# Help: Force flash vBIOS with nvflash - win/DOS (Solved-ish)



## Fouquin (Jul 31, 2016)

I don't normally end up in a situation where I appear to have exhausted all options, but here I am.

I've got a GTX Titan Z that's running some pre-production firmware and won't cooperate with any drivers, modified or not. I would like to get the card running with production firmware via flashing both ASICs vBIOS with the retail versions. This is where I hit a snag, _board ID Mismatch_. nvflash does not appear to allow force flashing like ATIWinFlash does, so this simple error stops the whole process in its tracks.

Quick breakdown of different commands tried just from google searching previous threads:

nvflash -i# -4 -5 -6 romname.rom (replace pound with number of device to be flashed)
nvflash -i# -f -6 romname.rom
nvflash -index=# -f -6 romname.rom
nvflash -index=# -4 -5 -6 romname.rom

I understand that those are basically the same commands spelled differently, but I was just covering all bases. I did disable write protect on all available devices as well to clear that up.

My question really is, can I get around this roadblock and force the firmware in any way? While the board ID is a mismatch the device ID is the same and should work perfectly fine in the event that the retail firmware is applied.

Any help is appreciated, and I'm hoping it's a simple issue I've overlooked.


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## P4-630 (Jul 31, 2016)

@Law-II might be able to chime in.
He knows a lot about flashing graphics cards.


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## Tatty_One (Jul 31, 2016)

Straightforward nvflash -f bios.rom got me out of trouble a couple of times but that was a while back, not sure if it still plays.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Tatty_One said:


> Straightforward nvflash -f bios.rom got me out of trouble a couple of times but that was a while back, not sure if it still plays.



Issue prevails, "Board ID mismatch"


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## Tatty_One (Aug 1, 2016)

nvflash -f -5 -6 yourbios.rom
nvflash -4 -5 -6 yourbios.rom
The last one is a slight deviation from one you have already tried, these are confirmed to have worked in the past but again not sure if current, had to check an old USB drive where I keep any flashing files and details I have done in the past.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Tatty_One said:


> nvflash -f -5 -6 yourbios.rom
> nvflash -4 -5 -6 yourbios.rom
> The last one is a slight deviation from one you have already tried, these are confirmed to have worked in the past but again not sure if current, had to check an old USB drive where I keep any flashing files and details I have done in the past.



Neither works. Board ID mismatch continues to win.

There has to be a workaround to the errors. ATIWinFlash has a command to ignore any and all errors and continue the flash regardless, and nvflash appears to have one as well but it just doesn't work.


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## FYFI13 (Aug 1, 2016)

Have you tried adding --protectoff parameter?


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

FYFI13 said:


> Have you tried adding --protectoff parameter?



Yes:


Fouquin said:


> I did disable write protect on all available devices as well to clear that up.


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## FYFI13 (Aug 1, 2016)

Sorry, i missed that part. And your graphics card is disabled in device manager, right?


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

FYFI13 said:


> Sorry, i missed that part. And your graphics card is disabled in device manager, right?



Yep, disabled and not even connected to a display. Using an AMD card as primary adapter.


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## FYFI13 (Aug 1, 2016)

I just noticed your Nvflash says it's "Simplified version for OEM only", have you tried other versions? For me v. 5.206.0.1 works every time. Also, I'd try leaving only Titan Z in PC and then flashing.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

FYFI13 said:


> I just noticed your Nvflash says it's "Simplified version for OEM only", have you tried other versions? For me v. 5.206.0.1 works every time.



Gave 5.206 a try and it has the same problem.





No dice. 

Still saying simplified version as well. I don't know why.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

I'm starting to think I should try the DOS version in hopes that it has a bit more functionality, or can possibly navigate around this error. If that's not going to work, can I change the board ID by editing straps with nvflash? (Assuming I can get the straps off the vBIOS to edit with.)


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

DOS version flat out refuses to even read the rom.


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## Toothless (Aug 1, 2016)

How did you get your hands on a Titan Z?


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Toothless said:


> How did you get your hands on a Titan Z?



Ebay.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Back into DOS with a different BIOS, run the commands and it just locks into a blinking cursor. No progress made toward the flash besides wiping the BIOS from the card. 

