bcastner...when you reference vendor are you referring to the manufacturer of the board, or where the board was purchased?
I had a local shop build this system 3 yrs ago. I've called them and they basically tell me I need to replace the mobo. Are they just trying the easy $$ fix? I am all for investigating. I have nothing to lose. I can get a new mobo, cpu, ram and install it myself. I am just not so versed on trouble-shooting and I tend to leave that to the experts
If I say "Either they replace the EEPROM with a preloaded one, or they remove it and use a burner. But you are not going to get there unless there is a magic jumper setting that you do not know about."
Will that get me somewhere...?
out of curiosity, what is an EEPROM? I gotta bone up on my lingo

It's like going to get your car fixed....
Also, Mike...thank you...I will try that. One question?? if I pop that floppy into another computer and double click that "exe" file...it won't just start running the bios update on the computer I am on will it??? I can't afford anymore "downed" systems!