ok, dont know if you have heard about this, but appearently hp has been ordered by the fcc ( or so they say) to only allow usage of certain wireless cards in the new bios updates. (so dont update your bios if you have a bios that is older than june of 2004). It is a full on bios lockout and halt. the problem is this. i bought a bad ass 400mW atheros chipset wireless minipci card and put it in and got "104 unsupported wireless network device detected. remove the device and restart. system halted." something like that, i dont remember the exact, but if you have seen it you know. so here is my question. my bios is a Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0, and on the Phoenix site http://www.phoenix.com/en/Products/C....0/default.htm there is release 6.1 out. so if i use thier flash utility and flash it, will i screw up bad, or will it write the original un-hp-tainted bios to the eeprom and boot just fine allowing me to use my wireless card that is linux compliant? the original card is a broadcom, and sucks, and i hate ndiswrapper. the card is usable with the system... dont let the "unsupported" crap fool you. i can boot up without the card inserted, and hurry and put it in between the bios boot and the lilo prompt (probably not good for the card huh?) and linux sees it and i even built the drivers and had it working, but on reboot, i have to take it out power on, put it back in at the precise moment, and dont reboot for as long as possible. i mean seriously, what are they trying to pull here. if i wanted a mac, i wouldve bought one, and probably shouldve. does anyone know the answer to what i ask, or have a better solution?

Flashing your BIOS is a dangerous game.

1) Some computers (mine does, as do a few others I know) will just replace the BIOS with one from backup if it doesn't boot correctly. This way, you're free to try as many as you want, and no matter how bad you screw it up, it'll just fix itself if whatever you put in there doesn't boot.

2) Some others need to be reflashed via special means (usually a floppy/CD/etc with the bios image on it needs to be in the drive while a special key combo is held down) if the BIOS becomes unbootable.

3) Others become paperweights until you get the chip reflashed manually. My oldest computer (an ancient 486) would even do some funny death chimes, ala Mac.

Most modern computers are a number 2.

With that said, how do you know it won't say something like "Unsupported laptop model" or "This BIOS unsuitable", or similar? Don't you think they would have thought about you trying to re-flash it yourself? If it's still under warranty (the computer), and you bought it from a place with stupid workers, just try the reflash, and if it doesn't work, just take it back and say it died. (Worked for me at Staples twice.)

well, i dont know if it will say that. that is y i am posting. i am hoping that someone will have tried it and can let me know. as for wheather or not i think they thought about it, i dont know. i have seen dumber stuff the industries would do. but you might be absolutely right. i dont know. i am just hoping there is a way around it. and i know it is a dangerous game, trust me... i have messed up a many computer. i appreciate the response though.

actually i figured it out. you dont have to hack it. go to the phoenix site, and there is a link for esupport.com. that is where you get phoenix upgrades. then they will give you a windows based (i know i know) app that will get the serial number of your bios. then it will email it to esupport.com and they will email you back within a few days with an offer for a bios. thier bios is guaranteed and has all the newest patches. it costs 60 dollars though. i am waiting for my bank to post the payment then they will send me a link to the bios download. i would put the bios onto my ftp server and give everyone access, but that could indanger your system, if you dont have the exact model that i have. ill tell everyone what happens when i get it. but seems like it will work great. then, if you did have to send the system to hp for anything, just reflash with hps bios and take your card out. then they cant say that you have vioded the warrenty. ha

retraction, it didnt work like it was supposed to. hopefully i will get my money back, but maybe not. so dont do it.

ok, just for anyone that wants to know... i used this guys instructions to edit the eeprom on my atheros SR2, and low and behold, it works beautifully. the site is here, cause i dont see the reason for me to recap what he did.

http://www.dagarlas.org/stuff/computing/article0001.php

i used his binary instead of compiling my own, but the code is easy enough to edit for your needs. his binary will work on all atheros cards that i know of, or at least all of them with the 5211, 5212, or 5213 chipset.

now, next i am going to use ethtool to edit the eeprom on my 200mW saneo minipci card, and if it works i will put up an amazing howto like he did. i will do this cause the saneo cards are way cheaper than the atheros ones, for a powerful card. and they have 2 ufl antenna connectors, just like the original card... but the SR2 only has one ufl... i will then be purchasing a saneo b/g model, and i will do the same to it, and post a howto for it. the saneo b/gs are very strong cards... and also have the 2 connectors on them.. i will then work on other cards.. but most wireless cards will be base on either the prism (saneo) chipset, or the atheros chipset.. other cards that you want me to see if i can get around the bios lockout.. let me know... and if i can afford the card, i will give it a shot.

this is actually better than trying to hack the bios, cuase you will not mess up the system like this.

http://www.dagarlas.org/stuff/computing/article0001.php

Do you know where this site has gone or where I can get that fix again.

I have an hp dv5000z and I want to use a Gigabyte GN-WI01HT MINI PCI card but of course I have a 104 error.

Atheros AR5006XS Chipset

A point in the right direction would be a blessing.