Ever flashed your BIOS before? If you are
anything like us it’s for sure you have done it at least
once, if not dozens of times, either because of CPU
compatibility issues or just because you want to keep up
with the latest release from your motherboard manufacturer
in hope of getting some extra tweak-ability. Now what would
happen if the flashing process failed for any reason? You
know this may happen to you, but this time it happened to
me, I was left alone in the cold with a corrupt BIOS and no
possible way of booting.
While looking for a
simple solution to my problem I came across the “RD1 BIOS
Saviour” from IOSS, it’s a sort of backup device for your
BIOS. See the following picture for all parts included in
the package:
On the left is the
PLCC BIOS extractor tool, since this BIOS chip is located
inside it’s socket you need a special tool to remove it, and
that is what the PLCC extractor tool is for. The extractor
is made of plastic and metal, it has a very high-quality
feeling, and works really well. In the middle of the
picture what you see is a switch that will let you choose
between your standard BIOS and the backup BIOS. It has a
9-pin COM port standard size frame so you can install it at
your place of choice. A metal bracket (right side on the
picture) is also included so that you can place it at a
spare expansion slot in the back of your computer.
Then we have the most
important piece of the package, the Bios Saviour itself. The
version I got is the 4mb/512kb PLCC version that is meant to
fit PLCC motherboard BIOS sockets. Other versions in
different sizes and shapes are also available, check with
IOSS so that you get the correct version (here’s a list of
supported motherboards). A 40 page
English/Japanese manual is included, which describes the
physical installation of the Bios Saviour, as well as how
you flash the chip. The manual was well laid out however the
grammar could need some extra work (like most Taiwanese
manuals ;)).
The actual BIOS chip
is located underneath the white sticker on the left picture
(see below), the chip on the right is my original
motherboards BIOS chip, this is placed inside the socket as
it is seen now on the left (above the white sticker) Be
careful with the orientation here, the noted corners must
match or you will fry the chip and mainboard!
In the right picture
is the underside of the BIOS Saviour that fits your
mainboard and the small circuit board will thus rest over
the motherboards PLCC socket. This is perhaps the only
drawback I could find with the BIOS Saviour, it adds a few
millimeters (ca 7mm) in height to your BIOS, which could
pose a problem when installing expansion cards for example.
The yellow cable that
extends out from the BIOS Saviour connects to the included
switch and is what allows you to select between the original
BIOS or the RD1 backup BIOS.
Installation
Here are a few
pictures from the RD1 installation:
Original chip
installed
Removing the
original BIOS
with the PLCC extraction tool
Empty PLCC Socket
RD1 BIOS
Saviour + original BIOS inside
Voila! A very simple
process to get your BIOS backup device installed, no need to
worry anymore if the power goes out or a virus wipes your
bios clean (CIH anyone?), the computer can hang during the
flashing process or you could flash the wrong BIOS, the only
thing you’ll need to do is flip over the switch and your
backup BIOS will be able to boot up your PC.
Note: When the
switch is in either mode there is no physical connection
between the two chips, so there is no way that both BIOS
chips could be wiped out at the same time according to IOSS.
My Personal
Experience
However there is one
drawback, what if you already killed your BIOS? Since the
Bios Saviour actually comes empty you must have your
original BIOS working before you can flash the BIOS Saviour,
before that it’s completely useless. Of course we hope you
won’t suffer from such a problem now that you’ve been
warned, but indeed that was what happened to me, no beeps,
no floppy access, no picture, nothing at all.
You could RMA your
board but you would end up paying and waiting more than
intended, luckily there is a simpler thing to do, many of
the retailers selling the BIOS Saviour will offer to program
a BIOS of your choice for a small fee, in my case I bought
it from
Eksitdata here in Sweden, they sell all of IOSS
different BIOS Saviors, and sent the product programmed for
my motherboard for extra $10, they also happen to ship
worldwide but there are many retailers out there that may be
closer to you.
I ordered a IOSS
PMC-4 BIOS Saviour for $30 and the pre-programmed option
cost an additional $10, this got me a package within two
days of ordering that allowed me to use my computer again,
and the good part, also flash my original dead BIOS. I
should also mention in case you may be interested,
Eksitdata also accepts you to send your dead BIOS chip
via mail to have it programmed and sent back.
Overall I’m very
satisfied with the Bios Saviour, it certainly saved me a lot
of time and the fact that you can get it pre-programmed
(depending on the retailer) is a neat feature. It installs
quickly and works like a charm, I have not had any problems
with this product during my time with it and has found a
permanent home inside my computer.
