How To Fix A Bricked Motherboard

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  • Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
  • Check out the new Drop x Sennheiser PC38X at dro.ps/pc38x-bf
    It turns out it's possible to fix a broken motherboard that's been bricked. Here are several different ways to do it, depending on your situation.
    Leave a reply with your requests for future episodes, or tweet them here: / jmart604
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 631

  • @Dornacgove
    @Dornacgove 2 роки тому +511

    "It used to be that some motherboards had replaceable BIOS chips"
    ... I was there, 3000 years ago

    • @matjazmeza
      @matjazmeza 2 роки тому +28

      How did the dinosaurs look like?

    • @bgezal
      @bgezal 2 роки тому +16

      I was there when BIOS'es on MB's, I/O-cards like SCSI, and modems, had socketed UVPROM that you erased under a CFL light and after you flashed new content you put a sticker over the window to stop light from erasing it.

    • @Xfade81
      @Xfade81 2 роки тому +10

      pepperidge farm remembers

    • @drakethedragon457
      @drakethedragon457 2 роки тому +2

      @@bgezal UVPROM would've been the assumed name but they were actuallly just called EPROM [Erasable Programmabe Read only memory]

    • @danimayb
      @danimayb 2 роки тому +3

      @@drakethedragon457 ultra-violet erasable programmable read only memory was actually it's name, Or UV EPROM / UVPROM. it could only be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light. but it was a form of EPROM.. obviously.

  • @sully-kun3402
    @sully-kun3402 2 роки тому +487

    I love how LTT animation now looks flawless while Techquickie is still faithful to its current style

  • @dumpsterdawg
    @dumpsterdawg 2 роки тому +735

    Linus: "Speaking of drop"
    Explains why the motherboard was bricked in the first place.

    • @SomeoneFighter
      @SomeoneFighter Рік тому

      Underrated comment

    • @hawky2k215
      @hawky2k215 11 місяців тому

      It can be bricked by installing wrong Bios firmware by mistaken and it is common cases for these who does Bios flash for the first times or sometimes Motherboard would still install it and end up with 2 flashed files where it can confused the firmware to which one to used too

  • @nordithen
    @nordithen 2 роки тому +464

    I had no idea that sort of device existed - fantastic to know!

    • @Kknewkles
      @Kknewkles 2 роки тому +7

      Yeah, I found out a few months ago from one a compatriot(Russian) youtuber, was just as elated. Also because I love gadgets like that.
      Doubly so because I was hellbent on getting a UPS just for the reason of "what if power goes out while I'm updating the mobo", which power does go out on me sometimes 😂 Couldn't get a UPS, got a power filter. Mobo still unupdated :'DDD
      It finally got to western youtubers, hope to see more videos on it from top channels!

    • @enyemberthduarte6732
      @enyemberthduarte6732 2 роки тому

      Same

    • @dh2032
      @dh2032 2 роки тому

      as allmors
      Most everything has a chip init somewhere ?Me too, I wonder if you can get the big clip in different Size's ,it could be hanxiy to themoding community also ,as also

    • @prathamkalgutkar7538
      @prathamkalgutkar7538 2 роки тому

      Yes, they are actually used to Flash/Program various Chips in a Medium to Small Scale Manufacturing Unit. If cost or Design don't suit JTAG or factory Programmed Chips, then this solution is used. Or maybe you are a Hobbyist or something lol

    • @vothaison91
      @vothaison91 2 роки тому +1

      Gosh. Now more people will stop praying.

  • @Eli-zb2yj
    @Eli-zb2yj 2 роки тому +513

    Linus: the best way to deal with the issue is to stop it from happening in the first place
    Me: yes linus this how you solve 99% of the problems in the world

    • @alex786
      @alex786 2 роки тому +24

      @@AboveColin honestly I do agree with him on that.
      I'm a new AMD user and my b550 motherboard came with an insanely old bios, it did not run my 5600x.
      I hate the fact that the first motherboard I bought did not have bios flashback. How bankruptingly, wife leaving you, world ending is it to include bios flashback with every new motherboard?
      I had to return that one and buy a new one because there was no way to update the bios.

    • @neondemon5137
      @neondemon5137 2 роки тому +3

      @UCHm6_SHC3f4dWwEC7oHpQ4w Here's my miracle cure for lung cancer: never start smoking!

    • @alterb.1052
      @alterb.1052 2 роки тому +5

      @@neondemon5137 and avoiding smokers

    • @CyanureNeko
      @CyanureNeko 2 роки тому +8

      @@alex786 I assume they dont add that feature on every MB in order to make the expensive ones more *appealing*, which sucks, but then again just *assuming

    • @jordanwardle11
      @jordanwardle11 2 роки тому +3

      @@neondemon5137 nah, just dont have lungs

  • @matjazmeza
    @matjazmeza 2 роки тому +150

    Weather: decides to worsen during BIOS update
    Me: **nervous sweating**

  • @RuxUnderscore
    @RuxUnderscore 2 роки тому +51

    I work at a major company and have to deal with pre-production hardware on occasion. With that, we are provided flashing tools that Linus talks about at the end that cost upwards of $700. They are quite cool, but didn't know there were ones that cost less.

