How to Fix Your GSOD Blues

This solution is to fix the GSOD problem that has been reported. It is provided as is and will only be supported by yours truly until officially released on our support site. If you are not comfortable flashing the vBIOS on the G73Jh and have a GSOD issue with drivers other than those at the ASUS support site then I highly suggest you contact our Service group to arrange a RMA. Although every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety of this flash, there is always the possibility of a failed flash due to power outage, hardware modifications to the unit, or simply bad luck.

That said there are three compressed folders within the downloaded file - 93vbiosa. The fine people at HP produced an excellent USB Disk Tool that allows you to create a bootable USB Flash Drive and this program is located in the HPUSBDisk.rar folder. In order to create a bootable drive you will also need the required DOS files and the great personnel at Microsoft provided the files in the Win98boot.rar folder. Extract both folders to your hard drive and open the HP USB Disk tool and follow the instructions to create a clean bootable flash drive. Additional instructions on how to do this are easily available via Google. After creating the bootable flash drive (FAT32 is the safest option) then you will want to extract the three files listed below to this drive.

For those of you who already have a bootable USB Flash Drive then you will want to extract the atiflash.exe, BR3852.001, and Vflash.bat files to this drive. Now you are ready to wave bye bye to the GSOD blues.

1. Insert your bootable USB flash drive with the 93vBIOSa.rar contents extracted on to it.
2. Reboot and quickly start tapping the ESC key to enter the boot menu. Select your USB stick and press enter, the unit will boot off the USB drive now.
3. Once you have booted off the USB drive, simply type VFlash and you should see a flash completion screen in a couple of seconds. Remove the flash drive and power down the system.
4. Wait ten seconds and then power up the system and enter Windows, hopefully without any GSOD problems.
5. I highly recommend BIOS 0211 or above with this fix as the vBIOS was certified on BIOS 0211.
6. Although they are rarely mentioned, a big thanks to the beta testers (Chasity, etc) and our engineers/product managers in Taiwan for their dedicated attention on this matter.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. If this fix proves successful for you then it would be nice to hear it but more importantly if it did not work then we need you to PM me.

Sincerely,
Gary


Updates-
1. AtiFlash.exe updated for users having issues with previous version.
2. This vBIOS works with driver sets 10.1~10.8 and should work with future releases unless the driver base code is changed again.
3. Updated Download Site - http://www.mediafire.com/file/xjc63tdnscvv4ul/93vBIOSa.rar

 

thanks!!!!!!

 

Trying it out now!

 

Its finally here! Yay!

 

Are the lack of posts saying "IT WORKS" evidence of mass bricks everywhere? It's like the hum of a hundred thousand g73s just went silent.

 

Anyone, Hellcry?

 

Flash success, loading up the GSOD King Final Fantasy XIV and leave it on for next hour in High pop area.

 

Quick somebody post a success/failure poll.

 

Well, since Gary is being oddly ejaculatory...

New 08/30/2010 vBIOS with Overdrive

Enjoy! (Use updateod.bat for my vBIOS)

MD5 Checksum: 1B8342E01A80267FEAFC8EE8BD99CE72
SHA-1 Checksum: 5C84D94C3ECBAB4FC443A0296AF39A1FF4E16B38

version: 012.020.000.032.0383.G730 (as reported in BIOS) 012.020.000.032.038352 (as reported by HW apps)

My version differs from Gary's in that:

1) Battery clocks are set to 250/500
2) Overdrive is enabled.

Scroll up to 1st post for instructions, but use my OD vBIOS and use updateod.bat, instead of Vflash.bat as stated above.

 

Intersting. No response yet. This either means that every1 bricked his laptop or the GSOD got fixed and it didn't pop up for any1 so far

 

Oh my, I luld.

Wish I had my laptop right now.

 

I go to update 211 bios and new vBIOS, if I don´t post here in 10 min, pray for my g73

 

Use updateod.bat instead of Vflash.bat right?

 

He's gone and good riddance.. waiting for updates.. this is good news.. Even more good news for me as my machine's comming with BIOS 211...

 

There's only 2 bat files in my package... VFlash.bat and updateod.bat
I would think the "od" would be the dead giveaway

VFlash.bat = stock new beta
updateod.bat = new beta with Overdrive and 250/500 battery timing

 

There is only 1 bat file in the .rar, VFlash.bat.

 

Oh right. Didn't read the filenames properly.

For some reason the HP USB tool is "failing to make device DOS-bootable."

Both Sandisk Cruzer Micros. Any ideas?

@DRevan
Chastity uploaded her version of the vBios. With Overdrive unlocked. With both the stock Vflash and the one with Overdrive unlocked.

 

211 and new vBios updated! , I go to install 10.8 now and test some benchs

 

yes, I am now in the process of making a new boot drive....seems I lost my 2 GB and am now trying (fingers crossed) to make a 8GB sandisk cruzer one.

