do Sony VAIO laptops need special programmer for reflashing bios?

[Delphianrex]

Hi there,
I've got a problem with VAIO laptops as if I dump the bios from a working vaio machine, desoldering the bios chip and putting it in the programmer and eventually dumping the chip, and again programming the dumped file into the bios chip without any modification and soldering the chip, the machine will show a blank screen!!!

is there any specific programmer required for this purpose?

any help on this is appreciated

[BDMaster]

No just be aware to not delete the Eeprom containing !
When soldering again to be aware as may be hi temp can damage chip too !
Regards

[Delphianrex]

thanks for your reply
you mean I shouldn't erase the bios chip for flashing and just programming the new bion file? and one more question, what if I do erase the whole bios Ic accidentally or by mistake? it will not work again even if I flash the new bios file?

sorry if I'm asking basic question, I'm a newbie in this field

Thanks for your patience

[BDMaster]

Friend, I don't understand what is your goal !
You need to make a Firmware Backup before doing anything so You have a way to came back !
Then to write a new Firmware You need to erase Chip before and then rewrite the new Firmware !
So recalling :

1. Make a Firmware Backup (DUMP)
2. Erase before Reflash new one

I hope You understand !
I wrote let me get your Firmware corrupted and I will rebuild a new one with your own data
using your and original frm sony Site (many times is available for updates only Bios Region) !
Regards

[Delphianrex]

hey dear friend, this is exactly what I'm always doing for reflashing laptop bioses :-)
but on some VAIO laptops, even in the case that I dump the bios from a working machine and reflash exactly what I have dumped from it, it'll show a black screen after as I turn it on!
and my assumption was that there could be a kind of modification or a specific method for reflashing VAIO bioses but seems the only issue which might damage the bios is high temp, right? and one more thing, is there any way to rebuild a full complete bios rom file using the update file from vaio website and the one I have backed up from the corrupted bios? or I just have to dump it from a working machine?

best regards

[BDMaster]

It's possible only if Bios Update contains the Firmware Generalized !
regards

[Sml6397]

hey dear friend, this is exactly what I'm always doing for reflashing laptop bioses :-)
but on some VAIO laptops, even in the case that I dump the bios from a working machine and reflash exactly what I have dumped from it, it'll show a black screen after as I turn it on!
and my assumption was that there could be a kind of modification or a specific method for reflashing VAIO bioses but seems the only issue which might damage the bios is high temp, right? and one more thing, is there any way to rebuild a full complete bios rom file using the update file from vaio website and the one I have backed up from the corrupted bios? or I just have to dump it from a working machine?

best regards

Hello Delphianrex,

Three questions:
1.) Is this BIOS a Phoenix BIOS?
2.) If so, what is the model number of the notebook in question?
3.) How did you obtain the original BIOS dump that you used to hardware flash the BIOS chip? Did you obtain the dump by reading the BIOS chip with the hardware programmer, or did you obtain the dump by reading the BIOS chip with BIOS flashing/dumping software?

If you are flashing the BIOS chip with a hardware programmer, a compatible binary dump should be sufficient. The best way to obtain this in your case is with the hardware flasher. Use the hardware flasher to directly read the BIOS image from the good BIOS chip and then flash that good image onto the bad BIOS chip. If you are attempt to use a software flashing utility with a BIOS *dump*, then the flashing process should fail, as stock (official) BIOS images contain the platform data necessary to instruct the BIOS flashing software on how to flash the BIOS properly. If the flashing process somehow still proceeds without this platform data, then the result would be a brick.

Recap: Platform data (contained in official images) is necessary only when software flashing. Hardware flashing does not require (and should not be used with) this platform data (a BIOS *dump* does not contain platform data in virtually all cases).


Yes, it is possible to create a flashable BIOS image from a backup image and an official image, given the official BIOS image contains compatible platform data. The required compatible platform data for the backup image can be found in the official BIOS image of a notebook in the same notebook series and with the same chipset as the notebook from which the backup image originated. The application of the platform data is done with a hex editor. I can perform this mod, if necessary. I have done this with my own Sony Vaio notebook. The platform data is only necessary if you are software flashing the BIOS image.

~Steven

[Delphianrex]

hi dear steven, thanks for reply and patience

actually I'm a working in laptop repairing field, in Iran, and I've encountered some vaio laptops that even if I read the bios chip from a working machine, using my programmer and reflash(hardware flash) the read data into the same chip (that I've dumped the bios from), and solder it on the board the machine doesn't work (I'm sure about my soldering that there is not anything wrong with it).
maybe I'm not doing it correctly or it is not concerned with the vaio brand and my assumption is not right!

say,I got two questions:
1- is there a way to rebuild a full bios file from combining a dumped bios from a broken machine and the update file from the manufacturer in the case that the complete bios file is not released by the manufacturer and they just have released the "update" file which is half of the dumped file in size? or it is not possible and I just have to dump it from a functioning laptop?

2- how can I eliminate the unnecessary data from the official image? comparing the dumped image with the official file and just extract from the first bit up to the last bit of the official image (obtained from the dumped file)?

sorry for my bad english

[Sml6397]

Hello Delphianrex,

"maybe I'm not doing it correctly or it is not concerned with the vaio brand and my assumption is not right! "

^You can confirm this by desoldering a working Vaio BIOS chip, resoldering it back onto the motherboard, and then booting the notebook to see if it still works. This would eliminate the possibility that this is a hardware issue specific to the BIOS chips and/or motherboards that Sony Vaio notebooks use.


1.) Yes. I can create a complete BIOS image from a backup and compatible BIOS update from another computer. Just send me the BIOS backups and official updates and I will mod them (I will verify that they are compatible first and, if necessary, attempt to find a compatible update).

2.) Could you give me some examples of "unnecessary data" please?

The BIOS dumps would likely contain data that you do not want on other notebooks (serial number, UUID, etc.) - and these can easily be removed or customized - but the official BIOS images should not contain such data.


For troubleshooting purposes, could you get a hardware dump from both a working and non-working laptop of the same model please? I would like to examine the differences.

~Steven