    • @RuxUnderscore
      @RuxUnderscore 2 роки тому +3

      Someone tried leaving a comment on it. The flashing device we use at my company isn't marked up in price, it's the actual MSRP of the tool. My company has a partnership with this particular tool maker so the particular BIOS chips my company uses are automatically recognized by the tool. Every BIOS chip stores data differently, so the flashing tool has to know the chip it's writing/reading to know how to write an image to it.

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 роки тому +3

      The CH341a takes like half an hour on 256mbit ROM, it's very slow. The flashrom software is actually perfectly capable of detecting the correct flash chip, it supports just about all of them; but i had to compile it from source since my flash chip that i had to deal with recently was newer than the distro package, but the tool already had it programmed in.
      You can also just connect the chip to SPI pins of a Raspberry Pi and use flashrom utility from there, that's going to be a lot less slow.

    • @EvilSapphireR
      @EvilSapphireR 9 місяців тому

      ​@@SianaGearzdid you use flashrom together with ch341a programmer on your first example?

  • @igoresque
    @igoresque 2 роки тому +66

    I had to do the ch341a route a few months ago, and found out the hard way that you also better remove the CPU to get proper reading, erasing/writing of the chip.
    I was getting lots of unmatching hashes of bios that I read from it, until finally tried to remove the CPU.
    And don't forget to buy a 1.8v adapter for ch341a if your bios needs 1.8v.

    • @rajudahal3619
      @rajudahal3619 2 роки тому +1

      Do you need a bios dump to flash using this?? The manufacturer of my board has provided ROM in the bios download and I heard somewhere that i will need a working bios dump and not a ROM.
      My board: Colorful CVN B550 frozen v14

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому

      @@rajudahal3619 I have an asrock board and asrock provides ready to be flashed bios files, I think you can check by reading the flash and comparing the size of what you've read with what your manufacturer provides on download page, the file size should be identical

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому +2

      @@rajudahal3619 it's a good idea to get a bios dump of your chip anyway, as it contains your serial number info or whatever, if your board is still under warranty, I think colorful bios is also ready to flash, judging by byte size of the .rom

    • @rajudahal3619
      @rajudahal3619 2 роки тому +1

      @@igoresque I tried reaching to support and they weren't much helpful. They clearly said bricked bios is void of warranty and didn't say anything on what i can do except that I need to go for a repair. :D

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому

      @@rajudahal3619 that makes it easier, you don't have to worry about it anymore

  • @CAMintmier
    @CAMintmier 2 роки тому +10

    Oh how the times have changed. The only time I've ever had to deal with a bad bios update was back in the 286 days when my AST Premium 286 decided to brick itself. Ordered a new flashed DiP from a company that was advertising in the back of a Popular Mechanics magazine, and it came within 3 days. Worked perfectly and was even a better bios version than the one I had previously.

  • @chesanducharika
    @chesanducharika 2 роки тому +210

    Thank you! Now I can update bios without having a heart attack.

    • @kevincooper3850
      @kevincooper3850 2 роки тому +13

      A UPS is your friend

    • @chesanducharika
      @chesanducharika 2 роки тому +11

      @@kevincooper3850 Yeah, need buy one
      Everyone talks about the newest Gpu but not about ups.

    • @cybervoid8442
      @cybervoid8442 2 роки тому +2

      @@chesanducharika exactly. If not for anything but protection from voltage spikes

    • @kevincooper3850
      @kevincooper3850 2 роки тому +4

      @@cybervoid8442 most do come with battery. Mine can last my desktop for 8 hours

    • @chesanducharika
      @chesanducharika 2 роки тому +2

      @@kevincooper3850 That's a long time

  • @Diablo-jt4tv
    @Diablo-jt4tv 2 роки тому +388

    Or you can just try to whack the bios chip with a hammer a few times.

    • @Carahan
      @Carahan 2 роки тому +32

      While chanting the litany of percussive maintenance.

    • @ydid687
      @ydid687 2 роки тому +13

      @@Carahan Remind me how does that one go again

    • @jonmayer
      @jonmayer 2 роки тому +9

      Works for a stuck starter. Sound logic.

    • @drakethedragon457
      @drakethedragon457 2 роки тому +3

      Good method, though it is single use

    • @detroxx56784
      @detroxx56784 2 роки тому +2

      10/10 would recommend 👌🏼

  • @Crombide
    @Crombide 2 роки тому +66

    2:44 the CH341A is known to have a flaw where it sends out 5v directly to the BIOS chip's data line instead of 3.3v. It will still work with reprogramming BIOS chip but it is not recommended for constant reflashing of a single chip. There is a mod people can do to fix this if people do plan on using this specific programmer for repairs.

    • @olafdesneeuwman8983
      @olafdesneeuwman8983 2 роки тому +17

      I ordered a CH341A and it did not work (reading/writing always gave errors no matter what I tried) , what I ended up doing was using a Raspberry PI with a tool named flashrom and that worked flawlessly. And if I am correct a raspberry PI has 3.3V I/O pins.

