Bricked HP Envy 20 Motherboard: Help flashing bios

[casinada]

I have an HP Envy 20 All in one Computer that needs Bios Flashing. It is out of warranty so HP will charge $299 plus shipping to repair. I can get a new motherboard for $150 on ebay. HP doesn't want to tell me how to flash a bios. Other places I called don't want to tell me the equipment they use to push a bios. I search online but the closest thing I found is on the my digital life forums where they do BIOS hacking but nothing I tried worked.
Any help or hints in the right direction will be greatly appreciated.

[TMM]

The computer-tech way of doing it is to get another computer/motherboard that accepts the same type of BIOS flash chip and use it to 'hot flash' the corrupt bios chip. This involves booting the good motherboard and starting the BIOS flashing software (suited to the 'good' motherboard), then swap the flash chips over while the computer is running and use the flashing software to load the binary for the bricked motherboard onto the corrupt chip.

If HP doesn't provide you with the BIOS binary then you are SOL and buying another motherboard is probably the cheapest option.

[TheBay]

Firstly what brand BIOS is this, there are a few recovery methods to try.

[AndersAnd]

Firstly what brand BIOS is this, there are a few recovery methods to try.

Looks like this is the BIOS used in HP Envy 20: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay?javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.prp_ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03592650-8%257CdocLocale%253D%257CcalledBy%253D&javax.portlet.tpst=ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01&sp4ts.oid=5330738&ac.admitted=1386967163447.876444892.492883150

The Larrybird-b motherboard uses an AMI BIOS version 8 that is compatible with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

[Stonent]

You'll also want to identify the flash chip so you can see what kind of programming options that you have.

Many times the bios flash utility can be unpacked with 7-zip (it unpacks most anything) or Universal Extractor. And you'll find a file in there that's the size of the bios chip.  That's usually where you'll get the raw data from.

[TheBay]

Extract BIOS ROM file from HP download, put it on a blank USB Flash or CD rom drive, rename to AMIBOOT.BIN

[TheBay]

I bet its got SPI pins, or solder some wires to the flash and knock up a programmer if you don't have one, nice bit of kynar and use your imagination

[casinada]

On simple inspection I didn't find any typical Flash chip unless is on the bottom of the motherboard.
The Computer turns on and it shows the HP logo. If I touch any key (wireless or usb) it shows Cpu, memory, etc.
Pushing different function keys it gives different options (diagnostics, boot, etc) but it doesn't go beyond that but is not locked, pressing CTRL ALT DEL reboots the computer. I tried to boot from CD and flash drive following some advise I found for the Envy Laptops but no Luck. I ended up ordering another motherboard ($150). I have Programmers, etc. I also have access to a working Envy 20. In my 35 years messing with computers I never bricked a mobo like this and I can't believe that is so easy to do: Go to the hp site, go to the exact model number, select updates, download the newest bios, run the software, brick your computer

[AndersAnd]

Have you tried to follow the suggestions described at these HP sites:

HP ENVY 20-d003la TouchSmart PC BIOS problem. Larrybird-B MoBo.
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/TouchSmart-PC/HP-ENVY-20-d003la-TouchSmart-PC-BIOS-problem-Larrybird-B/td-p/3180903

Restoring the BIOS
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c02693833

[TheBay]

On simple inspection I didn't find any typical Flash chip unless is on the bottom of the motherboard.
The Computer turns on and it shows the HP logo. If I touch any key (wireless or usb) it shows Cpu, memory, etc.
Pushing different function keys it gives different options (diagnostics, boot, etc) but it doesn't go beyond that but is not locked, pressing CTRL ALT DEL reboots the computer. I tried to boot from CD and flash drive following some advise I found for the Envy Laptops but no Luck. I ended up ordering another motherboard ($150). I have Programmers, etc. I also have access to a working Envy 20. In my 35 years messing with computers I never bricked a mobo like this and I can't believe that is so easy to do: Go to the hp site, go to the exact model number, select updates, download the newest bios, run the software, brick your computer

If you get post then that will recover easily, or dump flash and merge hex with update or older bios, that will keep DMI/ME/MAC address. Send me dump if you want. Chip is probably 99% a SOIC 8 pin serial flash.

