X79-UD5, Copying current working bios to second broken bios.

[Linnar]

After trying to downgrade bios to an earlier version and managing to screw it up, I am now stuck with one functioning bios and one defective. How do I go about copying my current (or a new one) bios over the defective one? The manual mentions nothing of this, but according to various forums (Example: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=8013.0) there should be a feature to copy backup bios to main bios, at least one some other Gigabyte motherboards. I would try this, but I don't know which bios is the backup and which is main. I don't feel like risking copying the defective bios over my working one by mistake. Thanks for any help and info I can get!

[shadowsports]

ALT+F10 or ALT+F12 should work depending on which BIOS (AMI or AWARD) the board has.

[dmdilks]

As far as I know you are working on the main bios. Again as far as I know there is no switch on the board. So you could which back & forth between bios. If everything is working then don't mess with it and what bios rev are you using to.

The backup is only there just in case something screws up. So you can use the backup to fix it. Plus again as far as I know you can't run off of the backup only the main one. 

You could try what Dark Mantis posted. http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,8475.msg67300.html#msg67300

[shadowsports]

Thanks dmdilks..  remembered seeing his post....  couldn't dig it up. 

[Linnar]

The board has a physical switch that switches between two bioses, one of which I flashed incorrectly and one i'm using right now that works fine. Should I hold ALT+F12 to flash the backup when booting the defective bios or the working one?

[dmdilks]

You sure you are talking about this board. I just double check and the board doesn't have a switch. If it does can you take screenshot and post it here.

[Linnar]

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4049#ov

The X79-UD5 is the board i'm talking about, and as you can see in the product pictures there is a button underneath the OC-Switch to toggle between the two bioses.

[dmdilks]

Ok sorry I was looking at the board itself and not the back panel. I had a EVGA board one time that has 3 bios in it. I had the same problem. One of the bios were bad. What I did was I updated from windows.

It really against all of my rules when updating a bios. But you have to do what you have to do. Boot into windows with the good bios. Just before you update the bios switch to the other bios then update it. 

I couldn't do it in the bios for some reason it won't work. But it did work using windows. The other thing I would call or email support and see what they think and what you want to try doing it with windows by flipping the switch.

[shadowsports]

Definitely  check with support...  Very curious to see how it works.  I tried to google [Gigabyte] Dual BIOS Switcher and got nothing.  Feature I've not used as I skipped X79 & 99 boards.  Wondering if it works like Asus Flashback or just switches between the two BIOS chips.  Good luck, and let us know. 

[Linnar]

I have now talked a bit with Gigabyte support, and they gave me the standard answer of "reset CMOS, load optimized defaults (even though I said I could not reach anywhere past splashscreen on the defective bios) and try the BIOS switch on the back of the board" when I quite clearly explained what the issue was, and specifically asked how to reflash an inactive bios. I have now sent another message, suggesting the boot-good-bios-and-switch+flash-while-in-windows method, so we'll see what they have to say about that. BTW, does any of you know of a way to check which BIOS is currently active? As in backup or main.

[dmdilks]

BIOS Switch Button
The button allows users to easily select a different BIOS for boot up or overclocking, helping to reduce BIOS failure during overclocking. Press the button to switch between the main BIOS and backup BIOS.

The green LED indicates the main BIOS is active

The blue LED indicates the backup BIOS is active.

[shadowsports]

BIOS Switch Button
The button allows users to easily select a different BIOS for boot up or overclocking, helping to reduce BIOS failure during overclocking. Press the button to switch between the main BIOS and backup BIOS.

The green LED indicates the main BIOS is active

The blue LED indicates the backup BIOS is active.

Thumbs up for that 

[TomG]

I have now talked a bit with Gigabyte support, and they gave me the standard answer of "reset CMOS, load optimized defaults (even though I said I could not reach anywhere past splashscreen on the defective bios) and try the BIOS switch on the back of the board" when I quite clearly explained what the issue was, and specifically asked how to reflash an inactive bios. I have now sent another message, suggesting the boot-good-bios-and-switch+flash-while-in-windows method, so we'll see what they have to say about that. BTW, does any of you know of a way to check which BIOS is currently active? As in backup or main.

Any new update? I have the same problem but my mobo is G1.Sniper z97. Main Bios got corrupted and i can't go to bios because boot loop but after i change to backup bios i can go to the bios and navigate on pc. 

Also i think the recovering system doesn't work because main bios is at F8 and backup bios is at F4. F8 says "This BIOS prohibits updating to earlier version BIOS". Can anyone confirm is because this the recovery process doesn't work?

[Linnar]

I have now talked a bit with Gigabyte support, and they gave me the standard answer of "reset CMOS, load optimized defaults (even though I said I could not reach anywhere past splashscreen on the defective bios) and try the BIOS switch on the back of the board" when I quite clearly explained what the issue was, and specifically asked how to reflash an inactive bios. I have now sent another message, suggesting the boot-good-bios-and-switch+flash-while-in-windows method, so we'll see what they have to say about that. BTW, does any of you know of a way to check which BIOS is currently active? As in backup or main.

Any new update? I have the same problem but my mobo is G1.Sniper z97. Main Bios got corrupted and i can't go to bios because boot loop but after i change to backup bios i can go to the bios and navigate on pc. 

Also i think the recovering system doesn't work because main bios is at F8 and backup bios is at F4. F8 says "This BIOS prohibits updating to earlier version BIOS". Can anyone confirm is because this the recovery process doesn't work?

I tried the switch n' flash method, but it unfortunately did not work. I have since kinda given up on the whole thing. I am however thinking another option may be to either buy a BIOS chip programmer, or order a new chip with a known good bios for the board preinstalled for me to solder on. But for now, I will be using the working bios only.