ASUS UX330UAK BIOS

[mdrigo]

Hello guys, need a dump of ASUS UX330UAK BIOS with backlit keyboard working, or a fix for my bios, bios dump and prints attached.

I found a dump somewhere else of UX330UAK but can't flash it, got an error message -secure flash rom verify fail. Please help me with this!


Thanks!

[mdrigo]

My problem is that laptop keyboard backlit stopped working after a mother board replacement performed by asus, I've already tried a new keyboard w/ backlit and the problem persists, so I saw in a Asus forum that the solution is get a dump from a bios of the same laptop which the backlit is working and flash (entirely, not update) my laptop bios with that bios, but I've tried a lot, got error message

[mdrigo]

Link to upload my bios dump:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1P19gIW...5OVmCU3M15

Also, the file attached on thread was updated

[Gnomuz]

Hello,

I had exactly the same issue on a Zenbbok Pro UX501JW after a motherboard replacement, no keybord backlight although I had the lastest ATK package installed on my machine. It's obviously a BIOS issue.

I solved it using this fix package : https://www.dropbox.com/s/7m10xjkjjwq5nh...y.zip?dl=0 . For reference I found it in this thread : https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.ph...klight-fix .

I'm not at all a BIOS expert, but it seems to have worked without damage on a number of different ASUS laptops, and at least I can confirm it worked for me ! So you may give it a try. There's a comprehensive "how-to" included.

Again I'm not an expert, but my understanding is the reflash of your BIOS with the full dump from another machine of the very same model would probably work, but it would also replace your own S/N, UUID, and other unique identifiers with the ones of the other machine, which you probably don't want ?

Hope that can help

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Yes, use bt.exe tool/method above, otherwise you need to use certain methods to flash modified BIOS (or dumped) on your board, and you will loose your board details in place of whatever is in that BIOS you flash in, so not ideal way to fix this at all.

[mdrigo]

Yes, use bt.exe tool/method above, otherwise you need to use certain methods to flash modified BIOS (or dumped) on your board, and you will loose your board details in place of whatever is in that BIOS you flash in, so not ideal way to fix this at all.

Gary fix doesn't work for me, got some error message like "bios doesn't support extf function" error -1, I was able to flash a dump mod bios as well, nothing happened, I'm running out of options, I've took the laptop to a technician and he said there is no problem with motherboard or connector, maybe it was the keyboard/backlit defective, I bought a new keyboard w/ backlit on on ebay, and nothing, no lights, even o post, so I saw people saying that they had the same problem after have the motherboard replaced by Asus, like mine, and it was a bios issue, so here I am.

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Did you run the BT tool from DOS? If not, try again from DOS.

As for the dumped BIOS you flashes, you said modified? Was it an actual dump, modified, or a stock BIOS modified? If stock mod, then it would not contain the necessary NVRAM volumes were this change needs to take place, this would also cause error with the BT tool. If that's what you used, do you have a dump of your BIOS before you flashed anything else? If yes, please attach.

Also, flash "Entirely" not update means do not use Asus update tools, AFU, etc. you need to put on with a flash programmer. However, I know this is located in NVRAM, but stock BIOS does not contain both NVRAM volumes usually, so anything built from a stock BIOS is not going to work, you need actual dump from working system (that contains two populated NVRAM volumes).

I was only able to find one dump for this model at my usual location, and it's a stock dump not actual dump (user programmed or FPT'd in stock BIOS region, then dumped) so if you used same source (.com.br website .305 Bin BIOS) then this is not an actual proper dump. I cannot download the file they gave you at Viafix to check, but it may be from the same source (Upload for me here to compare, thanks).

We need to find actual proper dump, where person has not incorrectly done the above actions first. Your board may serve as this dump source, since it's from Asus, provided you have not flashed in a stock BIOS region using programmer or FPT. If you have not, please dump the BIOS region using programmer or FPT and upload for me to check.

If you do not have programmer, then use Intel ME System Tools V11 from this page in section "C" - https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-M...Tools.html

Inside you will find Flash Programming Tool folder, and inside that a win/win32 folder, select that win folder, hold shift and press right click, choose open command window here (Not power shell). Then run following command and zip and upload the created file for me to check

FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin

[mdrigo]

Did you run the BT tool from DOS?  If not, try again from DOS.

As for the dumped BIOS you flashes, you said modified?  Was it an actual dump, modified, or a stock BIOS modified?  If stock mod, then it would not contain the necessary NVRAM volumes were this change needs to take place, this would also cause error with the BT tool.  If that's what you used, do you have a dump of your BIOS before you flashed anything else?  If yes, please attach.

