Dell Latitude 3140 bios

[don166]

Hoping I can get 8FC8 unlock help on this thread since I cannot find an open one for a Dell Latitude 3140.
Service Tag 3LY6TW3-8FC8
MOBO LA-M501P

I've tried reprogramming the 8-bit BIOS chip (GigaDevice 25R256EY) myself by searching for 00 FC AA / 00 FD AA but it's nowhere to be found so I'm turning to the badcaps experts.

It is different from other Dell 8-bit BIOS chips I have unlocked before. 1) Size is 32774 KB, not 32768 KB; and 2) It compresses to a very small file (154 KB), not 11-12 KB as other 8-bit Dell chips. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing?

154 KB dump attached. Thank you. Don

[SMDFlea]

post moved to a new thread.

[rex98]

Hoping I can get 8FC8 unlock help on this thread since I cannot find an open one for a Dell Latitude 3140.
Service Tag 3LY6TW3-8FC8
MOBO LA-M501P

I've tried reprogramming the 8-bit BIOS chip (GigaDevice 25R256EY) myself by searching for 00 FC AA / 00 FD AA but it's nowhere to be found so I'm turning to the badcaps experts.

It is different from other Dell 8-bit BIOS chips I have unlocked before. 1) Size is 32774 KB, not 32768 KB; and 2) It compresses to a very small file (154 KB), not 11-12 KB as other 8-bit Dell chips. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing?

154 KB dump attached. Thank you. Don

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...l-8fc8-patcher

[don166]

Thank you rex98, but if your patcher just replaces 00 FC AA and 00 FD AA with 00 FC 00 and 00 FD 00, it won't work for me since I already know this BIOS does not contain either of these hex strings. I did run it and now I will go to a Philippine neighbor to translate the Tagalog text in the dos screen to English, which will probably says it could not find the unlock hex. You have helped me here in the past and I thank you again for you commitment at badcaps. Don

[rex98]

Thank you rex98, but if your patcher just replaces 00 FC AA and 00 FD AA with 00 FC 00 and 00 FD 00, it won't work for me since I already know this BIOS does not contain either of these hex strings. I did run it and now I will go to a Philippine neighbor to translate the Tagalog text in the dos screen to English, which will probably says it could not find the unlock hex. You have helped me here in the past and I thank you again for you commitment at badcaps. Don

it only works if it has bios password and only in main bios. i think you did it wrong since your bios uploaded is only in kb its obviously corrupted.

[don166]

Back to my 8FC8 locked Dell Latitude 3140 dilemma. With online help, I have the extracted HDR.bin file (29MB) from the Dell .exe file for this particular laptop (ST 3LY6TW3). Now I need to have it converted to a valid (and hopefully usable) 32MB .bin to load that might unlock the BIOS. I know it's risky and might not work but at this point I'm willing to accept a bad result that bricks the laptop. Can anyone help with this? Original dump above. HDR rar attached. Don

[SMDFlea]

Back to my 8FC8 locked Dell Latitude 3140 dilemma. With online help, I have the extracted HDR.bin file (29MB) from the Dell .exe file for this particular laptop (ST 3LY6TW3). Now I need to have it converted to a valid (and hopefully usable) 32MB .bin to load that might unlock the BIOS. I know it's risky and might not work but at this point I'm willing to accept a bad result that bricks the laptop. Can anyone help with this? Original dump above. HDR rar attached. Don

You won`t get a usable 32MB bios, the update only contains a 24MB bios update. Your bios backup is corrupt as rex98 said , make another one..

[don166]

I have read this chip 10 times and all dumps are identical so what I posted at first is the actual contents of this BIOS chip - and corrupt contents evidently. And since I bought the laptop as-is to refurbish, I don't have a good backup. But even if it's correctable in that state, I don't know enough about programming to do that. And if it's not, what about a generic, clean, non-service tag specific BIOS file for the Dell Latitude 3140 model? Would any expert on BadCaps have such a file I could download and load? It would seem my only options at this point are: 1) Hope some one posts a clean .bin file that might work, 2) R/R the MOBO (I've checked and there aren't very many of them and sellers are asking way too much), or 3) Write off what I've already spent and move on. Comments? Don

[SMDFlea]

I have read this chip 10 times and all dumps are identical so what I posted at first is the actual contents of this BIOS chip - and corrupt contents evidently. And since I bought the laptop as-is to refurbish, I don't have a good backup. But even if it's correctable in that state, I don't know enough about programming to do that. And if it's not, what about a generic, clean, non-service tag specific BIOS file for the Dell Latitude 3140 model? Would any expert on BadCaps have such a file I could download and load? It would seem my only options at this point are: 1) Hope some one posts a clean .bin file that might work, 2) R/R the MOBO (I've checked and there aren't very many of them and sellers are asking way too much), or 3) Write off what I've already spent and move on. Comments? Don

Somehow your backups aren`t right, we already said that. Does your programmer support the GigaDevice 25R256EY ,is it in the support list, did you choose a different chip, what model is your programmer and software version, did you uase the auto-detect setting or choose the chip manually. What is the part number on top of the chip. Why would the size be 32774KB i can only guess that you chose an OTP chip

[don166]

