G3 · guide
Which program opens my file?
Repair files come in many formats. The extension (the letters after the dot) tells you which program to use. Archives (.rar, .zip, .7z) must be extracted first — use the free 7-Zip.
The short answer
- OpenBoardView — free and open source, for Windows, Linux and macOS. Opens most boardview formats.
- FlexBV — paid, supports the widest range of formats and shows the schematic and boardview side by side.
- Any PDF reader — for schematics. SumatraPDF is fast with big files.
Boardview formats
| Extension | What it is | Open with |
|---|---|---|
.brd | BRD boardview. An interactive map of the board: every part, pin and net. Several programs use the .brd extension (Test_Link, Allegro, etc.). Tip: Click a pin to highlight every other pin on the same net — the fastest way to trace a short. | OpenBoardView (free), FlexBV, Allegro Free Physical Viewer (Allegro .brd) |
.bdv | BDV boardview (Honhan). An interactive board layout in Honhan BoardViewer format. | OpenBoardView (free), FlexBV, BoardViewer 2.x |
.bv | BV boardview (ATE). An interactive board layout in ATE format. | OpenBoardView (free), FlexBV |
.fz | FZ boardview (ASUS). An encrypted ASUS boardview. | FlexBV, OpenBoardView (needs the FZ key set in its config) |
.cad | CAD boardview. An interactive board layout, often exported from BoardViewer or GenCAD. | BoardViewer 2.x, FlexBV, OpenBoardView |
.tvw | TVW boardview (Tebo-ICT). A board layout in Tebo-ICT format, common for Lenovo and Dell boards. | TeboView / Tebo-ICT viewer, FlexBV |
.bvr | BVR boardview. A BoardViewer board layout. | BoardViewer 2.x, FlexBV, OpenBoardView |
.asc | ASC boardview (ASUS TSICT). A plain-text ASUS board layout, usually shipped as several .asc files together. Tip: Keep all the .asc files of one board in the same folder. | OpenBoardView (free), FlexBV |
.cst | CST boardview (Castw). A board layout in Castw format. | FlexBV, OpenBoardView |
.f2b | F2B boardview (Unisoft). A board layout in Unisoft format. | FlexBV, OpenBoardView |
.gr | GR boardview. A board layout in .gr format. | FlexBV, BoardViewer 2.x |
.pcb | PCB boardview. A board layout, often from the XZZ or ZXW phone/laptop databases. | XZZ / ZXW viewer, FlexBV |
Schematics
| Extension | What it is | Open with |
|---|---|---|
.pdf | PDF schematic. A circuit diagram of the motherboard, page by page. Tip: Press Ctrl+F and search for a part (PU1, PQ3) or a net name (+3VALW, PWR_EN) to jump straight to it. | Any PDF reader, SumatraPDF, Your web browser |
.djvu | DjVu document. A scanned schematic or manual in DjVu format. | SumatraPDF, WinDjView |
BIOS & firmware
| Extension | What it is | Open with |
|---|---|---|
.bin | BIN firmware dump. A raw copy of a flash chip (BIOS, EC or GPU VBIOS). Tip: The file size must match the chip: 4 MB for 25Q32, 8 MB for 25Q64, 16 MB for 25Q128, 32 MB for 25Q256. | Write it with a programmer: CH341A, RT809H, XGecu T48 and similar, Inspect it with a hex editor (HxD) |
.rom | ROM firmware. A BIOS or VBIOS image. | SPI programmer (CH341A, RT809H, T48), Vendor flash utility |
.cap | CAP BIOS (ASUS capsule). An ASUS BIOS update with a 2 KB capsule header. Tip: To write it with a programmer, cut the first 0x800 bytes (the capsule header) first. | ASUS EZ Flash or USB BIOS Flashback, UEFITool |
.fd | FD firmware image. A UEFI firmware volume / BIOS image. | UEFITool, SPI programmer after checking the size |
.wph | WPH BIOS (Phoenix). A Phoenix/Insyde BIOS update image. | WinPhlash / vendor flash utility, Phoenix tools |
.hex | Intel HEX firmware. Firmware for a microcontroller or EC in Intel HEX text format. | Programmer software (it converts HEX to binary) |
Archives
| Extension | What it is | Open with |
|---|---|---|
.rar | RAR archive. A compressed folder. It can hold a schematic, a boardview, a BIOS dump or all three. Tip: If the archive asks for a password, look for it in the Telegram post text. | 7-Zip (free), WinRAR |
.zip | ZIP archive. A compressed folder with one or more files inside. | Built into Windows and macOS, 7-Zip (free) |
.7z | 7z archive. A compressed folder in 7-Zip format. | 7-Zip (free), NanaZip, The Unarchiver (macOS) |
Using a boardview with a schematic
- Find the faulty circuit in the schematic (for example the 3.3 V always-on regulator).
- Note the part name (PU2, PQ15) and search it in the boardview to see where it sits on the real board.
- Click a pin to highlight its net, then measure the points with a multimeter.