Ooops, Dead Compaq R3000

Don't ask how to hack password. (BIOS Passwords)
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MikeW
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Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:58 pm

It all started when we had a power cut in the middle of flashing the BIOS in a Compaq R3000 laptop (it also has a dead battery). Now, when the laptop is turned on, the power light comes on, but nothing else happens at all...

I've tried plugging a USB floppy in, but no matter what key combination I try, it doesn't even try to access it never mind recover from it. So, my options now are to try a hot swap flash or buy a new motherboard.

Trying to hot flash, I've run into a few problems though.

1. The Flash ROM is soldered onto the board :(

With my soldering skills, I don't fancy my chances of getting the chip off the board without damaging it. However I would be able to cut the chip off without damaging the board. If I could then find another Flash chip that would go in its place, I'm sorted (am I?).

2. I've found an old desktop motherboard that uses the same BIOS (Phoenix) and a similar chipset along with the same size chip. If I flash this motherboard with the laptop BIOS, then solder the BIOS chip onto my laptop, will it work? - It's actually a different flash memory, different part no. and manufacturer but same size.

3. If (2) is correct, then I have another problem... pflash won't flash the laptop BIOS on the desktop board, because it complains that the motherboards are different. Also, Uniflash won't do the job because the only BIOS file I have is a .WPH and uniflash complains that the file size is incorrect...

So, suggestions anyone?

Thanks,
Mike
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