Hello Boost, Sorry for the delay, the forum didn't send an email notification this time of your reply... Guess I will have to watch the thread itself. I could replace the "Security" menu with the INTEL Menu. This modification results in no errors and only 4 changed bytes (If I remember correctly). Be careful how many times you flash your BIOS though. Even if the image is perfectly safe, the flashing process always has a very small chance of failure (power failure, removable device is removed accidentally during flash, etc.). Could you post a link to the EXACT BIOS that you just flashed please. I will perform the modification on it. You may have to post it on bios-mods and then link it from here due to file uploading restrictions.
Your idea about the "BUOS" mod would be the better idea, but I have never modified the STRINGS00.ROM module before and I cannot assure that it will be okay with the BIOS (I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be fine though...). With the BIOS mod (involves changing the "Security" menu call to the "Intel" menu call), I can confirm it is safe. Modifying TEMPLAT00.ROM in this way is safe. If you need to get another person to verify it is safe (If this is your only notebook and you are concerned, this is not a bad idea), then we can check with Yen. Do not flash if you are uncomfortable/unsure with the BIOS image. The INTEL menu is one of the most minimalistic changes I can make in terms of the amount of data edited. A slightly more minimalistic change that I could do is replace one BIOS setting with a blank space in the BIOS menu. Hopes do not look high for CRISIS though as Sony notoriously disables it in a lot of their Vaio models, but KEEP TRYING. I will keep trying on mine as well. What I meant by the number of flashes is that each time carries the same risk. The amount of flashes will NOT influence the system.
Ya, maybe Yen knows if changing values in STRINGS00.ROM is as harmless as changing values in TEMPLAT00.ROM. Sure, there is always a chance things could go wrong. Lets wait and see. p.s. I understood your "number of flashes", but I wanted to be 100% sure. =)
Just a 'short' reply.....I am @work sitting in my lab... So your cat hit return and started it, that's an impressing story. Pioneer cat! I had decided to append the same platform.bin kizwan already used to make his mod to your BIOS dump. Being 7 years with BIOS modding there is a gut feeling...saying it would have the greatest chances to work. Mario, you have now the same chances / risks as you'd have with an official BIOS update....(IMHO the worst part is over). "Ya, maybe Yen knows if changing values in STRINGS00.ROM is as harmless as changing values in TEMPLAT00.ROM." Some things you have to consider. (Not only the modification itself like just Main to Moin) We have data and code (and values, which actually belong to 'data')... And we have compressed modules. When you change one byte and compress the module later, the module changes completely. From this aspect it doesn't matter if one modifies one byte or hundred. Also IF one byte of a compressed module should become wrong during flash, the entire module is corrupted (it's just like a rar archive for instance)... Another aspect is reintegration of the modules. PBE is NOT reliable. It compresses well, but it relocates many modules when it rebuilds the BIOS. Also at rare cases it 'swallows' parts of code. So you could have only one byte changed, which is actually harmless, but the module data has completely changed due to compression and the module is probably relocated by PBE and you can easily get a unusable BIOS this way. So more things have to be considered at the same time: Reintegration with andy's tool is the safest way since it tries that at the original offset. Then one needs of course to know what does the modification itself, is the approach safe? Where do I modify? 'Main' code path? With main code path I mean code that is essential to initialize the hardware for a successful boot. 'Side' code paths are then code routines which belong to the BIOS setup menu itself.... When modifying code, one can use IDA pro to test....modifying data only is usually 'safer' but is mostly not sufficient to achieve the goal... Arctic has replaced the call to security menu with a call to Intel menu (I could comprehend what he's modified and posted it at #17). His mod is safe, his modification belong to 'side' code (setup menu itself). It runs well when emulated with PBE, andy's tool reintegrates the modified module well at original offset. To flash a SLIC mod wouldn't be safer. The SLIC approach is well developed, well known and I have many experiences. But I would need to modify 2 different modules. (If OEMIDs should be locked then code also) You can go and flash the Intel mod next if you want. I’d use the unmodified with platform.bin which worked and modify it myself the way Arctic did....and provide it to you… “What does "Flash part: S29AL008D" mean ? Whats "DeviceID: 5b" ? I saw this at the platform.bin. The code there successfully has identified your BIOS chip and provides the right instructions to flash it properly…this platform.bin is compatible to your machine. And yes, some old Phoenix BIOSes have a separate platform.bin file to be used separately during flash process, but I am not sure which is the right command. AFAIK, no additional switches are needed to make Phlash16 to use the separate platform.bin. Phlash16 looks for itself after a platform.bin file if not found at the BIOS image itself and if provided separately it uses it then. Concerning ‘efforts’…. Arctic did the mod, he also unlocked many other menus, credits go to him. I myself assist with my ‘experience’ concerning rebuilding the BIOS…. We all are learning and having fun... Summary of this 'short' post, lol: Do NOT use PBE to rebuild / make a new modified BIOS. Not even Main to Moin. PBE is suitable to modify the BIOS 'live', to examine the changes but NOT to use the rebuilt BIOS to flash it, therefore always use andy's tool. Arctic's Intel mod is safe and bears the same risk as just like to reflash the original again. IMHO even his fully unlocked mod should work, spacing until it reintegrates at original offset. Will provide the Intelmod, modified his way...no need to test the SLIC mod first...but it's up to you, can also provide a SLIC mod, but IMHO since you don't need a SLIC mod it would be just an additional flash...
