In the meantime I have found out that my "black" CH341A Programmer is a "false design" model, i.e. has 5V active signals (MOSI and CLK), instead of 3.3V. Following information found on Internet I have rewired the programmer to 3.3V and tried again to program the MX25L3206E chip without unsoldering it. This time the programmer DOES NOT even recognise the chip.
1. Either there is a power supply issue reported elsewhere, when programming the chip onboard (without usoldering it), where the programmer needs to "power" the entire maniboard, or
2. The chip is alread down
Some people warn against using the "unmodified" programmer (i.e. with 5V signals), as this may fry the 3.3V chip - is this my case? Other report no problems with programming 3.3V chips with the 5V (deafult) version of the programmer.
I will now come back to the "5V" version and see what happens.
I suspect 5V without load may become something much closer to 3.3V if enough load is applied…
In the "5V" mode the same behavior as before - the chip is being recognised, can be erased and blank-checked, but no programming is possible. I assume the chip cannot be burnt on-board and needs to be desoldered.
I have ordered a preprogrammed BIOS for this particular board and a couple of blank chips. I will then try to read the preprogrammed BIOS (in "3.3V" mode, to be on the safe side) and see if I can clone it with this programmer. I will then desolder the BIOS from the board and check if it can still be programmed. If yes - it would confirm my suspection (onboard flashing not possible, probably power problem) and I will fit the board with a new BIOS.
In the circuit diagram of the motherboard I have found a mysterious notice concering on-board flashing, which I cannot follow anywhere else, so perhpas something more needs to be done in order to burn an on-board BIOS.
Hi, thanks for your info about the new MX25U12873F, I need to flash one on a MSI PC MATE…
I use a CH341A (the green one) which connected and works, but when I plug the 1.8V adaptor on it, it disconnected !
also the red light on the CH341A still light on but little less strong…
I use for now the SkyGz’s “Ch341 Programmer” v1.30 waiting that my hardware (CH341A + 1.8V Adaptor) are connected before to buy the last version 1.34
Could You please see my picture and confirm that my setting works on ?
Do you think is the 1.8V Adaptor that doesn’t work ?
I bought them throw Aliexpress…
Your ch341a part(green pcb) is different from mine, but your configuration seems right to me(i have a photo of my config), but cannot be %100 sure because of it’s different pcb.
if disconnected from pc when 1.8v adapter just plugged to ch341a, it can be a problem from 1.8v adapter.
you don’t have to buy 1.34 version, free CH341AFree v1.4 version(in 1.31 package) is doing the job just fine.
Hi, I want to offer an alternative software for ch341a. I successfully used it for w25q128fvssig and gd25b128cpig. I hope someone will be useful
AsProgrammer_1.4.0.zip
Hi again,
to complete the status (should the topic be of interest to anybody):
1. The BIOS chip (MX25L3206E) of the 5950g Acer laptop motherboard cannot be flashed with the CH341A + clip without being removed from the board. The comment found in the board documentation (circuit diagram / schematics) is unclear - the power supply needs definitely to be detached from the chip, but there are no jumpers on the board to do so. A tiny smd component can unsoldered, but flashing is still not possible. Several trials to on-board flash the chip with the above programmer/clip did not succeed. However, atfer unsoldering it from the board the chip was recognised and could be flashed (in an appropriate socket) without any problem.
Conslusion: the 5950g BIOS cannot be (easily?) reflahsed on-board and needs to be unsoldered.
2. My CH341A programmer ("black" edition) has a design bug: two signals are powered with 5V, even if the chip to be flashed is a 3.3V one. Simple rewiring of the programmer makes it a 3.3V compatible (the change is permament, no 3.3V - 5V jumper switching). However, the 5V did not damage the BIOS chip, which could be reflashed after unsoldering from the board.
Conclusion: the 5V "bug" in the pogrammer circuitry does not seem to harm the MX25L3206E chip (and possibly other as well).
Regards
Unimag18
Hello all, first time poster. I just wanted to say thanks for the thread. This info helped me out while recovering from a bad EUFI flash.
I got the “Black edition” type programmer similar to the first link in the 8th post in this thread by plutomaniac and used it to flash the EUFI EEprom that came with my ASRock Extreme6 Z77 board.
At first I had numerous failed attempts to detect the chip when placed in the programmer but finally after many trys it finally worked. I didn’t do anything differently; maybe that last time I was more electrically grounded when I seated the chip in the programmer? I have no idea what made the difference but linux flashrom utility finally detected it.
The chip was a Winbond W25Q64BVAIG and flashrom detected it as W25Q64.V . The chip was very finicky and only showed up finally after many tries. But at which point I was able to read from it and then write to it (flashrom automatically read then erased then wrote using only the write command).
After which everything worked fine, I was able to boot up again and all my motherboard specific info such as MAC address seems to be intact. This thread helped me out immensely, thanks again!
I don’t know why, but the drivers included in flashrom archive by Wootever wont works anymore (I can’t install them).
Windows 7 x64, green & black CH341a. It worked fine 6 months ago…
I was able to use the program (with included drivers) linked in Nastojka’s post.
AsProgrammer works, but flashrom was handy with the autodetection feature, and it was also faster…
@Wootever : could you help me find out why your flashrom driver won’t install anymore ? What am I missing here ?
Good afternoon. Faced the following problem: there is a programmer CH341A (in the device manager is defined as an unknown device initially). I put firewood and software, I cling to m / c (it is defined correctly), but as soon as I start to read it, the software hangs and that’s it.
Who faced with this. Tell me the solution
Thanks for sharing.
Note: I have been able to flash the Bios with the black version of the CH341A programmer, and the test clip on a MSI desktop motherboard. I have used the version v1.30 of the software and I had to power the motherboard otherwise nothing was happening. I had no problem.
