it meant I would have a rescue disk if it went wrong. However, on reboot, I forgot to tell the PC to boot from floppy so it started Windows as normal without doing the MSI BIOS flash. That's the good (lucky!) news.

The bad news is I still can't delete that exe file. It still says that it is in use. I think I'm going to leave it for now, until it bugs me enough to try to find it in the registry ( it has to be there somewhere, doesn't it!?).

Like you, I am an optimist and have had a lot of success with crossing my fingers and closing my eyes!!

Thanks for alll your thoughts today.

Cheers,
Darren
 
#19 ·
You can't delete the file because it is in use by windows.

Most BIOS upgrades read an ID string from the MB before any other activity takes place. If the ID string is not one that the BIOS update is looking for, it will abort the flash, usually with an error message that tells you what went wrong, and to reboot.

Award is really good at this--they write BIOS for many, many manufacturers, and they wouldn't want to sully their excellent reputation.
 
#20 ·
Glad things worked out.

If it hasn't been installed in may not be in the registry. You could try downloading the trial version of jv16 power tools, and I have used them many times to find registry entries for programs and delete them from jv16.

jv16 also has a file tool that may help you out.

Good Luck!
 
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