    • @-ESTITIK-
      @-ESTITIK- 2 роки тому +5

      voltage mod is the solution

    • @cortez1996
      @cortez1996 2 роки тому +6

      @@olafdesneeuwman8983 arm based single board computer fix x86 based computer bios

    • @korianes3590
      @korianes3590 2 роки тому +3

      there is adaptaters to put on it with different power if i remember correctly i used one to repair my 2to hdd and it worked fine

    • @Crombide
      @Crombide 2 роки тому +3

      @@korianes3590 The problem is that there aren't any 3.3v adapter because 3.3v Chips are meant to be directly flashed without adapters.
      I can't really explain it that well so I would recommend this vid as its very informative: ua-cam.com/video/-ln3VIZKKaE/v-deo.html

  • @TheGameBench
    @TheGameBench 2 роки тому +31

    One thing I would add about the specific example of an electrical storm... if you've got close by lighting strikes, probably best to just unplug crap from the wall since a UPS will not protect you from a nearby, let alone, direct lightning strike. I see a lot of people on social media claiming it will, and it most certainly won't. If that happens, a bricked mobo might be the least of your problems.

    • @atodaso1668
      @atodaso1668 2 роки тому +1

      They have built in surge protection covered by a warranty

    • @TheGameBench
      @TheGameBench 2 роки тому +5

      @@atodaso1668 Yes, and that surge protection is for nominal surges from the power grid, not the astronomical surge from a nearby/direct lightning strike. There is no consumer surge protection that will. And I'm pretty sure, they wouldn't cover that under an "act of god" out outright state that lightning strikes are NOT covered. They make surge suppression that you can put on your homes electrical panel that can suppress a lightning strike, but that's still not a guarantee and lightning strikes can still exceed even their ratings.
      The only surefire way to protect your equipment is to unplug it from the wall.

    • @Snaily
      @Snaily 2 роки тому +13

      @@TheGameBench My friends call me weird for unplugging my computer when lightning's about but then one of them wonders why their computer suddenly stopped working one stormy night (the same night he was calling me an idiot for not trusting the surge protection on my mobo)

    • @redshep4318
      @redshep4318 2 роки тому +1

      @@Snaily Happen to me once. Thanks god that everything survive except cheapo psu.
      How did it happen you ask, well I was in process of shutting down and would have made it if Thor give me about 20sec.

    • @QuentinStephens
      @QuentinStephens 2 роки тому +3

      Don't forget to unplug your router from the internet too. Lightning travels over any wire.

  • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
    @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 роки тому +49

    Can confirm, dropping and catching a soldering iron hurts like hell. A proper soldering station would've helped my scenario though. What possessed me to attempt to catch it in my hands I will never know. I did finish the project I was working on though 🤣

    • @DegustoDelSol
      @DegustoDelSol 2 роки тому +6

      OK, honest question, how and why did you drop it? What could have happened so you let loose? I'm really curious

    • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
      @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 роки тому +11

      @@DegustoDelSol ok. To preface this I was in college and my friends dorm they had stacked 3 small dressers, 2 on the side, one on top, and I was soldering on top of it cause it was near a window and we had a fan exhausting fumes out. We bought a $20 soldering iron and I was modding Nerf blasters at that time. It only came with the iron and nothing else, so I balenced it on the box it came in to keep it off the table... Yeah... It rolled off on the second blaster I was modding and smart me decided to catch it and burned in-between my middle finger and pointer finger.
      I've since done other stuff with it like build drones and fix random electronics, but man did I have PTSD after that moment lmao

    • @vgamesx1
      @vgamesx1 2 роки тому +2

      Well, I can say that dropping it on to something isn't much better, I have a desk next to my bed and a TS100 which I use with a laptop power brick, as I'm sure you're aware laptop brick cables aren't nearly as flexible as your typical cables for soldering irons or test equipment, well this one is rather rigid so my iron slide off my lap, didn't even try to stop it and almost instantly melted a hole right through my bedsheet, I may not be hurt, but it's a little painful to look at that hole, the one plus side is it's at the edge, so I could cut it off and barely notice.

    • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
      @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 роки тому +1

      @@vgamesx1 luckily my friend lived in like the "slum" of all our dorms so the RAs didn't even notice the tiny burned hole in the floor where it landed after I let go when it was burning my hand lmao. Totally destroyed the tip of that cheapo soldering iron tho

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 роки тому +1

      @@StuckOnAFireHydrant It's supposed to come with a tiny little shitty foldout stand, all i've seen did. Though it doesn't help much against shitty stiff cords you get in cheapest soldering irons.
      I think dropped soldering iron moment is something most of us have experienced, it's fine.

  • @UntouchedWagons
    @UntouchedWagons 2 роки тому +19

    I'd be cool to see a video of one of you guys attempting to unbrick a bricked motherboard. It wouldn't have to be bricked, could just pretend it is.

    • @UncleKennysPlace
      @UncleKennysPlace 2 роки тому +3

      And it could _become_ bricked through the process of "faking it"!