Here is the guide that gave me the idea : Guide to flash a Bios with a SPI CH341A mini programmer
Hi mates, I need your help, I’ve been modding the BIOS for ASUS Z97-P motherboard (Aptio IV) and I’ve done a bad flash. now, the motherboard makes nothing, no speaker sounds or similar, I’ve bought this programmer:
https://www.ebay.es/itm/CH341A-24-25-Ser…353.m2749.l2649
It comes tomorrow (I hope)
The BIOS file for this motherboard is a “.CAP” file, how can I use this file format with the programmer?, thank you so much friends.
First thing, when your flash programmer arrives is to try several versions of the software until you find one that works correctly and allows you to make a BIOS backup from your original rom that verifies 100% correct. Then save that backup, make a copy and keep them safe somewhere.
Do all that before you write anything to the BIOS chip, this way you will have a copy of your boards DTS Key, UUID, serial and LAN MAC address. Here’s some versions of the software I have - https://www.sendspace.com/file/nbml0n
More versions and other software here too in this guide thread.
You have to extract the rom file from the cap file to use in the programmer. Open the cap file in EUFITool and right click the capsule and choose extract body, save that somewhere that is your BIOS to edit and program with the programmer.
You will need to add in your board details, for that you can use program called FD44Editor - https://github.com/LongSoft/FD44Editor/releases
Here is a guide on using that tool, you only need to pay attention to the FD44 parts (Section 7) not the flashing with FPT stuff - https://hardforum.com/threads/tools-to-f…or-ftk.1726429/
It’s easy, open one copy of your original BIOS backup and then another instance of FD44 open the new clean extracted rom and copy over your details exactly to match backup. Then save the file, and program that to your BIOS using programmer.
Thanks mate, I’m working in this motherboard at this moment (few days ago), and I’ve to continue with my ASUS M5A88-V EVO in the next days, you will have news from me in a few days (I hope), kind regards my friend.
You’re welcome! Good luck, hope you can get it sorted out once your programmer arrives!
Remember, be sure to write nothing to the BIOS until you have a 100% verified backup file from your original BIOS chip!
hi everyone, kinda new here and ya’ll are kinda my last hope here. I have an Asus N53SV laptop that froze( thanks to windows), while a bios update was happening and my laptop stopped working since. It’s been to a week of sleepless nights trying to fix it, ended up getting the Ch341a and pomona clips but it turns out that the bios is corrupted. I tried the fd44editor and it complained about $BOOTSI$ signature missing, the stuff with the hex editor is way over my head. I’ve attached the backup bios and one from the asus website , hoping someone can help me out here because im stuck.
dead laptop bios backup_.zip (2.7 MB)
N53SVAS215.zip (1.03 MB)
Did you verify backup is 100% identical to the BIOS on chip? You have to do that to make sure you have a good backup, if not you need to try various versions of the CH341A software so you can find one that works properly.
That needs to be done and confirmed OK before you write anything to the chip again, otherwise your backup may not contain all or proper data you need.
The F44D error simply means that BIOS is not compatible with the FD44 tool, either too old or not proper structure. I see it most of the time when BIOS is too old. Confirmed now by same error w/ stock BIOS from Asus.
I will check your files tonight in case it’s all OK. Please let me know if you verified the backup with your programmer before I send back any BIOS, that way I know any data I get is as correct as possible.
I see backup size is twice as large 
Can you post images off the back of your laptop, any stickers you see, and if you have the case open or can open easily, any stickers on/around the memory slots.
These will help confirm and or find your system details in the BIOS dump
@Azzaiir - It’s good you have a programmer, I think I see a first attempt at fix is an easy one! 
Please confirm you are sure this backup verified with data on chip when using your programmer.
Then I will post BIOS for you to try programming. Please note, I want you to be 100% sure backup data verifies and matches current chip data, because once you write you cannot undo and any info if not saved in the current backup will be lost.
Hey, @Lost_N_Bios I’ve used 3 different versions of the CH341a software and all keep giving me the same size and all verify. So it’d definitely all 100% the same as the chip. I have a shitty phone so cameras not the best, here are the pictures:
@Azzaiir - Thanks, you just needed to make sure any single version gives that good result chip + buffer same = good verify.
Sorry if I confused you, usually/often you have to keep trying different versions until you find one that works. Often some give error when reading, or verifying etc. Once you found a version that works good, you’re all set!
For the images, please take down that first one for now, or edit out your windows key at least. On the memory, is there a sticker on the white part anywhere, under the memory or on the top/bottom or sides of the slot holder itself?
None of that may be necessary now, but if this BIOS fails then it will be so I can try to dig out your board details to make a different BIOS.
First, try this BIOS, it was easy fix if this works, but I wasn’t sure so that’s why I wanted to get all the details and be sure your backup was verified in case all data gets lost on this BIOS write attempt and then it ends up not working.
Write this with your programmer, then remove all power to the board, remove the laptop battery and small circle CMOS batter if you can easily see it (If not, don’t worry). Then press and hold the power on button for a minute, to clear the CMOS.
Then put main laptop battery back in, CMOS batter back if you removed, and plug the laptop in and try to start it. If it works, great! If so, go into the BIOS and load optimized or optimal defaults however that is named in your BIOS, then save and exit to let windows load.
https://www.sendspace.com/file/u6xpc7
If it fails, I will try more involved method to fix!
I did what you said, the moment I insert the charger the battery indicator flashes red (showing charging) for a split second. Then nothing, removing the battery and doing it all over again results in the laptop status leds flickering. Not sure what the problem is the charger, which is weird because its new.