Need HP dv6830ed RAW BIOS dump

Discussion in 'BIOS Mods' started by johnkeates, Aug 4, 2012.

  1. johnkeates

    johnkeates MDL Novice

    Oct 2, 2009
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    Hello everyone,

    I have a busted dv6830ed, the BIOS was misflashed by some sort of HP updater app, I don't know who did it, but I do know that all the hardware is in good condition. It even has the bigger battery!

    So now I want to fix it up, but without a BIOS that's going to be a tough one ;-)

    Now, since this is a Phoenix bios, the first thing I wanted to do is run the flaky Phoenix Rescue method.
    This didn't work.

    1. I have the crisis recovery disk loaded in a USB floppy drive and I'm using a known good floppy
    2. Booting the laptop with no battery and only the charger plugged in, holding the key combo
    3. Floppy drive powers on, access light stays on for a bit (~25 seconds)
    4. Access LED goes off, and nothing happens. I leave the thing on for an hour, still nothing happens
    5. Turn it off, doesn't work, unplug it, turn it on, and still no go

    It's not a busted GPU, and it's not a different hardware issue, it's the damn BIOS that's corrupted.

    To fix this, one of the ways I can think of, is to unsolder the BIOS EEPROM, and manually flash an image.
    But... I don't have the image! I know the BIOS file (WPH) is not suitable, and a BIOS backup isn't going to work either.
    This leaves me with a real dump from the chip itself, which can only be done by someone with the same motherboard, and the tools to do it.

    The question remains: is there anyone out there with a motherboard that matches the one from the HP dv6830ed, and who has the skills and is willing to make a BIOS dump for me?
     
  2. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    #2 LatinMcG, Aug 4, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2012
    have u first tried the usb crisis recovery method ??

    if not working
    backup the chip with spi usb programmer.. then use phoenix mod tool to get a .DEC decrypted bios file from the downloaded bios(if encrypted), not backup.. and compare the backup with the download..
    the bios on chip is bigger.
    the update is part of the full bios.. not complete.
    merge with hex editor then flash that.

    however u do have the notorious NVIDIA gpu
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
     
  3. johnkeates

    johnkeates MDL Novice

    Oct 2, 2009
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    I did try re-doing the BIOS via SPI, and that worked for the BIOS, but it was still broken, due to the infamous NVIDIA chip.

    So yes, the BIOS was broken, but fixing it didn't help after all. Seems kinda redundant to post in such an old thread, but needless to say, it might help someone else before they break out the SPI option when there might be something totally different wrong, besides a crashed BIOS.

    Another funny piece of information: the BIOS crash seemed to be caused by a HP BIOS update, initiated by the HP Software updater, and that BIOS update was supposed to prevent the NVIDIA chip from overheating and melting the connections!
     
  4. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    soemetimes the chipset or bad ram can cause a bad bios update.
     
  5. akuma6099

    akuma6099 MDL Novice

    Mar 20, 2012
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    I run into alot of laptops that either power off immediately or shows a solid black screen with no POST. Usually it is due to the integrated GPU having chip creep. The GPU will not initialize and is unable to indicate a hardware fault. I remove the board, locate the GPU and removed the setting epoxy from all 4 corners with a heat gun. Then I heat gun around 650F for about 3-4 min. I usually start at 300F and crank the dial up a little at a time for a nice even flow. You can cause the board to warp if it is not preheated or if you hold 650F in a 1 inch area only. 9 times out of 10 the board comes back to life. It may work for a week or another 2 years. Each one varies. I havn't had one come back to me yet. Nice even flow is the key. Also I havn't had any top side surface mount components blow away. They stick in place even while the solder is in liquid form. Still be careful. Good luck.
     
  6. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    the ones that power on and off.. try using flux in the chip sides. then heat it to no more than 285F for 4 to 6 mins. (325F usualy burns the chip)

    the glue trick is neat.. less pressure for chip to float properly on solder balling. i break 3 of 4 glue sides to keep it in same spot with 1 glue still attached... the one that looks the highest off the board i keep intact.