[Stonent]

On simple inspection I didn't find any typical Flash chip unless is on the bottom of the motherboard.
The Computer turns on and it shows the HP logo. If I touch any key (wireless or usb) it shows Cpu, memory, etc.
Pushing different function keys it gives different options (diagnostics, boot, etc) but it doesn't go beyond that but is not locked, pressing CTRL ALT DEL reboots the computer. I tried to boot from CD and flash drive following some advise I found for the Envy Laptops but no Luck. I ended up ordering another motherboard ($150). I have Programmers, etc. I also have access to a working Envy 20. In my 35 years messing with computers I never bricked a mobo like this and I can't believe that is so easy to do: Go to the hp site, go to the exact model number, select updates, download the newest bios, run the software, brick your computer

That's another common problem, the redefinition of "Bricked". When I hear "Bricked" I think of either no activity, a blank screen, or a logo screen that never changes. The fact that you could get into the bios would not fit my definition. I would have advised you differently had this other information been available. In general I would say I would call it bricked when there is no way for the user to interface with the device via the built in controls.

This issue sounds more like your hard drive boot mode changed. If you have options to alternate between any of these Compatible/IDE/ATA/AHCI/RAID/IRRT modes try them all.

Also if you have any bootable media (USB or CD) try that.

[TheBay]

I totally agree with your statement regarding "Bricked"

On simple inspection I didn't find any typical Flash chip unless is on the bottom of the motherboard.
The Computer turns on and it shows the HP logo. If I touch any key (wireless or usb) it shows Cpu, memory, etc.
Pushing different function keys it gives different options (diagnostics, boot, etc) but it doesn't go beyond that but is not locked, pressing CTRL ALT DEL reboots the computer. I tried to boot from CD and flash drive following some advise I found for the Envy Laptops but no Luck. I ended up ordering another motherboard ($150). I have Programmers, etc. I also have access to a working Envy 20. In my 35 years messing with computers I never bricked a mobo like this and I can't believe that is so easy to do: Go to the hp site, go to the exact model number, select updates, download the newest bios, run the software, brick your computer

That's another common problem, the redefinition of "Bricked". When I hear "Bricked" I think of either no activity, a blank screen, or a logo screen that never changes. The fact that you could get into the bios would not fit my definition. I would have advised you differently had this other information been available. In general I would say I would call it bricked when there is no way for the user to interface with the device via the built in controls.

This issue sounds more like your hard drive boot mode changed. If you have options to alternate between any of these Compatible/IDE/ATA/AHCI/RAID/IRRT modes try them all.

Also if you have any bootable media (USB or CD) try that.

[Stonent]

I had a friend once tell me "I reloaded Windows 7 on my computer and now it's bricked" and I said "That's not possible"

[TMM]

fixing your problem could be as easy as entering the BIOS and loading defaults.

[casinada]

Thank you for all the help and hints, I had tried most of the suggestions already. Yes, in the strict definition of the word it is not bricked but it is corrupted enough that allows you to do certain things. None of them arrive to the bios tool.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c03506231&lc=en#N79  is a picture of the motherboard and description of the parts. There are a bunch of 8 pin SO-DIM that might be serial flash chips but which one?
I downloaded the bios from HP and booted from a flash with any possible name: HPBIOS.BIN, AMIBIOS.BIN, ME811336.BIN, all of them on the root, each individual one at a time, etc.
I can see the flash drive blinking and then it goes into a double sequence of 8 beeps each and nothing after that.
It is already a play thing as I have another motherboard on the way so if anybody suggests anything more adventurous, I'm willing to try. I have the MiniPro TL866A programmer with the little clip that allows to program/read the little flash chips on the board. I only used it to program regular DIP Eproms and Flash memory and some Flash on PLCC but when I look at the new motherboards all the other formats look like old school.
Thank you

[TheBay]

Close up pictures of the SOIC8s please or post part numbers.

