5870 Bad Flash help please

[kimandsally]

Well having a bad time trying to flash my Sapphire 5870 couldn't get it to flash in the end changed the name and wrote it down it took it flashed and now it doesn't boot up at all nothing on screen totally black.

Could someone make me a file so I can burn it to CD to reflash it to working agian please?

Please bear in mind it would have to be automatic because I cannot see anything to be able to select anything.

[zalbard]

It may be a silly suggestion, but why don't you actually use normal 'blind' flash? Just look up the commands and do it the same way you flashed previously (DOS CD I suppose), just be careful typing them.
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/i...ace=&memSize=0 <<< BIOS links in case yours is bad.
Also, as an alternative, you could plug in another card temporary so you can see what you're doing.

[kimandsally]

It may be a silly suggestion, but why don't you actually use normal 'blind' flash? Just look up the commands and do it the same way you flashed previously (DOS CD I suppose), just be careful typing them.
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/i...ace=&memSize=0 <<< BIOS links in case yours is bad.
Also, as an alternative, you could plug in another card temporary so you can see what you're doing.

Hi there I think maybe the reason it went wrong is because I don't really get what I'm doing, I have been 2 days trying to get it to flash, everytime I tried to use the BIOS name it kept saying bad name or something like that, I then renamed it and put that in and it took it but when it told me to turn it off it never came back on.

I have downloaded another BIOS onto the USB stick and tried to blind flash it, I know what to press to get it to the curser so then I proceeded to try to flash and again nothing when I reboot but of course I don't know 100% that I am actually doing it right when I can't see it.

I do have another PCIe graphics card is that going to work whilst the 5870 is in as well? It is a ATI 1650.

I don't know how to prepare a CD to do it either.

[zalbard]

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/...g/vidcard/34/1 here's a good flashing guide.
And yeah, using ATI 1650 should work.

[Musho]

Make sure you select the correct graphics card when flashing. You don't want to flash a 5870 bios on your 1650 Use atiflash to flash the card. Here's a good guide: http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=57750

You will most likely have to use the force (-f) switch to flash the bios to the bricked card, so MAKE SURE you select the 5870. The 1350 will accept the bios as well, because you are using the -f switch.

Edit: If you want to attempt another blind flash, use this command (make sure you don't have the 1350 installed, this command will flash ALL available graphics cards):
atiflash -pa -f biosname.rom

[kimandsally]

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/...g/vidcard/34/1 here's a good flashing guide.
And yeah, using ATI 1650 should work.

With the 1650 card then do I just put that in another slot then boot the PC? then I'm assuming there will be a way to know that I will be flashing the 5870 and not the 1650?

I will try the CD method this time if I will be able to see what I'm doing using the 1650 card.

Thanks for your help.

[zalbard]

Slot doesn't matter.

If you are trying to flash a BIOS for a different card then you will get a security warning that the BIOS does not match your card. If you are absolutely sure that the BIOS is compatible you can use the -f parameter to force flashing. For example atiflash -f -p 0 BIOS.bin

Don't do that. Or specify the number of the card if you want to flash ASUS bios for example, and your card is from Sapphire. The article explains it well.

[kimandsally]

Slot doesn't matter.

Don't do that. Or specify the number of the card if you want to flash ASUS bios for example, and your card is from Sapphire. The article explains it well.

Hi

I have put the 1650 in and it will not boot/show screen with the 5850 in I took out the 5850 and it boots up fine as soon as I install the 5850 all I get is a blank screen, any idea why this is happening?

[zalbard]

Try temporarily using different slots?
1650 in slot 1 + dvi cable
5850 in slot 2 or 3
or so?

[kimandsally]

Try temporarily using different slots?
1650 in slot 1 + dvi cable
5850 in slot 2 or 3
or so?

OK will have to try that later as I'm watercooled and can't move them around easily.

But I have tried blind flashing using the CD nothing was happening so I used the 1650 to see why, no commands worked so I looked in DIR and there is no ATI Flash or BIOS, I made the disc using Nero 9 and added everything to make a boot CD.

I did try before to make an ISO but I don't know why but it wouldn't boot just keeps spinning.

Do I have to use a boot image or an ISO if so how do I get an ISO to boot or how do I get files to show on the Boot disc/cd?

Thanks for your help mate I am gratefull.

[zalbard]

The easiest way is downloading a bootable DOS disk image somewhere (this with DOS 6.22, for example), just google for it, then editing it (I use UltraISO myself, it has a trial version as well) to add files of AtiFlash and your BIOS file.
Edit: if your CD/DVD drive is SATA you will either have to look for an image with SATA driver or use USB flash stick for flashing (in this case you need HP's USB disk storage format tool to make your flash drive bootable).