Making a New BIOS image (this time for flashing after checked by Yen) Hello Yen and mario, Thank-you Yen for your reply (As a direct result of the confirmations in your reply, I can now truly begin BIOS modding). I will create an image and upload it soon (today) with all of the menus that I have found so far unlocked. I will be modifying the image from Yen that you flashed and then uploaded in Post #42. I will modify/test the image by the following process: 1.) Unpack with PhoenixTool 2.) Modify TEMPLAT00.ROM 3.) Repack using PhoenixTool 4.) Compare the offsets of each module before and after 5.) Make sure that only the TEMPLAT00.ROM module was modified 6.) Unpack the modified BIOS and compare it (with a hex editor) to the original BIOS and the modded TEMPLAT00.ROM 7.) Test the image in PBE At this point, it will be safe to flash, but I am still going to have Yen look at my final product just in case. I will also be uploading a SLIC.log file with it. Note about PBE: I never use PBE for images that are for the explicit purpose of flashing, don't worry. Thank-you for the warning though.
BIOS Info Update @yen: When you hear the term "ICH Workarounds" (I/O Control Hub Workarounds), what comes to your mind? What options? What do you think would be under this menu? I am having difficulty finding where the first option in this menu would be. I may have found some of the options, but I very highly doubt that the menu is supposed to look like this: . lol... @Boost: I am working on your BIOS image and am almost complete with the modding process (I had a lot of large interruptions). I am not going to include the "ICH Workarounds:" parent menu in this one, because the menu still looks very awkward..... I am also not including the "Workarounds Control Sub-Menu" (which is under the INTEL menu), because any options that seem like they would go under it are in other INTEL menu sub-menus... I will post the image when I am complete, but if you want, you can have Yen check it first. Yen's previous post gave me all the information I need to finally mod the BIOS correctly.
"ICH Workarounds" Menu Information Hello Yen, I was WAY off on what I had in the ICH Workarounds Menu... I found Intel's 848-page novel datasheet on the ICH7 Family (which my notebook has). Just looking at the table of contents in the PDF reveals what could be under the ICH Workarounds Menu. Here is a link to the PDF if you are interested: www[dot]intel[dot]com/content/dam/doc/datasheet/i-o-controller-hub-7-datasheet.pdf . The table of contents should give you a basic understanding of what you need to know. I am going to continue working on correctly unlocking this menu to its fullest extent. I will continue to post updates as I find out information on it. I may be able to integrate it into mario's image eventually. I saw this title in the Table of Contents: "EEPROM Interface." This could be useful for BIOS recovery. @Yen & Mario EDIT: I highly recommend skimming through the entire Table of Contents. There is information about the ENTIRE system here, including the SPI Flash Chip! Every possible hardware/interface aspect of the system is described in this PDF.