Great you have the TL866A, I have one as well, brilliant little programmer.

Hurry up and get a dump don't flash anything on the programmer without coming back here.

[amyk]

This is an Inventec OEM mobo. If this is the right BIOS for it then you should open it with 7-zip and extract LAR_812.ROM for use - it is 8388608 bytes for a 64Mbit flash.

8 beeps on AMI has to do with missing VGA adapter.

[casinada]

I have more information on the motherboard:
There are 2 chips with labels on top so I assume that those are the Bios chips. They might have different purposes.
The first one is labeled 8.06 and under the label I can barely read: 25Q064A  13E40
it is a 64MB Serial Flash memory. The weird thing is that the labeling of the chips is upside down with respect to the dimple to show pin 1 on the chip.
The second chip  is labeled 3.16 and under the label shows: Winbond 25080BVSIG
Looks like an 8K flash memory and is too small for a motherboard bios.
When I turn on the computer it posts 8.13 so I assume that the bios chip is the one labeled 8.06
Next is to try to read it with the TL866A
I took some pictures of the Bios and the Clip that I purchased with the TL866A kit:
The clip comes soldered to a flat ribbon cable that ends on a flat ribbon connector that connects to the little pcb to a dip 8 to connect to the ZIF of the programmer.
Now looking at the picture it looks that there is a connector next to the 8.06 chip that says ROM Recovery
I measured continuity between the bios chip and the connector and only found 2 that worked, probably Vcc and Gnd so if I want to venture in to the chip I have to use the clip. Time to get some zzzzz 

[Stonent]

That spot may not be for programming but for booting from an alternate chip. I see you have a spot labeled boot block recovery. If that's a jumper or solder spot it may toggle the pins.

That may be how that works. Plug a good chip into that spot and it boots from it instead or even clones that chip to the main one.

[amyk]

Yes you've found it.

ROM_RECOVERY connector looks similar to this: http://systats.or8.net/hpspi/

I'm guessing the jumper next to it (marked JSPISLT1/JFCHSPI1)  is used to connect either the connector or the chipset to the flash on this model (as opposed to the jumper being on the connector itself), so you'll need to set it to the other position...

[casinada]

I couldn't find any big serial Flash memory on my personal junk yard so I'll try to flash it directly with the Clip. 

[casinada]

I tried to program the flash with the TL866A with the clip adapter and was a total fail. There is no 25Q064A in the device list. the closest one is the renesas R1EX25064A
I t would read all zeros on when the SPI jumper was on the default position and it would read something when it was on the other position but it never let me write to the chip.
I also used the connector next to the chip wired according to http://systats.or8.net/hpspi/ but it wouldn't let me program. I messed up with the boot erase jumpers to see if I could write to the flash memory but didn't make any difference. There is no more HP Logo or response from the keyboard or fetching USB or SATA devices. It doesn't even shutdown. I push the power button to turn the power off but it comes back on after a second. So it might be really bricked according to the definition.
Next step is to remove the memory and connect it directly to the programmer.
O removed the Flash memory from the motherboard, I can still read it with the programmer like before and I cannot write to the memory like before.
I tried all the TSOP8 with 064 and only 2 options allowed me to read consistently the information from the flash, the renesas part and the xicor part but none of them is allowing me to write to the chip

[casinada]

$150 later...I got the replacement motherboard today. Swapped and the computer is fixed . I also got 2 flash memory samples SST25VF064C that I'm not able to program with the TL866

[amyk]

The datasheet for the flash is available, you could send it to the TL866A authors and have them implement support.
Or faster way, if you know how to use/have a generic I/O tool like a Bus Pirate, to read the DS and write your own code to read/write it.

[casinada]

I thought the 25064 types were fairly common. I can read the chips but not write to them. I will try to write them to see if they respond. I don't have a bus pirate . One of the reasons I purchased the TL866 is because the EMP-20 (Needhams) I have is obsolete and not longer supported. It is great for programming old chips but nothing current such as serial devices.