Failed Video BIOS Update - Now display is dead!

Question

This is real bad. I fixed my apartment mate's Inspiron 8600 laptop by reinstalling Windows on it and making sure all the drivers are in place and everything is running. I installed the latest patches for Windows and then went to dell.com to see if I could update any of his hardware or drivers any further. I saw there is a hard drive firmware update, which I downloaded but haven't used yet.. and video driver and video BIOS updates. Well, I installed the new video driver, then tried the video BIOS flasher.. and it seemed like it would work at first. It started showed me that initial window and told me it would proceed to flash the video BIOS. I said ok and let it do it's thing.. shortly after that I noticed that the progress bar of the flasher seemed to be looping, so I checked task manager and saw that the process was in NOT RESPONDING status. So I killed the process, thinking I could try again. Well.. after trying the utility again it said the right BIOS file can't be found on the system and that I should contact DELL.com.. I rebooted and now the screen is blank!!

Is there anything I can do to fix this on my own?

Thanks

boppo · Answer

yes, but I am sorry to say you will need to buy your mate a new video card and install it. or if it's still in warranty you need to call dell and just say it's doesn't work any more.

moerl · Answer

He's been wanting a new laptop for a while now, and ironically he decided just today to get himself an Apple Powerbook. We're going to the store tomorrow to get it... so he personally doesn't care about this one. But of course we'd like to sell it on eBay or something.

How could I check if the system is still under warranty? So there really is nothing I could do on my own to fix this? I mean, I can't think of anything either, frankly.. but that's why I'm here. Asking.

Thanks!

ejn63 · Answer

Even if you have to replace the video card, it's not a major cost - certainly nothing like the cost of replacing a mainboard.

moerl · Answer

True.. I'm just having a hard time believing that there is absolutely nothing I can do. I mean, it's not like the card is fried. It's "just" that the BIOS is corrupted. I can't believe there is absolutely nothing I can do to fix this. Buying a new card is easy!

It's a "nVidia GeForce FX Go5200" by the way.

ejn63 · Answer

Unfortunately, the BIOS chip is not replaceable - so unless you can find a shop that can unsolder, reflash and replace it (and remember, it was not mounted by human hands in the first place), replacing the card will be cheaper.

boppo · Answer

you got to get it at dell or ebay cuz it's only fits a dell laptop, can't go to the local store and get one.

moerl · Answer

You'd have to take the chip off!? Dang.. I thought it could be reflashed somehow by connecting to the card itself.

Well.. I looked for that card online but can't find it anywhere. Not on pricegrabber.com, not on nextag.com, not on resellerratings.com product search, not on pricewatch.com, not on shopzilla.com...

Help?

moerl · Answer

Thanks, I'll try to find it.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

Failed Video BIOS Update - Now display is dead!

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