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Flashing XFX 5870. Help needed

J

Jose76

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hi!

Making things short, I plugged a XFX HD5870 to my cMP 5.1 (no boot screen, of course), to flash it. So, I burned a DVD with FreeDOS to be in the process, but I can't boot from that DVD!
Is there any other method to flash it?

Thanks!
 
Well, I tried to install Win7 through Bootcamp but:
1.- It doesn't recognize any of the Windows installers I've got and, worst of all:
2.- I can't download the original ISO from MS's web using a legal serial number!

So I can't boot from FreeDOS or install Windows in Bootcamp :-(
 
Keep on with freedos, USB Stick, HD (or free up some megs and add a Partition). Win is overdose for just running the flasher
 
Macschrauber said:
Keep on with freedos, USB Stick, HD (or free up some megs and add a Partition). Win is overdose for just running the flasher
Click to expand...

Did a FreeDOS bootable-usb, but I can't see the boot screen when I plug the 5870 in and I can't choose the usb in OS X's Preferences to boot from it.
Is it El Cap´s fault? Why can't it boot from FreeDOS (DVD or USB)??
[doublepost=1454861519][/doublepost]Maybe because my OS X is on the PCIe SSD and no other HDD/SSD is bootable in my Mac Pro?
 
if you pull the PCIe Card and just let the USB Stick in ? Otherwise: Dont you have any HD what you can set in the Mac ?
 
I am a bit confused. I am not very familiar with FreeDOS. However, I don't think that you can get anything display with a non-flashed card in FreeDOS.

You can get the screen once you boot to desktop in both OSX or Windows with the non-flashed 5870, but not in FreeDOS.

So, it's not about overkill or not, but you need Windows to flash the card (unless you already has a Mac card / flashed card).
 
FreeDOS will work fine with a PC card since it uses legacy VBIOS, just like a non-EFI Windows install (where you'll also see a Windows boot logo before the drivers are loaded). You'll just have boot it blindly (e.g. press & hold C).
 
Fl0r!an said:
FreeDOS will work fine with a PC card since it uses legacy VBIOS, just like a non-EFI Windows install (where you'll also see a Windows boot logo before the drivers are loaded). You'll just have boot it blindly (e.g. press & hold C).
Click to expand...

I see, it's good to know that, thanks!
 
I used to use FREEDOS. Trick with a CD is to either burn it with all flashing files built in to CD image or know how to change to a FAT32 volume that has them.

Especially tricky if you want to dump the PC BIOS first, as this is MANDATORY for a good flash result.

It is possible to use IOREG explorer and literally copy & paste the AMD BIOS from there into a hex edit file. It won't contain the UEFI but you don't really need it unless you might want to use in a real PC later for Win "fast boot"
 
Well, I removed all the drives and installed the PC's HD5870, then tried to boot from the FreeDOS DVD with no result. I mean, I can hear the DVD spinning for a while, but nothing is displayed on any of the 2 monitors (DVI Dual link + VGA via DVI adaptor).

What can I do?
 
Burn a DOS 6.22 or other iso image on a CD and try starting it: http://www.allbootdisks.com/download/iso.html

If the CD does not start the DVD drive is the issue. Had once a DVD drive that could not boot anything, changed it with a HL DT drive and no boot problems anymore.

One other thing: Maybe FREEDOS is booting, but you don't see anything because you don't have an EFI card plugged in?
 
Last edited:
Synchro3 said:
Burn a DOS 6.22 or other iso image on a CD and try starting it: http://www.allbootdisks.com/download/iso.html

If the CD does not start the DVD drive is the issue. Had once a DVD drive that could not boot anything, changed it with a HL DT drive and no boot problems anymore.

One other thing: Maybe FREEDOS is booting, but you don't see anything because you don't have an EFI card plugged in?
Click to expand...

It seems EFI GPU is not required for FreeDOS to show the screen.
 
Synchro3 said:
Burn a DOS 6.22 or other iso image on a CD and try starting it: http://www.allbootdisks.com/download/iso.html

If the CD does not start the DVD drive is the issue. Had once a DVD drive that could not boot anything, changed it with a HL DT drive and no boot problems anymore.

One other thing: Maybe FREEDOS is booting, but you don't see anything because you don't have an EFI card plugged in?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'll try that.
I tried to boot FreeDOS with the original 5770 plugged in and I can't boot/see anything either
[doublepost=1455483278][/doublepost]Inserted an OSX Lion installer DVD and it doesn't appear as bootable, so I guess the Superdrive is the problem. I'll look for another drive and give it a try.
Thanks for the tips!
 
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