You guys were all right on my SY-6BA+

No, as everyone on the Soyo boards told me, there wasn't anything wrong with
the power supply or even the switch.

As soon as I plugged the wires from the switch into the proper position, the
whole things started to power up. (except that there is no TURBO
connection: I wonder if this could make any difference? Or where the TURBO
leads are or where they are supposed to go from and to?)

So a white screen appeared and them went black as normal and the unit then
went into its power up sequence, counting the memory, telling me about the
BIOS, identifying that there was a hard drive there somewhere.

So I went into the BIOS and saw a black and white screen with very little in
the way of contrast and couldn't see any particular definition how to
ascertain which settings were highlit. I left it while I cooked dinner,
pondering how to increase contrast, - intending to load defaults and exit or
even possibly load the settings for the hard drive. When I came back, the
screen was dead and the light on the monitor flashing, indicating no signal
from the computer at all despite all the whirring. and flashing lights on
the CD ROM on boot-up etc. So obviously I thought the problem might be
with the graphics card and replaced it to exactly the same effect.

Then I discovered that someone had left the BIOS reset pins in the reset
position, - and that I have plugged the computer in and tried to run it
while the reset pins were jumpered together; which certainly accounts for
the somewhat erratic functioning of the computer which now turns on, clicks
and whirrs continuously as if it is trying to do something. But it seems to
have nothing to tell it to send any signal whatsoever to the graphics card
to tell the monitor that there is even a computer connected.

Is there any solution for the problem or can I reset the BIOS somehow or
flash it? There is a suspicious message on the Soyo site which states
categorically in lurid red letters: "If flashing goes wrong, it may render
your motherboard unbootable thus requiring you to send your motherboard or
BIOS chip in for re-flashing (RMA)".

Obviously I have tried downloading the newest BIOS and the awd program to
install it from a floppy; AND turning off the power switch and putting the
plug back across the 2-3 jumpers to reset the BIOS again and neither
worked, - although as I mentioned I did hear the computer desperately
trying to do something. Does everybody think that it is possible to erase
all the info on the EEPROM, leaving me with no effective BIOS whatsoever to
flash or direct the computer even to look at the floppy drive to reset the
BIOS?

Does anyone know if what Soyo says is true or if there IS something I can do
to reset it or if there is some trick to flashing it?

There is another suspicious looking message on the Soyo site telling me that
If your mainboard does not show the 'Press ALT F2 for AWDFLASH' message
during POST (when memory is being counted), your mainboard does not support
the second method and can only be flashed using method

If I get nothing whatsoever on my screen because nothing whatsoever is being
sent to the monitor from the computer, does this mean REAL trouble or might
disconnecting the power plug from the mainboard do anything?

Licensed to Quill

Did you have the power cord disconnected whilst resetting ?
Are you able to test the monitor and/or video card in another machine?

"Licensed to Quill" <vintagepen.DeleteThis@compuserve.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:bphi1t$rnj$1@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com...
 > No, as everyone on the Soyo boards told me, there wasn't anything wrong
with
 > the power supply or even the switch.
 >
 > As soon as I plugged the wires from the switch into the proper position,
the
 > whole things started to power up. (except that there is no TURBO
 > connection: I wonder if this could make any difference? Or where the TURBO
 > leads are or where they are supposed to go from and to?)
 >
 > So a white screen appeared and them went black as normal and the unit
then
 > went into its power up sequence, counting the memory, telling me about the
 > BIOS, identifying that there was a hard drive there somewhere.
 >
 > So I went into the BIOS and saw a black and white screen with very little
in
 > the way of contrast and couldn't see any particular definition how to
 > ascertain which settings were highlit. I left it while I cooked dinner,
 > pondering how to increase contrast, - intending to load defaults and exit
or
 > even possibly load the settings for the hard drive. When I came back, the
 > screen was dead and the light on the monitor flashing, indicating no
signal
 > from the computer at all despite all the whirring. and flashing lights on
 > the CD ROM on boot-up etc. So obviously I thought the problem might be
 > with the graphics card and replaced it to exactly the same effect.
 >
 > Then I discovered that someone had left the BIOS reset pins in the reset
 > position, - and that I have plugged the computer in and tried to run it
 > while the reset pins were jumpered together; which certainly accounts
for
 > the somewhat erratic functioning of the computer which now turns on,
clicks
 > and whirrs continuously as if it is trying to do something. But it seems
to
 > have nothing to tell it to send any signal whatsoever to the graphics card
 > to tell the monitor that there is even a computer connected.
 >
 > Is there any solution for the problem or can I reset the BIOS somehow or
 > flash it? There is a suspicious message on the Soyo site which states
 > categorically in lurid red letters: "If flashing goes wrong, it may
render
 > your motherboard unbootable thus requiring you to send your motherboard or
 > BIOS chip in for re-flashing (RMA)".
 >
 > Obviously I have tried downloading the newest BIOS and the awd program to
 > install it from a floppy; AND turning off the power switch and putting
the
 > plug back across the 2-3 jumpers to reset the BIOS again and neither
 > worked, - although as I mentioned I did hear the computer desperately
 > trying to do something. Does everybody think that it is possible to erase
 > all the info on the EEPROM, leaving me with no effective BIOS whatsoever
to
 > flash or direct the computer even to look at the floppy drive to reset the
 > BIOS?
 >
 > Does anyone know if what Soyo says is true or if there IS something I can
do
 > to reset it or if there is some trick to flashing it?
 >
 > There is another suspicious looking message on the Soyo site telling me
that
 > If your mainboard does not show the 'Press ALT F2 for AWDFLASH' message
 > during POST (when memory is being counted), your mainboard does not
support
 > the second method and can only be flashed using method
 >
 > If I get nothing whatsoever on my screen because nothing whatsoever is
being
 > sent to the monitor from the computer, does this mean REAL trouble or
might
 > disconnecting the power plug from the mainboard do anything?
 >
 > Licensed to Quill
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->