Need BIOS for eMachines T2885 Intel D845GVSR mobo + help

Questions that don't belong in the other forums.
Post Reply
LoneWolf
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:56 am

Hi,

I have a colleague who had an eMachines T2885 minitower die. Took it in, found that the power supply died and took the mainboard with it, an Intel D845GVSR. eMachines wants $150 for this mainboard, so I went out and got a made-for-Gateway D845GVSR for a third of that. Board works perfectly, but the BIOS ID string doesn't match the eMachines, creating Windows Product Activation hell for the copy of XP Home bundled with the system.

I need to if possible find someone with an eMachines BIOS for this board. eMachines systems that use this board include the following models:

T2742
T2796
T2798
T2824
T2862
T2885
T2890
T2893
T2894
T2896
T2958
T2984
T3624
T3828
T3830
T3958

Alternately, I need to flash this board with at least the latest Intel standard BIOS for it. I have that BIOS, but the board refuses to flash, saying the logical area size does not match the BIOS, and that the update BIOS type does not match the current one. It appears I need a way to force-flash the BIOS. I've tried Uniflash, but Uniflash does not understand Intel's method of fragmenting the BIOS upgrade file into six pieces. For additional information, the firmware chip is an SST 49LF003A. I'm being very careful because like the failed mainboard, this chip is surface-mounted , not socketed.

Any help anyone could provide me would be sincerely appreciated.
zonxar
Master Flasher
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2002 7:26 pm
Location: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

Have you tried emailing eMachines technical support to see if they have a BIOS upgrade available that you could download - link is here:

http://www.emachines.com/support/product_support.html

This is interesting in that Gateway owns eMachines now...

:)
Ritchie
BIOS Guru
Posts: 761
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 5:17 am

If the BIOS upgrade file is fragmented directly into six pieces, with no other code or tricks seperating the data in the six files, you could consider joining the six files into one file and try flashing this.

But I admit this is risky, and may corrupt your BIOS if it fails.
sunbirds
BIOS Rookie
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2004 4:48 pm
Contact:

please give me your email.

I will combine this intel mb bios into a rom.
you can try uniflash or others flash tools to flash the rom chip.
LoneWolf
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:56 am

Thanks Sunbirds, I have sent you a PM.
sunbirds
BIOS Rookie
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2004 4:48 pm
Contact:

Hi LoneWolf
please check your email.
lubner10
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:45 pm

So has anyone found a Bios that works and can share with me? Thanks
lubner10
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:45 pm

**Bump**
kf_man
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 6:17 am

I have run across the same problem with the T2885, what did the solution end up being? I have a dead T2885 and I need a motherboard and possibly a power supply to replace the broken ones. What did you end up using to replace the power supply and motherboard? Part numbers would be helpful as well. It seems like any power supply will fit the case, but guidance would be helpful as well! Thanks!
yifan_lu
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:19 am

kf_man wrote:I have run across the same problem with the T2885, what did the solution end up being? I have a dead T2885 and I need a motherboard and possibly a power supply to replace the broken ones. What did you end up using to replace the power supply and motherboard? Part numbers would be helpful as well. It seems like any power supply will fit the case, but guidance would be helpful as well! Thanks!
Ditto, same problem for me. I also need to find out where to get the motherboard.
coolhandluke
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:46 am

If I read correctly the board you are trying to replace with came from a gateway, if so the bios is proprietary according to unicore so it has to come from gateway the intel bios won't work and the emachines bios won't work, nor can unicore write a custom bios. I'm trying to get usb boot capability on an intel d850gb right now and intel enable it 9 revisions ago, gateway on the other hand has no intention of doing so and the intel bios is no good.
edwin
The Hardware Archivist
Posts: 6286
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 7:11 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

@coolhandluke: either buy an esupport bios or get an intel board. buy boxed, you get a branded box capable of the stuff you want at that moment, nothing less but certainly nothing more.

@LoneWolf: as for the activation hell: if you don't pay $150 for the board be prepared to do some extra work like installing XP by hand and using the code from the sticker on the casing. That's why the replacement board is so costly. For the ease of use.
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
mgmopar
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:22 am

I ended up putting a Intel D845GVSR board in my etower. :? I did not realize what a problem it would be to update the bios for windows. I have gotten a saved bios file for a 2862 from a friend that uses what looks to be the same board. I believe he used something like ami flash to back it up. All the flash programs I use do not recognize the bios or the chip I am looking to try uniflash again and using force but how can I come up with the 4 hex digits? :?:


Another question would a esupport bios allow the emachins xp to work porerly again?
edwin
The Hardware Archivist
Posts: 6286
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2002 7:11 pm
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

I don't know. I do know that even with a new eMachines board you would have to reactivate windows. What is so hard about doing this by phone?
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
Post Reply