ASmobile z96J bios help

Hey, I have this laptop ASmobile Z96J PowerPlus
And I had a problem with it, the fan at some point started to spin ultra loud and didn't stop, so I got it to warranty and have it back now with a replaced mobo, and those idiots got a BIOS password on it, and now I can't acess it to change some things like that feature that undercllocks the cpu and overclocks as we need it... And I would like to know how can I solve this, by either knowing the default bios pass or by flashing the bios, it's quite urgent please. Thanks in advance

 

There is no such option to underclock or overclock CPU in BIOS.

If you want to flash BIOS here is the latest version:

S96J/Z96J Version 1201:
http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/images/Notebook/Asus/S96J1201.zip
You don't need bootable CD to update, thanks to Turbogear's trick.
1:Just unzip the file and place the BIOS file to your C: root directory, example C:\S96J.ROM
2: Open WinFlash and browse the BIOS file from your C:\ and click flash.
3: Windows will reboot to Aflash program in DOS mode and it'll start to flash BIOS automatically (Don't turn off the computer during BIOS flash)
4: When it's done the computer will reboot by itself and press F2 to enter BIOS when you see the Intel logo.
5 Press F10 to save and exit.

 

Yes it has, it undervolts it self and it's righr now at 1ghz... reading on cpu-z if I do something intensive like photoshop it goes up to 2ghz ... but how can I see my bios version btw?!

 

Btw where can I download the latest version of winflash? thx

All I see in cpu-z is

version: 080012
date: 08/29/2006

 

That's control by power4Gear software, if you are on battery power it will underclock by itself. You won't see these settings in BIOS.

Here is the link for WinFlash.

 

There is basically no virtual chance of screwing my laptop by flashing it with winflash is there? and how do I find out wich version of bios do I have, so I can upgrade to that version?

 

If you dont know, or cant Figure out how to find the bios version you have, i dont think its a very good idea for you to mess around with winflash OR any other flashing utility for that matter.

 

btw... this is what happens when I try to flash the bios.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7170/bahgt1.jpg

 

Looks like you downloaded the wrong image file. Though ive never used that flasher. I just used winflash last week to do mine.

""""Exactly""""" what system do you have?

 

I just downloaded what GenTechPC said, it's winflash, and the bios image he said... I have the exact system you can see at my 1st post, click on the ASmobile link

 

Erm. I'm reading the readme.txt from the bios update 1201 that I just downloaded from intel site and it says for models Z96JS, I have a z96J !? Is it compatible still?

 

maybe you don't Z96J, it might be Z96JP.
Does your laptop has portbar III connector? if it does then it's Z96JP.

 

I'm sorry for all these questions, but what exactly is portbar III? is it that e-sata thing? if so, yes I have.

 

Does your laptop has a webcam? also is your LCD WXGA 1280X1024?

 

Yes it has a webcam, bisson or something, and the res is 1280x800.

But in the image I posted it says the bios rom is for z96JS and says that mine is a Z96j so it wont flash...

 

Dont you have a model sticker on the bottom?

I searched around for the winflash i downloaded and couldnt find the place i got the link. I know it was here, just dont feel like searching thru hundreds of posts again.

I have in my start menu, ASUS Utility>Winflash>Winflash V2.18
If that helps at all

 

Is there a port in the back that looks like a parallel port but thinner ?

 

no, just 2 USB ports.

and my winflash version is 2.18 too

 

How about the SATA port you mention?

 

It's on the side, next to a usb port and a vga port, it doesnt look like a paralel port, more like a differente "kind" of usb port.

 

And that port says "1394" right? it's Firewire port.

You can use the bootable CD to flash BIOS:

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/images/Notebook/Asus/96J1104.nrg

Instruction for using Nero Image files to burn a bootable CD:
1: Download NERO image file for the BIOS update.
2: Use Nero to burn the image file to the CD
3: Insert CD and when first power on the laptop press "ESC" at Intel logo screen
4: Select Optical drive at boot options screen
5: at "A:\" prompt type "Update" and press "Enter".
6: it'll automatically update the BIOS and don't turn off or reset the computer during BIOS flash.
7: screen will go back to "A:\" prompt when finish
8: restart the computer and then hold F2 to enter BIOS, press F10 to save and exit BIOS.

