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Failed ATI 3870 BIOS flash / Possible to recover?

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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,052
I've got a HIS 3870 and the BIOS appears to now be blank. The 3870 doesn't even allow the PC to POST anymore unless I use a PCI graphics card also and get the PC to boot using it.

With the PCI card in use I can see the 3870 using ATIFLASH in DOS (using -i) but when I attempt to flash the BIOS using parameters -pcie -p 0 3870.bin -f it says unable to erase the bios and doesn't proceed with the flashing and the next time I run ATIFLASH it doesn't see the 3870 anymore until I power down the PC again.

I've researched and it appears that the HIS 3870 cannot be recovered easily because it uses a PMC PM25LV512 (64 KB) flash memory chip and the ATIFLASH program hasn't got a force flash option for that type of flash memory.

Also soon as I've tried to flash the BIOS using ATIFLASH the card's fan speed changed to 100% which I thought is is strange.

ATI's WinFlash doesn't even let me see the card in it's list as when I run it an error says unable to read ROM and it closes and the next run of it it doesn't even detect the 3870.

Anyone had a similar problem and know of a solution?
 
I'm not sure another BIOS will make any difference 'cos the ATIFLASH program can't seem to do anything with the HIS 3870 flash memory. It's like it's been wiped and because of that there is nothing on it that the flash programs can read so they don't even bother to continue flashing. :confused:

I've contacted HIS asking if there is a flash program they could send me that will allow it to be recovered so hopefully they will be able to help with that.
 
you could try blind flashing, if you know what you are doing.

i had a blank screen and couldnt see anything on post when i was screwing around with my old 6800 before and had to do that.
 
Unfortunately blind flashing isn't an option because the PC doesn't POST with the card in a PCI-E slot and no other video card.

I also put it in slot 2 in a dual PCI-E mobo with an old X1650 Pro in slot 1 and it boots etc and I installed the drivers but the 3870 is in as Other Devices as a VGA controller and when I do update driver on it it finds it's a 3870 and starts to install the drivers for it but then the PC just reboots.

I even tried ATIFLASH's save BIOS option and the file it saved for the 3870 BIOS is the correct size etc but every byte in the saved file is 0xFF.
 
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