  • @rhyanandrews1979
    @rhyanandrews1979 2 роки тому +16

    Heads up. Do not use a soldering iron to desolder a bios chip. Too many contacts and you will probably break one of the pads. You need a tool called a hot air station or some sort of heat gun, typical solder melting point is about 230 Celsius so make sure it can do that. They can run you about £70 or $85 if you’re US. Just be steady, gently tug with tweezers while heating and it comes straight off

  • @philjancik4601
    @philjancik4601 6 місяців тому +3

    just my luck. when i was watching this video. around 0:45 when linus finished saying "when you bios gets corrupted" by pc froze. initially i thought it was a gag in the video but when it lasted too long without anything happening and i couldnt move my mouse. i think that means my computer just did a le funny at the perfect time

  • @PlaceholderforBjorn
    @PlaceholderforBjorn 2 роки тому +92

    In circuit programming(when the chip is still soldered on the motherboard), sometimes doesn't work. For a 100% certain good flash(as long there isn't a problem with the chip). You need to desolder the chip.
    There are even really cheap programmers like the USBasp, but those is a real pain to use on Windows.
    And those who have greater compatibility as the Minipro programmers (TL866/II/IIplus).
    Good luck everyone! 😁

    • @evilgremlin
      @evilgremlin 2 роки тому +3

      USBasp is really bad option here, because you always, always need two of them, one to flash the other with capable firmware. CH341 with clip cable cost ~5$, not 10-15 like Linus said.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому

      @@evilgremlin I also had to get a voltage adapter for my chip, since ch341a doesn't do 1.8v, still was a mere $7 fix for my mobo

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому +3

      with clip you can just do this:
      1) read existing BIOS chip 2 times and compare if hashes are the same, which means good read
      2) then you can write a working BIOS file, and after that read the chip to check if hash is equal to the original file
      pretty much fool proof way

    • @StolenJoker84
      @StolenJoker84 2 роки тому +1

      @@igoresque … except when your BIOS chip is so close to the MB that the clip doesn’t even make contact with the legs … yeah, I’ve run into that issue with a MSI board that bricked itself while updating the BIOS.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому +1

      @@StolenJoker84 I thought we were talking about the quality of the flash using clip, not the ability to attach the clip

  • @kfz9616
    @kfz9616 2 роки тому +5

    As an electrical technician I would not recommend using a soldering iron for surface mount components. You sould use hot air gun for that instead.
    Solderig irons are for through hole components and maybe if needed, to pre-tin the pads for SMD components. Also don't forget to use good quality flux!
    Cheers!

    • @MTGeomancer
      @MTGeomancer 2 роки тому +1

      An iron is perfectly fine for SO style packages like a BIOS typically will be, but removal is certainly more challenging. If you're replacing with a new chip, I'd personally just clip the leads off then the feet are easy to remove with an iron.

  • @MasterGeekMX
    @MasterGeekMX 2 роки тому +3

    I once rescued a 2004 motherboard with a DIY arduino-based ROM flasher. Lucky me that the chip was a simple removable 8 pin chip that I could plug into a breadboard.

    • @PlaceholderforBjorn
      @PlaceholderforBjorn 2 роки тому

      That is awesome. It's really sad that they don't longer do it like that on motherboards. I had a Optiplex with corrupt BIOS. And the work to fix it was not worth it because of a SMT component, that I yet had to identify where it was. And desolder with a rework station.
      So i salvage what I could and recycled the motherboard. If it was easily repaired I wouldn't hasitate to reflash it in my programmer.

  • @Ferroes
    @Ferroes 2 роки тому +14

    4:20 minutes, nice

  • @michaelbaines8217
    @michaelbaines8217 2 роки тому +3

    I remember having to email a manufacturer to ask them to mail out a new (socketed) bios chip. It turned up in an envelope a week or so later and was ready to swap out. Good times!

  • @Ebalosus
    @Ebalosus 2 роки тому +2

    Thanks Linus, I could’ve used this yesterday when a motherboard I was looking at wasn’t POSTing

  • @erroltheterrible
    @erroltheterrible 2 роки тому +15

    Love how you skimmed over GETTING A RAW BIOS DUMP TO FLASH! The downloaded bios file generally does NOT contain a full bios as it appears in the flash?

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 роки тому

      Depends. On ASUS you get a file packaged up in some metadata and you can extract with a special utility. Other manufacturers usually have raw dumps you can flash directly. However if the BIOS also contains MAC addresses, serial numbers, or other such personalised data, well it's not going to have those, tough.

  • @Devastator0
    @Devastator0 2 роки тому +4

    I am so glad you guys covered this!! I’ve used the exact same tool to save no less than 4 boards that all had corrupted BIOS’. Good video & keep up the good work!!

    • @caganozcan8499
      @caganozcan8499 11 місяців тому

      Will the bios be the exact same like the internet version after we use ch341a or will it be different and can it harm the computer if we use this device? Thanks for all!

  • @ajhieb
    @ajhieb 2 роки тому +1

    The CH341a is a lifesaver. I bricked the IPMI on a SuperMicro server board in my homelab (firmware updates -can- should always wait until you're sober) and managed to get it working again by flashing the correct image with the afore mentioned tool.

  • @terminasitor769
    @terminasitor769 2 роки тому +2

    Last summer I lost power while I was updating my bios.These (2:35) still give me nightmares. Eventually I got a replacement chip because fortunately mine could be swapped.

