GA-8ld833 Award Bios Mod. Help please

substancev · Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:43 am

I am currently running version F2.. I want to upgrade to version F4... Now the reason i am upgrading is because i want to be able to boot to a secondary raid controller (vt6421a)

Now i have tried to intergrate the module in the bios but i am getting not enough space.

here is cbrom /d for my firmware:

Code: Select all

C:\Users\subv\Downloads>CBROM196.EXE 8ld533.f4 /d
CBROM196.EXE V1.96 [01/30/08] (C)Phoenix Technologies 2001-2007

              ********    8ld533.f4 BIOS component ********

 No. Item-Name         Original-Size   Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
================================================================================
  0. System BIOS       20000h(128.00K)  12877h(74.12K)  8ld533.BIN
  1. XGROUP CODE       09B90h(38.89K)   06FD5h(27.96K)  awardext.rom
  2. CPU micro code    04000h(16.00K)   03FA2h(15.91K)  CPUCODE.BIN
  3. ACPI table        03B64h(14.85K)   01705h(5.75K)   ACPITBL.BIN
  4. EPA LOGO          0168Ch(5.64K)    002AAh(0.67K)   AwardBmp.bmp
  5. YGROUP ROM        069B0h(26.42K)   044F4h(17.24K)  awardeyt.rom
  6. GROUP ROM[ 0]     056C0h(21.69K)   02328h(8.79K)   _EN_CODE.BIN
  7. VGA ROM[1]        0C000h(48.00K)   06CB3h(27.17K)  i845g.vga
  8. PCI ROM[A]        0A000h(40.00K)   05F99h(23.90K)  rtspxe_m.lom
  9. OEM0 CODE         01EE6h(7.72K)    0176Fh(5.86K)   SBF.BIN

  Total compress code space  = 35000h(212.00K)
  Total compressed code size = 33D74h(207.36K)
  Remain compress code space = 0128Ch(4.64K)

                          ** Micro Code Information **
Update ID  CPUID  |  Update ID  CPUID  |  Update ID  CPUID  |  Update ID  CPUID
------------------+--------------------+--------------------+-------------------
PGA478 14   0F0A  |  PGA478 2C   0F12  |  PGA478 01   0F21  |  PGA478 08   0F23
PGA478 1E   0F24  |  PGA478 05   0F13  |  PGA478 15   0F25  |  PGA478 37   0F27
PGA478 17   0F29  |

I want to know what can i get rid of that will allow 64k rom file to be intergrated.

I have tried removeing the EPA logo and the PXE lan. Which wasn't enough.. Could i remove the intergrated video card or will the machine not boot? I did manage to release EPA, PXE, and VGA and was able to intergrate the module for sata in the bios. However... i fear bricking this old box.

Please advise.

substancev · Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:51 pm

What is OEM0 Code SBF.BIN? Can that go?

Wed Apr 28, 2010 5:20 pm

The best advice is to return this super-cheap bios-less card and invest a little more bucks for a card with it's own Bios. It's too dangerous to fiddle with the Bios especially if you need the box working. Do not try to flash this modified Bios if your flashrom chip is soldered-in.

EDIT:typo fixing, should have read bios-less card

substancev · Wed Apr 28, 2010 5:45 pm

I guess my best bet is to get an external video card and remove VGA EPA and PXE lan boot.

I will try this if this PATA drive i found doesn't work.

Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:50 pm

you can remove the VGA, too. but then you can't 'see' the machine booting or change any bios settings unless you add a agp/pci vga card or flash a bios which includes the VGA module again. maybe the OS drivers can initialize the VGA chip so it can be used once the OS is loaded. but that's just pure guessing since i never bothered loading any vga stuff after disabling the vga hardware.
i build some headless (without any display) machines and i'll be building some more. mostly servers of some kind. they all have external ssh-ified access, so no need for a keyboard, mouse, vga card or monitor after installation of the base system.

as Denniss already stated: there's a certain level of risk involved when modding a BIOS and flashing it.