Re: [flashrom] Support for HP Compaq 6820s laptop

Hello Andrew,

In my case it contains what seems to be a windows dll (begins with MZ and 
contains "This program cannot be run in DOS mode etc..."), doesn't look like a 
bootblock. I found out that it could somehow be linked with slic 2.1, a 
feature used to transparently validate Windows on OEMs. Sorry no jumper in 
sight on my laptop. But HP flash upgrades (and doesn't downgrade) that zone 
indeed.
Anyway not reflashing that zone doesn't seem do make any problem when flashing 
another bios version.
Thanks for your interest.

Best regards,
Julius

-- Ursprüngliche Nachricht:
Betreff: Re: [flashrom] Support for HP Compaq 6820s laptop
Datum: Samstag, 10. Juli 2010, 10:41:58
Von: Andrew Goodbody 
An:  [e-mail], [e-mail]
> On 10/07/2010 01:18, [e-mail] wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > Just messed up a little bit with the code. Seems that the whole region

f0000-
> > fffff is write-protected. No idea what is actually stored in it and why it

is
> > write-protected apart it being rewritten by the HP flash utility when

upgrading
> > (but not when downgrading). So didn't find out anything, sad :|
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Julius
>
> The top 64KB (or 16KB on older boards) is often used to contain the 
> 'bootblock' by an OEM BIOS. This contains just enough code to verify the 
> rest of the BIOS image and if a problem is detected to launch a means to 
> flash in a new image. It is very often protected with a GPIO or jumper 
> to control a write protect line to the flash device. When updating an 
> OEM BIOS containing a bootblock it would not normally update the 
> bootblock ever as that would risk making the recovery mechanism unusable 
> so I am surprised when you say that the HP flash utlility updates it on 
> an upgrade.
>
> Andrew