Thank you SMDFlea for your comments. I use an XGenu Pro T48 programmer, which supports GD25R256E (but maybe not GD25R256EYIG, the full PN on top of this chip). The laptop was manufactured in 2022 so maybe the T48 doesn't support it. I've looked all over both sides of the MOBO and don't see another 8-bit chip that might be the BIOS. There is an itty-bitty 3mm x 3mm chip (P/N X49C/5027, location UC5; I've seen UC5 on other Dell MOBOs to locate larger common GD/XMC/WB/MX 8-bit BIOS chips). Could that be it? Don

[SMDFlea]

Thank you SMDFlea for your comments. I use an XGenu Pro T48 programmer, which supports GD25R256E (but maybe not GD25R256EYIG, the full PN on top of this chip). The laptop was manufactured in 2022 so maybe the T48 doesn't support it. I've looked all over both sides of the MOBO and don't see another 8-bit chip that might be the BIOS. There is an itty-bitty 3mm x 3mm chip (P/N X49C/5027, location UC5; I've seen UC5 on other Dell MOBOs to locate larger common GD/XMC/WB/MX 8-bit BIOS chips). Could that be it? Don

The code in the backup just isn`t right, it starts off ok then has repeating patterns of the same code,then gibberish. If that really is whats on the chip it wouldn`t even boot up. The T48 should read it but there could be a problem with the algorithm. XGeku have messed up before, make sure you have the latest software. Are you using a clip or pogo adapter ? , do you have another programmer that you can try with

[don166]

Pogo adapter, latest T48 software and this GD chip is not in the latest support list. And no, I don't have another programmer. The code might be gibberish but the laptop boots normally to BIOS and shows it's locked with an 8FC8 suffix. Searching on P/N GD25R256EYIG I found a site that seemed to suggest that expensive BeeHive or BeeProg devices are the only programmers that support this GD P/N. Is it possible a similar 8-bit T48-supported GD chip might be close enough to try? Thank for trying to help. Don

[SMDFlea]

Pogo adapter, latest T48 software and this GD chip is not in the latest support list. And no, I don't have another programmer. The code might be gibberish but the laptop boots normally to BIOS and shows it's locked with an 8FC8 suffix. Searching on P/N GD25R256EYIG I found a site that seemed to suggest that expensive BeeHive or BeeProg devices are the only programmers that support this GD P/N. Is it possible a similar 8-bit T48-supported GD chip might be close enough to try? Thank for trying to help. Don

When a chip isn`t in the support list try another of the same type,voltage. Try W25Q256FV @WSON8 (WSON,SOP or whatever) ,untick check-ID ,untick verify. The drawback to unticking verify should be obvious. Using clips and pogo adapters can be unreliable. If you have the tools to desolder the chip buy some adapters, https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004045901323.html .
It`s always useful to have a second programmer, the CH341A (despite some of its faults) is cheap, and with alternative software and the ability to add chip support it makes it into a decent little programmer. I`d recommend the adjustable voltage version, i have one of these ,with the same adapter boards https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007265119061.html

[don166]

It's been a while since my last post on this GD25R256EY chip problem but I haven't completely given up yet. I tried SMDFlea's suggestion using CH341A v1.7 programmer forcing W25Q256FV, but no joy on that. I then bought the latest XGecu T76 programmer, which has this GD chip on its support list. But the only package listed is soic8, not @WSON8 (6mmx8mm). When I tried to read it, I always got the "Check ID error" message and unticking the Check ID and Verify after options resulted in a meaningless dump with all zeros. Same result selecting Winbond W25Q256FV @WSON8. Seems to me this shouldn't be that hard since this GD SP1 chip seems mainstream enough that Dell uses it for the BIOS on this Latitude 3140 model. I'm open to anything at this point. Thank you. Don

[peste]

It's been a while since my last post on this GD25R256EY chip problem but I haven't completely given up yet. I tried SMDFlea's suggestion using CH341A v1.7 programmer forcing W25Q256FV, but no joy on that. I then bought the latest XGecu T76 programmer, which has this GD chip on its support list. But the only package listed is soic8, not @WSON8 (6mmx8mm). When I tried to read it, I always got the "Check ID error" message and unticking the Check ID and Verify after options resulted in a meaningless dump with all zeros. Same result selecting Winbond W25Q256FV @WSON8. Seems to me this shouldn't be that hard since this GD SP1 chip seems mainstream enough that Dell uses it for the BIOS on this Latitude 3140 model. I'm open to anything at this point. Thank you. Don

The bios chip must be unsoldered from the board before writing or reading..
do not use the clip, you may have errors..if you do not have anything to unsolder it with,
solder wires between the programmer and the bios chip..

[nix30101]

Hoping I can get 8FC8 unlock help on this thread since I cannot find an open one for a Dell Latitude 3140.
Service Tag 3LY6TW3-8FC8
MOBO LA-M501P

I've tried reprogramming the 8-bit BIOS chip (GigaDevice 25R256EY) myself by searching for 00 FC AA / 00 FD AA but it's nowhere to be found so I'm turning to the badcaps experts.

It is different from other Dell 8-bit BIOS chips I have unlocked before. 1) Size is 32774 KB, not 32768 KB; and 2) It compresses to a very small file (154 KB), not 11-12 KB as other 8-bit Dell chips. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing?

154 KB dump attached. Thank you. Don

Have any luck getting a good BIOS dump?