ATOM-15 fails dues to "security checkings"

[Zebidee]

Sometimes using ATOM-15 and flashing a patched video card BIOS fails for no apparent reason.

I've already flashed three identical HD6450 cards. Then got another two *almost* identical HD6450 video cards (different supplier) and thought the flashing would surely work.

However, I kept getting an "Invalid  PC BIOS image", then "ERROR: 0FL01" messages when trying to flash the ATOM-15 patched ROM. Whether trying to do it via windows or via command line or via DOS. Same thing.

It was not obvious, but what was happening is that atiflash applies various "security" checks to make sure the BIOS is valid, and one or more of these was tripping it up.

Then I used an older version of atiflash (2.6.7), from cmd window, adding the "-f" parameter (forces it to bypass "security checkings"). This worked! Two more happy HD6450 cards. Not sure if older version of atiflash.exe was the key, but it worked.

The command line I used was:

atiflash -f -p 0 newbios.rom

Posting it here in case it helps others. Not sure if it works the same with later versions of ati/amd flash, haven't tried yet.

Other possibly useful parameters:

-f              Force flashing regardless of security checkings (e.g. AsicID &
                BIOS file info check OR boot-up card).
-fa             Force flashing bypassing already-programmed check.
-fm             Force flashing bypassing BIOS memory config check.
-fs             Force flashing bypassing BIOS SSID check.
-fp             Force flashing bypassing BIOS P/N check.

Get full help by "atiflash.exe -?"