phoenix biox updates to 7905?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

hey guys, I'm in a bit of a rut and I'm hoping some of you can help me
here.

I've got a hp pavilion 7905, with a phoenix bios.. that's it, I don't
know it's version # or anything..

Anyway, I've done several upgrades to this box, including a newer video
card, (which caused me some sound problems with the hp sound card) then
of course, a new sound card. (which is my main problem) It is a
creative SB Live! 5.1


Anyway my mobo is a via 686b... Yup, I'm one of those few who are
caught with this "noise" problem with the 686b and creative cards.
Music or video, even games, after so long I get the fatal BSOD with
"Nmi Parity Check / Memory Parity error". (more detailed, I can
watch a video clip, and then the second I click on another to open this
comes up)

Everything I've read has told me that 2 things _should_ fix this. 1:
update my via 4in1 drivers. (easy) 2: update my bios.

I've looked high and low, left and right, EVERYWHERE and I cannot find
what i need. Since apprently phoenix makes their bios different for
each company, I have to get it from HP. Well, apparently the 7905
was the only model to use phoenix, as on every list of theirs I have
found, the 7905 is missing. Everything else is asus or another brand..
No phoenix anywhere.

I can't update this bios, I can't get rid of this problem. Any
suggestions?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

.....................

And this is why I consider making products "locked" from modification
as a sleazy way of doing business... This pc is nearly 5 years old,
for games I had to update the video card. Of course that created
problems with the factory specific sound card, which is now causing me
not to be able to do nearly anything I had intented, or was even
previously able to do..

way to go, hp. (and dell, and gateway, and the rest of you money
grubbers..) why the hell doesn't HP have an update for phoenix anyway?
I better clarify something....

Is the name at the top of my bios the only way to determine my brand?
(i.e. it says phoenixBios)

I noticed on their driver updates when you type in your model number,
under bios for 7905 they have two options


» Bermuda/BoraBora BIOS Update
09-2002 3.34 - 282.61k


» Amazon BIOS Update
11-2001 3.11 - 234.11k

Maybe the one that got shipped to me is the only 7905 with pheniox? WTF
happened there? (hopefully I'm missing something....) Sorry for goin
on like I have but this irks me beyond belief..

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Unless there is a BIOS update on the HP web site for your Pavilion 7905, you
won't find one. Here is the food chain that resulted in the 7905.

Hon Hai (Foxconn) probably assembled the 7905, and may also have manufactured
the motherboard, agreeing upon a general specification with HP.

When manufacturing a motherboard for HP, the original equipment manufacturer
(OEM) licenses a generic BIOS from Phoenix, the mother company of almost all
BIOSes these days. The generic BIOS supports the chipsets on the motherboard.
Somebody, either HP or OEM, customizes the BIOS to have a look and feel
consistent with all HP Pavilions.

You will not find a BIOS update for the 7905 at the Phoenix web site, because
one simply does not exist.

You will not find a BIOS update at the Hon Hai (or other OEM) web site, because
the contract with HP prohibits the OEM from providing any services or support
for HP computers.

The best you can do is to identify a retail motherboard that is identical or
nearly identical to the one in the 7905, find the BIOS for that board and flash
it onto your HP system. There are two issues in doing so, although software
tools (e.g. Uniflash) exist to help you. First, guess wrong on the BIOS
version, and you create a dead motherboard. Second, any and all HP-specific
software such as CD-burning or DVD player software will cease to operate. You
may also have to reactivate Windows, because XP will now think it is running on
a different motherboard than the original.

I would not mess with a BIOS update unless it comes direct from HP... Ben Myers

On 25 Jul 2005 11:51:10 -0700, "Dustin Roach" <lightofshadows@gmail.com> wrote:

>hey guys, I'm in a bit of a rut and I'm hoping some of you can help me
>here.
>
>I've got a hp pavilion 7905, with a phoenix bios.. that's it, I don't
>know it's version # or anything..
>
>Anyway, I've done several upgrades to this box, including a newer video
>card, (which caused me some sound problems with the hp sound card) then
>of course, a new sound card. (which is my main problem) It is a
>creative SB Live! 5.1
>
>
>Anyway my mobo is a via 686b... Yup, I'm one of those few who are
>caught with this "noise" problem with the 686b and creative cards.
>Music or video, even games, after so long I get the fatal BSOD with
>"Nmi Parity Check / Memory Parity error". (more detailed, I can
>watch a video clip, and then the second I click on another to open this
>comes up)
>
>Everything I've read has told me that 2 things _should_ fix this. 1:
>update my via 4in1 drivers. (easy) 2: update my bios.
>
>I've looked high and low, left and right, EVERYWHERE and I cannot find
>what i need. Since apprently phoenix makes their bios different for
>each company, I have to get it from HP. Well, apparently the 7905
>was the only model to use phoenix, as on every list of theirs I have
>found, the 7905 is missing. Everything else is asus or another brand..
> No phoenix anywhere.
>
>I can't update this bios, I can't get rid of this problem. Any
>suggestions?
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

HP will issue BIOS updates primarily to correct glaring defects and rarely to
add a feature or two. They are no different than Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM,
Gateway, eMachines in this respect. The companies that use Intel-designed
motherboards (Dell & Gateway) and IBM issue BIOS updates more often than the
others. HP issues BIOS updates infrequently.

It's not that one is locked from modifying an HP (or other brand) computer.
It's simply that the options are limited and one has to modify very carefully.
As you found out, adding something to the 7905 brought out an incompatibility
that was not documented originally by HP, and probably HP never did any testing
whatsoever of any upgrades to the beast. HP, like all the others mentioned
above, sells computers with little or no attention to upgrades. (I don't even
know if HP will sell you upgrades like more memory, unlike Dell who make a
bundle selling overpriced upgrades and accessories on the Dell web site.)

Back to your question: Why in hell doesn't HP have a BIOS update for the 7905?
Answer: HP does not think it needs one, and does not want to spend the money on
one. Or maybe it does have a BIOS update? Problem is you don't know if your
computer has an "Amazon" or "Bermuda/Bora Bora" motherboard. All you can do is
try either one, hope that the BIOS update works OK, and that it actually fixes
the problem you've encountered... Ben Myers

On 25 Jul 2005 13:02:48 -0700, "Maxil" <lightofshadows@gmail.com> wrote:

>.=2E..................
>
>And this is why I consider making products "locked" from modification
>as a sleazy way of doing business... This pc is nearly 5 years old,
>for games I had to update the video card. Of course that created
>problems with the factory specific sound card, which is now causing me
>not to be able to do nearly anything I had intented, or was even
>previously able to do..
>
>way to go, hp. (and dell, and gateway, and the rest of you money
>grubbers..) why the hell doesn't HP have an update for phoenix anyway?
> I better clarify something....
>
>Is the name at the top of my bios the only way to determine my brand?
>(i.e. it says phoenixBios)
>
> I noticed on their driver updates when you type in your model number,
>under bios for 7905 they have two options
>
>
>=BB Bermuda/BoraBora BIOS Update
> 09-2002 3.34 - 282.61k
>
>
>=BB Amazon BIOS Update
> 11-2001 3.11 - 234.11k
>
>Maybe the one that got shipped to me is the only 7905 with pheniox? WTF
>happened there? (hopefully I'm missing something....) Sorry for goin
>on like I have but this irks me beyond belief..
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

I had a similar problem. I have hp pav7940 and the hdd crashed. I
bought a new western digital hdd, used their utilities to partition,
and could not load my hp recovery files. I called hp, and they said
they no longer support this machine!! WTF Now I have a $1500 foot rest!