Commell LV677 BIOS Flash

Stompit · 10-27-2007, 04:44 AM

Ok, if you have an LV677 and HQCT-i you may be aware that the CDIN on your mainboard does not function, if you have a later model then this issue may have been rectified.

I am assuming that the latest version of the BIOS (1.5) from the Commell site fixes this problem, my current version is 1.2.

Hence I am trying to flash the BIOS with the update, only problem is I dont know what the F I am doing as I have never flashed a BIOS before. There are plenty of guides that focus on using your floppy drive, but cummon people its the 00's and who the hell has floppy drives anymore! I've got 4 computers in the house and not one floppy drive.

I have been looking around and there is a plethera of guides on how to use your usb drive / setting up bootable sectors, blah blah, jargon jargon, can do this, cant to that, warning warning not doing it right will F up your motherboard forever and ever and ever etc etc.

Just wondering if anyone has a good, plain English guide, or a link to one on how to accomplish flashing your BIOS with no floppy drive on XP Pro SP2.

And no, it's not really practical to lug my bundle of computer bits (in testing phase) and jumble of wires 120k's into the city to a "Computer Technicial" to have them do it for me

Thanks Folks!

Dunc

2k1Toaster · 10-27-2007, 05:06 AM

Step #1) Buy a floppy drive for $10
Step #2) Flash...

The thing is, the BIOS is what makes your mobo to start to tell what the other things do. If the file does not copy 100% correctly, and is not flashed 100% correctly, then you will have a paperweight. Some boards' bios chips are socketed now, but usually a bad flash equals garbage for motherboard.

You can get some windows programs to flash while in windows, which is like the easy way out, but be very very careful with those. Personally I wouldnt touch them with a 10m pole.

I consider myself rather computer literate, and 1/4 BIOS flashes have ended in failure. Its just environment and luck really once you get to it. And I wouldnt use a USB drive. Not for something this basic. Get a floppy. Get a used floppy. Be happy. Even XP requires a floppy to install SATA drivers remember and XP came out way after the turn of the millenium.

That and floppy drives make that awesome "Grr-Drr-drr-Dunk" sound whenever the computer boots.

Stompit · 10-27-2007, 06:09 AM

Thanks for you reply

I see what you mean, but I still think floppys are a thing of the past, the last 2 comps I have built with SATA did not need extra drivers and hence didnt need a floppy drive.

I really REALLY cant be arsed buying a floppy drive just to use once and then have it gathering dust, especially when some factory in China has put a ton of crap into the air and water to make the one unit! It's taking throwaway consumerism to the extreme!

I know its a cheap and proven solution, and I know that if anything goes wrong during the flashing process that the sky will fall in, but I can't believe that in this day and age there is not a proven way to flash your BIOS on an XP system with no floppy drive, anyone please?!

Lets face it, if anything does go wrong then at least I've got a good reason to throw this slow booting, M2-ATX(v1) incompatible, CDIN non functional, otherwise OK board out the window and get something a little more tried and tested (I know I know, I should have done 10 hours research instead of 5 when buying a motherboard for automotive use).

ANYONE PLEAAASE!

DarquePervert · 10-27-2007, 06:42 AM

Waaaah.

You asked for help and were given a solution and you were told that you don't want to use that solution. I don't get it...

Here's another alternative:
Burn a CD that boots to a command prompt that has the BIOS updater on it. Boot to that CD and flash your BIOS.

pbarrette · 10-27-2007, 12:23 PM

Wow Darque,

That's a little harsh. Personally, I wouldn't take advice from someone who has had 25% of their BIOS flashes end in failure either.

I've flashed from USB, CF card, CD, DVD, floppy, Windows, DOS, etc. I've modded BIOS menus, stripped and replaced VGA and PCI bios code on the main BIOS image, even flashed directly to PCI devices. I've even hacked and flashed embedded hardware. I've never had a BIOS flash fail so badly that it was unrecoverable.

This should be a simple fix.
1) Use Darque's idea and make a CD that boots to DOS.
2) or, Read some of the guides on making a USB memory stick bootable.
3) Make sure that your bootable media contains "awdflash.exe" and "677151.BIN".
4) When you have booted into DOS, type "awdflash 677171.BIN".
5) Follow the prompts, and wait till it's done.
6) When it tells you it's done, turn the computer off.

Simple as pie.

pb

Stompit · 10-28-2007, 04:48 AM

Ahh, thanks pbarrette, excellent advice

Glad there are people like yourself on this forum, and you even know the name of the .bin file, very impressive!!!