 

What annoys the hell out of me is that I want to format and install a xp again and I can't even do that because I can't enter bios to use the cd as boot.................... because of the stupid password... go****.--

 

no it doesn't, that one is far away, the one says exactly "E-sata" underneath it

 

Press "ESC" key at Intel logo screen and it should give you the option to boot from CD.

 

Then you do have Z96JP, I am not sure the BIOS will work, don't try it.

 

Holy crap... :| I have a JP because of e-sata? But cpu-z etc all says Z96J... crap... does that mean I got screwed or something?

 

you have a password on the bios and dont know what it is??????

 

if you read the 1st post you'll understand why ..

 

And I don't understand, even at the bottom it says Z96J... what gives? I dont understand this... :|

 

They all Z96J, but there are different models such as Z96JS, Z96JM, Z96JP.

Your Z96JP has different ports than Z96JS and I don't know if that's the reason why the BIOS are different.

Anyway, here is the BIOS for Z96JP, try to see if you can flash using WinFlash, make sure put the BIOS under C: root directory:

http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/nb/Z96Jp/Z96JP0901AS.rar

P.S why didn't you call whoever fix your computer and ask them for the BIOS password?

 

Hey, thank you so much. Yes I will give them a call tomorrow, but right now I think I should update BIOS because for some reason with this new mobo I see alot more "grayness" than before weird..

oh and one more thing, I just formatted and the cpu clock still varies, so I really have to get into BIOS to change this ... and winflash says the JP image is differente from the original... basically gives the same "error" it says I it's a z96JP and not a z96J wich is mine.............. this is so confusing

The only one that works is the one wich is on asus website for the z96J wich is an earlier version of mine... so it wont flash obviously.

 

If you trust me you can PM me your serial number of the laptop, I'll call Asus tomorrrow to see exactly which BIOS you should use.

 

Hey, thanks alot, I'll be sending it to you in a minute. thank you so much, you're really kind

 

If they put the wrong mobo in I wouldn't be suprised they put a Z96J screen on mine once because they didn't check to see it was actually a Z96JS

Them putting a password on it is tres, tres stupid of them 4 sure.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out ,

 

But what's weird is that in cpu-z it claims to be a Z96J, but when I try to use winflash it says that for example 1201 is for Z96JS so it wont flash because mine is Z96J... so in windows it detects the mobo as z96J and the bios is 1006.01 I guess ( it's on the picutre I linked before )

Oh, and one more thing, my cpu volt and clock is always varying... this IS because of a setting on BIOS right? Because before they gave me a new mobo it had an option on BIOS that said it controlled the clock and voltage of the cpu, so obviously I had that turned off. And I have no Powergear4 installed for that matter.

 

If you have that option in the BIOS, you have a more customizable BIOS than mine. Other desktops and laptops I've owned in the past have had such options but with 1101 on my Z96JS its very barebone. Lenovo laptops I work with at work have literally hundreds of options, with 15+ full screens of things to change. Z96JS has 4 or 5 and they're mostly empty.

Not sure, if it detects it as that its odd. I'd agree though that it seems to be a JP, Z96JS is what it says for many users including those with S96J systems. The two major ones I've seen are Z96JS and Z96J here in Toronto in terms of the support office. Even the S96J which is essentially the Z96J but from Intel users the same bios as the Z96JS. you having a Z96JP is probably whats causing these problems.

If I were you I'd go through all the ASUS site and download all the Z96 anything BIOSes and see if you can find one that matches. Contact that tech support too, if you can get into the BIOS that would be informative as well.

Cat

 

I literally downloaded every BIOSes I could since J , JP , JS , JM , and the only one that works ( but is older than mine ) is exactly for z96J.... this is just so stupid. And I'm honestly pissed because I hate having the cpu going up and down by itself... it's just so stupid... and the guy from the store said he can only give me the password till monday... cool.

 

Ouch that sucks - which version of the prorgram are you using to upgrade it? What do apps you try say about your motherboard's name and revision?

Huh?

 

Win flash.

And yeah lol the guy said he didn't even know... it was asus' fault. So he can only phone them on monday now ...

 

Darn you missed my update, my comp was going slow and it took a minute to put it up there.