[kimandsally]

The easiest way is downloading a bootable DOS disk image somewhere (this with DOS 6.22, for example), just google for it, then editing it (I use UltraISO myself, it has a trial version as well) to add files of AtiFlash and your BIOS file.
Edit: if your CD/DVD drive is SATA you will either have to look for an image with SATA driver or use USB flash stick for flashing (in this case you need HP's USB disk storage format tool to make your flash drive bootable).

Mine are SATA drives, but it did load when I made a bootable disc in Nero just there was no files on it to be seen.

Problem I have with USB is crazy it took me 2 days to actually wreck this card, I could get the USB to boot no problem but as soon as I tried to get it to flash it was impossible, I tried loads of different downloads of different BIOS's and every time it kept giving error file not found or something like that, in the end I noticed someone renamed a file because he said DOS didn't like the long name, so I shortened the name of the BIOS file but it still didn't work, the only way I made it work was to use a name like Asus.5870 if I put .rom on the end it wouldn't find the file at all.
I couldn't believe it when after 2 days it came up so I pressed to flash it all went well and actually showed that the BIOS was identical to my own ever letter and number in the same place it siad turn off or something or reboot, when I did nothing at all happened black screen.

I have only once flashed a Video card BIOS before with no problems but motherboard BIOS's I have probably flashed hundreds never had a problem, I am beginning to think my card could be no more if I can't get anything to flash onto it for some crazy reason.

Any idea why nothing would take with the .rom before the bad flash?

Thanks again.


Edit:

Just managed to try the 1650 in another slot but it still doesn't work with the 5870 installed, so I tried many times to blind flash the 5870 I carefully wrote down exactly what to do I even did a trial run on the 1650 and it went as far as to say wrong flash so I'm feeling fairly sure that I am putting the right things in now, very strange though the 1650 did take the bios name with the .BIN at the end sorry I said ROM earlier by mistake, so I think I need either some fully automatic flash from a CD (if that's possible) or I will have to maybe get a PCI graphics card as mentioned in the recovery of a bad flash.

I just hope it hasn't borked the card somehow it does seem strange don't you think?

[zalbard]

Try this guide for USB pen flashing.
http://csd.dficlub.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1136
You'll have to use your working card to change the boot sequence and stuff, though, obviously. Before installing the old one.
And .rom and .bin issue is not a big one, really. Just rename if necessary. Perhaps you used the old version of the flashing program or something... Because when I flashed my card .bin worked fine. Using AtiFlash 3.75 I hope?

[kimandsally]

Try this guide for USB pen flashing.
http://csd.dficlub.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1136
You'll have to use your working card to change the boot sequence and stuff, though, obviously. Before installing the old one.
And .rom and .bin issue is not a big one, really. Just rename if necessary. Perhaps you used the old version of the flashing program or something... Because when I flashed my card .bin worked fine. Using AtiFlash 3.75 I hope?

OK glad about the bin rom bit not mattering, I will try the DFI club link to make another USB one tomorrow, my head is hurting now I have been at it for 15 hours I think a rest will help me think better.
I have read through the link and I'm hopefull.

Thanks again your a star.

Edit

Yes using the 3.75 ATIflash :-)

[zalbard]

Just download a different BIOS if you had issues with the one you flashed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/6...24.091112.html works very well for me. I'd either get that or ASUS one.

[kimandsally]

Just download a different BIOS if you had issues with the one you flashed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/6...24.091112.html works very well for me. I'd either get that or ASUS one.

I was intending to use the Asus one when I tried the flash as my card seems a good one it ran at max clocks on both memory and core so I was looking for something extra, so I would like to try the Asus again if I can recover this one.

Do you think it is definately possible to recover my card or is it possibly broken?

[zalbard]

Flashing should be possible in most cases, yes.
But really, it depends on what happened to the card. If it's a corrupt BIOS data (which I am assuming it is) then it should be flash-able, but if your BIOS chip went poof for some reason then you might have to seek RMA help (which should be a piece of cake if your store is close by).
And nope, no idea how to figure out which one exactly it is. But seems like 'normal' corrupted BIOS data to me.

What I don't get is why your PC does not boot with 2 cards installed. Especially since you said you used the replacement card in the top slot with monitor cable plugged into it...

But I have tried blind flashing using the CD nothing was happening so I used the 1650 to see why, no commands worked so I looked in DIR and there is no ATI Flash or BIOS, I made the disc using Nero 9 and added everything to make a boot CD.

Just use your replacement card for now I guess. Try to create a proper image and everything set up.
And if you're sure that your PC does not POST with 2 cards installed, just do blind flashing again, this time being sure that you're doing the right thing.

