"BIOS ROM Checksum Error"

i had a power black out what i was upgrading my asus m2n68-la rev 2.00 bios using vista os and when the power came on and i on my pc i had a black screen with a message biosblock bios rom checksum error and i tried flashing my bios with boot disk i made from xp and copied awdflash.exe in to it.whan i try flashing it i had a message to that rom bios update first before i can flash my bios.i ve had an online chat with hp and i ve done all that they told me but did not work.can any one help me.this is my email address <snipped> :cry

 

Hi I've only ever flashed my BIOS once and from memory I recall there was a back up of the old BIOS automatically saved to the Floppy in such an event as yours. This happens before it applies the new BIOS files. For really useful step by step instructions and what to do in a worse case scenario I visited my motherboard manufacturers website (in my case it is Soltek) and the whole BIOS upgrade was made easy using their tools/files.
It is true, however, that if the BIOS upgrade is interrupted during this very crucial stage that the whole system can become unusable and the only solution is a new BIOS chip or Motherboard. I'm pretty sure what has happened to you is reversible though.

 

That happened to me 20+ years ago - and all my computers have been on UPS (uninterruptible power supply) ever since. Note: a power outage during defragging is a bad time too.

I would not be so sure - especially since HP could not help, and because of the first part of AMDxp's comment. Computers are stupid. When first powered on, all they know how to do is go to the BIOS firmware chip to learn what to do next. It is there it learns to look in the CMOS next for settings unique to that hardware. The BIOS is the computer program that tells the Chipset how to communicate with the other critical components on the motherboard, like the I/O controllers, CPU, RAM, graphics, etc. If the BIOS is corrupt and resetting or reflashing does not fix it, then the BIOS device is toast, and the motherboard will have to be replaced. Typically, we don't repair motherboards anymore - it is cheaper to replace.

BUT - note that you WILL normally get a checksum error on the first boot after flashing or resetting the BIOS, or when changing out specific hardware. This is because the CMOS is cleared and the BIOS Menu settings revert back to factory defaults, which likely do not match the hardware (amount of RAM, CPU, drives attached, etc.) the "new" BIOS encounters - so there WILL be a checksum error! The correct course of action is to enter the BIOS Setup Menu and verify the RAM and CPU were properly identified, the Date and Time are set, all drives are properly identified, and the boot drive sequence is set in the right order. Once confirmed, you "Save and Exit" to reboot with the proper checksum stored in CMOS, which should result in a good POST.

Did they have you reset the BIOS?

 

I AM BERNHARD DARKO AND I VE THE SAME BOARD AS THIS
The maker of your mobo (Motherboard) is Asus.
The model number is M2N68-LA
HP's model number for it, (Since it's in an HP computer. Tower model, and HP had Asus make this mobo for them), is Ivy8-GL6

Is this in a Compaq Presario SR5223WM desktop computer?
(You have a 300 watt power supply. Probably more like 240 watts actual)
You have an AM2 socket for the processor.
Your mobo supports,
1.Sempron, (Ecch!)
2.Athlon 64
3.Athlon 64 X2 (Dual Core)
Will use any of these processors with up to a 1000MHz FSB, (2000MT/s), and fits in an AM2 socket. (Processors that fit in an AM2+ socket will work also, you just won't get the full capability.

MY PROBLEM IS I TRY FLASHING MY AWARD BIOS IN WINDOWS AND I HAD A POWER BLACKOUT AND WHEN THE POWER CAME BACK I ON MY PC AND I HAD A BLACK SCREEN WITH THIS MESSAGE AWARD BOOTBLOCK V1.0 COPYRIGHT (C)2000 AWARD SOFTWARE,INC
BIOS ROM CHECKSUM ERROR
DETECTING IDE ATAPI DEVICE.........
SO I CAN'T BOOT TO WINDOWS AND I TRIED FLASHING IT AT DOS WITH AWDFLASH.EXE AND CTFLASHC.EXE BUT I WAS TOLD TO UPDATE ROM BIOS FIRST BEFORE I CAN FLASH. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME IF U CAN GET ME AL OLD BIOS UPDATE OF THIS PC WHICH CAN WORK ON DOS A BACKUP OF THIS PC BIOS TO FLASH OR UPDATE MY BIOS.
THANK YOU THIS IS MY EMAIL ADDRESS YO CAN ZIP IT AND MAIL IT TO ME
<snipped email>

 

I agree. As a general rule, I say you should not flash the BIOS unless (1) The new BIOS addresses a problem you ARE having (see change history), (2) The new BIOS addresses a security issue, (3) the current BIOS is corrupt. To take it further yet, I apply that philosophy to all driver updates too (with the possible careful exception of graphics drivers for newer graphics cards).