Force ATI Bios update...card not recognized by ATIflash

[newParadigm]

I have a 2600xt that has a really FUBAR'd BIOS at the moment. I need to flash it, but both ATI Winflash, and ATIflash report similar errors, stating they cannot find an ATI video adapter. I need to know how to FORCE an ATI BIOS update on a card that is no longer recognized as an ATI video card. I already tried the -newbios and -f operators in the command line for both ATI Winflash and ATIflash to no avail. Any help would be appreciated. Off to try Flashrom, and see if that'll override this bullshit.

Oh, a little more information. The card is working, and I can see the screen, but it is showing up as a generic VGA adapter in windows, and will not accept the ATI Catalyst driver. If I force the driver to install I get a "device cannot start" error. Unknown Devices cannot Identify the card and give the following for the DEV and VEN ID string [Hardware ID: VEN_1002&DEV_978A&SUBSYS_22371787&REV_20]

Thank you,

newParadigm

 

[Videl]

Wow...I have the same EXACT problem...my card has a fudged-up bios and I cant reflash it because atiflash and ati winflash both don't see the card...they claim "no ati device found" rbe editor also doesn't see it...

My card also works...it boots windows and everything shows up on the screen but in VESA mode (or standard vga graphics adapter)...no driver...so it's the wrong resolution and windows aero is disabled...just like when drivers are not installed...

it used to be able to flash until a corrupt bios was flashed or something...and now that it doesn't show up as an ati card atiflash refuses to communicate with it because it doesn't think its an ati card...

Maybe someone here is experienced and smart enough to help...
Please it would be nice to have my card working again...
This is what gpuz shows

 

[zerogear]

"ATIFLASH -f -p 0 FLASH.ROM" is usually the force flash command, though most of the time used is to force different company firmware to the card of another company. So I'm not sure if it'll work in this case.

 

[ViviTheMage]

In command line, run atiwinflash -unlockrom 0 followed by atiwinflash -f -p 0 bios.bin where bios.bin is the path and filename of the BIOS you want to use.

 

[Videl]

@zerogear, tried that already...but thanks anyways...

@ViviTheMage I have not tried atiwinflash -unlockrom 0 in ati winflash...
thanks for the tip, I'll try it when I have time and I'll get back with a reply

 

[newParadigm]

In command line, run atiwinflash -unlockrom 0 followed by atiwinflash -f -p 0 bios.bin where bios.bin is the path and filename of the BIOS you want to use.

Haven't tried this yet either, what does the -unlockrom 0 command do? (I assume it obviously unlocks the BIOS in someway...but how?) I have used the -newbios? (that may be incorrect, but it's the command used to flash a blank BIOS on a card, i.e. when the card doesn't have a recognizable BIOS) and it did not work, still errored out "No ati graphics adapter found".

I will try the above command,

Thankyou,

~newParadigm

 

[Videl]

I tried -unlockrom 0 both in atiflash and in ati winflash...
here is what I get...btw this is on the "dead card" as you can see it works...just without drivers....

 

[Arkadrel]

Theres usually a reason why things dont fit together is all Im saying.

Forceing things usually doesnt work.