  • @Celician83
    @Celician83 2 роки тому +2

    Had a rare instance where I have a X470 motherboard with dual bios, so, to run the Ryzen 3700x, I needed to flash the bios to gain support for it. Didn't think anything of it til my bios corrupted, and the second bios was not compatible with the 3700x, and I have a Monoblock water block on my motherboard.... fun times😂

  • @mahmut.3243
    @mahmut.3243 5 місяців тому

    Thank you very much, I wrote the bios file to the bios chip as .bin and my computer was saved, thanks to you. (Advice for those who will do it: test clips are useless things, I cut off the cables and soldered them to the chip, I attached them poorly, but it was enough to throw the bios, then I removed it immediately)

    • @mahmut.3243
      @mahmut.3243 5 місяців тому

      Again, do not use test clips and use Neoprogrammer

  • @gman4141007
    @gman4141007 2 роки тому

    I knew this was possible but didn't someone commercialized it, this is perfect for not ultra techy people like me but still techy enough that can still flash a bricked bios with this tool

  • @Techno-Universal
    @Techno-Universal 4 місяці тому +1

    Many servers that are higher end for reliability can have up to four socketed bios chips so if one or two fail they can still continue running without any issues! :)

  • @JohnADoe-pg1qk
    @JohnADoe-pg1qk 2 роки тому +4

    Note to self: Keep bricked motherboards away from Red Shirt Jeff. 🤣

  • @codywalsh3549
    @codywalsh3549 2 роки тому +1

    Thank you so much for takin off your toque and washing/combing your hair! Looks nice :)

  • @vedantagrawal9530
    @vedantagrawal9530 2 роки тому +1

    Dawid and the Saga of GT 210s has taught us about this all to well.

  • @JugheadJones03
    @JugheadJones03 2 роки тому

    This is why I adore this channel. Jumper cable style BIOS flashing! I never knew.

  • @andre_warmeling
    @andre_warmeling 2 роки тому +6

    I run a repair shop and I do these desktop BIOS flashes without charging, when possible. It's another story with laptops, though.

    • @thetalesofdaneandco
      @thetalesofdaneandco 2 роки тому +1

      I am actually trolling the comments for this exact issue. I have a laptop that failed a Bios update due to a forced restart. r/TechSupport didn't even bother responding. What is the other story for laptops?

    • @ccman32
      @ccman32 2 роки тому +2

      @@thetalesofdaneandco I can recommend the ERS (Electronics Repair School) Discord server if you still need help with your laptop. I'm sure someone from the server will be able to help you out.

    • @andre_warmeling
      @andre_warmeling 2 роки тому

      @@thetalesofdaneandco I mean it's harder because you have to open the device and there are no clean BIOS files from the Manufacturer, you have to take It from a similar machine and sometimes even tinker with the ME Region.

    • @nohay4549
      @nohay4549 2 роки тому +2

      @@andre_warmeling I corrupted my laptop BIOS and WINRAID forum mods helped me to rebuild the image to flash with a programmer. Not an easy task. But my laptop works now

    • @andre_warmeling
      @andre_warmeling 2 роки тому

      @@nohay4549 Yes, that is possible sometimes. I'm glad it worked out for you.

  • @Everett737
    @Everett737 2 роки тому +2

    Ok, we need to see you guys successfully perform that last one with the special clamp. Someone please ship them your dead motherboard so they can try it.

  • @kztech1319
    @kztech1319 2 роки тому +3

    On some motherboards, the power rails of the BIOS chip might get sucked up to the rest of the board, which makes the programmer not able to supply enough current to run the BIOS chip properly at the correct voltage. This may or may not happen on CH341a, but it did happen on my TL866 programmer
    If you constantly get pin detection errors or read different data every single time you read the chip, you need to hook the alligator clip's board up to external power, such as a single AA/AAA battery holder for 1.5V BIOS chips, and a double battery holder for 3V BIOS chips. If you can't get those external power, then you will have to risk it a bit by using the motherboard's power and turn the system on while flashing...

  • @mateuscoutinhomarim9184
    @mateuscoutinhomarim9184 2 роки тому +1

    I’ve already had to flash my bios with this external EPROM programmer, it was not easy, but It saved me from buying another motherboard.

  • @iliasiosifidis4532
    @iliasiosifidis4532 2 роки тому +21

    I thought that video would make me feel confident to update mine. Instead, I m gonna let it be old :D

    • @krystaldragons6040
      @krystaldragons6040 2 роки тому

      Yeah same

    • @Dexplaze.
      @Dexplaze. 2 роки тому +1

      honestly i did not have any problem upgrading my x470 board and my b550 board ...

    • @spac18
      @spac18 2 роки тому +1

      I did my bios update a couple of weeks ago, it's really easy tbh, just use an ups or an inverter

    • @Dexplaze.
      @Dexplaze. 2 роки тому +3

      @@spac18 Honestly idk about other countries but i only experienced 1 Power Failure in my lifetime (Germany) so i did just risk it no problem ...

    • @readmyprofiledont5060
      @readmyprofiledont5060 2 роки тому

      Don't read my name;;"+$;#!#

  • @eggnogg8086
    @eggnogg8086 2 роки тому +4

    The ch341a is dangerous, the data lines can sometimes be at 5v logic levels rather than the typical 3.3v, I have destroyed laptop motherboards by trying to use the clip to flash it in circuit because while the bios chip itself is usually 5v tolerant, the pch or ec or whatever else is connected might not be
    There's a fix for the issue, you need to lift one of the pins on the ch341 chip and solder it to the 3.3v regulator on the programmer, there are guides on how to do this

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 роки тому

      Have you checked that the chip is actually 3.3V (still not 5V-tolerant) rather than 1.8V?
      Though normally using ch341a unmodded is not an issue. Because on the driven data pins that are connected to ch341a, with ch341a itself being powered by 5V, you have to just make sure vcc pin going to flash is the correct voltage, because the data pins, even if they're driven with 5V, are only capable of supplying less than half a milliamp of current, which is dissipated by the ESD diodes to VCC inside the flash chip. 5V-tolerant would mean 5V can be connected without current limiting, which isn't the case. And going over on VCC is always bad news. Also VCC must be present before any data connection is attempted, else it's not going to be great, which is you could say a hazard with these test clamps.
      Something to keep in mind is just how death-prone the AMS1117 3.3V regulator on the ch341a boards is, and sometimes it sends full input voltage to the output once it dies. That would be bad news indeed.