The CD drive has been built into my dash (comp is in house for testing) and I dont fancy taking my other computer apart, so looks like the USB Key is the way to go. Am looking at the advice on www.bootdisk.com on setting up a USB Key to be bootable, so fingers crossed.

I was going to setup the drive with DOS6.22 and the files you mentioned above.

Just to make sure, I take it that: switching on the comp, pressing F8, selecting "safe mode with command prompt" then running the flash utility from there is a BAD idea?

Thanks again!

pbarrette · 10-29-2007, 09:33 AM

Hi Stompit,

WinXP doesn't have a real, 16bit DOS subsystem. It's 32bit all the way. So the "F8" command prompt is almost exactly the same as going to the command prompt after booting into Windows. It's a 32bit, protected OS, so you can't flash with a DOS based BIOS flasher.

Just make the USB stick bootable to DOS 6.22, delete "autoexec.bat" and "config.sys" if present, and make sure the BIOS file and flasher are on it.

pb

DarquePervert · 10-29-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by pbarrette

Wow Darque,

That's a little harsh.

I do support for a living. I have to deal with this circumstance every single day.
Someone needs assistance with some task. They ask someone for assistance with that task, yet they don't like the advice that was given and whine about how they don't want to do "that" (whatever "that" may be)...

I can't feel any sympathy for someone who asks for assistance, then poo-poos the assistance when given. It's like saying "I want your help, but only if it is convenient for me."

To many people, this comes across as a big "screw you", whether intended or not.

Quote:

Personally, I wouldn't take advice from someone who has had 25% of their BIOS flashes end in failure either.

I can understand that. But if that same person has only done four BIOS updates in their life, they've only had a single failure. The only reason the failure rate is so high is because there has been no opportunity or need to flash more BIOSes to improve the success/failure rate.

Regardless, the procedure is the same. The BIOS has to be loaded outside of Windoze to insure success. I have flashed BIOSes many times and have NEVER had a failure with good hardware.
I have had failures with bad hardware, however. But then again, who wouldn't?

mrbean_phillip · 10-30-2007, 03:52 AM

Be careful with the bios on Commel's site - some boards need the 1.5version, and some the 1.4 version. Your chipset will dictate which bios you use.

galvitron · 10-30-2007, 05:53 PM

I've had bad experiences using USB for booting to DOS and flashing the BIOS. The accepted reliable method is floppy. The chance of bricking your Commell makes it worth the expense. I would highly suggest skimping on a couple cups of starbucks and getting a floppy drive. Definitely worth the 10 bucks.

DarquePervert · 10-30-2007, 05:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by galvitron

I've had bad experiences using USB for booting to DOS and flashing the BIOS. The accepted reliable method is floppy. The chance of bricking your Commell makes it worth the expense. I would highly suggest skimping on a couple cups of starbucks and getting a floppy drive. Definitely worth the 10 bucks.

I 100% agree.

Hell, it's worth disassembling your mother's/daughter's/cousin's/uncle's computer to borrow the floppy drive.

galvitron · 10-30-2007, 06:36 PM

^^^ I keep doing that over the years. Now I have this old floppy drive with no faceplate that is a total eyesore but is like the most reliable PC component I have ever seen. Thing must be 15 years old!

cockie55 · 05-06-2008, 08:22 AM

Stompit old post I know but did you ever get your bios rezapped and how noting the Floppy connect on this LV677 MB is foil type so your options pretty limited? If not done to give you inspiration I have this same MB but with a later chip than yours and 1.5 bios and a HQCT-i connected to CD in and she works a treat.

creaseguard · 05-10-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by cockie55

Stompit old post I know but did you ever get your bios rezapped and how noting the Floppy connect on this LV677 MB is foil type so your options pretty limited? If not done to give you inspiration I have this same MB but with a later chip than yours and 1.5 bios and a HQCT-i connected to CD in and she works a treat.

I have this same setup as well. I went to Commell's website and they list the latest Bios as 1.51 and for the 945GME chipset. My 677 was listed as the 945 GM chipset. The other bios update they have on there for 1.4.

Can any of you confirm the exact bios number for the "1.5" ? And, if the 1.5 is actually 1.5 and not 1.51, can someone send me this bios?

Thanks
Jay

cockie55 · 05-10-2008, 07:22 PM

Commell have recently upgraded the LV 677 chipset from Intel 945GM to the 945GME. The last bios update for the Intel 945GM was 1.4. Bios 1.51 is only for the 945GME I believe.

You can use your audio in for the HQCT however I assume you already have that as a output to a multi channel amplifier?

IMHO the DC version of the LV677 matched up wuth a Carnetix DC/DC regulator his is bacbone of one of the best Car PC set ups you can build. That said Commell do some weird things like reversing the USB pins.

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