Ultra BIOS - BIOS Recovery and Replacement

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BIOS Replacement Instructions.

Personal Computers/Servers

Unscrew the screws on the back of the case on the opposite side of the panel. Once this is done, slide that section toward the back of the case. It should now come off fairly easy. Although most ATX cases open up this way, some may require additional or different instructions.

Laptops

Since each laptop is different, it is recommended that you get the disassembley instructions from your laptop makers website.

Search for your BIOS chip

The location will be different for each board, but it will be a PLCC in a socket or soldered to the board and usually has a sticker on it. The sticker would usually have something like "Award-BIOS", "AMI BIOS", or "Phoenix BIOS" printed on it along with some numbers. Click here for an example.

PLCC BIOS In Socket	Soldered PLCC BIOS

If your PLCC is soldered to a board, chances are you will not be able to replace it or recover it from a bad flash. See the FAQ for details.

Some older motherboards have a dual in-line package BIOS chip. We do not currently support DIPs.

Chip Removal

The proper way to remove the chip is with a PLCC Extractor. If that is not an option, you can use something small like a paperclip to stick in the corners of the socket and pry the chip out. Make sure the power is off before removing the chip and make sure you are wearing an ESD wriststrap or touching the computer chassis. This prevents static electricity from destroying the BIOS chip or any other ICs you may end up touching.

Chip Replacement

When putting a PLCC in a socket, make sure the bevel on the chip matches up with the diagonal corner on the socket. Forcing it in another way could damage the chip and the socket. Once again, make sure you are wearing an ESD wriststrap or touching the computer chassis.

Clear the CMOS

Clearing the CMOS should be done before turning the power on after installing a new or reflashed chip. The CMOS can be cleared using by using the jumper on the motherboard or by removing the battery.

To use the jumper method, turn off your computer and simply move the jumper from its current position to the next position on the pins (Example: If the jumper is on pins 1 and 2, move it to 2 and 3). Leave the jumper there for 30 seconds then put it back in its original position.

If you cannot find the jumper, remove the battery to clear the CMOS. Turn the computer off and remove the battery from the motherboard and short the battery terminals for 30 seconds.