magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

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original post 8GB DOM & 1GB RAM works on T5710 Thin Client, below;

I can say, for sure, the Transcend 8GB DOM and 1GB RAM works in the Thin Client T5710 1.2GHz with ATI Radeon 7000M

Way to go Transcend ... without contacting HP for the Specs of the T5710, their TECH Support made the choice for the correct RAM to show in the BIOS.

The 1GB RAM shows as :00 in the BIOS, but during boot, if you hit the F10 to see it, it counts the full 1GB in the RAM test.

The 8GB DOM actually shows as 8019 Megs in the BIOS.

Really great!

now I have to put the Image on this new DOM and see what I can put to it.

Congratulations! This is great information.

OH YEAH!

I forgot to say the memory chip# 1GB - TS128MSD64V3A

if you want the 512MB instead it# 512MB - TS64MSD64V3F

and, or course, the DOM is # 8GB DOM - TS8GDOM44H-S

I'm so happy , I'm keeping the 1GB DOM also, just to play with in other applications

also got a 4GB Flash Drive , 8GB SDHC class 6 flash module, and new flash card reader.

I'm freaken out it all works, I don't know what to play with first !

I'm also going to see if I can make some kind of bootable flash drive by experimenting with fdisk (Win98) and Partition Magic 8 - Drive Image 2002 combination to create a bootable Win98 Key Drive.

Their has to be an easier way other than using only HP formatting programs.

I'm getting ready to play with alternative booting myself on the t5720 and t5730. I've got a couple of small hard drives, a flash card adapter, some flash cards, and various couplers. I'd really like to get these things to boot standard XP Pro directly -- it would solve a lot of issues.

PTravel wrote:I'm getting ready to play with alternative booting myself on the t5720 and t5730. I've got a couple of small hard drives, a flash card adapter, some flash cards, and various couplers. I'd really like to get these things to boot standard XP Pro directly -- it would solve a lot of issues.

You can get them to boot any size USB Flash Drive you want (haven't measured what the difference in performance is vs DOM) -- but I have only played with booting Linux this way and not Windoze. What's nice is how cheap USB Flash Drives are and quickly being able to change the entire machine config/character by changing the USB stick.

testing123 wrote:

PTravel wrote:I'm getting ready to play with alternative booting myself on the t5720 and t5730. I've got a couple of small hard drives, a flash card adapter, some flash cards, and various couplers. I'd really like to get these things to boot standard XP Pro directly -- it would solve a lot of issues.

You can get them to boot any size USB Flash Drive you want (haven't measured what the difference in performance is vs DOM) -- but I have only played with booting Linux this way and not Windoze. What's nice is how cheap USB Flash Drives are and quickly being able to change the entire machine config/character by changing the USB stick.

I've done some early experiments with booting XP from a USB flash drive. The results were, to say the least, inconsistent. Sometimes the thin client wouldn't boot at all. Sometimes it would boot part way and then freeze. Other times is would BSOD.

I'm convinced that the specific model of USB flash drive makes a difference. I've actually had one fail in use (as a temp drive and repository for loaded software) that, once replaced with the same make and model, ran just fine. Even more mysteriously, that failed USB flash drive formatted and worked fine on another thin client.

Now this is strange, I seem to have lost the License to install the Image file... just when I was able to make a bootable Win98 OS Flash Key Disk too.

I don't remember if there was a Serial # showing in the System INFO of the BIOS, 'cause it's not there anymore if there was, but
even with the old DOM put back, it still doesn't let me over-write the OLD DOM with the same Image that worked before, from booting off a USB CD-ROM drive,

the HP Image CD was created with the ISO from the HP Client Utility.

SOOoooo... where's the License... in the BIOS? ... in the RAM module?
somewhere on the DOM?

crap.. I may have to install the full XP Pro now... just when I was getting use to the XPe

The HP System Information lists the Product ID #, which, I think, is the license number, but it doesn't show where it comes from. Traditionally, that information would be stored by OS on the hard drive, not in BIOS. I was cruising around HP's website today and stumbled across a document that gave instructions on restoring a corrupted BIOS from a CD or USB flash drive. Sorry, I don't remember where I saw it, but why not try that and then re-image the flash drive with XPe?

I was able to restore the BIOS, but it didn't do anything for product ID# or License...
I did notice several blocks at the beginning, and end of the flash were left "unchanged".

I checked the "System Information" in the BIOS and one mention of ID
is in the line showing UUID:

mine shows all "F" ... across... 32 of them
I don't remember if this was all "F" 's across, originally.

then chassis serial # is all 0 (zero's) .. 18 of them
this was like this before, I think.

and do I have to enter an ASSET TAG#?
this was blank from the start, so I don't know.

Even with the original DOM in, no License, still is shown when trying to
re-Image with the HP file.

I found this thread at the HP site, from someone else with this same problem on a T5520... so, I'm not the only one.

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/for ... Id=1178872

It seems those several blocks not being over-written in the BIOS chip, when flashing, may be why it's not re-setting the UUID# and Serial#

I took out the CMOS battery and put it back, in hopes it would reset the CMOS to a ZERO state and take in the new BIOS settings, but even that didn't work.

