HP BIOS modification

[Borg Number One]

Hello, Cyber.


1.)
If you open the BIOS file: IP0108US.rom with the Phoenix BIOS Editor,
then you surely get this error message:

Fixed-location module information not found!
This BIOS may not be workable after editing.
Please rebuild the BIOS with CATENATE.EXE v2.90 or higher.



This error message could be the first reason that the BIOS file will
+ not be rebuilt accurate after the modification
+ be detected as a corrupt file.


2.)
Which Flash utility do you use?


3.)
In your modified BIOS file, I can see that you replaced this logo:


with your own Logo:


This logo looks really weird, because it only uses the standard 16 colors (by MS Paint).


Did you never heard about enhanced/optimized color reduction?

This is the original BIOS Logo:


Here are BIOS logos which were converted to 4bit (16 colors) with the help of Gimp's
different color reduction methods:


Color reduction without dithering.


Color reduction with Gimp's Floyd Steinberg dithering.
(Other programs also have Floyd Steinberg dithering, but the results may look slightly different.)

Many programs, such as:
+ Gimp
+ XAT Image Optimizer
+ Irfanview
are able to reduce colors in a better way than MS Paint.


Well, I have some other (currently not well known) methods to modify the BIOS.
If you are interested to get the BIOS file, then let me know.


Where do you got the BIOS file from?
(link?)

PS:
If you also have another mainboard/ notebook then you can try UniFlash on your own risk to flash your current BIOS file
which currently seems to be corrupted.

If something should go wrong, then you still can use the other notebook/mainboard for a "hotflash"
(google: hotflash) or: http://www.rainbow-software.org/hardware/hotflash.html

Dear Borg Number One,
Hi,
Dear Borg thanks for reply on wimsbios site my user name on wimsbios is Cyber and i wrote about modifiying og HP bios logo and i have face problem when flashing is Bios is currupt this all i mention in wimbios Pm message to you . i email you cuz from wimbios i cannot understand how i attached bios and send to you that why i email u
Original bios of HP vl400 sf named IP0108US.rom and modified bios named FWOKG27P4.ROM

waiting for reply and appreciate your help
thanks

Hi.

Normally, Phoenix BIOS update files (256KB/512KB/1MB) additionally contain about 1K data* for the Flash utility.

*=supported EEPROM chips and instructions how to program the chips.

Compare the original and modified BIOS file (count the bytes, not the kilobytes) and tell me the results.


Or send me your modified and original BIOS file.

Hi borg , i have face a problem and i need your help i am sorry that i PM you without your permission but if you donot mind please help me in this matter
i am trying to change splah screen of my system which is hp vectra vl 400 sf, on google search i find dstyles website and your tools, dear i hav a problem i download the bios and open it with phoenix bios editor 2.0.18 demo version i change the logo file and run prepare and catenate exe it makes a bios.rom file but when i flash it phlash gives me error that bios file is corrupt

can u help me in this matter

i am very pleaed if you help me out

thanks

[Borg Number One]

Hello, Cyber.


I sent you an eMail.

In the attachment of the eMail there is a modified BIOS files which was built with another method than using "prepare/catenate".

Just try it to flash and look if there still appears an error message about a corrupted BIOS file.
If there should appear an error message, than you also can try to do a forced BIOS update with your own modified BIOS file.
(... if there should be such a switch for a forced BIOS update available.)

If not, then you can try: UniFlash.


If the BIOS flash was successfully then I will send you a BIOS file with changed DMI and a better BIOS logo.


Disclaimer:
Everything you do with this information is on your own risk.
I will not be responsible for any demage.

However, if something should went wrong, then you still can get support from me.

Hi Borg
Again thanks for your reply and spent time on my email dear you are right when i open the bios i saw bbelow errors but i rebuild bios with cantenate which is in phonix bios program abd it will give me the new modified bios

Fixed-location module information not found!
This BIOS may not be workable after editing.
Please rebuild the BIOS with CATENATE.EXE v2.90 or higher

1) Links for original bios of hp Vectra vl400 is below
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te ... wEnvOID=54


2) i Use phlash for flashing bios when you down load bios it will come with it.

3)you saw the HP logo and i want to replace it with Intel pentium 3 motherboard logo. and change dmi strings with " intel "

i will be pleased if u do it for me . orginal bios link is aganib pasted below
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te ... wEnvOID=54

thanks

[Cyber]

Hi borg

the modified bios you email me does not works when i update the bios with uniflash ,when uniflash writes the modfied rom data it gives me writing error in program (your bios-mod is not bad uiflash geneates error when it is writing to rom i will update the bios from backup uniflash works fine but with the modified bios it give me writing error
soo what i do next : (


waiting for reply

[Borg Number One]

Hi.

1.)
You should get in contact with Rainbow, the author of UniFlash
to add support for the HP notebook and other HP notebooks.


2.)
Phoenix BIOS files generally available in two forms:

a)BIOS file (.wph/.rom) + addtional platform.bin file

b)BIOS file (.wph/.rom) merged with a few additional kilobytes of data at the end of the BIOS file.


The platform.bin file seems to contain
+ a checksum for the BIOS update file
+ programming routines for the flash process.


Because the BIOS file + additional platform.bin file cannot be used with Phoenix WinPhlash,
there are only following possibilities to use:
+ UniFlash
+ an external programming device
+ a Hot Flashing method http://www.rainbow-software.org/hardware/hotflash.html


3.)
You can try to find a similar/another BIOS update which uses Phoenix WinPhlash, from another HP notebook/computer.

Then try following steps, to get a "WinPhlash compatible" BIOS backup file:
http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30777
(ignore the fact about DELL BIOS)


If backup was successfully then the BIOS file contains additional data which makes it compatible with Phoenix WinPhlash.

Now, you can begin to modify this new BIOS file with Phoenix BIOS editor.

[sunbirds]

A oem phoenix bios also has this warning info.

Fixed-location module information not found!
This BIOS may not be workable after editing.
Please rebuild the BIOS with CATENATE.EXE v2.90 or higher.

When we edit it with phoenix bios editor,it will be corruptted by phoenix bios editor for phoenix bios editor wiped its head structure.

It only can be mod with manual I think.

[Cyber]

hi borg

dear can u explain or from which tool i can modified the bios manually....................

[Borg Number One]

Hi.

I did not do many experiments with such Phoenix BIOS files, because I do not have such a mainboard/notebook with this kind of Phoenix BIOS.


So, I currently cannot help anyfurther.

[sxotty]

Can you use a hex editor like hex workshop from breakpoint software to directly edit the .bak file? Have you managed to get a backup yet?

If so do you have a link to a valid WPH file? The one linked to by acer doesn't exist, and when I try to use a backup bios that I think I extracted (though I am not really sure) I cannot find the needed strings. When I try to use Winphlash and backup only, I pointed it to my backup bios as the "new" bios and then tried to backup only, but when I click advanced it crashes.

Code: Select all

Bios Type: Phoenix NoteBios 4.0 Release 6.1
Date: 10/19/05
BIOS ID:Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion ze2000 (PV336AV#ABA) BIOS Version: F.13    
OEM Sign-On: None
Super I/O: Unknown
Chipset: AMD 1100 rev 0
Bios Rom: 512 kb
In Socket: No

That is my info as I can get it, but the board is an ati r200m chipset, so I don't know what the amd chipset is about. A ze2000z notebook btw. I needed to install a wireless card and it was on their ban list so I have been trying this.

Unfortuntately it is rather complicated.

[sunbirds]

what 's you want to do about this hp bios