BIOS Write-Protect Screw HP Chromebook 14

Anybody who knows what the BIOS Write-Protect Screw is on this image? This is the board of a HP Chromebook 14 (K6C85EA). The other images that I can find are different :-(

Need to know because I want to install chrubuntu

enter image description here

chromebook

Bob van Luijt

Posted 2014-11-09T16:08:29.380

Reputation: 183

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HP_Chromebook_14#Locating_the_Write-Protect_Screw – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2014-11-09T16:15:30.080

The disassembly pictures look different :-( – Bob van Luijt – 2014-11-09T16:29:15.823

I'm also unable to find the 'hints' on this board – Bob van Luijt – 2014-11-09T16:30:06.750

What is that large silvery metal chassis covering the green circuit board? Can that be removed? Perhaps it's under there? – Jonathan – 2015-02-13T00:40:30.153

I don't think chrubuntu requires modifying uefi/bios: http://chromeos-cr48.blogspot.com ...can't find anything about it... though this is a requirement for full native linux. Here are 2 links to custom firmware for this purpose: mrchromebox or johnlewis.ie.

– kipbits – 2019-04-11T22:32:11.890

Answers

Here is the location of the write protect screw for HP Chromebook 14 (nvidia nyan blaze).

During the process of removing this write protection, the battery will be disconnected. As a consequence the boot loader will lost any configuration change made with crossystem (dev_boot_usb, dev_boot_legacy or dev_boot_signed_only).

If chromeos (as shipped by Google) is still installed on your chromebook this is not an issue. On the other hand, if you have erased the content of the eMMC, you won't be able to boot from USB or the legacy partition.

Make sure you have:

Backup everything first
Generate a usb recovery key

Once the screw removed, you can verify if it succeeded with:

    localhost ~ # flashrom -p internal:bus=spi --wp-status
    WP: status: 0x00b8
    WP: status.srp0: 1
    WP: status.srp1: 0
    WP: write protect is enabled.
    WP: write protect range: start=0x00000000, len=0x00200000
    localhost ~ # flashrom -p internal:bus=spi --wp-disable
    SUCCESS
    localhost ~ # flashrom -p internal:bus=spi --wp-status
    WP: status: 0x0038
    WP: status.srp0: 0
    WP: status.srp1: 0
    WP: write protect is disabled.
    WP: write protect range: start=0x00000000, len=0x00200000

Ludovic Guegan

Posted 2014-11-09T16:08:29.380

Reputation: 56

really useful. I'm trying to finish up a linux install on a HP CB 11 and trying to get rid of the developer mode warning screen. This helps get some perspective as I try a few different things ... thanks! – ether_joe – 2017-08-18T13:38:01.653

On the FALCO Chromebook 14,

there is a LARGE WHITE ARROW > icon next to the BIOS write protect screw on the green circuit board. ALSO,
from a glance the screw doesn't look to be a supporting screw.
it can be recognized by the fact that the copper circle it sits on is split in half "( )" vs "O". The screw connects the two halves, making the bios unwriteable.

Those are indicators I would use when looking at your Chromebook. However, from the picture, I do not see a screw that matches that description.

Jonathan

Posted 2014-11-09T16:08:29.380

Reputation: 1 287