There doesn't seem to be a jumper to clear the CMOS, maybe this is causing it to not be fully written in the beginning and ending several blocks of the BIOS Flash chip, SST 49LF080A, strange!

PTravel wrote:

testing123 wrote:

PTravel wrote:I'm getting ready to play with alternative booting myself on the t5720 and t5730. I've got a couple of small hard drives, a flash card adapter, some flash cards, and various couplers. I'd really like to get these things to boot standard XP Pro directly -- it would solve a lot of issues.

You can get them to boot any size USB Flash Drive you want (haven't measured what the difference in performance is vs DOM) -- but I have only played with booting Linux this way and not Windoze. What's nice is how cheap USB Flash Drives are and quickly being able to change the entire machine config/character by changing the USB stick.

I've done some early experiments with booting XP from a USB flash drive. The results were, to say the least, inconsistent. Sometimes the thin client wouldn't boot at all. Sometimes it would boot part way and then freeze. Other times is would BSOD.

I'm convinced that the specific model of USB flash drive makes a difference. I've actually had one fail in use (as a temp drive and repository for loaded software) that, once replaced with the same make and model, ran just fine. Even more mysteriously, that failed USB flash drive formatted and worked fine on another thin client.

Possibly ... for Windoze. I have about 8 running (various models) -- including some low-end models as Routers(!) -- using all types of USB Flash Drives (i.e., old/new, "good" brands and "questionable" brands). Haven't had as much as a hiccup on any of them.

Even I am happily surprised.

But again, they are all running Debian or a FreeBSD (router) variant.

Coolest part is that I do NOTHING to the DOM/Flash of the device -- just simply ignore it and change the BIOS to boot from USB. I can even pop the USB flash from one into another and immediately change its "character"/purpose to become the other -- a totally portable solution (after a couple of tweaks).

I definitely appreciate what you folks are trying to do with Windoze though -- I initially learned about the merits of the HP Thin Clients from this forum.

momo wrote:I checked the "System Information" in the BIOS and one mention of IDis in the line showing UUID:

mine shows all "F" ... across... 32 of them
I don't remember if this was all "F" 's across, originally.

I'm pretty sure it was not.

then chassis serial # is all 0 (zero's) .. 18 of them
this was like this before, I think.

I'm positive it was not.

and do I have to enter an ASSET TAG#?
this was blank from the start, so I don't know.

On all mine the Asset TAG # is blank. I'm pretty sure it's a user-entered number for doing inventory of the machine.

Even with the original DOM in, no License, still is shown when trying to re-Image with the HP file.

I found this thread at the HP site, from someone else with this same problem on a T5520... so, I'm not the only one.

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/for ... Id=1178872

It seems those several blocks not being over-written in the BIOS chip, when flashing, may be why it's not re-setting the UUID# and Serial#

Hmmmm. This is troubling, particularly HP's "fix," i.e. "send it in."

A couple of thoughts:

What happens if you try to boot to FreeDos, available here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te ... 226-108172? It seems to me that, if you can boot to DOS (from a USB flash drive), there must be a way to flash the BIOS from the command prompt. I don't recall, now -- does the HP BIOS flasher run from a DOS box? I'm almost positive that I remember that as an option.

I can't imagine FreeDOS boot software checking for a serial number -- the stuff is open-source freeware. There'd be no point.

Once you get the BIOS properly flashed, you should be back to normal.

I was able to boot into win98 DOS, and use the command found in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and it does flash the BIOS (yeah, I created a bootable DOS Flash Disk)
It works great... automatically running the HP Flash utility (which I think is needed to do the checksum after validating the flash image) not just needed to check for a License... but if I answer NO to the flashing routine, it comes into the DOS prompt, and I'm able to Change Directories to other folders, like Drive Image, or Partition Magic, or other DOS stuff like FDISK or such.. so it's really functional.

it's just not overwriting several blocks at the beginning and end of the flashing routine, so I'm wondering if that's where the trouble lies.

Something like this happened on another Motherboard (ABIT) when I flashed the same BIOS file into, (over) the data already there, it didn't do the last few blocks and wasn't fully flashed... so
I flashed an older BIOS file into the chip, and it did ALL blocks, and I was able to put the new BIOS file onto the chip after that, and all blocks got written...
maybe this could help on the Thin Client too.

OH i don't know, I'm just out of ideas ... yeah.. send it in to HP ?
I don't think so, hey, I can use the MagicJack to call them, and stay on the phone all day if I have to, I'm going to get an answer from them how THEY do it, if it's sent in.

It's possible they may have to remove the flash BIOS chip, and program it in a separate flash programmer (i have one too ), so I'm ready for anything.

I have the flash programmer, 'cause my brother screwed up his old computer flashing it with the wrong BIOS, several yease ago, and I re-flashed it, after un-soldering it off the board (SMD re-work station purchased too at the time ) and back on again, into a PLCC socket I installed to the motherboard... just in case he got stupid again and flashed it with the wrong BIOS file again

SOoooo now I'm ready for anything

momo

Try flashing with the original ram in the thin client and see if that fixes the problem. If so, you can put your 1gb module back in after the flash.

