HP HDX9000 mods

Despite everything, I still want to replace the HD 2600 XT with the HD 4850. If the HD 4850 produces annoying errors, I will flash back the original bios and go back to the HD2600XT.
Is the CH341A programmer compatible with the BIOS chip in HDX9000? Where is the BIOS chip located on the motherboard?
If the HD4850 works with HP, then my next step will be to increase the FSB bus to 1066 and hunt for the X9100. Any progress on quad-core processors?

Here’s the utility
https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/i7nz502ukk7bcr5/HPUnpack.exe/file

This is the command for replacing vBIOS
hpunpack HDX9000_BIOS.BIN replace C0000 VIDE your_vBIOS.bin

Just make sure to replace the file names with yours and look for “newBios.rom” file after finishing, it will be your modified BIOS to be flashed.

And here’s the location of the BIOS chip (SST25VF080B), it’s under the keyboard in the left bottom corner. Your programmer should support that chip.

image

Speaking of quads. I’m talking to Maxinator500, maybe he will help us insert the extended APIC table for quads into the BIOS

HPUnpack reports an error while flashing:

hpunpack HDX9000.BIN replace C0000 VIDE HD4850.rom

HPUnpack modded by Remdale for HDX9000
Performing action: replace, target address: C0000, name: VIDE, source file: HD4850.rom

Unhandled Exception: System.ArgumentException: The offset and length values are out of range of the array or the number exceeds the number of elements between the index and the end of the source queue.
in System.Buffer.BlockCopy (Array src, Int32 srcOffset, Array dst, Int32 dstOffset, Int32 count)
in HPUnpack.Program.Main(String[ ] args)

CMD running as administrator. I also changed the Vbios extension from .rom to .bin and still the same error.
Windows 8.1 64bit.

Seriously, I don’t know how to explain this magic. It’s the same for me now on my HDX9000, but I have tried to do the unpacking procedure on another PC and it worked fine. Just have a look

Try doing it on another computer or give me the vBIOS file and I’ll do that for you. But the program works well with 8710W’s BIOS. Get it from the web and use it as an agent to replace the video module and then move it into the Dragon’s BIOS via a hex editor.

I have figured out that the BIOS file was wrong. That was the reason for the crash. I have tried another file I had and it worked well. Here’s a working ATI version for you. Try replacing the module here
https://www.mediafire.com/file/2juj3afxy0y3hkq/BIOS+ATI+(no+whitelist+microcodes).bin/file

I didn’t notice your previous post. I’ll check if it works soon.

It worked!
We’ll see if the Radeon HD4850 will work in the HDX9000.

What program is used to change the bios? I remember that I did it with some Windows program. I had this program from the old forum about HDX9000, but this forum was closed and I cannot find this program on my disk.

There’s just this command line utility. The config you want to have is set up through a text file which you then upload into the utility, but not all parameters work. Examples included
https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/h2v7bf7qjdz2yk4/HP_BIOS_Configuration_Utility_%2528BCU%2529.zip/file

I want to flash the bios. This program is from what I read in the pdf file for editing the bios. I remembered that previously I had a bios .exe file that flashed the bios. Here I have a file with the .rom extension. I looked for the option to flash from USB in the BIOS but there is nothing there.
How do I flash the bios from a .rom file?

That was probably an official exe file. Here’s a hacked version of the flasher (with signature check disabled), try using it
https://www.mediafire.com/file/1ucp3olas4tszzw/HPQFlash_No_Rom.sig_check_patched.exe/file

You can also follow these steps for blind flash:

  1. Rename Rom.bin to 68DVD.BIN
  2. Copy the 68DVD.BIN file to a freshly formatted (not bootable) floppy.
  3. Remove battery from HDX.
  4. Plug a USB floppy drive into the HDX and place the floppy with the bios file in it.
  5. Hold down ‘Windows’ and ‘B’ keys simultaneously while turning on the power.
  6. Release keys when floppy drive is accessed (when the light on the floppy drive starts blinking).
  7. Sit back and wait about two minutes

The program shows the error: “The driver failed to load”.
I don’t have a floppy drive, is it possible to flash the BIOS from a pendrive?

You might need to copy HPQFLASH into the root of the disk partition along with the BIOS (Rom.bin) which needs to be compressed into “Rom.cab”. This is the only file the utility accepts. In order to compress your BIOS into .cab, you need to run makecab on it via CMD. “ver.txt” file might also need to be included into the cab file.

I don’t remember how I revived my first HDX9000 either by using a pendrive or floppy, you can give it a go with a pendrive of up to 1-2GB (better with a LED indicator to watch for the activity).

Hello. BIOS on my HDX9200 was damaged during an upgrade from F.35 to F.40.
Would someone please help me find a way to flash it and repair?
I have tried multiple procedures and none have succeeded so far.
I would really appreciate your help.

Hi. I don’t remember well, but these are probably the steps I went through to revive mine.

  1. Download latest bios from HP and extract to a folder. Use WinRar or 7Zip to extract all the files in the executable.
  2. Extract either NV.cab or ATI.cab depending on your graphics card.
  3. Open the ver.txt file and look for the string after ‘ROM’ (for F.40 bios it was ‘68DVD’).
  4. Rename Rom.bin to 68DVD.BIN
  5. Copy the 68DVD.BIN file to a freshly formatted (not bootable) floppy.
  6. Remove battery from HDX.
  7. Plug a USB floppy drive into the HDX and place the floppy with the bios file in it.
  8. Hold down ‘Windows’ and ‘B’ keys simultaneously while turning on the power.
  9. Release keys when floppy drive is accessed (when the light on the floppy drive starts blinking).
  10. Sit back and wait about two minutes for your HDX to rise from the dead!
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Thank you for the quick reply!
I will get a floppy drive and a floppy first :slight_smile:
Hopefully it will do the trick.
USB does not react at all, so I am a bit pesimistic about this solution. CD-ROM kicks in, so maybe I will also try to burn a CD.

I’m pretty much sure that the DVD drive won’t work out. Ask a repair shop to flash the BIOS for you if my guide won’t help.

Your method has worked!
Thank you so much for helping to revive my dragon :smiley:

Awesome! You are welcome👍

Hey everyone. I got some news in this thread