Gateway/eMachines (multiple based on 4001189R board), unlocking X2 support?

[k1114]

Edit: Please see the next post below

The following laptops all use the exact same motherboard. The first portion of the list uses BIOS version 79.10.

* eMachines N-10
* eMachines N-12
* eMachines N-14
* Gateway MT3418
* Gateway MX3416
* Gateway MX3422
* Gateway MX3417
* Gateway MX3410
* Gateway MX3414
* Gateway MX3412
* Gateway MX3410h
* Gateway MX3412h

This portion of the list uses BIOS version 79.13

* Gateway MT3419
* Gateway MT3421
* Gateway MT3422
* Gateway MT3423
* Gateway MX3410
* Gateway MX3412
* Gateway MX3412
* Gateway MX3414
* Gateway MX3422

Acer/Gateway/eMachines will not release 79.13 to the public, and I know of no one who has successfully extracted the BIOS from one of these laptops (though I am unsure why). Adding support for Turion X2 processors is the only change - 79.10 recognizes them in the BIOS properly but will not boot past the POST screen with the message "Fatal Error !!! Please change CPU !!!"

Since 79.13 seems literally impossible to secure, is it possible to modify the existing 79.10 version to allow these processors to continue booting? Version 79.10 for all of these models can be downloaded here, but be warned, it's a Phoenix BIOS (which I understand makes it hard to work with)

[k1114]

Update: I got ahold of a .bak of 79.13 extracted from another laptop, and unfortunately, it won't work (says that the platform ID doesn't match, then a -160, etc). Both 79.10 (no dual core) and a backup of 79.13 (dual core) are attached.

The question is this: Can the CPU support table/module from 79.13 be extracted and placed in 79.10? Phoenix BIOS editor does not recognize the newer one, and only certain modules from the older.

[TheWiz]

This should be doable. That error is caused by microcode half the time. But by platform ID, was that in regards to the CPU or the board itself. If the CPU didn't work in .93 then i dont think moving the microcode would help it any, but I'm not too sure where that platfor ID thing is coming from. It may be easier just to change the platform IDs then move microcode around.

TheWiz

[k1114]

This should be doable. That error is caused by microcode half the time. But by platform ID, was that in regards to the CPU or the board itself. If the CPU didn't work in .93 then i dont think moving the microcode would help it any, but I'm not too sure where that platfor ID thing is coming from. It may be easier just to change the platform IDs then move microcode around.

TheWiz

I think the platform ID might not be enough; I have a suspicion that the list of allowed processors in each BIOS is *extremely* limited, and I doubt that the single core processors will boot with the newer BIOS. Adding the processor ID's/microcode to the UPDATE0.ROM module (attached) and ignoring the new BIOS version (79.13) might be the only option by the sound of it. (But again, I am not experienced in this, so it's just my guess)

I am reading around now on modifying the UPDATE0.ROM; learning is fun

Update: So it would appear that UPDATE0.ROM is not the answer; I checked the 79.13 BIOS (did this all with a hex viewer) and the section for the UPDATE0.ROM is identical in both old and new BIOS files... Back to square one...

[TheWiz]

Hey k1114,

yeah sometimes the update rom has microcode that is needed, sometimes it doesn't. My guess is the change is hiding in BIOSCOD 0 or 1, but I will have more time this weekend to look in detail.

TheWiz

[k1114]

Hey k1114,

yeah sometimes the update rom has microcode that is needed, sometimes it doesn't. My guess is the change is hiding in BIOSCOD 0 or 1, but I will have more time this weekend to look in detail.

TheWiz

Awesome, I appreciate any help you can provide. I've looked at the BIOSCOD0/1 files and they are a bit of a mystery to me.

[k1114]

An update: I was able to force the BIOS to flash to 79.13, and while it does recognize a TL-52 (as it did before) it still won't boot past the post screen and shows the same error.

Maybe there is some kind of lockout...

[typci]

I found the bios for the Gateway MX3410. It is on the Gateway website: http://support.gateway.com/us/en/product/default.aspx?tab=5&modelId=3123. It has the X2 processor, however gateway has the bios listed and 79.10. Surely the can't put up a bios that won't work with the computer's cpu. Care to look at it and see if it supports the X2 processor?

[kelbelo]

An update: I was able to force the BIOS to flash to 79.13, and while it does recognize a TL-52 (as it did before) it still won't boot past the post screen and shows the same error.

Maybe there is some kind of lockout...

I was able to flash my n-10 to the 79.13 bios using Winphlash 1.7.16.0 fairly easily... I did notice that it did not write to blocks 2 and 4 of the 16... afterwards the system recognized a TK-53 (athlon x2 1.7ghz cpu) which it didnt before, however it still hung at the wrong cpu, fatal error screen...

I agree that there is a lockout of some kind. Too bad cause now these cpus are darn cheap... did anyone else ever follow up with this?

[JollyGreenJoint]

Gateway W340UA / MX3416 bios update installed and hung on boot @ "Mouse Initialization". Took the system battery out, rebooted, was able to get into bios and confirm it was 79.10 but it was saying "Unknown Processor". Remember reading about some posts involving the motherboard and the secret 79.13 bios which I finally found here Yay ! but from the above posts it doesn't seem to matter, even though I have a working machine with Athlon 64 x2 on bios 79.10 im tempted to give 79.13 a whirl :p For anyone else going through this gateways site lists 79.10 in three different ways: 79.1 79.10 79.10 EXE
heres the original bios file that came on the machine, 79.06

  Original Bios.rom (Size: 1 MB / Downloads: 5)

i used the middle link which was confusing because the directions make reference to things being places they weren't ( which only happens if you use the self extracting .exe, before i knew it existed.

Update
Flashed back to my old bios to grab version # and because I swear it was listing a turion processor before I flashed to 79.10. On restart it asked for a password !? when I know there was no password ..EVER. Popped battery , no more pw prompt.

Update1
Got around to flashing 79.13, laptop is now bricked, first recovery attempt failed

Update2
Hit a bricked wall, key press's for crisis recovery mode aren't working. Not sure which chip is bios but im assuming its this one : sst 39vf080 ; 70-4c-eie ; 0644156-k This was the closest pic I could find Listing this mess for parts or waiting for a cheap mobo to pop up... BOooooooooo ! WHy boo !? Because im almost sure there is some proprietary method to recover it without removing the chip, which no one seems to know for these boards :/ And im pretty sure the basic bios is still intact, computer boots fan spins cd rom drive is accessed. The only other info I can add is motherboard markings : "HannStar J MV-4" "94V-O 0631"

Update3
:oooo gateway's part number 4001189R (which is also listed as Gateway 40GAB1200-C510)does not reflect revisions in the board. Here u can just make out a "07somethingsomething" instead of "0631" Confirmed in other pictures I could zoom in on "0718" & "0720" , these later revisions probably fully support x2 processors :o Considering how many different laptops were using this board who knows how many different flavors it comes in