Easiest thing to try would be to see if 7zip can open it. It usually handles any type of image format out there. Even packed EXEs.

What is the exact size of the .DMP to the byte?

jakethompson1 wrote on 2024-01-18, 22:53:

What is the exact size of the .DMP to the byte?

its 1,474,722 bytes

Chris

A "1.44" MB diskette is 1,474,560 bytes. Since that is slightly larger, it probably isn't compressed, and likely just has a 162 byte header or trailer (or portions of both) that needs chopped off to get a raw disk image.

Fujitsu's site includes a description for each download, which you appear to have missed. For your FTS_BIOSupgradediskette_10_1000370.DMP it's

1Bios upgrade diskette for e452, e652, x453, x653 models.
2
3Bios ver 1.21 for e452, e652 and ver 1.33 for x453, x653
4
5Use DiskDump utility to extract file B56FB58C.DMP to 3.5" 1.44MB diskette.
6DiskDump utility can be found from external number EX0004198.
7
8Add following text to upgrade diskette label:
9Fujitsu ErgoPro BIOS upgrade diskette
10version 1.0
11e452, e652, x453, x653 models
12SE90165EA

...but it looks like you can skip their tool and just chop off the first 162 bytes, and it becomes a bootable floppy image (at least QEMU liked it, I didn't actually try writing it to a physical disk), like jakethompson1 suggested.

As for FTS_BIOSUpgradeforx453x653BIOSID56Version1__5745.exe, for some reason they insist on giving me the description in German:

1zum Einspielen des neuen Bios erstellen Sie sich eine Bootdiskette mit "Format
2a: /s". Kopieren Sie danach die entpackten Dateien auf die Diskette und starten
3Sie den PC neu. Achten Sie darauf, daß beim Starten auf die Diskette
4zugegriffen wird, korrigieren Sie evtl. den Eintrag im Bios.

...basically, create a bootabla floppy by yourself, add their files (after unpacking them) and then boot from it.

elszgensa wrote on 2024-01-18, 23:32:

Use DiskDump utility to extract file B56FB58C.DMP to 3.5" 1.44MB diskette.
DiskDump utility can be found from external number EX0004198.

...but it looks like you can skip their tool and just chop off the first 162 bytes, and it becomes a bootable floppy image (at least QEMU liked it, I didn't actually try writing it to a physical disk), like jakethompson1 suggested.

I did find A utility called DiskDUMP, but its kind of a generic name, so it may not be the same util. The info pages mention "external number EX0004198" Im not sure what thats about, I searched for DiskDump on their site, and that reference number and nothing.

So I have a USB 3.5" drive arriving tommorow from Amazin, so Ill give that util a go, and see what comes out from it. Fingers crossed

The .exe, seems to be an archive, so thats more straight forward. Im hoping between these two, Ill get a valid BIOS flash file.

I just need to work out now IF the BIOS chip is borked, not much point trying to flash it, if its faulty.

Thanks for the help one and all

Cheers

Chris/Retronaut

can you zip both files and upload them here? i have a working 1.44mb floppy on my main pc and would like to try to extract the bios files. 😀
i can not find the files online.

I found the files. 👍

Yeah so did I and Winimage opened the .DMP just fine..... am sure it would write it just fine too

Horun wrote on 2024-01-19, 02:11:

am sure it would write it just fine too

Yes it does.
And after that i read the files and put them into this rar file:

Here is the readme:

****** Fujitsu ErgoPro BIOS Upgrade Diskette for e452, e652, x453, ****** ****** x653 Models, Diskette Version 1.00 […]
Show full quote

****** Fujitsu ErgoPro BIOS Upgrade Diskette for e452, e652, x453, ******
****** x653 Models, Diskette Version 1.00 ******

