How do I force flash bios to different model?

[rinaldojonathan]

okay, so I actually have ASUS G550JX. It was bricked for completely unknown and unrelated case, so I brought that thing to service center, which quoted $1k for replacement motherboard. What?


then, I brought that thing to the 3rd party service center, which revived my laptop. But after that, my GTX 950m stops working, my keyboard backlight stops working, and the LOGO changed to ASUS logo instead of ROG logo. 

I was trying to mess with WinFlash, when I realized the laptop was running N550JV BIOS, while mine actually G550JX. How can I force reinstall the G550JX BIOS?

Thanks!

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Maybe they switched out your board (and GFX) to some cheaper model, or at least the board? Can you confirm your hardware is the same, but they put in wrong BIOS? Can you take it back and make them fix it? If not, then the only ways to fix it is to either do a pinmod (I'll link below) and unlock the FD, dump entire BIOS with FPT (only if this is Intel based), or to purchases a flash programmer and SOIC8 test clip cable (both less than $7 total shipped)

Here is how to do pinmod, see section "E1"
https://www.win-raid.com/t3553f39-Guide-...icing.html

Don't do that yet though, if you plan to try that let me know and I'll give you the rest of the info you need to use right after pinmod to dump FD, edit it and reflash it back in. Otherwise, after you pinmod, it's gone on next reboot and you'll have to do it again.

Here is what you need for program BIOS yourself. I'll have to build you BIOS from your current BIOS dumped and the correct BIOS you want in there, you can't program in BIOS from Asus download.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/201316582787
https://www.ebay.com/itm/382486015977

[rinaldojonathan]

Pretty sure it was just wrong BIOS, since the serial number stays the same. Also N550 and G550 shares a lot of the hardware, even the LCD hinge has N550/G550 written on it.
They said "by reflashing it to original BIOS, it wont boot back. It doesnt work that way".
It is intel powered machine. I7 4720HQ to be exact.

Or ... How can I modify original G550jx BIOS, make it look like for N550JV, so EasyFlash will accept it?

[rinaldojonathan]

Doing pinmod seems scary. Do we have software solution or something else?

[Lost_N_BIOS]

They could put in serial, best to check things out to confirm if you can!

And yes, all you had to do was "Properly" program back in a new "prepared" BIOS.
They either lie to get more $$ or are incompetent, usually both is the case

If you don't want to do pinmod, then only way is via flash programmer.

Yes, sometimes you can edit BIOS ID's and that will allow flash, but not via EZ Flash (only via flashback which is for desktop boards), EZ Flash never accept mod BIOS on modern systems.
And in those cases, then you have to keep editing each new BIOS you update to since your board will have the incorrect ID still. So not ideal even for desktops where it's possible.

[rinaldojonathan]

I was just wondering, can wrong BIOS mess up with GPU?
Because, the GeForce Experience and Device Manager doesnt recognize my GTX950m, but 3DP Chip does, listed as "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M (75W)" but when I tried to install driver, it says no driver available!

Also when I force install driver manually, Windows has stopped the device because it has reported problems.

I was looking for the safest way. It looks like that ASUS wont do any other BIOS updates here, so installing hacks is okay for me.

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Yes, if incorrect vBIOS is in there, or wrong device ID programmed into the correct/same vBIOS in there. What do you see with GPU-z?

Did you call and give them shizz yet? How can a business flash in a BIOS so wrong, doesn't even closely match your boards BIOS or model name!

I checked both latest BIOS, and they have very different vBIOS
G550JX.204 >> 10de:139a GeForce GTX 950M
N550JV.208 >> 10de:0fe4 GeForce GT 750M

The N550 also has much older Intel GOP and vBIOS for the CPU-side graphics too

I can swap the Nvida out for you, Intel we probably shouldn't do unless you swap entire BIOS region in case something else needs updated for the other vBIOS type (it's Haswell only in the N550 and Haswell-Broadwell in the G550) To do the NVidia fix you'll have to flash in mod BIOS, and for that we'll have to figure out which way works on your setup (Hopefully FPT can work)

Using that same method we can swap entire BIOS region, but this would not be ideal to try unless you have programmer in hand and backup already made, in case it goes wrong. It shouldn't, but you know how that goes

For the Nvidia vBIOS, lets see about getting that fixed for now if you want.

Check BIOS main page and see if ME FW version is shown, if not then download HWINFO64 and on the large window on left side, expand motherboard and find ME area, inside that get the ME Firmware version. Once you have that, go to this thread and in the section "C" download the matching ME System Tools Package (ie if ME FW version = 10.x get V10 package, if 9.0-9.1 get V9.1 package, if 9.5 or above get V9.5 package etc)
https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-M...Tools.html

Once downloaded, inside you will find Flash Programming Tool folder, and inside that a Windows or Win/Win32 folder. Select that Win folder, hold shift and press right click, choose open command window here (Not power shell). At the command prompt type the following command and send me the created file to modify >> FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin

Right after you do that, try to write back the BIOS Region dump and see if you get any error, if you do show me image of the command entered and the error give >> FPTw.exe -bios -f biosreg.bin

If you are stuck on Win10 and cannot easily get command prompt, and method I mentioned above does not work for you, here is some links that should help
Or, copy all contents from the Flash Programming Tool \ DOS folder to the root of a USB Bootable disk and do the dump from DOS (FPT.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin)
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-add-c...ors-update
https://www.windowscentral.com/add-open-...windows-10
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/open-...privileges

[rinaldojonathan]

Yes, if incorrect vBIOS is in there, or wrong device ID programmed into the correct/same vBIOS in there.  What do you see with GPU-z?

