Sony :: How To Backup Vaio Z Original Bios While Flashing New Bios
Oct 16, 2009
Updated: Found a better way to backup Bios only, Please see the end of this message
Let say your Vaio Z is using Bios R4040M3 and you move to Bios R4041M3 to use the official VT support. Later on, you want to move back to R4040M3 to use the Advance Menu hack. Unfortunately, you cannot move back as Sony never publish the R4040M3 Bios update. This is my current situation.
I decided to investigate a way to back up the current Bios. Using a program called Universal extractor, I managed to extracted the files in the original Bios update. The bios update uses a program called Insydeflash to flash the Bios. The Insydeflash uses a file called platform.ini to control its setting.
In the platform.ini file, there is a section called [FDFile]. The section [FDFile] has a parameter called BackupName. If we put in a file name here, the Insydeflash should save your current Bios into that file. Unfortunately, I cannot make it work with the Sony supplied Insydeflash. (version 3.38).
I managed to get the newer version of Insydeflash (version 3.72). The newer version has a new ini section called [BackupROM], as the following:
How can I make backup bios? What programs and from their download? I tried Application - Winphlash Advanced, Version -1.03.046, but without current original bios file not possible.
I was flashing the newest BIOS to my SR290 last night and in the middle of flashing it froze. I waited quite a while to make sure it wasn't just taking its sweet time but eventually had to pull the battery as holding the power button didn't even do anything.
So I wait a few and then try to boot it back up and it won't power up at all. I plug it in and the charging light won't turn on.
Looking for original M1710 - Geforce Go 7950 GTX Bios. I want to re-flash my video bios back to the original. Is the bios on the JLMOD.ISO CD? If so can someone tell me whats the file name?
I was flashing my bios of my dell xps studio 16 (i don't know which 17xx it is... it has i5 and 4gb of ram. some ati vidfeo card with 1gb of vram, 15.6 LCD)
And then it froze for about an hour. So I unplugged power, took out battery and tried to boot it up. To my dismay, nothing showed up on the screen.
I have so much stuff on my HD that I need.
What are some ways to fix my laptop? Do I have to send it to dell? Will I lose all my data?
Last week I received my brand new Dell Studio XPS 1340. After some days I got the "Power Adapter cannot be determined .....". So I called Dell Tech Support. He told me to flash the BIOS from A02 to A03. So I did. Under the flashing I got a bluescreen. So the information on the BIOS was gone. So yesterday a Dell Techincan came to my house and replaced the motherboard with a new one. I noticed that this motherboard has BIOS version A01 (the oldest one). I also noticed that the processor fans is always on 4000 RPM. It never slows down to 2000 RPM, even if the temperature is on 40 degree celcius.
So I though this had to be something with the old BIOS version. So I called Dell, and I tried to flash from A01 to A02. But the same bluescreen came, this time, lucky for me, before the flashing! So nothing get destroyed!
Anyway, Copy paste the dump file here:
Seems like PHLASHNT.SYS has something to with this? Have someone have this same problem as me? The fans never stop, and I think its because of the old bios version. And:
1) No errors on the diagnosic test (full system scan) 2) I switched from Vista 32 bit to Vista Business 64 bit (original) with the signed drivers from dell.com (all my drivers are verified)
DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (c4) A device driver attempting to corrupt the system has been caught. This is because the driver was specified in the registry as being suspect (by the administrator) and the kernel has enabled substantial checking of this driver. If the driver attempts to corrupt the system, bugchecks 0xC4, 0xC1 and 0xA will be among the most commonly seen crashes. Arguments: Arg1: 0000000000000081, MmMapLockedPages called without MDL_MAPPING_CAN_FAIL Arg2: fffffa800b7a5120, MDL address. Arg3: 000000000000008a, MDL flags. Arg4: 0000000000000000, 0.
Reason for this is to flash your BIOS the safer way.
Windows has alot of services that can potentially hang the flashing process, hence DOS Mode where no other process is running is the safe way to flash.
First of all get the package here
Extract all the files to Desktop
Go into the folder.
You should see a HP Drive Key Utility.
Install it.
Open the Program With Administrative Permission with Right Click as shown below:.......
I flashed the Bios (from Acer webpage vers. 1.10 to vers 1.13) on my notebook Acer Aspire 8930G - 864G64Bn. No I have a really big problem.
I can switch on my notebook and it shows the Acer empowering people screen, but stay there. Nothing happens. The only thing I can do is press F2 (is the only thing which is offered on the screen) But also there it just says please wait.... and nothing happens.
At the first time reboot after flashing I was able to enter the Bios, but since than I can't.
So I read a lot of using a usb thumb drive or an external floppy drive.
Will this work for my notebook and should I copy just the .FD file on it?
Flashing the bios. I have a Aspire 5810TZ. I boot it up and it just says 'acer' and won't go any further. I went to the download page for BIOS on us.acer.com and it has a zip file with 5 files:
What do I do? I have tried copying the files to a USB and powering on with Fn-Esc held down. After letting go of the power button and holding Fn-Esc a different screen appears after 30 seconds. I let go and have given it 30 minutes but it is not doing anything. I have read online from other people the power button should be blinking. Do I need to rename one of the files.
As of today, Aspire V3-112P BIOS files, even the onboard version file, have not be available for download. When will Acer release a bios file, even the old one, for download?
F2 enter into BIOS, but found noway to backup BIOS to a file. Fla**bleep**.exe backup.fd /g (with version 2.0) failed to backup.
So it comes to the second question: how to backup the current onboard BIOS to a file? It looks like insydeflash can't backup onboard BIOS to file without providing an existing BIOS file. It's so awful.
i bought a battery from ebay and the battery came with a disc driver that had to be installed before the battery can work. i installed the driver but what it does is flash the bios with an update for the battery. long story short the battery does not work and will return it but i am having problems now with my video controller does not regognize my video card and reinstalling the original driver does not work and also my network adapter is gone does not see it at all. i treid to flash the bios with the backup that the battery update made but still no success still having problems with the video and network eithernet adapter. i think the update flash screwed up my original bios and i cant find the original bios anywhere. sony website does not have it. does anyone have or know where i can download the original bios for my laptop.
For some reason, when I access the BIOS settings menu, most of the options are greyed out (e.g. I can't switch off the requirement for a password at boot).
I'm using a Sony VAIO Laptop. its model is VGN-SZ48GN. BIOS Version is R0111N0. I want to update this to latest version. Do you know anyplace to download this ?
I was applying arctic silver 5 on cpu heatsink today and disassemble my vaio s460 completely.after putting back everything when i power on it give that vaio sound and blank screen. When press F2 its showing Entering setup.....and stuck there.Could be motherboard or CPU problem or RAM?
I would like to let you know that the search is over. Sony had posted all the bios and drivers for Vaio Z Windows 7. You can go to here to get the bios:
Vaio Z Windows 7 Official driver available now!
Thanks for sh4rkt for the bios link. Everything is working now, including the brightness control in speed mode.
if anybody else's battery care option on Vaio Z is not working anymore after updating the bios to R2165M3 version. Mine will keep charging my battery to 100% even when the battery care is set to 80%.