HiBook is dead. Anyone tried BIOS programming?

[Mitch]

USB flashing for me actually has worked out nicely, my tablet was dead for roughly 3 months and now its working like new again! It took me just a few minutes to set everything up but it was pretty easy, as long as you set it up with the right chip and find the right bios then its super easy. just remember that your tablet will probably be super dead and will take a few minutes for the charge to stick and it shouldn’t have any issues after that.

[qboy]

Thank you, Mitch.   I just placed the orders for the programming kit in A**express.  Shipping takes 39-60days (alas).

[Mitch]

i ordered these and got them within 2 weeks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/152133479949?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/152069847771?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Paulo]

For what need an adapter 1.8 volts?

Without this adapter i cant flash bios?

[Anonymous]

Not if your tab is dead

[Blackburn]

So the bios bricked just like that? Maybe the EPROM is fried? If that’s the case you’ll need a new chip.

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[Paulo]

<hr />

Hacker: Not if your tab is dead..

It’s a joke?

[Paulo]

what can die EPROM in the new device?

[qboy]

Mitch, do you have windows license key issue with your tablet after programming the BIOS chip?

I heard from other places in the forum that the BIOS contains the windows license key.  If you program the BIOS with a chip programmer, your tablet will have the same window license key as other people’s tablets who have programmed their tab with the same BIOS image.  Windows won’t work because the windows key is used by other person.  Is this true?  How to work around this?

I’ve recorded the windows activation key of my tablet before it was dead.

Still waiting for the programming kit to arrive.

[Paulo]

Blackburn wrote:

So the bios bricked just like that? Maybe the EPROM is fried? If that’s the case you’ll need a new chip.

not fully understood Your answer. more detail please.

if the chip was fried, hi was not determined in the program of the programmer? But hi defined. What I’m do now right?

[qboy]

I have used the CH341A programming kit (usb programmer+1.8v adaptor+clip and software) to program the EPROM chip.  It is revived now.  Lucky me!
I messed up my windows registry before it bricked so I also needed to recover win10 too.  I finished these 2 tasks by following the tutorials.

I have read the windows licence key using ‘ProduKey’ before my Hibook bricked and now read it again after it got revived.  It is different now:
– The BIOS windows key is no longer there anymore.  The BIOS windows key was the same as the windows key before my Hibook bricked.
– The windows key is different.  I guess it is whatever coming with the windows 10 image posted in the official download thread.
– The Internet Explorer key is different from the windows key.  Both IE key and windows key were the same before my Hibook bricked.

I hope there is a way to update the IE key, windows key and BIOS windows key to the one that I have before my Hibook bricked.
Any suggestion?

I’ve saved a copy of the corrupted BIOS using the CH341A EPROM programming kit.  Using Hex Editor, I can locate the original windows key in this corrupted BIOS file.  So I think the BIOS provided in the official download thread does not include an OEM windows key.

If someone can provide me the factory stocked BIOS file (with the windows key masked off), that will be great.  I can use Hex Editor to fill in my original windows key and re-program into my Hibook.

[qboy]

I kinda fixed my win license key issue above, so please ignore my request above.

I have spent some time comparing the corrupted BIOS file and the official BIOS file (the one without wifi fix).  There are a number of binary chunks that are different.  I tried to replace one chunk at a time to test if the repaired BIOS works and I failed a few times.  Then, I noticed one chunk was like all ‘FF’ in the bad BIOS but not so in the official BIOS.  So I replaced that chunk with the corresponding chunk from the official BIOS file.  I re-programmed using this repaired version of the BIOS (which still contains the original OEM windows key) and luckily it works.
I have attempted a few times of such trial-and-error re-programming iterations before I managed to make it bootable.  I got lucky that it did not damage the tablet during the unsuccessful trials so try this at your own risk.

Next, I checked the windows license key again with ProduKey.  All the 3 keys (BIOS win10 key, win10 key and IE key) becomes the single OEM key like before.

[hamoonzy]

It’s great that you managed to revive your Hibook using the CH341A programming kit! It’s always a relief when a device can be brought back to life after such issues. Regarding your Windows license key problem, you’re right that BIOS flashing can sometimes lead to a mismatch, especially if the OEM key gets overwritten or replaced. Fortunately, since you have the original Windows key saved, you’re on the right track.

For users experiencing similar issues, it’s vital to back up the key before attempting any BIOS modifications. If you’re dealing with a tablet that has BIOS corruption, like in the case of your Hibook, following a process similar to what you did—carefully comparing corrupted and official BIOS files—can work, though it requires a lot of patience and precision. Also, when flashing the BIOS, make sure to check if the key is tied to the hardware itself. If you’re still encountering Windows activation issues, reinstalling Windows using the recovery option or through a fresh install might also resolve the problem.

Just as you’d restore an important app like WhatsApp when reinstalling, it’s all about ensuring the underlying system is intact after the fix. Keep us posted on your progress!

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[Author]

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