Gericom Webshox Per4mance 34AS1 1680x1050

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

by **gregorj** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:10 pm

Hello

Could someone please update the Gericom Webshox Per4mance 34AS1 bios from:
http://download.gericom.com/NOTEBOOK/Win98-Win2k-WinXP/WebShox%20Series/WebshoxPer4mance-34AS1/BIOS/34AS1BIOS.IMG
with the latest SIS650 VBIOS? I am aware of the fact that I would lose LCD and TV support. It's not important since I plan to make a dual bios. I need the update to support the 1680x1050 native resolution of external LCD.

Thank you for your help.

by cp » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:55 am

can you please provide a link to the binary bios image?
the link you provided points to a disk image.

by **gregorj** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:55 pm

Please find the binary bios image at the following address
http://www.svef-mj.si/bios.rom

by cp » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:29 am

done. i'll send it later today.

by **gregorj** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:08 am

Thank you. I'll post my results as soon as I have my dual bios adapter ready.

by **miha** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:28 pm

Please, I need that BIOS too ...
I haven't had luck with cbrom and updated VBIOS 315_230.bin :cry:

The original Gericom BIOS is still here:
http://download.gericom.com/NOTEBOOK/Win98-Win2k-WinXP/WebShox%20Series/WebshoxPer4mance-34AS1/BIOS/34AS1BIOS.IMG
Inside that image file there is BIOS.ROM file (512KB)

Thank you very much

by **miha** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:29 pm

I yust can't belive ! The Gericom.com website is no-more ! Turned off few days ago ...

Nevertheless, if anybody needs the latest original BIOS for this laptop, here is the link :
http://www.4shared.com/file/uU9vEyZb/Gericom_Webshox_Per4mance_34AS.html

I'll put there a patched version, if cp provides me one :mrgreen:

by **edwin** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:44 pm

I know, I made a mirror of what was still online...
http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/edwin/lap ... index.html

by cp » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:21 pm

first thing: if i patch the bios, the main lcd will stay black as long as the patched bios is flashed. reason: missing init code for video bridge in the recent vga bios. still if i patch it in it won't display 1680x1050 with those SiS Windows drivers anyway. it's a driver issue.
please consider using Linux (which can set virtually any resolution with its own drivers) or buying another notebook.

by **miha** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:23 am

Yes, I understand that.
I'am planning to use it as TV/DVD/VIDEO box using MythTV on top of Ubuntu (i.e. Mythbuntu) ... hopefully :wink:

by **miha** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:00 am

Looks this one is the same model of motherboard N34AS1 only different manufacturer - Uniwill N34AS1 http://www.wimsbios.com/forum/topic9836.html
Maybe you have that BIOS allready modified so you can send me?

Thank you in advance

by cp » Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:27 pm

look, excuse me while i repeat myself:
a newer video bios will do the following things to your notebook:
1. no display on the main LCD unless you flash back to an unmodded bios
2. enable you to use 1440x900 (apparently 1680x1050 doesn't work, 1366x768 surely doesn't work) on an external LCD if you use Microsoft Windows and official SiS drivers
3. just nothing if you are using Linux with its 3rd party X drivers

since you want to use the laptop with Linux the benefit of modding the bios would be just nothing. so please excuse me (again) while i just don't mod anything.

by **miha** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 6:09 pm

Haven't had luck with Linux and Thomas Winischofer's SisControl ... so I tried it modding myself.
... and failed :-(

Using 315_230.bin (newest available SIS 315 - Video BIOS v2.30.01 with device ID 6325) and MMTool2.exe (available in amitool155.zip) I have replaced existing module ID 20 (PCI option ROM, Vendor ID:1039, Device ID:6325).

The replacement should be done on following order otherwise MMTool2 crashes !!:
Load ROM -> BIOS.ROM -> Browse -> 315_230.bin (uncompressed !) -> Replace. "The module was replaced succesfully" -> Save ROM as -> BIOS_NEW.ROM

Now, if you extract module 20 (RunLoc 6325:1039) from new BIOS_NEW.ROM, you'll get file exactly the same as 315_230.bin
Basically, that should verify that everything is OK.

Unfortunately, NOT: after programming the laptop could not boot (powering up and restarting in circle, no screen on either VGA panels).

So, I tried inserting manually: Compressed 315_230.bin with lha255.exe to 315_230.lzh (lha355 a 315_230.lzh 315_230.bin) and inserted it at BIOS.ROM file offset 0x1C41A where resides original Video BIOS (I used Hex Workshop for that purpose) and saved it as NEWEST.ROM.
For verification case, I've loaded NEWEST.ROM to MMTool2 and extracted module 20. The extracted file matched exactly as 315_230.bin, so I did it correctly (at least MMTool2 does not complain).

NOT again: the laptop keeps rebooting the same way as before.

CONCLUSION: Don't do this at home unless you have EPROM programmer and/or backup 29F040 EEPROM with original ROM ;-)

I give up ...
bye :-)