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Chaz_Ball

3 Posts

11112

February 13th, 2007 04:00

Wanted: Manual Flash routine with separate BIOS file

Well the deal was a little too good...
 
Got a good deal on an off-lease Latitude C840.  While checking out my new toy, (er tool), the video starting going south, showing signs of thermal failure.  First run on DIAG didn't find anything (I have since identified video memory failure).  So, wanted to update the BIOS and see if that helps the fans settings.  The A12 update failed.  Seems it didn't want to put a Latitude BIOS on an INSPIRON.  Turns out that my new-to-me Latitude has an Inspiron 8100 BIOS (A11) installed on it.
 
The dilemma now is that the combined update file checks the model before it updates and it won't let me update to A13.  And I'm shaky on trying to separate the single update .exe file from its data.
 
So are the flash program (I presume a phoenix derivative) and the .BIN file available separately so I can give my notebook back it's identity?
 
Any help, advise, or links would be helpful.  Thanks.
 
 

bacillus

2 Intern

 • 

14.4K Posts

February 13th, 2007 08:00

afaik adding /forceit (i.e. biosfilename /forceit) to the command flash line will force the bios model change.

note the space between biosfilename and /

Chaz_Ball

3 Posts

February 13th, 2007 21:00

Thanks for the command.  No go.
 
Interesting though.  Used "c840_a13 /forceit" and got a "not for you" error.  But "c840_a13 /force" just got a "Command Usage: C840C_A13" response.
 
Since then, I found a way to extract the BIOS file with: "c840_a13 -writehdrfile" command that is used with the biosflsh.exe routine.  This got me c840_A13.hdr.  Seems the commands are hyphens.  Found biosflsh.exe and tried to flash using the hdr file.  Same "not for you" response.  The -f and --force and --flashbios parameters didn't do a thing.
 
This biosflsh.exe was in the PE server update kit (abbreviated DTK).  Another option is the DCCU kit (another Dell deployment tool) but it wants .NET support that I really don't want to install.  Possibly on the Dell itself.
 
Will also try backing off to A01 or whatever is practical to see if those versions don't check ID.  Then bring it forward.
 
On another note:  the fan utility has let me keep the fans on (low) which keeps the failing video card functioning.  Hey, its a band-aid.
 
Still whacking away at it.  Thanks for the hope.
 

Chaz_Ball

3 Posts

February 24th, 2007 03:00

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
 
Located the solution on another forum. In order to force to BIOS update routine to work when it tells you that you're on the wrong machine, use these flags:
 
    c840_a13.exe  (update program name)    /forceit  /forcetype
 
Both /forceit and /forcetype were required and it worked slick!!
 
Oh yeah.  Caveat.  Be sure you really want to do this and have the right BIOS and routines for your computer.  There is no telling what will happen if you get it WRONG!
 


Message Edited by Chaz_Ball on 02-23-2007 11:33 PM

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