Warning to Sony Vaio Users (PCG-FX, PCG-F, PCG-FXA)

dexxxa

Problem: i installed the BIOS update (PHA3U0XNG4.EXE version. WXP03U0 1.64 MB

08/05/2002) from the following location (

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.p...d=687&os_id=7 )

because i was trying to update the laptop to Windows XP. After i flashed the BIOS

exactly as the Sony website said, on reboot there was no video. I was able to see the

Sony "Splash" screen and hitting F2 got me into the BIOS. I could see that the BIOS was

updated properly, the new BIOS just didnt work properly with whatver video card is in

the laptop (how can Sony realese a BIOS like this is beyond me). The BIOS obviosly was

not compatible with the laptop even though it is on the Sony esupport website. Doing the

online Sony Esupport chat was totally useless.

Fix: To fix the problem I used some help from qn's post above. using the document Phlash_SC_E113.pdf(http://emea.kontron.com/downloads/application_notes/Phlash_SC_E113.pdf) and the LPT Update key. Once this was set up the laptop was trying to access the floppy drive, now all i needed was a BIOS update disk with the proper BIOS on it.

i downloaded the original BIOS for the laptop R0232U0 from her:

http://vcl.vaio.sony.co.jp/download/PK-000085-00.html (website is in japanese, just scroll down and click the green button)

I had to find the original BIOS elsewhere because stupid Sony doesn't allow you to make a BIOS boot disk without being able to make it from the laptop. If your laptop is unuseable because of their stupid BIOS updates, how the heck can you make a BIOS boot disk?! idiots.

... anyway I right clicked the file i downloaded called PK-000085-00.exe and extracted it, i double clicked CRISDISK.BAT and it creates a boot disk that will flash the BIOS.

After it was created, inserted it in the drive, and the system accesses the floppy and starts to flash the BIOS back to the original. Once it finishes the system shuts off. remove the wires from the LPT update key that you made above and reboot the machine. the BIOS is back to the original BIOS and the machine is useable

Im not going to attempt to update the BIOS again because of the lack of Sony support. I will try to install windows XP without updating the BIOS.

Thanks for the help.

NickS · Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:24 am Post subject:

Dexxxa - thanks for adding to the knowledge!
_________________
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes .
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"

c_vasiloiu · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject:

Dexxxa - Do you know where can I find the good original bios for model PCG -955C (PCG-FX101) ? The bios that you mentioned as your original one (R0232U0) is the one put by Sony support as for PCG-FX101 : http://www.vaio-link.com/downloads/select/selec...erie=-1&m=256

I tried with your method, but with no success -still no picture. I have to mention that during the first unfortunatelly upgrade attempt, there were both RAM sockets occupied (128MB+64MB).

Can anybody help me with the good Bios ?

Thank you in advance

norman28 · Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject:

hi to all. i have here a sony PCG-FRV31 notebook, and same problem i had a bad flash. i was trying to update my bios when the process suddenly stopped. i was left with nothing..i cant see anything on my monitor.

I tried using the "Crisis Recovery with an update key". Now i was hearing beep sounds on my laptop while accessing the floppy drive. after maybe a minute the process will stop. i thought the process was done but after removing the floppy drive and the update key still, no images on my monitor.

may i just ask if the process i made was same as the thing you have done specially to those who have successfully restored their bios.

thanks for having a good forum like this.

God bless everybody

more power to the moderators

DamianK · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:06 pm Post subject: I can’t restore corrupted BIOS

Hello.
I have a PCG-FXA63 notebook with corrupted Bios. I was trying to update my bios when the power shut off.
I try to restore it with crisdisk and a Parallel Port update key, beeps and FDD ligths up, but nothing happened, just as had happened to norman28.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, could be the crisis disk version? Or the Bios file?

I would be very grateful if some body could give me useful information.
Thanks.

(Excuse me English, but I’m not a native speaker) Laughing

lukestuts · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject:

Hi. I have a second-hand PCG-FX101, also labelled as a PCG-955C. I needed to update the BIOS to enable ACPI support in linux so I could get my Cardbus wireless card working but I wasn't aware of the issue with the second RAM slot - there were no warnings on Sony's support site where I downloaded the update. :7(

At the end of the BIOS update, the laptop went completely dead - no LEDs, etc. After leaving it for an hour, I tried to reset it by removing and reinstalling the battery and AC power, all to no avail.

I've read the excellent posts by qn and Pyrotech and I have made myself a parallel port key as described in this document:
http://emea.kontron.com/downloads/application_n...hlash_SC_E113.pdf

However, I have not been able to use this key to get the computer to seek the floppy drive and none of the LEDs have turned on at all, no matter what combination of battery or AC power I try. I've tested the power supply with my multimeter and it seems fine.

Is there a special keypress or procedure I am missing when using the parallel port key?

Failing that, is there a chance I have wired the parallel key incorrectly? Instead of using an existing parallel cable, I used a 25 pin D-Link plug and soldered the connections using wires. After checking, the pdf above says that pins 18-25 should be grounded so I used a single wire to solder them to the case of plug but this made no difference.

I am very disappointed that there was no warning on Sony's BIOS download page. Any help would be greatly appreciated!