BIOS disassembly

Only for programmers and BIOS gurus with technical questions.
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

So the BIN is not the Bios image?
I have flashed a BIN file to my old Award BIOS with awdflash,
and the motherboard went dead.
The BIN file started with:
%
-h5 (something more and)
original.tmp (and more ASCII).
Was that wise, to flash this file to the chip?
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
Posts: 3122
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Slovakia
Contact:

The BIN file IS the right thing to flash.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

And the file that a program read from the BIOS to save the original image: it is a image of the BIOS before the flashing but it doesnt seem to have the same format that a .BIN. In fact, I got two files, called E000 and F000, so I concatenated the two files and called it EF000.BIN. And then I tried to read it on MODBIN but MODBIN refuses and says that it´s not a valid BIN file. So, if its not a BIN, what is it? And how can I flash it back to the chip?
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

What program did you use to save the old BIOS ?
How big are E000 and F000 files ?
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
Posts: 3122
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Slovakia
Contact:

I guess that E000 and F000 files are created by some old BIOS saving utility. You can delete them as they're useless on any board with PCI slots and Flash ROM. Better create backup using Awdflash (if you have Award BIOS) or UniFlash.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

These two files are all I got from the original BIOS. The awdflash didnt manage to get a image from the chip before the flashing, so I used other program which I dont remember the name. By looking at the strings in the file we can see that it has something to do with the BIOS program. So I think I have two choices: I discover how to make a BIN from this file or I pray for someone to have the original BIOS to copy from it. Thanks all. Suggestions are welcome.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

I may seem obvious now, but if the Award flasher could not save the BIOS, why did you flash it ? :?
Do you know what your board is ?
DO you have another board you could hot-flash in ?
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

I thoght it was worth the risk. And after all, the other program
managed to read and sabe the original BIOS program.
But now, I confess, I am desolated.
The board was a "Soyo 486 PCI/VESA GREEN MAINBOARD" motherboard,
and the original BIOS was a Award:
Award Modular BIOS v4.50 PG
1984-95 Award Software Inc
REV WA
09/11/95-SIS-496-497/A/B-2A4IBS29C-00
Award Plug & Play V.1.0
I dont have any other board like this :(
Thanks for your help.
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
Posts: 3122
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Slovakia
Contact:

You can hot-flash it in any board that has compatible socket. UniFlash might help then. It was also tested on SiS 496+497 chipset successfully.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Was the program HWiNFO's GETBIOS Utility perhaps?? (http://www.hwinfo.com)
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

Exactly that, KachiWachi!
I used the HWINFO-486 for DOS and it came with an utilitary called GETBIOS, and this program has saved the two files that I said: E000.ROM and F000.ROM. Does anyone have any clue on how I could flash it back, since it isnt a .BIN file???
(these files doesnt seem to have a string "original.tmp" at the beginning)
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
Posts: 3122
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Slovakia
Contact:

You can NOT flash these files back.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

1) Are these files of any utility?
Why would I use HWINFO GETBIOS for then? It seems kind of useless now...

2) Where on the Internet can we get the original BIOS files? (At Soyo site, there are files only for BIOS upgrades and I guess I need the very first version of the BIOS....)
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
Posts: 3122
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Slovakia
Contact:

1) The files are useless. GETBIOS is useful only on older machines without PCI and Flash ROM.
2) If the board worked and then stopped, it does NOT looks like a BIOS problem. Check the voltage regulator.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
viveka
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2003 7:54 pm
Location: Brazil

How could I identify the voltage regulator on the motherboard?
How can I check it?
There is a 4-pins black component where we can read PQ30RV21/SHARP/21/F6. It is screwed into a big heatsink and it is near the voltage-select jumpers.
The jumpers are set to 3.45 V, the correct setting for the processors.
If youre going to help me, and I ask for it please, maybe another forum topic should be more apropriate (???)
Post Reply