Bootblock BIOS Update Methodology

[Dimitri Patakidis]

I saved my bios but it created a .wph file that apparently is only usable with winflash. Do we know how to create the .rom file (512KB).
Or can we just take the first 512 KB of the file throw away the rest, rename it and use it?

[slash.crognr]

hm, i realy don't know what can we do with a .wph file. The Bios Block Function doesn't recognize that as a valid bios flash file. The file extension i think is .bin , Dimitri can you take the first 512 kb of the wph file and create a new file with .bin extension. I'll try that file if you can send it to me, i've got a nothing to lose.

[Dimitri Patakidis]

I went back to my collection of files and realized the file I saved before I flashed IS 512KB.
It was saved as 108.exe and it does "look" like a BIOS kinda file.
Now I am wondering if it's my silly USB floppy drive that the laptop is having a fit with.
My USB floppy drive is a smartdisk FDUSB-TM2

[Dimitri Patakidis]

There is a chance the reason why I can't reflash my laptop is not because I have the wrong ro bad saved BIOS file.
So...I am making the bios file I saved b e f o r e I flashed available for download.
Of course use it at your own risk. This BIOS was saved from a Model C300
TravelMate C301XCi
Part Number LT T280E.001

If someone has better luck with it, hopefully will share how they did it :)

And before I forget...here is the link to download the BIOS file from:

http://www.dotp.com/acer/bios/acerc300bios108.bin

[slash.crognr]

Dimitri thanks for the file, i copied the file, put it in my USB external floopy. I get the same bpep all over again. I read on the acer support page that the beep means that the bios file is defective and cannot be read.
http://support.acer-euro.com/documen...bootblock.html
I realy don't know what to do anymore, maybe my external floopy doesn't read my floopy diskette i don't know. My floopy flashes just like it's trying to read something from it, but it always gives me the same beep.

[cnixon]

Hi all..No sucess yet but the last line from Loy (Jan 3)has finally become clear. The Phoenix Bios boot block needs a flopy with a few very specific files on. It does not need the platform.bin at this crisis stage though. This disk really does seem to be a Manufacturer supplied thing though and no searches have provided any info for me. such as a download from another manufacturer. A couple of search hits discus a crisdisk.zip download which needs to contain a file minidos.sys (or minidos.600), crisboot.bin
The following link may assist our understanding...
http://www.kontron-em.com/SW_DB/DOWN...sh_EC_E112.pdf

I really am now absolutly stuck. I have found someone in the UK who says they can replace the bios chip for £135 (GBP) sounds tempting although I really do think it is necessary if Acer were more helpful.
Craig

[cnixon]

I have also been informed that 514k is not unexpected for a phoenix bios ???? I think it has platform info within the file. I know its all a bit late but I think it was a virus checker that caused all this problem because it tried to stop the writing to the bios. oh dear.

[slash.crognr]

thanks cnixon, now i only need the Crisis Disc for C300

[cnixon]

Here is a link for a crisis disk generator (CRISP588.zip)(not acer C300) read the JAP0034.pdf from same link.

www.mite.cz/softdos-en/softdoslist.html

The kontron link earlier post discusses to approaches (section 5.1)

CRISDISK.BAT produces a floppy with the 4 files as indicated I replaced/renamed the bios.rom with the 512k .bin file from v1.08 we located earlier. I have no platform file so I otherwise kept it as CRISDISK produced it. This did not work for me but....this is the best bit...my USB floppy drive started to read from the floppy and the bleeps stopped (repeated long, short, short,or, dah, dit, dit for the Radio HAMs).
The other thing I then tried (as hinted in my kontron link)was replacing phlash.exe with phlash16.exe. scrapping platform.bin and replaced/renamed the bios.rom to bios.wph with the >512k .wph file from v1.13 we downloaded from acer. This didn't work either but again bleeps stopped.

so near and yet so far...I think I might stick a config.sys file in next along the lines of:

buffers=20
files=15
shell=a:\phlash.exe /mode=2 /S bios.bin

Craig

[loy]

I think i got it... I'm in the process right now