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phoenix bios modifying utility

Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2002 6:26 am
by sravinu
is there any bios mod utility like "modbin" for phoenix bioses.

Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2002 1:20 pm
by Denniss
Nothing public - many people are searching for this utility

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:20 pm
by MMAMUK
There is a Phoenix originated demo utility called BEDemo floating around. This is a demo version of their BIOS editor and is deactivated i.e. it will not enable one to directly edit the BIOS. However, on loading a Phoenix BIOS using this demo utility various binary files are generated (in an uncompressed state):

ROMEXEC ROMEXEC0.ROM -Z
DISPLAY DISPLAY0.ROM
STRINGS STRINGS0.ROM
DECOMPCODE DECOMPC0.ROM
ACPI ACPI0.AML
ACPI ACPI1.BIN
BIOSCODE BIOSCOD0.ROM
ROMEXEC ROMEXEC1.ROM -Z
UPDATE UPDATE0.ROM
OPROM OPROM0.ROM -X
SETUP SETUP0.ROM
TEMPLATE TEMPLAT0.ROM
MISER MISER0.ROM
BIOSCODE BIOSCOD1.ROM
BIOSCODE BIOSCOD2.ROM
BIOSCODE BIOSCOD3.ROM
LOGO LOGO0.PGX


These can be found in a sub-directory \TEMP from where the program is run from.

One can modify the individual uncompressed binary files using a hexeditor.

The BEDemo also comes with two additional utilities 'PREPARE.EXE' and 'CATENATE.EXE'. The 'PREPARE.EXE' together with the script file (ROM.SCR - also generated when a BIOS is loaded using the BEDemo) can be used to create '.mod' binary files.

The'CATENATE.EXE' together with the '.mod' files and the script file then creates the BIOS. It also takes care of the CHECKSUM calcs.

I've used the PHLASH utility that came with my latest official BIOS release from HP to flash the chip.

I have used this process to install 3 Tualatin CPU microcodes (06B0, 06B1 and 06B4). I've also modified the BIOS revision number of the BIOS together with the BIOS dates.

I've recently installed a 1.3GHz Tualatin CPU onto my motherboard (ASUS MEW-AM Rev 2.01 - OEM) using an el cheapo FCPGA2->FCPGA adapter. The processor works perfectly. On bootup the BIOS shows the CPU to be a Pentium(R) Pro 1200MHz/100Mhz 256KB. Other utilities such as Belarc, AIDA32 and SiSoft Sandra correctly show the CPU to be an Intel(R) Celeron(TM) CPU 1300MHz.

I have not yet managed to get the BIOS to correct this. This may have something to do with the 'STRINGS0.ROM ' binary file or not.

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:43 pm
by Amiboot
Use PhoenixDeco for decompressing Phoenix BIOS'ses based on v4.0 r6.0 core and BMP2PGX for graphic logo conversion.
You can download it with the complete BNOBTC (http://www.drunkardswalk.dk/bno/BNOBTC.rar) from Borg Number One or download the utilities from my website (www.ruisch.tk).

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:13 pm
by sunbirds
There are some problems with bedemo to combine new bios, the new bios is very different with the original bios,when flash the new bios to the chip,the machine maybe boot failure.does this bedemo has some bugs?

Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 8:21 pm
by Rainbow
It does not work on my DTK FortisPro TOP-5A notebook either. And it's not a new one - 1997.

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:48 am
by Borg Number One
Well, with BMP2PGX (I did not know that I added such a tool to my BNOBTC ??!!!??? :) :?: ) and Catenate.exe & Prepare.exe and a Hex-Editor I could successfully modify/translate VMware's BIOS....now it is time to translate the whole VMware.

(After extracting the PhoenixBIOS-code-area from the VMware binaries I could do all the modifications. After the modifications you have to add: bios440.filename = "modified-biosfile" to the configuration-file)

http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/borgbios/en/

Palette entries 0 & 7 controlls the font/background color on/while POST.
Image


Phoenix-BIOS-Editor & VMware BIOS
Image


Booting VMware with modified BIOS
Image


Now VMware can be used to develop / gain skills with modifying PhoenixBIOSes.->If BIOS-modding went wrong->nothing cruel would happend->no mainboard would be "destroyed", no EEPROM would be deleted/ "de/mis-flashed".

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:07 am
by XStylus
MMAMUK wrote: I have used this process to install 3 Tualatin CPU microcodes (06B0, 06B1 and 06B4). I've also modified the BIOS revision number of the BIOS together with the BIOS dates.

I have not yet managed to get the BIOS to correct this. This may have something to do with the 'STRINGS0.ROM ' binary file or not.
Which files did you modify to get your bios to support those CPUs? I have a Presario 900 notebook and I'm trying to get it to properly support a mobile 2600 processor. The notebook is designed to top out at 2000, and it will see a 2600, but as an "Unknown CPU", and all the PowerNow management features are gone. I was thinking of plucking code from a bios that does support that processor and splicing it into my bios.

...Plus I want to change the bios logo while I'm at it, which seems to be the easy part.

I have a decent idea of what I'm doing, but since I only get one shot at this (with the results being a toasted mobo) I'd prefer to double check with someone who has been successful.

Also, with regards to the strings file, that's a good thought, but I don't think it's as easy as that. My bios doesn't have string entries for anything above 2000, and although I could add them, it'd likely screw up the order of those strings since I'm thinking that they're accessed by line number.

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:52 am
by apple_rom
You can get image of bios and send to me...

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:44 pm
by MMAMUK
XStylus wrote:
Which files did you modify to get your bios to support those CPUs?

MMAMUK replies:
The file containing the CPU microcodes is "UPDATE0.ROM". This is a binary file and can only be viewed using a hex editor.

The microcode has to be acquired from somewhere before it can be transplanted into your "UPDATE0.ROM" file.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:48 am
by zbarnes
Hey everyone,

I have a question about the phoenix bios editor over at:

http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=30974

If you've got time, I'd appreciate it if you'd look and see if you can give me some tips.

Thanks

CPU Microcode for UPDATE0.rom

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:48 pm
by shart
I have the Phoenixbios ediotor (full) & Binary reader. Wanted to know how to find out what a particular cpu's microcode is & where to input it in the UPDATE0.ROM file

Thanks

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 5:02 am
by XStylus
MMAMUK wrote:XStylus wrote:
Which files did you modify to get your bios to support those CPUs?

MMAMUK replies:
The file containing the CPU microcodes is "UPDATE0.ROM". This is a binary file and can only be viewed using a hex editor.

The microcode has to be acquired from somewhere before it can be transplanted into your "UPDATE0.ROM" file.
I found the UPDATE0.ROM file for a newer Athlon laptop that supported faster processors. I compared it with the UPDATE0.ROM file in my Presario 900 and they're exactly identical. Perhaps its another file?

Also, I noticed that the STRINGS file on the two bios files were quite different though, but did list the newer processors in it. What would happen if I used a different STRINGS file?

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:50 pm
by smheoc
Can anyone outline the steps needed to modify vmware so I can play around with it's bios (and thus gain experience modifying the phoenix bios)?

The example by "borg number one" is great, but it doesn't state where the files were located, or how to get them to load into BEDemo.

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:58 am
by Borg Number One