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videobruce · Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:29 pm

I have a HP Laptop (ZV5000Z) and it has XP Pro corp., NOT the HP modifyed XP Home version.
Apparently in HP's usual lack of wisdom there is a file that is needed called "bios.wph" on the orginal install that isn't there as the bios won't flash from within Windows uising their softpac. The error message is "The input file 'bios.wph' can not be found".
I tried to 'fake' out the program and created a blank file, nameing it that way, but it only got me a little further, but still wouldn't work. I also tried the "WinPhlash' utilty from Phoenix but that stopped working at the 5th step, actually flashing the bios. It appeared that the bios prevented the progrtam from working, treating it as a virus by shuting down the system.

I don't have a floppy drive and without using the restore CD that came with the Laptop just to flash the bios does anyone have any ideas?

LicketySplit · Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:45 pm

Sounds like you've tried all without using the restore cd...have a friend that has a usb floppy? Or...get something like this...handy to have..

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 004&depa=0

videobruce · Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:49 pm

Probably is, but it's just another thing that will be rarely, if ever used laying around. Already have enough stuff.

firerules16 · Mon Jan 31, 2005 1:10 pm

Sorry for my ignorance, but what's wrong with using XP Home that came with the HP? I don't think there's anything that XP Professional has that could really benefit the use of a laptop. You may be out of luck with out your system restore cd...

mattsteg · Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:44 pm

firerules16 wrote:
Sorry for my ignorance, but what's wrong with using XP Home that came with the HP? I don't think there's anything that XP Professional has that could really benefit the use of a laptop. You may be out of luck with out your system restore cd...

I can think of a handful of things right off, some of them complete deal-breakers in the right situation. They are primarily networking/security things. Also, "restore CD" type installs can suck horribly.

derFunkenstein · Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:11 pm

firerules16 wrote:
Sorry for my ignorance, but what's wrong with using XP Home that came with the HP? I don't think there's anything that XP Professional has that could really benefit the use of a laptop. You may be out of luck with out your system restore cd...

Well, if it's XP Pro Corp, he's probably joining a domain, which XP Home cannot do, end of story, and as mattsteg mentioned, alot of other network stuff.

is it possible to dig through the CD and find the particlar file it's looking for? I'm wondering if it's not just buried in some compressed file on the CD.

videobruce · Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:18 am

what's wrong with using XP Home that came with the HP?

Everything;
1. It's just the home edition.
2. It has all of HP's bloat (see previous post).
3. It has the dreaded 'product activation' to be dealt with. (the Corp. edition doesn't!) which I refuse to deal with.
BTW, no domain here.

I really wanted to use 2k, but couldn't because of a issue with the touchpad lacking/freezing running 2k even though HP offers drivers for 2k!
That's what I get for a low price (rebates); HP untested crap and VERY poor support!

Bottom line, the O/S should NOT have ANYTHING to do with flashing the bios. I'm flashing the Bios, not the O/S! Real lame. :evil:

Hellsbellboy · Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:01 am

You can create a bootable CD or you can create a Bootable Thumb Drive (but that will depend on if your BIOS can see that) I have a bootable CD with Win 98 Startup.. if you have access to a PC with a Floppy it's easy to create, as theirs a little application you can download that will create it. http://www.bootdisk.com/

videobruce · Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:18 am

Thanks for the link, but most of that is for floppies. That CD link seems to be for imaging.
I do have a USB removeable storage 'Jump Drive'. No idea on how to do that.
Really miss the floppy, but it wasn't worth the extra $50, just for a floppy that I rarely use for a Laptop that isn't used much!

Hellsbellboy · Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:39 pm

You could try this.. it requires that u download a couple of HP utilities, I tried it on my SanDisk 256 Cruzer Flash stick but wasn't able to ever get it working, probably cause I tried it on two 'old' motherboards and not on something newer..

http://www.aaltonen.us/archive/2004/03/ ... -addendum/

LicketySplit · Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:57 pm

That link i posted above for the usb floppy is only $23

..and you can use it with any system.

videobruce · Wed Feb 02, 2005 8:48 am

LicketySplit; I guess you will have to call me 'cheap', but again, it's just another 'thing' sitting around that I doubt I would use again.

Besides, I shouldn't have to do that it their lame s/w was written correctly! :evil:

LicketySplit · Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:32 am

Ok..id never call you cheap anyway...frugal maybe...and i can see where youre coming from.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:37 am

I had similar problems with my IBM laptop running Linux. Here's what I did:

Run the BIOS flash program under windows (wine on linux) as far as possible. When it is at the last screen before it crashes, go and hunt through the temporary directories and find the BIOS data file.

Build an Ultimate Boot CD http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ with the BIOS data file and DOS flash program in the DOS directory. Reboot using the CD and flash under DOS.

You might need to grab a separate DOS flashing program to combine with the data file.

Hope that helps!

videobruce · Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:30 am

Thanks for the link.

Do I have to use/have XP and the Barts PE?
I only want a bootable CD similar to a bootable floppy. Seems as that's alot of stuff just to get to a DOS screen!

Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:34 am

There's a ton of useful stuff on it as well as the DOS boot part.

See the section http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/customize.html about cusomising it but ignore all the waffle about floppy images and editting files, just dump the files you need in the "dosapps" directory.

All you should need is the ubcd ISO, something to extract it such as WinISO or Daemon Tools, linked on that page and mkisofs (again linked on that page) plus the actual BIOS data and flasher files themselves.

videobruce · Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:45 am

Is there something just to give me a DOS prompt without all the other crap?
All I want is to get to a DOS prompt without 50 utilities or doing through 50 steps to get it.

The more I look, the more confusing it gets.

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