computer won't start- m2n-e sli

So I had been having quite a few problems with my OS, so I backed up all
my files, wiped my hard drive and reinstalled windows vista. I then
started reinstalling all of my drivers; I don't have the motherboard
support cd, so I went to the asus website and downloaded the drivers
from there. I installed all the latest drivers, and then figured, like
an idiot, that while I was at it I might as well update my bios. So I
downloaded the latest bios and flash tool, ran the update, and got a
failure in step 2. Computer still worked fine until I shut it down. When
I start it now, I get power to the motherboard, the hard drives and disk
drive fire up, the fan on the video card starts as well as the case fan,
but I get nothing from the cpu; no fan, no action! There is no video,
and nothing happens. I'm assuming that this is a result of the bios
failure? I don't see how any of the other drivers I installed could be
causing any problems, and I don't believe that it's a hardware problem
anywhere else because I don't really believe in coincidences, and a cpu
failure at the same time that I messed with my bios would be quite a
coincidence.
There is supposedly the bios recovery tool for these motherboards. I
have put every bios copy that asus has on their website on a flash drive
(128mb) and burned onto a cd. The manual says that the utility checks
them for a bios if the current bios is corrupted...but I am getting
nothing. I am a computer addict! I need my PC! Please help
I have also tried clearing the cmos, to no avail. The battery is
sitting on my chair, and the jumper is on 2-3 right now for a second
trial, but I'm not expecting much!

bladesbane wrote:
So I had been having quite a few problems with my OS, so I backed up all
my files, wiped my hard drive and reinstalled windows vista. I then
started reinstalling all of my drivers; I don't have the motherboard
support cd, so I went to the asus website and downloaded the drivers
from there. I installed all the latest drivers, and then figured, like
an idiot, that while I was at it I might as well update my bios. So I
downloaded the latest bios and flash tool, ran the update, and got a
failure in step 2. Computer still worked fine until I shut it down. When
I start it now, I get power to the motherboard, the hard drives and disk
drive fire up, the fan on the video card starts as well as the case fan,
but I get nothing from the cpu; no fan, no action! There is no video,
and nothing happens. I'm assuming that this is a result of the bios
failure? I don't see how any of the other drivers I installed could be
causing any problems, and I don't believe that it's a hardware problem
anywhere else because I don't really believe in coincidences, and a cpu
failure at the same time that I messed with my bios would be quite a
coincidence.
There is supposedly the bios recovery tool for these motherboards. I
have put every bios copy that asus has on their website on a flash drive
(128mb) and burned onto a cd. The manual says that the utility checks
them for a bios if the current bios is corrupted...but I am getting
nothing. I am a computer addict! I need my PC! Please help
I have also tried clearing the cmos, to no avail. The battery is
sitting on my chair, and the jumper is on 2-3 right now for a second
trial, but I'm not expecting much!


The problem I see here, is the BIOS chip is not seated in a socket.
It looks like it is soldered right to the motherboard.

(M2N-E SLI picture)
http://www.stars-network.org/images/m2n_b.jpg

In the picture, it is the thing with the letters "SST", in the lower
right hand corner of the picture. Normally, there would be a brown plastic
ring (the socket), around the chip. But that one looks like it is soldered
right to the motherboard.

There are companies like badflash.com that provide a new PLCC BIOS
chip, and program it with whatever file you tell them to use. But
popping out the BIOS chip is only practical if the chip is socketed.
Removing a soldered on BIOS chip, would be a pain.

Have you tried pressing alt F2, to try to get EZFlash to run ?

When you install a CD with BIOS file on it, is the BIOS trying
to read it at all ?

One poster in the vip.asus.com forums, got his to start, by
reducing the number of RAM sticks present. I don't really
see a reason why that would make a difference, but you can
try it.

Otherwise, if you're not handy with a soldering iron,
then check to see if there is any warranty left
on the motherboard. That way, the idiots who decided
to not put a socket on the chip, will have to fix it.
As far as I know, the warranty period used to be
three years.

Paul