Hello all,

I tried updating the bios on my JN440BX from the gateway version (P13) to the newest intel version (P20). The machine has an 800MHz PIII in it, which has been working fine, but I'm having a compatibility issue with a G-Force SDR I'm trying to install in it. I figured since the datasheet says that you need P17 or newer to support the 800MHz processor I should try updating it and seeing if it helped with my GPU issue.

However, P20 doesn't support 800MHz CPUs -- apparently Intel changed its mind about the VRM on the board being able to handle it and somewhere between P17 and P20 patched out support. The board now halts on post saying that I need to install a <600MHz CPU. So, I tried to install P17 in recovery mode (been there, done that with many Intel Mobos)... but it just reads the floppy for a few seconds and does a long beep. Then I tried flashing the original Gateway BIOS (P13) and the same thing happened. Recovery mode -> floppy seek -> long beep -> no update. I also tried putting a PII 400MHz in (in case the board was halting before getting to the recovery flash) but it behaved the same.

I then put the recovery jumper back and tried the update in DOS, and it tells me that the header string is invalid and it won't flash. Apparently intel changed something with P20 to prevent downgrades (first time I've ever seen that). iflash /? mentions something about an override file you can specify with the /@ switch -- but I can't find any information about what should go in that file or if it would even help.

Am I hosed? I really like this PC and I'd hate to have to trash it -- but a <600MHz PIII isn't something that is useful for me at all. I've got many other (nicer) PCs in that speed range. Does anyone remember how to force-flash an intel bios when even recovery mode won't work? It's got that narrow rectangular intel EEPROM with the contacts on the two skinny edges -- soldered on. Even if I could get it in my eeprom programmer I don't think it's the kind of flash I can program externally. IIRC Intel broke the BIOS into smaller portions so you can't just flash the entire thing. there are different blocks at different offsets.

-AN