Did I brick my Notebook?

Discussion in 'BIOS Mods' started by Nuc!eoN, May 13, 2013.

  1. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    #1 Nuc!eoN, May 13, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Hi!
    I have a Toshiba Satellite L40-137 (PSL40E).
    Flashing SLIC 2.1 was reported to work: forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/5865-MSI-AMI-bios-mod-requests-post-here/page104?p=214174&viewfull=1#post214174

    The latest official BIOS is v2.30 however I have had v2.20 installed. So the first thing I tried was to flash the latest official version. Toshiba recommends flashing with winflash, however toshiba states that:
    Since I have Win7, I flashed the original toshiba BIOS with AFUDOS using:
    Code:
    AFUDOS P10B230.ROM /P /B /N /C
    Unfortunately something seemed to go wrong, AFUDOS appeared to be stuck:
    Erasing flash (0%)

    The cursor however kept flashing.

    It seemed to be the a similar problem as described here forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/5865-MSI-AMI-bios-mod-requests-post-here/page104?p=214695&viewfull=1#post214695 (same laptop)

    After 10 min I removed the battery. Then I replugged the laptop, but I noticed that no LED is flashing, I press the power button but nothing happens!


    It seems I bricked my Laptop. I do not understand this... this is the original toshiba BIOS I flashed. What did I do wrong??. What happened? Is there any way to recover the Laptop?

    EDIT: I tried pressing the power button for 30s, but it didnt help...
    Please guys help me :(

    best regards
    Nuc!eoN

    PS: heres the original BIOS file I tried to flash rapidgator.net/file/edd982473104ae141eb4b73a6713a92f/P10B230.7z.html
     
  2. coleoptere2007

    coleoptere2007 MDL Guru

    Apr 8, 2008
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    added infos.

    Try to restore with a crisis disk. You'll find informations on how to in toshiba forum.
     
  3. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    #3 Nuc!eoN, May 24, 2013
    Last edited: May 24, 2013
    (OP)
    Ok, thanks. Is it recommended to use a USB-Floppy drive (I'd need to buy one) or would an USB flash drive be suited just as well?
    Also do you think that there is even a chance with the crisis disk? I mean, the laptop doesn't give any sign of life at all (not even a single LED is blinking)...

    Because I was a bit impatient I have already had unscrewed my laptop before you answered. My BIOS chip is (surprise) soldered onto the mainboard. It is a de.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/SST39VF040-70-4C-NHE/?qs=qTvDKjXWcTfeOVG1TuwmJw== SST 39VF040-70-4C-NHE. I have found some shop's that sell those chips cheaply and even flash them with my BIOS file at wish (or I could send them my chip and they would reflash). However I'd need to desolder the old and resolder the new chip (never soldered SMD chips before).

    Also do you know why my BIOS update failed (again: I used the original Toshiba BIOS file)?? Shoud I have used the /i switch? However I wanted the bootblock to be rewritten so that my modified BIOS could be flashed using /i. Or is the /i switch also needed for something else?
    This really confuses me, I don't get what I did wrong...

    Then, could you provide me a good link for the procedure on toshiba forums? I have only found good info's on crisis disks using Phoenix BIOS:
    forum.notebookreview.com/toshiba/469337-toshiba-satellite-a350-bios-recovery-phoenix.html
    toshiba-forum.de/bios/1579-phoenix-crisis-disk.html
    I will of course look further, but if you know some good links then those are more than welcome :)


    PS: Sorry for the mess, I am not allowed to post links properly.
     
  4. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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  5. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    Thanks, this helps some :)
    Could you also attempt to answer some of my questions? Especially those are important to me:

    1. Do I need to buy an USB-floppy drive, or would an USB-Flash drive suffice? Is there any possibility (floppy PATA->USB adapter?) to make an external USB-floppy drive out of an internal one?

    2. What have I done wrong? Should I have used other parameters? Maybe I should have used the /i switch?
     
  6. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    most toshibas usually need floppy.. unless its EFi type bios.

    ive seen for a portege the recovery key was ` not ctrl home or fn esc or win b
     
  7. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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    Its legacy AMI; so floppy is required.

    @Nuc!eoN
    1. Not sure if such enclosures are readily available.
    2. Seems that this bios mod was safely flashed from Windows but not from DOS. Parameter choice is important; for SSV2 'AFUDOS BIOS.MOD' is sufficient.
     
  8. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    #9 Nuc!eoN, May 24, 2013
    Last edited: May 24, 2013
    (OP)
    Again - I repeat, I flashed the untouched toshiba BIOS file. Toshiba recommends flashing from Windows aps2.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/HTD9502M10000R01.htm. Unfortunately this was no option for me, since toshiba stated that the Windows based Bios flasher works for Vista only, but I've had Win7 installed already. The stand-alone Bios file was to be found in the zipped file though and so I flashed it with afudos.

    The original files can be obtained from here support.toshiba-tro.de/tedd-files2/0/bios-20080318134020.ZIP.

     
  9. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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    Sorry.. I missed that :D

    In that case, I suggest you to run the bios update from Hiren's boot next time.
     
  10. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    Never heard of Hiren's boot but I found some infos on the worldww. I also use Linux, maybe it is safer to do it from there next time (if possible?)?
    Now first I will buy a USB-Floppy drive and see if it helps.
     
  11. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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  12. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    I have tried method 1. from here now forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/870-Bios-Recovery-Procedures, but the Laptop seems to be dead. I cannot try method 3. because the HP tool doesn't recognise my USB Floppy (doesn't see it). Btw I tried it always with removed CD drve and HDD.

    So now it seems that I need to desolder the chip and resolder a new one (I've found some shops that sell flashed chips). Maybe on that occasion I could solder a PLCC BIOS socket.

    What's the best way to desolder an PLCC smd chip? (Hot air I guess?)
    Any further tips?


    regards
    Nuc!eoN
     
  13. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    #14 LatinMcG, May 26, 2013
    Last edited: May 28, 2013
    hot air it is.. make sure its completely melted or pads come off with chip.

    edit: u can also find a older 2009 or so amd board with similar chipset and hotswap chip with dos already running ready to flash bad chip.
     
  14. Nuc!eoN

    Nuc!eoN MDL Novice

    May 13, 2013
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    #15 Nuc!eoN, Jun 27, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2013
    (OP)
    Hi just wanted to inform you that the operation has been successful (although it took some hours). Since I didnt have a hot air gun I used this technic to desolder my chip: youtube.com/watch?v=dCUSwADP6DE. Wasn't easy and I needed a second soldering iron but in the end it worked :). The biggest problem was that I only had a really tiny soldering tip, so I recommend everyone to use a big one or it will be very frustrating...

    Soldering was even more complicated and I recommend everyone to use much soldering flux. I didnt use any (since I had none) and it was really messy task (I think it took me like 4 hours until it was cleanly soldered, notice however that I am totally new to soldering).
    The Bios chip has been delivered to my door and was preflashed with my modded Bios already. I inserted the chip - and tadaaaa everything worked like a charm :DD!

    Thank you so very much for your help. Maybe I'll post some pics of the procedure here...
     
  15. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    u can solder a socket and hotswap chip while in dos to flash old chip.. backup