Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

[sijones99]

Hi All, firstly big thanks to the forum members SMDFlea, piernov & mon2 who have got me this far, from when I posted over on this thread:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102806.

Background:
My brother's Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E appears to have a corrupt / missing ME Region firmware. When I boot it into BIOS I can see the firmware is listed as version R0250DA, but the ME Version says 'UnKnow'.

The symptom is that the machine boots, but shuts down 30 minutes later. It currently has no Windows installed as its hard drive failed a while back. It now has a Linux install on a tatty old HDD that I had lying around.

What I have done since my original post:

• On the advice of SMDFlea I got a CH341A programmer, clip & accessories.
• I've done the soldering mod to bring the voltage down to 3.3v.
• I've successfully read the current (probably damaged?) firmware on the laptop's WINBOND 25Q64FVSIG chip. I was amazed and delighted that I managed to do this, as it seemed like sorcery to me...

SMDFlea suggested that I post my firmware download in this sub-forum, in the hope that someone brighter than me could suggest what might need editing in there to fix the damaged ME data.

I've attached two copies of the firmware I saved from the chip: as a .bin file, and a .hex file (I wasn't sure which was appropriate), together in a RAR archive.

I'm a real novice at this stuff, but eager to get stuck in & learn. I now know how to flash it back onto the chip if someone could help me work out what's going wrong in the firmware.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[peste]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Hi All, firstly big thanks to the forum members SMDFlea, piernov & mon2 who have got me this far, from when I posted over on this thread:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102806.

Background:
My brother's Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E appears to have a corrupt / missing ME Region firmware. When I boot it into BIOS I can see the firmware is listed as version R0250DA, but the ME Version says 'UnKnow'.

The symptom is that the machine boots, but shuts down 30 minutes later. It currently has no Windows installed as its hard drive failed a while back. It now has a Linux install on a tatty old HDD that I had lying around.

What I have done since my original post:

• On the advice of SMDFlea I got a CH341A programmer, clip & accessories.
• I've done the soldering mod to bring the voltage down to 3.3v.
• I've successfully read the current (probably damaged?) firmware on the laptop's WINBOND 25Q64FVSIG chip. I was amazed and delighted that I managed to do this, as it seemed like sorcery to me...

SMDFlea suggested that I post my firmware download in this sub-forum, in the hope that someone brighter than me could suggest what might need editing in there to fix the damaged ME data.

I've attached two copies of the firmware I saved from the chip: as a .bin file, and a .hex file (I wasn't sure which was appropriate), together in a RAR archive.

I'm a real novice at this stuff, but eager to get stuck in & learn. I now know how to flash it back onto the chip if someone could help me work out what's going wrong in the firmware.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

try..

[sijones99]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Thanks for your fast reply peste - I tried to write that file with Neoprogrammer, but the operation completed in less than 1 second, with the message:

Verification error on address: 0x0000101B, Device: 0xA0, Buffer: 0xEE

I guess the operation should take a minute or more?

Does that message suggest anything to you?

[edit: I'm reasonably confident that the clip is seated OK - I can still use it to read from the chip...]

[Vesko356]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Thanks for your fast reply peste - I tried to write that file with Neoprogrammer, but the operation completed in less than 1 second, with the message:

Verification error on address: 0x0000101B, Device: 0xA0, Buffer: 0xEE

I guess the operation should take a minute or more?

Does that message suggest anything to you?

[edit: I'm reasonably confident that the clip is seated OK - I can still use it to read from the chip...]

Тhere is no good contact between the clip and the chip, adjust the clip in a way that ensures good contact. Be careful with the orientation of the clamp relative to the chip (pin 8 is + 3.3V). Remove the battery. Check the continuity of all eight wires between the clamp and the programmer. The wires are very thin and are often desoldered (or are torn) from the clamp pins.

[sijones99]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Thanks Vesko 356 - I have now removed the CMOS battery - I never thought to do that.

The wires have good continuity & I have pin 1 in the correct location. I have re-seated the clip many times, and I can read the current firmware from the chip OK, but I cannot write back to it, I get the same error:

Verification error on address: 0x0000101B, Device: 0xA0, Buffer: 0xEE

This may be a stupid question: right now I am trying to write peste's .bin file over the current file that is already on the chip. Or should I erase the chip first, then write?

I am new to all of this, trying to learn the techniques!

[Vesko356]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Thanks Vesko 356 - I have now removed the CMOS battery - I never thought to do that.

The wires have good continuity & I have pin 1 in the correct location. I have re-seated the clip many times, and I can read the current firmware from the chip OK, but I cannot write back to it, I get the same error:

Verification error on address: 0x0000101B, Device: 0xA0, Buffer: 0xEE

This may be a stupid question: right now I am trying to write peste's .bin file over the current file that is already on the chip. Or should I erase the chip first, then write?

I am new to all of this, trying to learn the techniques!

You should first erase the contents of the chip, and then to program the new dump.

[sijones99]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

How embarrassing... here in the UK we call that a "schoolboy error"!

The YouTube video that I watched did not have that step, so I did not think to do it!

peste's .bin file file has now flashed successfully! I will rebuild the laptop and see what happens. I will report back to this thread with the results.

Thankyou peste & Vesko356 for your kind help & advice.

[SMDFlea]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

peste's .bin file file has now flashed successfully! I will rebuild the laptop and see what happens. I will report back to this thread with the results.

Thankyou peste & Vesko356 for your kind help & advice.

If peste`s bios doesn`t work try this one .

[sijones99]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your help & support, I had a great result last night: once I had flashed peste's .bin file I rebuilt the laptop, and ran it for a few hours (using Linux Mint on an old HDD). The computer stayed running - no 30 minute shutdown!

Next I put in an SSD and installed Windows - that went very smoothly (before the flash, the laptop could not recognise my SSD). After a few Windows Updates the laptop is still running beautifully - and it's very responsive. I have it powered on right now for an extended test, if it remains stable I'll install Office and return it to my brother.

Massive thanks to peste, Vesko356 & SMDFlea for helping a complete stranger with this problem - this computer has been saved from landfill.

[Vesko356]

Re: Sony Vaio SVF1521K4E BIOS dump & help request

Well done! Good job buddy, congrats!