Did you call and give them shizz yet?  How can a business flash in a BIOS so wrong, doesn't even closely match your boards BIOS or model name!

I checked both latest BIOS, and they have very different vBIOS
G550JX.204  >> 10de:139a GeForce GTX 950M
N550JV.208  >> 10de:0fe4 GeForce GT 750M

The N550 also has much older Intel GOP and vBIOS for the CPU-side graphics too

I can swap the Nvida out for you, Intel we probably shouldn't do unless you swap entire BIOS region in case something else needs updated for the other vBIOS type (it's Haswell only in the N550 and Haswell-Broadwell in the G550)  To do the NVidia fix you'll have to flash in mod BIOS, and for that we'll have to figure out which way works on your setup (Hopefully FPT can work)

Using that same method we can swap entire BIOS region, but this would not be ideal to try unless you have programmer in hand and backup already made, in case it goes wrong.  It shouldn't, but you know how that goes

For the Nvidia vBIOS, lets see about getting that fixed for now if you want.

Check BIOS main page and see if ME FW version is shown, if not then download HWINFO64 and on the large window on left side, expand motherboard and find ME area, inside that get the ME Firmware version.   Once you have that, go to this thread and in the section "C" download the matching ME System Tools Package (ie if ME FW version = 10.x get V10 package, if 9.0-9.1 get V9.1 package, if 9.5 or above get V9.5 package etc)
https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-M...Tools.html

Once downloaded, inside you will find Flash Programming Tool folder, and inside that a Windows or Win/Win32 folder.  Select that Win folder, hold shift and press right click, choose open command window here (Not power shell).  At the command prompt type the following command and send me the created file to modify >> FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin

Right after you do that, try to write back the BIOS Region dump and see if you get any error, if you do show me image of the command entered and the error give >> FPTw.exe -bios -f biosreg.bin

If you are stuck on Win10 and cannot easily get command prompt, and method I mentioned above does not work for you, here is some links that should help
Or, copy all contents from the Flash Programming Tool \ DOS folder to the root of a USB Bootable disk and do the dump from DOS (FPT.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin)
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-add-c...ors-update
https://www.windowscentral.com/add-open-...windows-10
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/open-...privileges

I'm so confused I don't know where to start. :
I remember using HWiNFO before, I'll notify you if I have successfully run that now.

I tried calling them yesterday, all they said was "Reinstalling the old BIOS back will kill your PC again. It doesn't work that way". They insists it won't work.

[rinaldojonathan]

I put my HWiNFO64 Report as HTM here at my website : https://rinaldojonathan.com/wp-content/u...174QAU.htm
To copy some of the parts :

Code:

Intel ME

[ME Host Status]
ME Current Working State: Normal
Manufacturing Mode: Active
ME Current Operation Mode: Normal

[Intel Manageability Engine Features]
Intel ME Version: 9.0, Build 1347, Hot Fix 3
Intel ME Recovery Image Version: 9.0, Build 1347, Hot Fix 3
Intel ME FITC Version: 9.0, Build 1347, Hot Fix 3

It was version 9.0, then I need to download this version, right?
https://mega.nz/#!uQV12IxD!KGAUutQZrdL7T...zGkt5K5EWU

then I run FPTW.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin, and here's the result file.

Code:

FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin

Intel (R) Flash Programming Tool. Version:  9.1.10.1000
Copyright (c) 2007 - 2014, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Platform: Intel(R) HM86 Express Chipset
Reading HSFSTS register... Flash Descriptor: Valid

   --- Flash Devices Found ---
   W25Q64BV    ID:0xEF4017    Size: 8192KB (65536Kb)


- Reading Flash [0x800000] 6144KB of 6144KB - 100% complete.
Writing flash contents to file "biosreg.bin"...

Memory Dump Complete
FPT Operation Passed

https://rinaldojonathan.com/wp-content/u...iosreg.bin

Just in case, I also run the win64 version and renamed the results as biosreg2.bin

Code:

Intel (R) Flash Programming Tool. Version:  9.1.10.1000
Copyright (c) 2007 - 2014, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Platform: Intel(R) HM86 Express Chipset
Reading HSFSTS register... Flash Descriptor: Valid

   --- Flash Devices Found ---
   W25Q64BV    ID:0xEF4017    Size: 8192KB (65536Kb)


- Reading Flash [0x800000] 6144KB of 6144KB - 100% complete.
Writing flash contents to file "biosreg.bin"...

Memory Dump Complete
FPT Operation Passed

https://rinaldojonathan.com/wp-content/u...osreg2.bin

thanks for assisting me this far!

[Lost_N_BIOS]

They are incompetent, we've established that much already..... Unless, it's like I said, and they switched out motherboards on you and didn't say they did that, this would explain their answer so you may want to press for exact details of why they say that or what they actually did to your system.

If you want to laugh at them, ask them how they didn't kill the board then by programming in the incorrect BIOS for your model? And additionally, why they programmed in the partial BIOS update from the web, instead of building a full proper BIOS region with all NVRAM volumes. This is lazy or incompetent, probably both, but many places do that because it's the easy way out - but flashing in the wildly different model there is no excuse for and gives them no room to try and tell you that you can't fix it or you will break it Unless they did switch out the motherboard on you.

Or, you can give me images from all the stickers on your motherboard and we can look it up and see if it's the model used in your correct system or not.

Yes, you have correct ME System tools 9.1 and thanks for the dump (x64 stuff not needed here). Thanks for the BIOS region dump, I will switch out the vBIOS rom for you later, but first need to see your error (if any) when you try to write back your dumped BIOS region as mentioned in my original post about this, it's last FPT command I gave you.