Gateway NV5214U Laptop Bios Mod Request

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NoJuan,

Thanks for the effort. My understanding of Bios Mods is limited but I guess the Marker 2.1 in ACPI05 doesn't mean it's already enabled for Win 7. (I vaguely remember something about 2.0 being Vista and 2.1 for Win 7.)

I've been informed I'll see the Laptop late on April 13th and the luncheon where we give it to her is on the 15th. So that won't give me much time to get the image complete, nor give an RW report on the machine. (By the way, do you know a link that explains what info is collected on the RW report?) I was hopeful the Gateway NV5214U Laptop was aready Modded here on the Board as it's an older Model, but I can't get the search function to work here regardless how I try.

 

Gents,

Thanks for the assist.

911Medic, I downloaded the link. Does this contained the correct Modded Bios for the Gateway NV5214U ? Has it been successfully used before?

(I'm trying to be thorough as it would look bad to Brick a gift.)

 

911Medic & NoJuan99,

Gents,

Thanks for all your help, but it seems I needed a bit more assistance and direction.

I got the laptop this afternoon and installed the Modified Bios (Thanks 999medic!) Then I was using WinFlash64 - I thought it picked up the bios automatically from the download folder. The original supplied bios was version 12, and after it flashed it's up to 14 => so I know a Bios was installed. I assumed the modded bios was the only one in the download. .

Unfortunately when I installed a serial and Acer certificate (using Opa tools 0.7) there was no activation. (30 days and counting...)

I assumed the moddifications to the Bios were not successful. I upped a RWEverything report here, and a Bios Dump, but in the meantime I figured it out.

I missed that the modded file was in the Dos Folder. I created a Bootable USB Stick and phlash16 would not load the SJVGW114.WPH until I renamed it BIOS.WPH. Then it loaded perfectly and the certificate and key worked. All is Golden.


Thanks for the assist!

 

Gents,

Now I'm really in the soup.

A Buddy who was at the Party (to give the Laptop to the Lady who was laid off as a going away gift) was so impressed with it he bought one and had his wife drop it off (unopened) today so I could Mod it the same way. It is the same Gateway NV5214U so I kept the Bootable USB stick complete with the Modded Bios thinking it would come it handy for this Rig.

My first Boot was to install windows Ultimate (and blow away Vista) while charging the battery. It went routinely as did connecting to the web and grabbing a couple windows updates (a new ATI video Driver and 2 security updates). So after that was complete (along with a reboot or two) I decided it was time to install Medic's modified Bios.

Booting to the USB stick and starting phlash16 was routine, and it automatically checked the present bios and installed the new one. After a few minutes (and lots of routine but annoying beeping) it said it was 100% complete and to reboot by pressing any key. But before I could press anything => it all when black.

Now I can't get it to Post or do anything. Help!!

 

Yen,

Thanks for the post. I knew I was headed to a recovery program of some sort but didn't know a special one existed for each Bios type (but it certainly sounds reasonable now).

I checked out those links you posted (thanks) - they helped me "get my Head around" the process - but I didn't get too far. (still a Brick...) Then I went scouring the Web for Gateway specific info with similar results. I looked at the Gateway Support Site but no joy was found there at all.

Then I took a couple days off to work on another (carpentry) project before attempting one last ditch effort before calling my Buddy and telling him I had Bricked his new, unopened Laptop.

I went to the Gateway Download Site and pulled down the Bios by Serial Number

When I unzipped it I looked around the folders, and inside the DOS folder, was a zipped file call CRISDSK. I thought this could be interesting, maybe there was instructions and the program. There was the program and Bios file but sadly no instructions.

But as I was in this deep I decided to take the plunge based on the various info from all the posts I read. Anyway, I got it to reflash and it Booted up to Win7 .

The process is really quite simple once you figure it out.

1- Unzip the Bios to Hard Drive (Root Directory - WINCRIS.EXE only seems to work from there in Win7 64 anyway).
2- Look inside DOS Folder and unzip CRISDISK
3- Insert USB Stick into PC (All Data will be lost)
4- Run WINCRIS.EXE (Just double click- select Removable Media from Drop down Box)
5- After it finishes remove USB Stick from PC
6- Insert USB Stick into unpowered laptop (after removing battery & line cord)
7- (Here's the Tricky Bit) While pressing the Fn & Esc keys, Plug the line cord in and then (while still pressing) push the power Button.
8- You will hear one Loud Beep and then release the Fn & Esc keys.
9- You will then hear an annoying (but pleasing as you know something is happening) series of Beeps in various patterns for about 6 minutes.
10- When complete the Laptop reboots itself and bingo - you at at the Desktop!

I hope this helps someone else with their Gateway Laptop sometime.

Now I get to figure out if I should try to reflash with the modified Win7 bios (v 1.14)again or try to have this Bios (v 1.03) modified. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the assist!

 

Folks,

Well I wasn't very patient I guess . I downloaded all the Win7 64 drivers from Gatway and installed them without issue so Win 7 was running fine.

So as I had some time, I decided to try the v1.14 Win 7 modded Bios Flash one more time => thinking it was just a bad flash the first time and it just didn't "take".

Well that was a mistake. It Bricked the Laptop again but seeing as I had just made a WinCrisis recovery Stick I thought I could just follow the proceedure I posted above again, and all would be golden.

Well I've tried it twice, and it seems to be re-writing the Bios (lots of Beep patterns) but it doesn't reboot at the end. Even after waiting 10 minutes after the Beeping stops it just sits there. (I heard the speaker come on at the end of the Bios Flashing then 3 last beeps; but I don't remember that the first time when it worked.)

If I manualy reboot it gives me 4 long beeps followed a series of 1 long and 3 short but just sits there - Black Screen but still accessing the USB Stick from time to time.


So now I'm stumped again...Help!

 

I decided to find out what the Beep codes were for Gateway Laptops and I found this:

"When a recoverable error occurs during the power-on self-test (POST), the BIOS displays an error message describing the issue. The BIOS also issues a beep code, one long tone followed by two short tones, during POST if the video configuration fails–a faulty video card or no card installed–or if an external ROM module does not properly checksum to zero."

So it may be getting hung on a Hardware error (But what about the 4 first Beeps?). I can't see a video card in the access panel area to manually reseat so I'm still stuck..

 

Yen,

Eventually I came to realise that there was a Hardware failure I couldn't tweak so we did return it to the vendor. We did advise them it worked for about 24 hours and then described the Beep Codes. My Buddy who owns he unit called them and they said to RMA it for Credit while they send another via retail channels. (In other words send it back but buy another. They'll credit his credit card after receipt of the RMA'd unit.)

The new Box is getting shipped directly to me and is due to arrive this Friday. This time I'll not take anything for granted =>like identical Bios on the same Model Laptop. I'll download the Bios directly from Gateway by serial number and then move on from there.

 

shakeyplace,

I did edit out the link but now that the unit has been RMA'd it's probably a mute point.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

 

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