That error showed up for me as well, when I tried to quick format...unchecked that and it *seems* to be working.


I swear it has been over an hour so far

 

Oh dear. I updated to 211, laptop shut down after it finnished. I started her up, keyboard lights up, fans don't spin up and no picture on the screen...I'm like "oh f*ck, I'm screwed"...you can't imagine how relieved I was when 5 sec later the fans spinned up and the ASUS logo appeared

Installing 10.6 (just for the heck of it) now.

 

Looks good to me Updated vbios, 10.8 drivers and no blinking or GSOD or atifacts yet.

 

Let me know if anyone is using the Overdrive version

@DReven: I released a modified package. You missed it.

 

Your OD modified vBIOS works like a champ, Chastity. Thanks.

 

I am using the overdrive version...is nice to have that feature unlocked and usable when necessary.

 

mm 1 error (same with vBIOS beta)---> g73 freezes with unigine heaven bench 2.1 in opengl mode and 10.7a (with stock vbios and 10.6 works fine)

I dont know if it is a 10.7a problem or a vbios problem... can someone run heaven bench 2.1 in ogl with another drivers? (I have now a slowly internet connection and i can´t download 10.8 )

 

Seems to be running really good, I used to get GSOD almost instantly on stock clocks stock vbios, it been running really good now since the flash, very happy so far, have to go to work so not going to test until I get back home.

 

You don't want to try with 10.8? I thought the fix was Bios 211, this new vBios, and 10.8 Cats. I don't mind running Heaven 2.1, but I didn't GSOD before. If it will help, I will install and run it.

 

lord neno...I tried Heaven Benchmark 2.1 opengl no issues for me...but I'm using 10.8...and new vbios.

 

(I have now a slow internet connection and i can´t download 10.8 this week )

.

Thanks! it seems to be a 10.7a issue

 

Maybe I'll try running some before and after benchmarks. While I don't need to install the new vBIOS, I would like to see if they impact performance at all.

 

hmm, so far I'm getting my old temps with this new vBIOS. With the previous vBIOS I've got around -5C on DispIO and MemIO while browsing the net.

 

Smooth sailing for me so far!!!
Great work on the vBIOS and the super simple .RAR file/directions!

YAY happy day!

 

my temps in idle browsing inet, no gpu repaste (yet ):

 

If the HP formatter doesn't work, first do a regular format with Explorer. Just right click on the drive and format it (do Full, not quick. I also made sure to format FAT32). Then run the HP tool again and try to format it, it should work. I realize this is 2 formats, but it worked for me.

 

Furmark up to 02:30:00... same temps

 

Success! 5 minutes of Furmark and still going strong. Used to GSOD around 2 minutes.

 

I assume people are using the Catalyst 10.8 drivers with this?

 

Furmark 27 min with Catalyst 10.6...previously it gave GSOD in 2-3min. (108C max temp so far)

 

I'm confused a bit, could someone be THAT nice and post links to bios 211 topic and perhaps a link to mobility 10.8 as well?

I would be eternaly yours ;-)

 

The 211 bios comes from the ASUS support site -- good luck getting a link, it's all JavaScript and stuff. As someone helpfully pointed out to me in another thread, you should put it on a flash drive or something for the easy flash bios utility to find it. (Use the flash utility in the BIOS, it's more reliable.) 10.8 presumably comes from ATI's site.

 

Don't forget that 10.7a was a beta driver (laptop+desktop driver mixed together). I'm not surprised if it doesn't work correctly with something.

 

ATI Catalyst™ Display Driver

 

Gary,

Thank you, between the KB light fix and the GSOD fix this is like xmas day!!!

 

40 min with 10.6 XTreme Burn mode+PostFX+8xAA and still no GSOD....The cake wasn't a lie this time?

 

Please note that we have added a consequence for failure. Any contact with the chamber floor will result in an 'unsatisfactory' mark on your official testing record, followed by death. Good luck!

 

Wow , this is awesome news. Thanks Gary! The vBIOS is perfect.. now if powerplay is better , that'd be excelllent.. also what's up about synaptic drivers?

 

Plus 50 for the Portal reference! I love that game. I am so happy that you guys may finally be rid of the dreaded GSOD. I still need a keyboard lag fix, but I would call that minor compared to GSOD.

For those without GSOD, there is no problem using this vBIOS. No negative effects and if you use the one Chastity modified, you get Overdrive too.

Edit: I don't know what we will talk about here if the GSOD is really gone.

 

Can we have checksums so I don't brick my laptop?

 

Quick question, should I update to the new vbios first, then boot into safe mode, and use driver sweeper, then install CCC 10.8? Or install 10.8 first, then the vbios...or does it even matter?