Thank you so much Artic & Yen ! (again) I really should rename this laptop into cat(on)top. (it loves jumping on it and sleeping behind the warm fan...which is getting hotter and hotter because of the fur blocking it...until I have to remove the cat from the laptop) ^^ 4 special keyboard seetings - I think I remember reading about such options. "miliseconds between typing" or something like that ? Or was it "num lock on/off" ? Possibly0 Im wrong, but I think I read some lenovo laptops had similar "special" keyboard options. Frequency Ratio - Arctic, you said that the PLL is (probably) locked, and changing these values wont have any real effect, right ? Also it is "only" the CPU (right now) and not the 8400M GT, right ? But you did mention that the clock values of the graphics adapter were also present in the BIOS (without real effects) ? Intel Control SubMenu- Penryn CPU COntrol SubMenu Following the discussion on biosmods, the Merom CPU Control Submenu is also still in your modified BIOS ? Because right now I have a Merom CPU and I dont think it would be a good idea to acces it via a Penry menu, right ? Im really looking forward to some screenshots or a rar file so I could check in PBE, what awaits me. And holy moly at this 814(!) pages intel PDF. It is interesting to..."read", but probably only fragments will be remembered by me...but I might learn even more about the depths of BIOS. Thanks ! As Yen wrote, that it should be the same "risk" flashing the (your) intel menu, Ill flash it as soon as it gets "ready/approved" and as soon as my cat is ready to push the button. p.s. Just seen the screenshot of Artic. "Heads, Sector, LBA"...man, I remember I actually had to set these values for som harddrives to get recognized in a BIOS, back in the days of my old computer-shop-job. ^^
Hello mario, Your cat seems to be very fond of your notebook's fan. Your notebook and my own share the 4 keyboard options. The frequency ratio controls the CPU external clock multiplier. It shouldn't effect the GPU. I will look for GPU [clock] related settings in your image. In a past bios-mods PM, you said something about you "found your PLL" or knew something about it. What did you mean by this? Currently your CPU is locked by this PLL (I think). I added the Penryn CPU Control Sub-Menu just to more completely unlock the BIOS. This menu's contents are identical to the Merom>Thermal Control Sub-Menu's contents. You should only use the Merom CPU Control Sub-Menu. My BIOS image contains the "Yonah" (current CPU), "Merom," and "Dothan" CPU Control Sub-Menus. Were you able to access the link that I posted? Replace the "[dot]" (with the brackets, but not the quotes) in the URL with "." I posted the link in post #48. The file contains the modded BIOS and documentation of the mod.
No tool was able to detect my PLL. I did not want to mess around with setsfb back then (trial and error) as I read that is it not the best idea to try. I also tried to contact Mr.hiyohiyo (author of setsfb) back then, but his list never ever got updated with other vaio models. Taking this laptop apart is nothing to enjoy. If I compare it to IBM/Lenovo for example, which IS 150% userfriendly , some Sony Vaios are a mess, regarding dissassembling. If I have the time, I will try again and look for the PLL on the board again. (then I could (probably) use SetFsb - or will the PLL still be locked anyway ? And how coudl the BIOS influence the PLL (un)lock then ?) p.s. Yes, I downloaded the file, but havent yet looked at it in PBE. Will be back soon. .)
Update on MCH & ICH BIOS Menus I did some research on the ICH Workarounds Menu. The MCH (Memory Controller Hub) is the North Bridge chip. The ICH (I/O Controller Hub) is the South Bridge chip. The following is a basic summary of each chipset, but may/may not be completely up to date (my notebook is from 2006). North Bridge: The North Bridge is connected directly to the CPU and also functions as the Memory Controller, the PCI Express Controller, something to do with graphics (including a connection to the graphics device), and a data transfer interface with the South Bridge. South Bridge: The South Bridge is connected to the North Bridge as well as Audio, storage ports (such as SATA), BIOS, RTC, CMOS NVRAM, USB Ports, etc. What I had in the ICH Workarounds Menu was WAY off! It is probably a very large menu.
Heya, I thought I already knew what North and Southbridge are...but I never thought about it in combination with ICH and MCH....so, now I learned that it is MCH and ICH related. hehe, thanks.
Hello Boost, Actually, I think the MCH IS the North Bridge and the ICH IS the South Bridge. Also, could you read the post I made before the previous one (the "previous one" was titled "Update on MCH & ICH BIOS Menus"). The most important part was whether or not you had upgraded your BIOS _VERSION_ . This is important, because I am working on an NVRAM Register Master List of AHCI, VT-x, and DEP (Data Execution Prevention) registers. If your notebook supports two BIOS versions (like mine), this information could be VERY useful for some people. Thank-you.
Heya, there is no BIOS update for my Laptop and I never ever updated it It was always R2080J8. The R2090J8 must be a typo or remnants of one of your BIOS. Ill find out when I have time to read through all of this again. ^^ Or did you mean BIOS_VERSION by the number of the Image ? Do you think it may have changed because of the platform.bin ?
The confusion comes originally from post #2. The original (old).rom file there is version R2090J8... Mario's latest dump is clearly R2080J8...and he never has flashed an update!!! Any mod for Mario should be made from the one that has worked to flash #42. The version string can be found at BIOSCOD01.ROM module code. BTW: I have the Intel mod (security menu replacement) ready already, but I am not at home. I want to doublecheck it before I upload...couldn't do that so far...I am very busy these days..but I hope I can do it @ weekend..
Hello Yen and mario, Thank-you for clarifying the version. I will update the list. @Yen I have prepared a more final mod when (or if) you get time. The link is in post #48 and includes a full documentation of the mod/modding process as well as the original images/related mod files.