Need a backup BIOS

Hi there!

I am in a bit of a bind here.

I recently updated the BIOS on my HP DV8000 laptop (actually a DV8305US - AMD processor - ATI graphics).

After the update, which went apparently smoothly, there was a problem with the graphics, i.e. DOS fullscreen would show BLANK whereas other graphics modes display normally.

I think something has gone wrong with the flash. Unfortunately I did NOT back up my BIOS!!! Re-flashing with the BIOSes on HP's website did NOT help!

Can any helpful soul out there send me a backup of their BIOS (DV8000 laptop - AMD processor - ATI graphics)? I will try to use the backup to flash the BIOS back.

THANK YOU!!

 

you can't back up the BIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PERIOD!!! If reflashing it didn't work, then maybe try tweaking some of the settings

 

find the BIOS version you had and reflash back to that

 

Yes, you can backup the BIOS. When flashing the BIOS, a backup called "bios.bak" is created in the directory containing the flashing routine, which I have found to be

C:\W309BF54


All I am asking is for someone who has flashed his bios to let me have his bios.bak

 

These BIOS files can be found @ HP.

 

I have flashed the BIOS from HP's website, but it was the same. Hence my plea for someone's backup BIOS

 

Anyone ?

 

Try reflashing again with the same version BIOS (if it lets you overwrite the same BIOS). Could have been a glitch while it was flashing, thats why your supposed to turn off all your AV, security and firewall programs.

 

As a I had mentioned a couple of times, I have already tried reflashing the stock DV8000 bioses, and always got back the same result.

I read in some other forums that the BIOS.BAK backup contains more information (video BIOS ??) than the actual stock BIOS supplied by HP.

So, if anybody has their DV8000 (AMD cpu, ATI Graphics) BIOS.BAK, could he let me have it so I make an attempt at it?

 

Can I just ask....when you have a bios.bak file is it ok to use this to get back to your old bios?

How do you flash it back to your machine?....Is it just a case of selecting the bak file with WinFlash & then flashing it?

It's just I though a bios file had to be a WPH file?

 

how about renaming it .....

for the previous versions of the bios you will of course find them at hp :

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...n&cc=us&dlc=en&product=500449&os=2093&lang=en

 

1. What i'd do with the BIOS.BAK is to copy it over the BIOS.WPH and then start the flashing (which uses BIOS.WPH)

2. I have tried a couple of the older versions (starting with the oldest). No success

 

You do realise messing around with BIOS flashing could totally render you laptop useless and turn it into a 2kg paperweight

 

If you have tried different versions & the problem still remains the same I don't understand how the problem could be with the bios, unless I'm missing something

Am I correct in thinking that a bios bak file is just a copy of the bios on the machine that you are overwriting & nothing more or less?...

...If so how will a bios bak file solve your problem.... if you have tried previous versions of the bios for your machine you must have tried the bios that was on the machine before you flashed it in the first place ....if you follow.

 

That's the thing. According to reports elsewhere, somehow the backup BIOS of a machine has different content (more content, including perhaps a Video BIOS). So I would like to flash someone's backup on my machine to rectify the problem.

If it turns into a paperweight, I can pay someone to swap out the chip. I've already tried reflashing the BIOS on HP's website, so it's my only try left.

 

hp integrates a videobios into their bios. they do it for most machines i have seen.

if your laptop has had a "video-bios" integrated before, there will still be a videobios. you can´t just loose it. thats not the way it works. whenever you flash a bios containing a "video-bios" you will flash that videobios also. no matter if it´s an old or a new version. you do have the video bios too. it´s not perhaps there, you definitly have the video bios. you wouldn´t be thinking that hp does integrate such a videobios in one bios version, but not the others for the same laptop, would you ?

maybe you would like to check the bios settings, perhaps you have enabled the silent boot option.

 

Whatever the problem is, it is a RARE condition. All video works except full screen DOS.

This is not a BIOS setting problem

 

Its a far fetch to get full dos compatibility mode on these machines. They are not designed to be DOS compatible in many respects.
Try answering the following questions:
Is this a full-screen DOS command prompt under windows XP or did you boot the PC directly to DOS?
What exactly in DOS are you trying to display? If its text missing, you may need to set the correct codepage.
Do you have a screen capture sample of with and without the missing part, taken from another pc for example?

 

I must admit, these questions are really wearing me out since I have simply requested a backup BIOS and I have already stated the problem and my need very clearly. But to answer the above posts:

To Schoko
The BIOS.BAK captures much more info than the BIOS.WPH downloaded from HP. There is something more there and that is what I figure I need now, a fuller capture of the bios, as something has gone awry with the flashing (perhaps a flaky bit, etc.) and I might have lost something permanently which the HP bios does not replenish. This behaviour is particular to certain categories of Phoenix bioses, which the DV8000 uses. My problem has NOTHING to do with silent boot, etc.


To Booyoo:

This is the CURRENT behaviour:
- Is this a full-screen DOS command prompt under windows XP or did you boot the PC directly to DOS?
Full-screen DOS command prompt under Windows.

- What exactly in DOS are you trying to display? If its text missing, you may need to set the correct codepage.
The whole thing is BLACK. No text, no prompt, nada. I can type and execute commands but nothing shows. I have not changed any codepage etc.


NOW, can any poster post his BIOS.BAK? If not, just let this thread rest in pieces.

I just need the BIOS.BAK.