If this does fix the issue, you might want to run a memory test on the 1gb to make sure it passes all tests.

Memtest86 is a good one that you can do. I like using the Ultimate Boot CD which can be adapted to a USB and it includes the Memtest86 plus a lot of other helpful apps - http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2006/03/25 ... sb-device/

It didn't help!

I don't think it's the memory or new DOM doing it.

it worked when I first got the machine and put the latest HP Image on the old 512MB DOM.

I made the Bootable CD ISO and burned the CD-ROM so I know nothing changed in the data of the first try that worked.

There must be a command in the flasher IBR.exe file that puts the ID into the BIOS at the time it's written to the chip.

IBR.EXE -dok -buffer:127 flash.img HD1

That's what's in the AUTOEXEC.BAT

maybe something like -ID xxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx (whatever the format is)
may need to be added at the time of flashing the chip

or the actual BIOS flasher
awdflash.exe 558H2102.bin /py /sn /cp /sb

may have a switch /id HP-xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm sure it's not complex, after all... HP employees will be doing it.

EDITED
YOU CAN IGNORE THIS ENTIRE ONE POST (not the entire thread )

It seems it's just commands for the Nvidia Firewire & Network card to
change the MAC and GUID of that card .. DUH!
... well , not everything found in a Google search is "GOLDEN" info.

and NO, I didn't damage my BIOS chips trying this on the Thin Client
it wasn't showing the Serial and UUID #'s long before
===============================================

HAHAHAHA!!!!

I think I found it!!!!!!!!!!!

I was looking for a "help" list of commands within the award flasher program (awdflash.exe) for the actual BIOS flashing, and it DOES have a command to enter the NVGUID#

(use the command awdflash /h to see the entire list of commands)

and it shows how to use it within the BIOS flash command syntax.
.
.
.
Holy s**t you can even change the MAC (NVMAC) ... OHHhhh! such power

I nearly wet myself.

I have to see if all this works... !

OH - by the way - I think I actually have the license #, when I tried making a backup of the drive using GHOST v9.x it created a file with a HP-xxxxxxxxxxxx number.

Without the '-' it's 14 charactors, exactly what the command syntax shows

awdflash.exe 558H2102.bin /py /sn /cp /nvguid :xxxxxxxxxxxxxx /wb

(no /Sb switch used, because it Stops Bootblock programming)

the /Wb tells it to write the bootblock part of the flash, that's normally protected from writing.

this was why I noticed the flash not being written completly.

I'll let ya'll know if it works.. no need to contact HP any more, and send it into them to do it, IF IT WORKS !!!

either there's another command needed, or the numbers I thought were the License, are not.

it didn't work.

unless i have to put the MAC *&* the GUID at the same time

or

the BIOS says UUID, maybe this GUID isn't correct... yes I tried UUID
it didn't work either.. didn't even start the flash program, just cleared
the screen and went to the help screen of commands.

crap, I'm out of gas now. :-/

but i feel i'm close.

well... it's official ... I called HP (i seem to still have a warranty on it) and they said the BIOS chips (two SST49LF080A) are bad because the serial# and UUID are "hard-wired" into the special boot-block that shouldn't get written, but somehow did.

I asked if they can send me new BIOS chips and I'd put them in, but they don't do that. even though they're soldered in, I have that SMD re-work station, so I didn't care... but it seems they have a 3 year warranty on this, that I'm entitled to get because it was a new unit, so, crap that I have to send it in, but hurray it's covered for 3 years.

You bet'ta believe I'm taking them out anyway, and making copies with my Flash Programmer, when I get the unit back.
I'd like to put the chips on PLCC SMD sockets, but that may void my warranty

I asked if they could do it, but was told "only if it were a large amout of units I had, not just one" ... so ... screw it, I'll wait 3 years to socket them, but I can remove them, copy them, and place them back, without it even looking any different. I'M NOT GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN!

ANYWAY ...
I found out the commands being shown in the HELP menu of the award flasher program were for the Nvidia cards with FIREWIRE and a NIC, and have nothing to do with the HP serial# or UUID# entry...

... but.. I'm sure there IS a command HP uses to do it.
I don't think they program each thin clients BIOS chips one at a time to enter the serial and UUID #'s.

That would be too stupid, even for HP.



I asked the tech for the command but he said the chips could be damaged anyway, so it may still have to be sent in.

He then totally had me kill my Thin Client now by telling me to flash it with the 1.08 BIOS ... ... I told him the web site said it was for the R1 not R2 of the 786 family, but still insisted it should work, ... well ... it doesn't even come on now DUH! .. so I guess I was right!

This is why I like to have a copy of the FULL BIOS chips contents, and the separate programmer will see all the lower level bits that don't show up, or may not show, by simply making a "backup" of the BIOS using a BIOS flashing utility

BY THE WAY- on a side note;
did you know the IBR.EXE program used to place the HP Flash Image of XPe can also be used to Capture it?

when I captured my 512MB DOM Image to my flash card it created an AUTOEXEC.BAT that gives the command syntax to do both.
Here it is if anyone wants to play with it.
(as long as you have a UUID and Serial# in your BIOS, of course)