# Solved: Gateway bios flash problems, need help.



## dead gateway (Dec 13, 2008)

This thread might be a good read to help you understand my problems: http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/582761-solved-bad-bios-flash.html

In a nutshell, I tried to install what I later found out was the wrong bios update for my motherboard. In retrospect, I'm not the only one that has made this exact error on this exact motherboard (due to confusion between the intel base version and the Gateway oem version for the board.

Here is my computer info:
Gateway E-3600 4000777 serial 002658239
Board: Intel D845PT AAA65253-303
Bios PT84510A.15A.0004.P02.0112051220

The basic chain of events is this:
1. I bought and installed a new Pentium P4 2.6ghz processor to replace the original 1.6ghz that came with the computer. This step went fine, but according to the intel website, there was an updated bios for the higher processor speed chips. This is where the problem begins, this bios was for the PT84510A.86A board, and mine is the 15A (made for Gateway)

2. I downloaded and installed the intel utility PTAP08EB.exe to flash the updated bios http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?ProductID=786&DwnldID=5222&lang=eng

3. I tried to reboot the computer and I got an error like CMOS/GPNV Checksum Bad

4. I read the notes on the bios flash readme, it said if this error occurs do such and such.

5. I started reading these forums and others and realized that I had screwed up, possibly big time.

6. After researching a bit, I found some suggestions on fixing this. Mainly by one of these two methods: *A*. download and install the correct gateway bios (7513332 direct from gateway) or *B*. Remove the cmos battery and change the jumper pins on the mother board to reset to bios to the default.

7. Method B worried me a little, so I tried method A. The only way to follow this method from gateway requires an ibm formatted 3.5 floppy (which of course I did not have, since I have never even used the 3.5 floppy in this machine). At first the drive wouldn't work at all, but after some canned air it started to cooperate. Based on the notes in the gateway readme, this disk could not be reformatted in windows, so I had to make the disk in dos. I had some problems, but finally got it made.

8. Meantime, I found that I could boot the computer through a magic combination of factors, which may have included having the bios flash program installed on a plugged in flash drive, or maybe just luck in the boot sequence. Any time I did get it to boot, I was very hesitant to shutdown. While pressing F1 during the boot brought up the bios, it seemed like pressing escape skipped the bios, or maybe skipped portions of the bios check. By pressing F10 I sometimes got the option to boot from the CD-ROM or from the flash drive, but I did not have this option in the main boot menu, the only options in the boot priority were the a: drive and one other thing I can't remember, but I think it was the hard drive.

9. Tried booting with the disk from step 7, and the "insert valid boot disk" prompt came up.

10. I found that others had also experienced this problem and had come up with various work-arounds, see http://forums.techguy.org/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=19

11.I tried all of the work arounds to the best of my ability, to no avail. I'm not convinced my a: drive was totally working, and I didn't have another computer available with a floppy to check it out.

12. I decided to give the method B a chance (remove cmos battery, change bios jumper). I didn't like the idea of this, but such is life.

13. I plug the power back in, turn the computer on and... nothing. No fans, no drive activity, just a little green light on the mother board and the power on button light amber (like when in standby).

So to all you smart, helpful people out there (especially JMsea wesdk85 DiGiTY DaveBurnett ) where do I go from here? If the answer is replace your mother board, I have one question: Can I replace it with the standard D845PT intel board (this would have the PT84510A.86A bios). This board seems to be far easier to find, and is rather inexspensive, I have yet to find the actual gateway board available.

If there are any other remedies to try, let me know, nothing to lose now.

Thanks for the help


----------



## win2kpro (Jul 19, 2005)

#1-You apparently missed this page at the Intel site.

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/cs-009015.htm

That being said, before I bought a new board (which in itself *MAY* present some problems in installation) + potentially a new operating system disk. I would replace the floppy drive in the machine with a new unit. The are only about $8-$10.

If you can access BIOS set the boot priority so the floppy drive is the first boot device.
Go to any store that sells floppy disks (Office Max, Office Depot, etc) and you can buy a 5 pack of IBM pre-formatted floppy disks. After you have your floppy disks, go to the Gateway site on another machine, download the correct BIOS and install it on the floppy.

Insert the floppy in the troubled machine and follow the instructions at Gateway and see if you can overflash the bad flash with the correct Gateway flash.

BTW, removing the battery to try to correct a bad flash will have no bearing on the microcode that was changed by the bad flash.


----------



## dead gateway (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I did change the boot priority to the floppy first, but when I tried to boot with the disk that had the gateway downloaded bios on it, it gave me the error of _invalid boot disk_. This disk was a pre-formatted 1.44mb double sided high density disk.

On the original thread, one user who eventually got this to work had to make two disks, one was modified. There is an explanation of what he did on page two of the original thread: http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/582761-solved-bad-bios-flash-2.html

My more immediate problem is that I can't power up at all. The power button is lit amber, there is a green led glowing at CR3H1 on the board, but nothing else. I don't get any fans or drive activity, and pressing the "test" button on the power supply does nothing.


----------



## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

I am guessing this board does not have the intel bios recovery feature. If that is the case, then do the following.
You need to make a dos boot disk, copy the bios update AND the update utility ie award flash or whatever to the boot disk.

