Re: bios/security

From: Bruce Chambers (bchambers@nospam.cableone.net)
Date: 01/16/03 

From: "Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@nospam.cableone.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:15:12 -0700

Greetings --

    To see if there is a BIOS flash available for your motherboard,
simply use the Asus web site's Download page to search for files
intended for your specific motherboard (of which there appear to be 4
different varieties.).

http://www.asus.com/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=A7N266

    Problems with the BOOT.INI file or drive imaging software will
have absolutely no affect upon you BIOS or the CMOS EEPROM. While it
is theoretically possible for a virus to write to an EEPROM, such
viruses are extremely rare, as they'd have to be designed for the
specific chip and BIOS version currently in use. Nothing you've said
gives me any reason to believe that you have fallen victim to a virus.
The BIOS virus warning utility is virtually useless, as it is
triggered by any attempt to write to the MBR portion of the hard
drive, which is necessary during an OS installation.

    In sum, you probably don't need a BIOS upgrade, almost definitely
do not need a replacement EEPROM, and also do not have a virus. What
you have had is a botched installation of the OS, probably contributed
to by the imaging software. If you have since formatted your hard
drive and subsequently properly reinstalled the OS, you shouldn't have
any problems.

    Are you currently experiencing any problems or error messages?

Bruce Chambers
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm 

----
You can have peace.  Or you can have freedom.  Don't ever count on 
having both at once. -- RAH
"***" <deichhorst@monarch.net> wrote in message 
news:599f01c2bd77$7be55460$d2f82ecf@TK2MSFTNGXA09...
>
> From:  "***" <deichhorst@monarch.net> Sent:  1/15/2003
> 1:37:58 AM
>
>
>
>
> Hi and thank you;
> can anyone offer me any further insights into my problem?
> thanks ***
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear sirs/madams;
>
> I cannot seem to get an answer to what I think technical
> people should be able to answer for me either at my local
> distributor or Asus support after some three emails.
>
> I wrote enquiring about the possibility for flashing my
> bios, or replacing my programmable EEPROM chip for the
> following reasons.
>
> Some time ago I was trying to use drive image software to
> copy drives to create a back up disk,
> The software was faulty and far too much trouble to deal
> with so I abandon the idea of dual drives and went back
> to a single drive;
>
> Because of this process I have ended up with two editions
> of my operating system in the recovery console;
>
> I believe this happed due to editing the INI file and the
> drive image software;
>
> I also had a virus warning in your Award bios page when I
> was adjusting settings;
>
> I still do not know if this was a genuine virus or an
> erroneous one;
>
> I have uninstalled and reinstalled my operating system
> over and over again to try and show only the single XP
> home edition operating system which I have on my machine
> at the present time;
>
> I have only one question that I have been trying to get a
> definite answer to for over two months, which is as
> follows;
>
> If I delete and format all removable drives to reinstall
> my operating system once again is it at all possible for
> any virus code to remain in the programmable EEPROM or
> any other part of my Asus mother board?
> And If in the process of editing the INI file as I have
> mentioned, Can you tell me if I may have inadvertently
> altered a file in the bios which may be causing me the
> problem of   still showing dual drives and showing all
> kinds of duplicate files ;
>
> Before I attempt to do something as drastic as perhaps
> doing a bad flash unnecessarily I would really like an
> answer to these questions;
> This is the information which I found behind your award
> bios page;
>
> ASUS A7N266 acpi Bios rev 1001.A  AMD athlon tm XP
> 1600+Memory test:524288k ok award plug and play bios
> extension V1.0A.
> If I find that I do need a new chip is the above
> information all that you require?
> Thank You best regards;
> *** Eichhorst
>
>
>
>