  • @iikeBl
    @iikeBl 4 місяці тому +2

    0:07 or maybe beacuse you have connected the PCIe power cable to the CPU power pins (or what the name was)

  • @splynncryth
    @splynncryth 2 роки тому +11

    A pretty comprehensive video without having to go into a technical deep dive of what's going on, bravo.
    The only thing I'd add to this is that obtaining a raw BIOS image can be a challenge sometimes. The UEFI spec contains a specific mechanism to deliver BIOS updates. In a nutshell, it's supposed to help verify the integrity of the update, maintain security of the system, and only update parts of the BIOS that are changed.
    This means the file you download may not be a file that is a 1:1 version of the data that should be on the flash part. I don't know of any way to use that to make an file suitable for flashing onto the BIOS chip.
    A quick way to tell is to check the file size. It should be exactly 4, 8, or 16 MiB (it should exactly match the size of the BIOS flash part).
    The next possible issue, at least with Intel mainboards is that the flash part containing the BIOS may also be shared with the built in ethernet adapter and the Intel ME. If that's the case, then the whole thing needs to be assembled into a single image with a tool like a hex editor. The process would to read the file, look at some data in the file (usually detailed in the chipset specs), then paste the good BIOS image into the correct spot, and finally flash the resulting file onto the system.
    When I was an engineer in this space, we had tools to put all this together. I don't know if the BIOS modding community have their own tools for this.
    In a production system, BIOS recovery mechanisms should work for nearly any situation but in my experience, OEMs are generally pretty bad at documenting them (BIOS is still something of a PC dark art and BIOS developers don't generally like to draw attention to themselves).
    It may help to pester support a bunch and hope that someone there gets brave enough to reach out to the BIOS engineering team who may be able to provide a solution before resorting to using an external flasher. It might also be possible to get a raw image file though companies might be extra cagey about that (as they perceive IP issues but if you have physical access and a flasher, there is little point).

    • @splynncryth
      @splynncryth 2 роки тому

      A couple things to add for Intel systems (those are what I worked on, I left that industry before Ryzen). There may be some some sort of system level protections against BIOS tampering. That can come from TPM protections, or through specific protections built into the chipset and CPU (intel was working to make something at least as strong as ARM's trust zones). I think this is pretty rare on consumer stuff (exceptions may be Dell, HP, Lenovo, and similar companies). But there isn't a lot of transparency.
      One thing we may see in the future are systems that can deliver the BIOS in a virtual fashion via a feature called eSPI. It was something a server company I worked for in the past was investigating. The idea was that an embedded management microcontroller (generally one running Linux) would use the eSPI capability in the chipset to make a file stored in its filesystem available as a virtual flash part. That meant a BIOS upgrade would basically just involve copying a file to the filesystem and tell the right piece of software the filename to use for the new BIOS.
      I could see major OEM like Asus perusing this in the consumer space once the kinks are worked out and the extra hardware can be added in a cost effective way.

  • @the_legendary_neostriker7872

    I was gonna get ready to learn how to solder or get 200 bucks. But this is a life saver. I was just rippeed off and sold a faulty cpu thst shut off mid update. This is so much easier

  • @Pr0fPyr0
    @Pr0fPyr0 2 роки тому +1

    I want to see a video testing one of these chip clamps

  • @Henry14arsenal2007
    @Henry14arsenal2007 2 роки тому

    Great video, never had this problem, but its refreshing to see someone thought of that updater device.

  • @BLCKVD
    @BLCKVD 2 роки тому

    Pretty mindblowing that how this can be still a thing while there’s already easy solutions

  • @jogeem5480
    @jogeem5480 2 роки тому +1

    So excited to watch this! I just accidentally dropped a brick on my mobo and split it on half :(

  • @chrismorrison5301
    @chrismorrison5301 2 роки тому +1

    This is much better, those rushed "youtube shorts" videos have been agitating me.

  • @ArtdesTests
    @ArtdesTests 2 роки тому

    Best Techquickie ever. I honestly did not know a couple of those.

  • @BadKarma714
    @BadKarma714 2 роки тому +1

    Linus it’s called an alligator clamps not a car jumper cable thingy LOL good video

  • @progogurt
    @progogurt 2 роки тому

    Best episode in a while very interesting and lots of new info to me

  • @tbone8839
    @tbone8839 2 роки тому

    Had this problem the other day. Popped out the cmos battery for 20 seconds and put it back in. Good as new.

  • @TheFutureTech
    @TheFutureTech 2 роки тому

    Finally some decent consumer repair advice although to myself this video is 7 years late. Remember with HP laptop Bios repairs you need the 1.8V adapter

  • @pilkjaer
    @pilkjaer 2 роки тому +4

    I like how all of those techniques require having at least one more PC with internet access. Let's solve it for the "normal" people who only have one PC that got bricked.