Next with the system OFF, open the case and pull the pw connectors from ALL drives ie hd and optical except the floppy. This will make the bios default to the floppy as the only boot device. Place the boot disk with the bios update and flash utility into the floppy drive and pw ON. Complete the flash as per the instructions on the gateway site.

Once done, restart the system and see if it will post. If it does, then shutdown and connect the rest of your drives. Pw ON and enter the bios; set the correct boot order, time and date may need to be set as well. Save settings and restart.


----------



## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

BTW if you are not successful, you can install a new bios chip from badflash.com. I have used them in the past and I have been pleased with their service.


----------



## dead gateway (Dec 13, 2008)

crjdriver, I'll attempt the bios update with your advice, but for now I'm dead in the water. The computer is not responding to anything. It does not POST when I power up. This new problem occurred after having removed the cmos battery and doing the bios jumper routine.

Any thoughts on why it is totally unresponsive now? As mentioned before, I have amber-lit power button, power to the mother board, but nothing else. The test button on the power supply won't even spin that cooling fan.


----------



## dead gateway (Dec 13, 2008)

One more thing, the bios chip on this board is soldered in, no socket. So it looks like I'll need to replace the board if I can't get this working again.

I don't mind replacing the board, if necessary. It will cost about $100, which I refer to as the _stupid tax_. But I'd rather resuscitate this one, if possible.

If I do replace it, I'd like anyone's input on whether the standard intel D845PT board is a legitimate swap candidate, since they are considerably less expensive than the Gateway version of the same board. The gateway that it is in has about 50% original hardware, the hard drive, cpu, dvd-rw are new; the power supply, a: drive, and motherboard are original.


----------



## win2kpro (Jul 19, 2005)

You are correct, Intel standard and manufacturer "proprietary" boards all have their BIOS's soldered in so they are not replaceable.

A couple of things I can think of, but am not sure of without seeing the Gateway board. Since the Gateway board and chassis is Gateway "proprietary" I am not sure if the standard Intel board's mounting holes are punched in the same location as the Gateway "proprietary" board. If they are not in exactly the same location you *MAY* have a problem attaching the board and I/O output connector alignment.

I believe Gateway used a proprietary front panel pinout. If they did you will have to modify the kk connectors coming from the Gateway chassis front panel to connect them to an Intel standard board. Attached is a pic of the "standard" Intel front panel pinout.

Did Gateway use a standard socket 478 processor cooler that will connect to the standard Intel heatsink retainer? Attached is a picture of a standard Intel socket 478 heatsink retainer. If Gateway did not use a standard mounting cooler, you would probably have to buy a new cooler that would attach to the standard Intel heatsink retainer.

Does the new board you are considering have a standard Intel heatsink retainer pre-installed? If not, you will also need to purchase a socket 478 heatsink retainer.


----------



## dead gateway (Dec 13, 2008)

Just to close out this thread, here is the end of the story:

I replaced the motherboard. Maybe there was a way to resuscitate it, but I couldn't find it, and a replacement board was cheaper than hiring a professional to attempt recovery. In all, it cost me $60 to fix the problem ($50 for the board, $10 for shipping). This was a refurbished board from mundocorp.com.

They had the board I needed in stock and what they sent me worked fine, but *I do not recommend dealing with or buying from them*. Here is why :

I placed the order online. The morning after placing the order, a woman from their office called. She wanted to verify my motherboard p/n (even though I had ordered the exact motherboard p/n I needed). I was at work at the time and had a Belarc printout with me of my system information, from which I relayed the mobo p/n in my system. She insisted that I must verify the p/n printed on the sticker on the mobo. This was inconvenient, but I went home on my lunch hour to check it, and it was the same as I had ordered (also what the printout said, e.g. same as what I told her/Mundo twice.

While we were on the phone she informed me that there was no warranty on the motherboard. This seemed odd, as I remembered the site saying there was a 30 day warranty. As it turns out the policy is more like "30 days unless otherwise stated." I was curious why there was no warranty, and she told me it was because "Gateway does not consider a motherboard a user servicable part, and since I was doing the install (not them) that they could not warranty the part. I pressed a little further to see if it was really a Gateway policy, or a Mundocorp policy. I didn't get a direct answer, but have come to believe that Mundocorp doesn't service warranties very well, and that they try to negate any warranty before it even becomes an issue. In order to complete the order, I had to confirm to them in writing (i.e. email) that I understood there was no warranty and that I was buying the part as-is.

Also while we were on the phone, she told me that they could not ship to my business address (even though their online order form let me choose that). According to her, it was because _my credit card company won't allow shipping to an address not on file_. This is either a blatant lie, or a very misinformed person. I'm sure everybody reading this has, at some point, ordered something online and shipped to someone or somewhere else. The only reason I wanted it shipped to work was to avoid the chance that the package would be left on my porch during inclement weather, or held at UPS, which would have been very inconvienent since I wanted to get the motherboard in time to install it over the weekend.

Meantime, I read some other reviews of Mundo online. None of the reviews I found gave me any confidence in the company. That said, the part arrived and worked fine, but in retrospect, I think the whole thing was a gamble and I would pay a little extra in the future to buy from a company that stands behind its products.


----------