[kimandsally]

Flashing should be possible in most cases, yes.
But really, it depends on what happened to the card. If it's a corrupt BIOS data (which I am assuming it is) then it should be flash-able, but if your BIOS chip went poof for some reason then you might have to seek RMA help (which should be a piece of cake if your store is close by).
And nope, no idea how to figure out which one exactly it is. But seems like 'normal' corrupted BIOS data to me.

What I don't get is why your PC does not boot with 2 cards installed. Especially since you said you used the replacement card in the top slot with monitor cable plugged into it...

Hi there, I have a friend who has a PCI graphics card he will lend me but I may not be able to get it until tomorrow, but in the meantime I will try some more blind flashing when I have got some work out of the way, I have done nothing for 2 days other than try to flash this card.
I feel much better knowing it should be OK, there was no noise or smoke or smell so hoefully it should be OK, it said flash done or something reboot it just didn't come back on.

[zalbard]

Hi there, I have a friend who has a PCI graphics card he will lend me but I may not be able to get it until tomorrow, but in the meantime I will try some more blind flashing when I have got some work out of the way, I have done nothing for 2 days other than try to flash this card.
I feel much better knowing it should be OK, there was no noise or smoke or smell so hoefully it should be OK, it said flash done or something reboot it just didn't come back on.

If you are going to get a PCI card then perhaps just wait till you get one, it is much easier when you can actually see what you're doing, and you can probably avoid some frustration that way.
Stole a mini-guide for a PCI card from the other forum:

#1 Insert the pci card, go to bios, and set "Init Display First" to PCI
#2 Insert the PCIe card while the PCI card remains and connect your monitor to pci card.
#3 The computer sould now boot
#4 use atiflash to find the number of your pcie adapter usualy is 0
#5 from dos run : atiflash -p 0 -newbios xxxx.bin(xxxx=the bios file) -f
!!!DO NOT INSERT THE PCIe CARD WHEN COMPUTER IS RUNNING!!!
Good luck!!!

[kimandsally]

Hi again

More problems, I have a PCI graphics card and I can now see the other card and it is in slot 0

I therefore tried to flash again using exactly this:

atiflash -f -p 0 Asus.HD5870.1024.090915.bin

When I try to flash it says error Asus.HD5870.1024.090915.bin not found.

It is on the USB drive and named exactly that, I again tried to rename it many times failing everything with bin on the end.

I finaly named it BIOS.new then did:

atiflash -f -p 0 BIOS.new

And it flashed it as it did yesterday when I removed the .bin and renamed it.
Everything went well and it said to reboot which I did, again and again Black screen no video at all

Please can someone help am I doing something wrong or what could it be?

Why will it not flash using the real filename when I look on my laptop it is named Asus.HD5870.1024.090915.bin but no matter how many times I type it in it refuses to recgnise it.

[zalbard]

Just call it ASUS.bin? And quite a few guides suggest changing the extension to .rom. But yeah, I don't get it.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...44&postcount=1 .rom file used. But the extension doesn't matter, really. Btw, you have to change the Init Display First before you get rid of PCI card.

[kimandsally]

Just call it ASUS.bin? And quite a few guides suggest changing the extension to .rom. But yeah, I don't get it.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...44&postcount=1 .rom file used. But the extension doesn't matter, really. Btw, you have to change the Init Display First before you get rid of PCI card.

Well just reflashed again to another BIOS file and the same again would not accept anything with bin or rom had to be just a name with small words more than 12 charactors fails.

All went well using BIOS.new reflashed changed from one type to another then said to reboot, I press crtl alt delete to reboot upon booting I changed to PCIe card and agian black screen nothing.

Am I doing the reboot correct?
I was using 3.79 ATIflash but changed to 3.75 it made no difference to the renaming or the end result.

Any other idea's?

Could my USB stick be doing anything wrong? I am just willing to try anything, I can't help feeling that not taking the real name is somehow not right, is it possible Sapphire has done something to stop people flashing the BIOS on their cards?

[Zeus]

I don´t think ati did that, no. I don´t think the usb stick is bad since you´re running atiflash from it. Re-download the bios, extract it to a new folder on your desktop, rename it newbios.bin. Now copy it to your USB stick, reboot and boot from usb stick. Now type: dir It should show atiflash and newbios.bin, if not, something went wrong. If yes, type: atiflash -f -p 0 newbios.bin That should do.

[kimandsally]

Well finally good news..........

All I did was to change out my USB stick for another then put everything back on and it works..........

This really had me worried and why can a USB stick do this?

But lets hope if anyone has the same problem it helps them also.

Special thanks to Zalbard and Zeus for the help, I would have lost my sanity without it.

I have been chuntering on saying I will never flash a GPU BIOS again but with this being so silly a thing that stopped it I might even try some other time again.

Thank you.

[zalbard]

Wow, grats, but get rid of that USB stick, lol, I suppose it's dying or something. Check it for errors?