    • @sharpefilms2287
      @sharpefilms2287 2 роки тому

      Ask a friend? Sure many people wouldn't have an extra PC lying around but I'm sure they know someone with a working computer.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 роки тому

      if you’re willing to risk your pc not working after bios update, then you better have some sort of a backup plan

  • @Arek_R.
    @Arek_R. 2 роки тому +1

    2:10 "Modern BIOS chips"
    Please correct me if I'm wrong but BIOS chip package didn't change in like 15 years and still remains in the SO-8 package...
    Furthermore I could solder this type of ICs when I was 15yo so I'm sure some grown up adult can do same right?

  • @GEN9100
    @GEN9100 2 роки тому

    Good to see the sponsor spots back at the end.

  • @eurodon8532
    @eurodon8532 2 роки тому +1

    I mistakenly formatted my bios update file in NTFS when i was suppose to format it in FAT32. My PC ran for like 2 days with no apparent problems then one night i turned off my PC for the night and in the morning when i turned on my PC i got a black screen and my keyboard didn't light up. I can't enter bios or hear POST beeps. I was considering this tool as an option.
    Is there any way you can make a tutorial on how to use the CH341A programmer?

  • @joshuascholar3220
    @joshuascholar3220 2 роки тому

    For once I love the sponsor. That isn't the specific model of Sennheiser open backed headphones I have, but I can confirm, they're the best. I have a frankenstein setup with a headphone amp and mic instead.

  • @damienwolf07
    @damienwolf07 2 роки тому +1

    Ahh! dropping the iron on the foot, especially with the point bit, bet that you'll be in the hospital for a few weeks, I got burned by one on my finger, made a full recovery in 5 months, pretty bad burn.

  • @keventaa
    @keventaa 2 роки тому

    AdamantIT has some videos about this topic aswell, very well explained.

  • @AustinTan
    @AustinTan 2 роки тому

    Would be nice to make it a full video on ltt about how to fix bios!

  • @bakuhost
    @bakuhost 2 роки тому +6

    That programming IC clamp that you recommended is basically useless for PC BIOS reflashing. When you connect it to the programmer it will immediately supply 3.3V to the IC and thus power everything else that is powered from that power rail on the motherboard obviously overloading poor programmer and triggering over current protection.

  • @unknownworld8238
    @unknownworld8238 2 роки тому

    1 hour ago this vid wa uploaded. FONALLY I WAS ABLE TO PEEK AN EYE TO A VID RELEASED RECENTLY !

  • @user-ce7ic1ze2u
    @user-ce7ic1ze2u 3 місяці тому

    3:33 I had a drop of molten solder fall onto my pinky, man that hurt for a week straight!

  • @ChikaHakozaki
    @ChikaHakozaki 2 роки тому +2

    tbh all motherboards these days should have a dualbios

  • @mdukasa
    @mdukasa 2 роки тому

    That cable for BIOS flashing can also let you flash custom versions of your BIOS, for ThinkPads this can include removing WiFi card whitelists

  •  2 роки тому +1

    Like a decade ago I bricked my mom's Vista era laptop because after reinstalling the OS I went to update the bios, but the laptop froze during said installation. I never could fix it, because the information that I found said that to repair that one I needed to do so via a floppy disk.

  • @GuillaumeLortie
    @GuillaumeLortie 2 роки тому +1

    Could also be used to Flash ‘’ Lock ‘’ device that are named after a popular fruit.

  • @rjbee8533
    @rjbee8533 2 роки тому

    One of my favorite videos so far wish I would have known this 3 months ago I just tossed some other board out from a bad flash but I bought a new chip and it still wouldn't turn on I imagine the chip I bought was not flashed with the proper bias I guess

  • @reza_soul4166
    @reza_soul4166 Місяць тому

    I tried to reset my cmos with jumper but i forget to unplog the power cable and i guess i lost my motherboard is that right or still can be fixed?

  • @arianh6553
    @arianh6553 2 роки тому

    lmao the timing on this. i just bricked a laptop mobo earlier today

  • @Rovsau
    @Rovsau 2 роки тому

    BIOS jumper cables. I need this xD

  • @TheIdleCrow
    @TheIdleCrow 2 роки тому

    I just did a bios update this morning. But lucky for me I have multiple UPS's & I had mine plugged into one just in case!
    I got 3 of those bloody things, one for just my internet modem & router, one for my wife's work computer & a huge one on my gamming PC! lol
    But compared to all the end suggestions...... If I had to go that route.... I wouldn't.... I'd buy a new motherboard & cry.... lol

  • @Zippomon
    @Zippomon 2 роки тому

    Honestly, every desktop user should have a UPS. They're not that expensive and they're a lifesaver.