This is the README file for the BIOS upgrade for FUJITSU ICL ErgoPro e452/xxx,
e652/xxx, x453/xxx and x653/xxx PC models. This diskette includes two BIOS
files. Detailed information about versions:

e452/xxx and e652/xxx
* BIOS file B58_C.LDB * Loader version 1.06
* BIOS version 1.21 * Video BIOS version A.A
* Requires Loader version 1.06 (or newer)

x453/xxx and x653/xxx
* BIOS file B56_F.LDB * Loader version 1.21
* BIOS version 1.33 * Video BIOS version A.2 (for VT2)
* Requires Loader version 1.11 (or newer) D (for VT3)

Loader upgrade requires that the system unit is opened and a jumper is
moved. Please contact your FUJITSU ICL Service Representative to get more
information about loader upgrade (a list of Service contacts, please
see the http://www.fujitsu-computers.com).

For x453 and x653 machines, the loader version will be checked automatically.
If the loader version is too low, the BIOS upgrade process will be aborted.

If a system password is set, the program will prompt you to enter the correct system password. An incorrect password will abort the upgrade process.

Step-by-step instructions to upgrade the BIOS :

1. Properly shutdown the OS and power-off your PC.
2. Insert the Upgrade Diskette into the floppy drive.
3. Power-on your PC, boot from the diskette
and follow the instructions shown on the screen.

After the successful BIOS upgrade, the PC should be booted. The new BIOS
version is shown on the screen during the boot.

Well good news. The BIOS did the trick, I flashed the machine, which has a rather neat, no screen BIOS flash process and when this was complete, the machine now boots again.

Of those two files the DPM contains the fully floppy disk based flash process/files with the 1.33 version of the BIOS, whilst the .exe only contains the 1.39 version from 1998.

So once I knew the DMP Bios file worked, I flashed it again with the 1.39 in the .exe and that went well and now I suppose the machine is fully up to date AND working.

Phew...

Thanks for all your help everyone 😀

Cheers

Chris
aka Retronaut

The video is now complete
Fujitsu Ergo Pro x453 PC - CH03: The Repair https://youtu.be/jdukubiLE34

I hope it captures the overall flow of how the machine was fixed in the end. It was certainly an interesting collaboration and I learnt a lot.
I also have a friend, who is an engineer, and makes a lot of kit (mainly Amiga) and he was an advocate of removing and replacing the SRAM
Which I then dutifully ordered from China, costing £2 for the 4 chips and £26 postage 😒
And as we know, not needed in the end, so if anyone needs one of those fancy 12ns Sram chips, you know where to call 😀

Hope you all enjoy the video, knowing you had some part in it.
It was quite nerve wracking flashing the BIOS, I had this fear it would fail, and maybe break a BIOS that was in fact perfectly fine.
But it turned out to be the bullseye.
Thanks for taking the time to extract those files for me, they were the fix in the end eh 😀

So, next step is to put it all back together, and I hope to get some new kit in there.

First I have to solder up and mount the two replacement Noctua fans. So airflow will be higher, but noise actually reduced.

I have a SCSI card, and I was going to put a BlueSCSI to replace the hard disk, but then found out they are £70 these days!
Which is funny as I bought the entire PC for £60!
So, change of plan, and now it gets a bog standard IDE to CFlash and a 16GB card.
Unless I can source a cheaper alternative, with the same perf.
The SCSI card goes in anyway, as I have a SCSI Zip drive I want to use on many of my retro machines, so its a great addition anyway.

Also, I bought a Matrox Millenium graphics card, which was actually an upgrade offered by ICL
I might try it with the on-board graphics, and maybe bench mark it.
That would make sense I suppose, before upgrading.

Oh yeah, now the machine is working, I also have two sticks of 32GB, so its not maxed out, but 64gb for a machine of this age is pretty enormous
I think it will play DOOM 😀

BTW, does anyone have an recommendations for utilities to test the machine and also benchmark it?
I want to benchmark its CPU, RAM, and its graphics card, and the hard disk.

Cheers

Chris
https://www.youtube.com/@RetronautTech