Re: [flashrom] HELP! "...flash chip is in an unknown state"

[Idwer Vollering]

2011/4/12 Bernard Matthews :
> Since I know it will work now, I will be happy to try and reflash it
> per your instructions so we can see what is happening.
>
> Give me several minutes, and I will email the output to you.
>
> Thank you again!

Please use "reply to all", thanks.

Idwer
> ----- bernard
>
> On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 5:44 PM, Idwer Vollering  wrote:
> > 2011/4/12 Bernard Matthews :
> > > Thank you very, very much for getting in touch with me!
> > >
> > > I solved the problem before I got your email, but didn't have a chance
> > > to email an update yet.
> > >
> > > On my system, it appears flashrom cannot be run from an Xterm window.
> > > If that is in the documentation somewhere, I apologize for missing it.
> >
> > No, it's not. This sounds weird.
> > > I first verified with "flashrom -v 88GAP901_BST_20110411.BST"  that
> > > the image currently in the rom matched my backup file, in case I had
> > > to reboot.
> > >
> > > I cannot recall if I did reboot first, or if I had just closed X windows.
> > >
> > > Using flashrom from a text terminal CLI worked perfectly!  I see the
> > > new file and date on my boot screen now, and so far no problems.
> > >
> > > Thank you folks very much for such a wonderful program.
> > >
> > > ----- bernard
> > >
> > > On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Idwer Vollering  wrote:
> > > > 2011/4/12 Bernard Matthews :
> > > > > Hi Help,
> > > > >
> > > > > I thought I did what was right, but apparently I'm missing something.
> > > > >
> > > > > System details:
> > > > >
> > > > > BioStar TA785G3 v 6.1 according to the printing on the mainboard.
> > > > >
> > > > > Athlon II X3 435.
> > > > >
> > > > > Label on factory CMOS: 88GAP901BST.  But the date showing on boot is 3/31/2010.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm trying to replace the CMOS info because of an intermittent board
> > > > > failure that I felt I had reduced to either a processor failure or a
> > > > > board failure.
> > > > >
> > > > > The mainboard comes with a built-in utility on F12 to flash the new
> > > > > file, but it rejects the file claiming that the BIOS ID does not
> > > > > match.
> > > > >
> > > > > The new file came from Biostar.  I actually downloaded two copies, one
> > > > > from Taiwan, and one from USA, and diff'd them to make sure they were
> > > > > the same.
> > > > >
> > > > > So below are the results of my attempt to flash the chip :-(.
> > > > >
> > > > > Here's my initial run to check for compatibility with my board (blank
> > > > > spaces/lines added for legibility)
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista % sudo flashrom
> > > > >
> > > > > flashrom v0.9.2-r1141 on Linux 2.6.36-grml (i686), built with libpci
> > > > > 3.1.7, GCC 4.4.5 20100728 (prerelease), little endian
> > > > > flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org
> > > > >
> > > > > Calibrating delay loop... OK.
> > > > > No coreboot table found.
> > > > > Found ITE Super I/O, id 8718
> > > > > Found chipset "AMD SB700/SB710/SB750", enabling flash write... OK.
> > > > > This chipset supports the following protocols: LPC,FWH,SPI.
> > > > > Found chip "Macronix MX25L8005" (1024 KB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
> > > > > No operations were specified.
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista % sudo flashrom -r 88GAP901_BST_20110411.BST
> > > >
> > > > This is your backup file...
> > > > > flashrom v0.9.2-r1141 on Linux 2.6.36-grml (i686), built with libpci
> > > > > 3.1.7, GCC 4.4.5 20100728 (prerelease), little endian
> > > > > flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org
> > > > >
> > > > > Calibrating delay loop... OK.
> > > > > No coreboot table found.
> > > > > Found ITE Super I/O, id 8718
> > > > > Found chipset "AMD SB700/SB710/SB750", enabling flash write... OK.