  • @simonleeh3949
    @simonleeh3949 2 роки тому +1

    Linus: makes the Video exactly 4:20 minutes long.
    Me: Nice

  • @Sylkis89
    @Sylkis89 2 роки тому +1

    When I was in middle school something happened that when I was flashing/updating a bios it went wrong and my mobo effectively died. So me and my friend did what every possible guide online 2as telling us TO NEVER ATTEMPT. We booted his PC, with a mobo FROM ANOTHER MANUFACTURER, took out the removable bios die from my mobo, then from his WHILE HIS PC WAS ON, then stuck my die in, ignored all the warnings about the Abit flashing tool that were doing it on a ln MSI mobo, flashed it, took the die out, put his back in, out my die into my mobo and IT WORKED lol! We fixed my mobo that way and also somehow didn't break his in the process lol (that was some 15-18 years ago not sure exactly)

  • @rake.
    @rake. 2 роки тому

    I replaced the removable bios chip on my ASUS x58 sabertooth. It is still running by the way, with a xeon 5670. Running windows 7 for my older games.

  • @POCKETS2DEEP
    @POCKETS2DEEP 2 місяці тому

    Wish you could leave a link to asprogrammer.. Also, can you ask you tube to add a brightness adjuster in the videos setting icon? ...

  • @ironicmnemonic737
    @ironicmnemonic737 2 роки тому +2

    4:20 for the meme? xD

  • @UteGirlz
    @UteGirlz 2 роки тому

    Mobo manufacturer: We're gonna make motherboards hard to repair and then offer a DIY repair program.

  • @tj71520
    @tj71520 2 роки тому

    LTT should buy DROP since the founder of LTT is the master of DROP already! 😀

  • @nuclearfamilies7076
    @nuclearfamilies7076 2 роки тому +1

    Can you make a video about the UPS thing? You always talk about it but it's not really clear what it actually does.

    • @StefanoAgrotis
      @StefanoAgrotis 2 роки тому +1

      They have them in several videos.. It's a surge protector with a big enough battery so that if power is lost your devices can continue to function so that way they may be shut down properly.

    • @nuclearfamilies7076
      @nuclearfamilies7076 2 роки тому

      @@StefanoAgrotis Thanks for the explanation.
      I still think it would make a pretty cool video to inform people like me who are unaware of the purpose or functioning of the actual thing.

  • @aidan7913
    @aidan7913 2 роки тому

    Accidentally corrupted my BIOS about 3 months ago but my USB BIOS Flashback feature is broken. The motherboard is no longer under warranty so getting it fixed is no longer an option. Thanks Asus!

  • @dyablostylo165
    @dyablostylo165 Рік тому

    Do I need to follow this steps? All of the sudden, my pc decided to start acting up at boot. When I try to turn it on, if I leave the computer unplugged and turn it on, it will take a few seconds but it will boot normally. But if I try to enter the bios and stay in the bios for a few seconds, the computer will brick and it won’t boot, I have to leave it unplugged for a while before attempting to turn it on, I cannot make go to sleep or it will brick, I cannot restart or it will brick. I have to remain unplug for a few hours and if I stay at boot for just the normal boot process it will boot to windows normally. I cannot figure it out, tried the thing where I can reset when I put a metal on the two pins but it still bricks after going to bios
    I cannot find a cmos battery.

  • @riyanchii5598
    @riyanchii5598 2 роки тому

    linus you've gained a loyal subscriber today with this one video...

  • @4aty1
    @4aty1 2 роки тому

    Love this style of Techquickie the best👍

  • @justinbouchard
    @justinbouchard 2 роки тому +2

    4:20
    nice.

  • @kanggvng
    @kanggvng 2 роки тому +1

    4:20? Nice 😎

  • @RK-252
    @RK-252 2 роки тому

    I bet you a dollar that linus dropped his motherboard in the middle of a bios update and decided to make this video.

  • @GannibalGaming
    @GannibalGaming Рік тому

    my Dell precision t1700 Bios been corrupted and is unreadable(failure to POST) i tried to load a O.S with a flash drive and while switching to uefi safe move and restarting my computer no longer post. clearing cmos ,drain of power ,checking all ports monitors and cords dident fix the issue Computer was maybe interrupted during load(Cant remember).any help to fix my BIOS.

  • @goleafs365
    @goleafs365 2 роки тому

    The first time I hot swapped a bios chip and it actually worked, I felt like a boss.

  • @qzy-179SanTzxkW
    @qzy-179SanTzxkW 2 роки тому

    Funny how the ONLY narratives for bricking a mobo is "freak accident" or user's fault. Because manufacturers NEVER release a bios update that REQUIRES one or more previous updates.

  • @Vortex001_MLG
    @Vortex001_MLG Рік тому

    2:30 this will void my manufacturer warranty won’t it

  • @AsanteNgwira-sv5mv
    @AsanteNgwira-sv5mv Рік тому

    If my PC is not showing anything can I boot from my os disk and reset the bios settings after booting from the disk

  • @parkerazz4385
    @parkerazz4385 Рік тому

    I work at a tech repair shop. There is a shiny new ITX board in our recycling bin I believe the bios is corrupted. If it's save able I would totally try to save it

  • @enyemberthduarte6732
    @enyemberthduarte6732 2 роки тому

    Had no idea those existed. Great video

  • @jasongates23
    @jasongates23 2 роки тому

    Is it possible to flash a bios for windows on an old android tablet. I have an old xoom table with LTE and I hate E-waist

  • @joseossa3117
    @joseossa3117 2 роки тому

    i've done the USB flash method on a Asus board. Works great

  • @patrickgauthier5580
    @patrickgauthier5580 2 роки тому

    I found out about the device when I was fixing a Vonage ATA back to factory settings.