Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[CDOWN]

Having fallen foul of the B2 raid bios error on the A75MA-G55 motherboard for my new build pc I contacted MSI tech support and they sent me a new bios update (E7696AMS.144) and asked me to flash the bios using the M-Flash utility.  As expected the screen went blank part way through the update (says it does this for certain graphics sets) but that was it - no beeps just a blank screen after over an hour.  I am presuming that the update has failed and the bios is shot.  I'll try and get hold of UK tech support again in the morning but does anyone know how to recover the bios on this board?  It does not have a floppy connector so the recovery methods referred to on the MSI support site can't be used.

For info:  MSI A75MA-G55 motherboard.  Original bios version E7696AMS.100.  CPU is AMD A8-3850

[Froggy Gremlin]

Have you tried a post flash battery removed CMOS clear?

It does not have a floppy connector so the recovery methods referred to on the MSI support site can't be used.

Believe that there are floppy drives that can be used in USB ports available nowdays. Maybe a relative, friend, or coworker may have one you can use if the CMOS clear doesn't work.

[Jack]

Forget the floppy drive.  The UEFI/BIOS Images have a file size of 4 MByte. 

Unplug your PSU from A/C power and >>Clear CMOS<< as HU16E suggested.

Then try with one memory module only.

In case that does not change anything:

Connect an USB Flash drive (FAT formated) to one of the USB 2.0 USB ports on the board's back panel that contains nothing but the original BIOS File (E7696AMS.100) and press CTRL + Home continuesly after startup (use a PS/2 keyboard).  That should initiate a recovery flash from the USB Flash drive, given, of course, this basic routine is still functional and not corrupted.

In the latter case (no access to USB Flash Drive), RMA the board. Next time, please do NOT use M-Flash but >>Use the MSI HQ Forum USB flasher<< and such things will not happen again.

[CDOWN]

Hi Jack
Thanks for the reply.  Sadly neither option worked so I am expecting to have to RMA the board in the morning.  Very frustrated as fitting the Freezer 7 Pro  cooler to the sparkly new AMD A8 cpu  was not the easiest thing in the world to do and I'll have to mess around cleaning off old thermal paste when I rebuild  :o(

Hopefully (if the board is RMA'd to MSI rather than Ebuyer) they will put the latest bios on the board they send back !

[CDOWN]

Spoke to MSI this morning.  They confirmed board dead and said to RMA back to Ebuyer.  They also said that they have no specific fix for the B2 bios error when invoking raid at this time.  As such I am wondering whether to stick with the MSI board (assuming that the MSIHQ flash supports it) and then apply a bios update in this way or whether to swap the board for an Asus F1A75-V Pro or a Gigabyte GA-A75-UD4H.  I originally went  MSI because of the Military Class II board spec and good reviews.  Thoughts or advice anyone ?

[Jack]

They also said that they have no specific fix for the B2 bios error when invoking raid at this time.

Sorry, but that is simply not true.

The problem was fixed in one of the BETA Releases that led to the v1.3 final release:

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=151594.msg1122201#msg1122201

- Fixed select RAID mode and SATA decive plug on SATA1 or SATA2, system will hang CP#B2 issue.

Want proof?

Look here:

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=151890.0

Problem:

If the Boot drive is on port 1or2 the system hangs and i get an error code B2 in the bottom corner

Solution:

Friction911, please update your UEFI/BIOS to the latest BETA Version (currently E7696AMS.13B [=v1.3b11].  You can find it at the end of this thread:

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=151594.0

Feedback:

B2 is fixed

---------------------

[CDOWN]

Hi Jack

That's what I thought so when  MSI sent me a .144 bios version ( so a later version than referred to in the post) I thought that would resolve the problem but in the event  that's what 'did' for the board.  What do you think - stick with another A75MA-G55 or go Asus or Gigabyte?  I'm presuming that any replacement board from Ebuyer will have the v.100 bios so will still have the same B2 bios error.

[Jack]

The problem, why in your particular case the board died on you was not the update as such or the BIOS version you updated to but a "flaw" in the M-Flash procedure.  Your board would not have "died" on you if you had flashed the BIOS under DOS instead of M-Flash.  This particular M-Flash problem was present only in the initial BIOS release your board came with (E7696AMS.100).

Because of that kind of M-Flash glitch, we (here in the forum) specifically keep advising users to stay away from M-Flash.  Especially in earlier BIOS version this "feature" has a history of not functioning as it should (once, on a different board, M-Flash flashed part of a MS-Word file (that happened to be on the same USB Flash Drive as the BIOS File) to the BIOS Chip).

What do you think - stick with another A75MA-G55 or go Asus or Gigabyte?

As this is not the place to advertise or recommend non-MSI products (this is an MSI forum, obviously), I am not going to comment on ASUS or Gigabyte alternatives.  I would stick to the MSI board, as the problem outlined in this topic was not really the board to begin with.

Your original problem (the B2 problem) has been already fixed some time ago, as the BIOS Changelog and user feedback prove. The death of your board was caused by a third-party (MSI) BIOS Flash routine.  It would not have happened with the first-party flashing utility provided by AMI.

[CDOWN]

Hi Jack - point noted re MSI forum 

Thanks for the advice.  If the dos based flash method you advocate will do the job safely then I'll stick with MSI and get another A75MA-G55.  Given what you've said about M-Flash it does make you wonder why MSI support told me to use it with a .100 verion bios in the first place.

If I set the system up with a single disc in order to apply an update using the MSIHQ flash utility is there a util to convert a single disc to RAID 1 or will I have to wipe the discs and reinstall from scratch?

[Jack]

Given what you've said about M-Flash it does make you wonder why MSI support told me to use it with a .100 verion bios in the first place.

Well, same thing here.... in addition to this, of course:

They also said that they have no specific fix for the B2 bios error when invoking raid at this time.

... not going to comment on that either ... (looks like someone there had not enough (or too much) coffee, who knows...).

--------------

is there a util to convert a single disc to RAID 1 or will I have to wipe the discs and reinstall from scratch?

I don't know, to be honest.  Anyway, personally I believe that a fresh install would be the best option to begin with.

[TheDeanner]

I too had a problem with my PC and was on tech support with MSI and they refered me to the bios update and insisted I download the latest bios and flash via the inboard bios......  now my computer is dead...  I dont understand why such a good company, after realizing this issue change what people are downloading and SPECIFICALLY STATE before downloading to do it through dos and give us a step by step procedure on how to do it through dos...   As I have researched its not as easy as 1 2 3 to do it through dos...

Now only difference is...  I do not have a receipt for this board or the original packaging...  I LOVED it throughout the 4 months I had it and I just dont think Im gonna go with MSI again...

[Ex Forum Mod]

 Please don't resurrect old dead topics with your own problems. If you need or want help from us on the forum then start your own new topic.

     >> Please read and comply with the Forum Rules <<

     >> Posting Guide <<