Also, flash "Entirely" not update means do not use Asus update tools, AFU, etc. you need to put on with a flash programmer.  However, I know this is located in NVRAM, but stock BIOS does not contain both NVRAM volumes usually, so anything built from a stock BIOS is not going to work, you need actual dump from working system (that contains two populated NVRAM volumes).

I was only able to find one dump for this model at my usual location, and it's a stock dump not actual dump (user programmed or FPT'd in stock BIOS region, then dumped) so if you used same source (.com.br website .305 Bin BIOS) then this is not an actual proper dump.  I cannot download the file they gave you at Viafix to check, but it may be from the same source (Upload for me here to compare, thanks).

We need to find actual proper dump, where person has not incorrectly done the above actions first.  Your board may serve as this dump source, since it's from Asus, provided you have not flashed in a stock BIOS region using programmer or FPT.  If you have not, please dump the BIOS region using programmer or FPT and upload for me to check.

If you do not have programmer, then use Intel ME System Tools V11 from this page in section "C" - https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-M...Tools.html

Inside you will find Flash Programming Tool folder, and inside that a win/win32 folder, select that win folder, hold shift and press right click, choose open command window here (Not power shell).  Then run following command and zip and upload the created file for me to check

FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin

This the .305 bin file that they gave me at vinafix  (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SbMbN4...JWdWWMQglh)
an this is the last dump I made (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1P19gIW...5OVmCU3M15) both are attached... I think I might get the bios bricked trying to flash a mod of my stock bios few hours ago, I'm looking if there is a soft way to unbrick it, or I will have to buy a usb bios programmer and do the trick.
Anyways, if you don't mind to take a look on this two dump files would be amazing. Thanks for your help!

[Lost_N_BIOS]

As suspected, that is the same file from Vinafix, original source is here - https://notebookreparos.com.br/forum/ind....msg138101
That is not a proper/actual dump, it's a dump where either user programmed in a stock BIOS region and then dumped, or removed both NVRAM volumes post dump and manually replaced with stock NVRAM which is padding + one empty/stock NVRAM volume) This BIOS may only contain one NVRAM volume by default, but I doubt it, due to experience and I know to recognize padding file in certain area of certain size (place holder for NVRAM volume).

This is often done to try and remove user/board specific details like serial, UUID, DTS keys etc, and while it's a semi-valid way to do that it's not a proper way to create and especially pass out a dump and call it a SPI dump for others to be using.

What did you dump your dump with, what method, it's only BIOS region. Anyway, without other known actual proper dump, I can't make an edit for you on this, since it may not be correct location due to generally this would apply to the missing NVRAM volume in both your dump and the one provided by Vinafix since it's built on stock dumped incorrectly created dump. Need an actual working system, not messed with, dump

You may get this fixed by putting that file on with a programmer, but I highly doubt it.

Yes, if you bricked your BIOS you need CH341A flash programmer and SOIC8 test clip cable. Recovery via USB method might be possible, but you'd have to look around and find a method for your specific model, it's rare but sometimes this is possible.

[mdrigo]

As suspected, that is the same file from Vinafix, original source is here - https://notebookreparos.com.br/forum/ind....msg138101
That is not a proper/actual dump, it's a dump where either user programmed in a stock BIOS region and then dumped, or removed both NVRAM volumes post dump and manually replaced with stock NVRAM which is padding + one empty/stock NVRAM volume)  This BIOS may only contain one NVRAM volume by default, but I doubt it, due to experience and I know to recognize padding file in certain area of certain size (place holder for NVRAM volume).  

This is often done to try and remove user/board specific details like serial, UUID, DTS keys etc, and while it's a semi-valid way to do that it's not a proper way to create and especially pass out a dump and call it a SPI dump for others to be using.

What did you dump your dump with, what method, it's only BIOS region.  Anyway, without other known actual proper dump, I can't make an edit for you on this, since it may not be correct location due to generally this would apply to the missing NVRAM volume in both your dump and the one provided by Vinafix since it's built on stock dumped incorrectly created dump.  Need an actual working system, not messed with, dump

You may get this fixed by putting that file on with a programmer, but I highly doubt it.

Yes, if you bricked your BIOS you need CH341A flash programmer and SOIC8 test clip cable.  Recovery via USB method might be possible, but you'd have to look around and find a method for your specific model, it's rare but sometimes this is possible.

I just bought the CH341A programmer and soic8 clip cable, shall receive it in few days. It's a good idea if I create a new thread here asking for a full dump of someone who have the Asus UX330UA or UX330UAK laptop?