How to Build Your Own
Pentium III Computer
Flash the BIOS
Last updated: 5/8/01
 Boot
the computer and check the date of the motherboard BIOS which is displayed
right at the beginning of the boot sequence. If it older than the one
that you downloaded, the motherboard BIOS should be flashed. But
first, I'll warn you that you will be taking a chance if you do this and
you will be doing it at your own risk.
If something goes wrong (e.g., a power outage) during
this process you could end-up with an unbootable motherboard. If
that happens you will have to find someone with the equipment to flash
the BIOS, obtain another BIOS, or buy a new motherboard. I've done
it many times without a problem. Someday it's going to get me.
Ok, let's flash the BIOS.
If
you haven't downloaded the BIOS and Award Flash utility, do so now. Make
a bootable floppy without any drivers in the autoexec.bat and config.sys
files and copy both to the floppy.
I use DOS 6.22 for the floppy. A windows 98/98
SE bootable floppy, Startup
floppy made the Manual way, or a Window
Me boot disk will work fine. You could wait until after you have
installed Windows to Flash the BIOS. But my way is the safest way
to avoid possible problems during the Windows installation.
Read
the instructions on Abit's
Web site.
Boot
the computer
Press
the Delete when prompted to go into the CMOS Setup
Select
the BIOS FEATURES SETUP and disable the CPU Level 1 and Level 2 Cache,' and
Video BIOS Shadow
Esc
to the main Setup Menu
Select
the CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP disable Video and System BIOS Cachable
Boot
the computer with the bootable DOS floppy with the Award flash utility and
the new BIOS
Type "awdflash
newbios /cc /cd /cp /py /sn /cks /r" (without the quotation marks and
where newbios is the file name of the new bios; e.g., bh6_ss.bin) at the
DOS prompt and press enter.
Hold your breath and pray.
Push the F1 key when its done to reboot the printer and
power-down
Move
the jumper next to the left ISA expansion board slot to pins 2-3, the two
towards the front of the motherboard. Go get a cup of coffee while
the CMOS discharges (I'd give at 10 minutes), come back and move the jumper
back to pins 1-2, and power-up.
After flashing the BIOS it is a good idea to clear
remnants and settings from old BIOS that may still be in the CMOS memory.
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