> > > > > This chipset supports the following protocols: LPC,FWH,SPI.
> > > > > Found chip "Macronix MX25L8005" (1024 KB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
> > > > > Block protection could not be disabled!
> > > > > Reading flash... done.
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > At this point, I did a Google search for "Block protection could not
> > > > > be disabled", but did not find anything that said THIS MEANS YOU WON'T
> > > > > BE ABLE TO ERASE!
> > > > >
> > > > > So, I forged ahead:
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista % ls -l *BST
> > > > >
> > > > > -r--r--r-- 1 root root 1048576 2011-04-12 05:57 88GAP901_BST_20110411.BST
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista % cd Down*
> > > > >
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista/Downloads % ls -l *BST
> > > > >
> > > > > -r--r--r-- 1 grml users 1048576 2011-04-10 07:43 88GAP804.BST
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > The above lines show that the file that I'm going to write with
> > > > > (88GAP804.BST)  is the same size as the one that I saved from the chip
> > > > > (88GAP901_BST_20110411.BST).
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > grml@grml /mnt/2011_home/netvista/Downloads % sudo flashrom -w 88GAP804.BST
> > > >
> > > > and this is the new file.
> > > > > flashrom v0.9.2-r1141 on Linux 2.6.36-grml (i686), built with libpci
> > > > > 3.1.7, GCC 4.4.5 20100728 (prerelease), little endian
> > > > > flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org
> > > > >
> > > > > Calibrating delay loop... OK.
> > > > > No coreboot table found.
> > > > > Found ITE Super I/O, id 8718
> > > > > Found chipset "AMD SB700/SB710/SB750", enabling flash write... OK.
> > > > > This chipset supports the following protocols: LPC,FWH,SPI.
> > > > > Found chip "Macronix MX25L8005" (1024 KB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
> > > > > Block protection could not be disabled!
> > > > > Flash image seems to be a legacy BIOS. Disabling checks.
> > > > > Writing flash chip... Erasing flash before programming... Erasing flash chip...
> > > > >
> > > > > ERASE FAILED at 0x0000000c! Expected=0xff, Read=0xec, failed byte
> > > > > count from 0x00000000-0x00000fff: 0xf9d
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > ERASE FAILED at 0x0000000c! Expected=0xff, Read=0xec, failed byte
> > > > > count from 0x00000000-0x0000ffff: 0xf8fa
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > ERASE FAILED at 0x0000000c! Expected=0xff, Read=0xec, failed byte
> > > > > count from 0x00000000-0x0000ffff: 0xf8fa
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > ERASE FAILED at 0x0000000c! Expected=0xff, Read=0xec, failed byte
> > > > > count from 0x00000000-0x000fffff: 0xdc5ed
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > ERASE FAILED at 0x0000000c! Expected=0xff, Read=0xec, failed byte
> > > > > count from 0x00000000-0x000fffff: 0xdc5ed
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > FAILED!
> > > > > ERASE FAILED!
> > > > > FAILED!
> > > > > Your flash chip is in an unknown state.
> > > > > Get help on IRC at irc.freenode.net (channel #flashrom) or
> > > > > mail [e-mail]!
> > > > >
> > > > > DO NOT REBOOT OR POWEROFF!
> > > >
> > > > Can you re-run flashrom like above, but with the "-V" (--verbose) parameter ?
> > > > Like this: sudo flashrom -V -w 88GAP804.BST
> > > > > sudo flashrom -w 88GAP804.BST  8.37s user 0.07s system 99% cpu 8.489 total
> > > > >
> > > > > ==============================================================
> > > > >
> > > > > So, since the erase failed, shouldn't I be okay?  Unless my cats press
> > > > > a button or pull a wire, I will leave the machine on for a response.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thank you very much for your help in advance!
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- bernard
> > > > >
> > > > > flashrom mailing list
> > > > > [e-mail]
> > > > > http://www.flashrom.org/mailman/listinfo/flashrom