You are very fast at seeing these posts, you're not sitting there pressing F5 every few seconds are you? jk

Cat

 

cpu-z reports: z96J 1.00
i945PM Rev. 03
82801GHM

BIOS: vers: 080012
date: 08/29/2006


and winflash is vers. 2.18... :|

 

Oh, this would be good to know - what type of CPU do you have? If it's Merom then you'd need a different BIOS then what is usually the default for a Z96JS. I'm thinking you have a Yonah but every bit of info is useful.

Them putting a bios password though...that seems extremely odd, unless they knew there was some problem with it or they gave you a motherboard from someone elses machine in which case they won't even know what the password was anyway. Or they just gave you someone else's machine entirely and said they fixed it lol.... they've done that before...

They did that to me with my Z96JS, and as long as they put in your HDD, CPU and RAM most people would know without checking the device IDs or opening it up. Heck, all they really need to do is change the HDD if the others were all the same spec/brand. Are you sure this is the same system you had before?

The mobo being from someone else's machine that was RMA'd at the same time is definitely a possibility...and it could explain a lot....

Cat

 

It's a Merom. Does that mean I need a different bios?

And I'm sure it's exactly the same system, because my HDD data and windows installation came exactly the same, I just formatted though. And the cpu is the same.

 

Darn, went to look at your picture you posted b4 and lost my message - hate when that happens.

Anyway, old z96js bios = no Merom working, except v hot so only use to boot up system to upgrade otherwise not stable.

I wrote some other stuff but thats quickly the main point. So you don't know at all if the laptop is the same or not as before? (other than the 'new' mobo of course)

Cat

 

You are in Spain? It's the different model than the Z96JS/Z96JP in the US.

I was told some Z96J models doesn't support WinFlash and your must be the one, you need AFLASH2 utility, here is the CD I made, use NERO to burn the image file to CD:

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/images/Notebook/Asus/Z96J_SATA.nrg

Press ESC key at Intel logo to boot from CD.

At A prompt, type AFLASH2 and press enter.

I suggest you back the current BIOS by enter option 1 before flash to new BIOS.

when done backup the BIOS, exit to A prompt and then type update and press enter to flash BIOS.

I don't know if flash BIOS will clear the password.

 

If I may interject - I am not an expert, but if it says Z96J then that is the only type of BIOS that will work. cpu-z reports mine as a Z96Js, and that is the only one that works for me. So 1201 will not work (as already proven). The one that will work is the one specified for the mobo Z96J BIOS. This is an August 22, 2006 update. It has the following updates:
1.Update JMB eSATA OptionROM
2.Update CPU uCode, M206EC54, M206F536 and M206F648
I believe the CPU uCode update is for Merom (confirm?). Anyways you reported your BIOS as being from 8/29/06; this is from 8/22/06. Downloaded from ASUS website - here (with model = Z96J not Z96Jx where x = P, S, G, etc...

The WinFlash utility should work with this BIOS revision. And flashing the BIOS will clear the password. (how could erasing the ROM and rewriting it keep the password??)

 

So basically I'm screwed? Yes I'm from Portugal, and every single program reports it as z96J. The laptop is exactly the same, I'm sure of it, just a mobo replacement. But I do notice alot more grayness than before, so it probably has a different bios or something. So it should be safe to flash the bios as gentechpc said? I have flashed bios many times, but this time I'm actually scared..

 

The BIOS disk I made is the one for your Z96J w/ESATA port. BTW, have you call them and ask for the password?

 

Hi not sure if you saw my post. Try the BIOS downloaded at http://dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/ASUS/nb/Z96J/Z96J0601AS.rar you can't flash a Z96J which is a model different from Z96Js, or Z96Jp, or whatever. If you don't flash it, just use winflash to see if you CAN flash it with this. I am 90% sure you'll be able to. That error message you gave is due to the fact that Z96Js is not equivalent to Z96J. This bios that I have linked to is meant for Z96J. Therefore it will work.

 

The board is definetly a z96J because on boot it shows "z96J" , I did call them today and the guy said he forgot to phone them and will call them on monday .................... and about that BIOS in winflash it says I can't flash it because it is an earlier version, 1006.001 as opposed to my 1006.002, but I "can".
And should I flash it then gentechpc?