[Problem] Bricked Gateway GWTN141-10SL BIOS

BIOS/UEFI Modding BIOS Modding Guides and Problems
1

I’m slightly newish here since I’ve been lurking throughout this site for some time reading guides and whatnot and decided now is the time to create an account of my own and post.
Ok, that aside I made one of the stupidest actions I’ve ever done that I wish I could reset time myself to prevent this. I tried to flash my laptop’s bios with an older microcode, one that was replaced thanks to using the UBU tool. The reason behind it was to “Unlock” undervolting on my laptop because I fail to understand why it too needs to be locked down when it has no instruction called SGX (This is that plundervolt fiasco). Furthermore, before attempting the flash I made a highly botched backup of my bios by using AFUWIN as it only saved the Bios part, not everything else.
So that was the first red flag, the second flag was when I tried to flash it on AFUWIN but it prevented me from doing so (the software was trying to save this laptop from my decisions), and I just used FPT. FPT then flashed the bios with the replaced microcode and boom BLACKSCREEN, the laptop’s fans would still run though. To be honest I knew deep down this would not end well and it happened, so right after that I decided to buy an CH341a the next day and waited. Once it arrived I looked at guides on how to use it and the appropriate software needed for it to function (settled with neoprogrammer) and went to work. Due to my naivety I didn’t know much about this “Voltage Problem” people were talking about over the years and while I was doing many attempts to seat the clip properly I only saw like one quick spark. Mind you the laptop batterly/AC power was unplugged. Hoping that it didn’t mess up I managed to get the IC recognized from the software and backed up the current bios that bricked the entire laptop. Now here is where the dilemma continues, first I did the appropriate steps to Detect, Erase, Blankcheck, flash, and verify. I flashed the AFUWIN dump first (not knowing it’s not the full 16mb file) and everything went fine I thought.
After turning it on with the AC adapter (battery still unplugged) there is no boot obviously. So then I tried again but this time with the same compatible bios files from sites like badcaps, I’ve tried all of them and nothing would work. I suspect that the laptop itself has probably short circuited ever since that first and last spark… Thank you for reading, hope your day is well!

Laptop Model/Specs
Model: GWTN141-10SL
Motherboard: N14TB REV 1.1
CPU: i5-1135g7
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4 3200MHZ
Bios Chip: WINBOND 25Q128JVSQ
Original bios name or something: GPU Company LC-BI-14-N14TBR100-607-H (03/30/2021)
Software used: NeoProgrammer V2.2.0.10

Bios files:
I’ll attach two bios files

  1. afuwin.rar (Is ONLY the bios file backed up from ami afu, it is not the whole thing but it is the original): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lpk1c7jc4cjlc84rq3byx/afuwin.rar?rlkey=o0kgjps6w5co890lc9qyarqov&st=h6m0pbig&dl=0

  2. Brokenbios.rar (Is afuwin but backed up from neoprogrammer in full - 16mb) : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kpgr0krhknatmfw84ww63/Brokenbios.rar?rlkey=76bsdn43m8i9zz8w8xh10439j&st=f1iwyj3j&dl=0

Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened and customized

2

Also, to add on a bit. A couple days later I found out that the jumper cap on the programmer was like half raised, So i pushed it all the way down to make sure the pins were fully covered.

3

You programmed the " Attached Files

from post #11 on Badcaps thread? It should work, even with its own machine info and not your’s…

Here’s your initial Afuwin backup with all regions inserted.
Now, i believe by now, you correctly identified the SPI IC on the motherboard, got the pdf file and correct pins/voltage.
So program it, read it back, save and compare with source used.

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4

Thanks for the reply, I have programmed that file you attached (n14tb) to my laptop correctly before and it still wouldn’t boot. Powerlight will go on for 5 seconds then turn off immediately after pressing the power button (this is with the battery connected). AC power no post either and fans never kick in. I will now try your second file now. Thank you for your time! Oh and if you need any imagery of the programmer or laptop internals just let me know.

5

Ok, I flashed your file but still nothing seems to work. Screen is still black and the cooling fan never starts, battery is unplugged but im using AC power instead. I guess something other than the bios chip is broken. I never knew replacing and flashing an older microcode would be THIS bad. Anyways I’ve checked the CRC on these files and nothing seems to be corrupted/changed. All of it from beginning to end was the same.

n14tb file CRC:

image
image793×681 47.7 KB

Bios CRC checks/amibcp: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/pyhox9ivl56liae4jw9en/AEkr3psPVfP-AooPivLJcew?rlkey=khqo1sf8910xk70jxi38miutz&st=4lvgdru4&dl=0

I’m very inexperienced with this stuff but I don’t think I’m seeing any faults here? Really think the laptop just died from that one spark I mentioned earlier (nothing was plugged in). If I’m not checking it correctly please let me know!

6

First of all, i didn’t said to flash any Badcaps file, you were the one that said having used a file from that forum and others “I tried again but this time with the same compatible bios files from sites like badcaps” and i asked what file was it or if it was the linked file (CC-BI-14.1-N14TBR100-TA50B-188-H) tPAD107.

Second, mcode exchange and other operations are not end-users operations, its not dificult but needs a little knowlodge and experience as also the rigth tools and this was not the only changes made by you…

Third, the only file that seems originally from your system is the Afuwin backup (LC-BI-14-N14TBR100-607-H) tPAD108 that its already modified with AMIBCP (Not a valid tool for some bioses Aptio V) besides other mods or mcodes cause you omited information, there is attempts to unlock settings in bios using AMIBCP (Wrong outdated Aptio IV tool, not for Aptio V anymore) and this was the cause of a “death” laptop. So there is no “clean” bios file to work with and i only completed the firmware, as asked.

Seems leftovers from Gateway US sold to Walmart and others… did you ever tried to get a clean original firmware?

And this backup was used because it contains your laptop motherboard original data/NVram, nothing from other bios version was used, execpt CSME firmware region to complete it.

Fourth, comparison content baddly done and we dont care about the CRCs reported by programmer app, do you think this is the a foolproof method using the same verification, of course it wont report any differences against an external verification.

Any damage to the system board…maybe, not primary pointing it as cause.
Users that come here asking for help and intentionaly omit information on what was changed, here or any other forum, are not well seen as an honest victim that deserves some help.

Thats it, over_n_out, of here.

1 Like