Is there something I'm missing here? This seems like an awful lot of problems for something that is supposed to be straight forward.


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Finally got as far as getting nvflash in DOS to work, problem is that it too shows "Board ID mismatch"

Is there seriously no way around this bullshit error? Do I need to start soldering caps to bypass this shit or something?


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## Mr.Scott (Aug 1, 2016)

You can override all the checks/protection by using nvflash -j -4 -5 -6 bios.rom


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## Fouquin (Aug 1, 2016)

Mr.Scott said:


> You can override all the checks/protection by using nvflash -j -4 -5 -6 bios.rom



Negative Scotty, Board ID mismatch continues it's reign as the end-all of errors.


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## Mr.Scott (Aug 1, 2016)

Interesting. It's always worked for me.


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## Caring1 (Aug 2, 2016)

Fouquin said:


> .... can I change the board ID by editing straps with nvflash? (Assuming I can get the straps off the vBIOS to edit with.)


Or edit the BIOS Rom to suit the board I.D.?
Thinking along the same lines, you need a BIOS editor to mod it.
Either change the adapter I.D.
or change the firmware I.D.


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## Fouquin (Aug 2, 2016)

Caring1 said:


> Or edit the BIOS Rom to suit the board I.D.?
> Thinking along the same lines, you need a BIOS editor to mod it.



Working through them with a hex editor to see if I can make the appropriate change to the firmware without too much trouble.


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## basco (Aug 2, 2016)

maybe try this one:
http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/nvflash-download-for-windows.html


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## Law-II (Aug 13, 2016)

HI



P4-630 said:


> @Law-II might be able to chime in.
> He knows a lot about flashing graphics cards.



Thanks for the heads-up with regard to the OP's Vbios write issue; however on this occasion I am unable to help out; due to a lack of knowledge on the Nvidia Vbios [only just recently started to play with these]

+1 Caring1; editing the Vbios image with HEX

Note: to OP good luck with this quest; will be keeping an eye on this thread

atb

Law-II


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## the54thvoid (Aug 13, 2016)

Is there not an issue with the Plex chip (if it uses one) being recognised as an actual graphics adapter? I know that caused issues on some motherboards that used the chips to create more PCI-e lanes.
Probably utterly unrelated but it's all I know that could pose problems.


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## Fouquin (Aug 14, 2016)

the54thvoid said:


> Is there not an issue with the Plex chip (if it uses one) being recognised as an actual graphics adapter? I know that caused issues on some motherboards that used the chips to create more PCI-e lanes.
> Probably utterly unrelated but it's all I know that could pose problems.



Was what I thought too, but even on a board without PLX it was a problem. What did end up working was flashing the same vBIOS back onto both ASICs, but keeping the later retail vBOIS on the PLX bridge. For some reason that's all it took to get the card working, though only with older drivers.

@Law-II
Gave the HEX edit a try but could not locate the offset storing the board ID in the firmware. The offset it was supposed to be in was instead storing VRAM timing information, and the whole vBIOS became scrambled when edited. The fourth reflash of the old firmware appears to have worked....

Here's some 3DMark because why not:

http://www.3dmark.com/fs/9674467


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## Scott Chamber (Jun 21, 2017)

Hey Fouquin i am having the SAME issue on one of my 2 titan Zs.  Can you please explain in detail how u got it working? >


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## FireShock88 (Jul 29, 2018)

Scott Chamber said:


> Hey Fouquin i am having the SAME issue on one of my 2 titan Zs.  Can you please explain in detail how u got it working? >


Same issue here with EVGA GTX980Ti Classified that shows as a reference card. No way to get this to work. Works fine on my other 4998 card but not on the 4997 card.


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## cringe21 (Oct 12, 2020)

You need a modified nvflash version to fix that error, here:








						NVIDIA NVFlash with Board Id Mismatch Disabled (v5.590.0) Download
					

This is a patched version of NVIDIA's NVFlash.   On Turing cards, NVFlash no longer allows overriding of the "board ID mismatch" message through comm




					www.techpowerup.com
				




I literally just created an account to answer a simple problem from few years ago


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