BIOS Updates forum

> On my BIOS, apple_rom's utility could not find the section that needed to be fixed for the "big" hard drive support.
> 04/11/00-VP3-586B-W877-2A5LEPA9C-00
All bioses since 2000year should support the "big"-disks initially.
The "known" companies - since one summer of 1999.
To tell the truth, some, everything, had a 65G-problem.

KachiWachi, in a message, wrote: Since you have a copy of apple_rom's tool, could you try it on my BIOS and see what happens? I haven't been able to find out where on his site he keeps it, and would just be interested in what the results would be..

So I did: here's the result:
D:\Hardware\Gigabyte>..\rom\bp-4rc71.exe 2a59gd4b.bin
BIOS_Patcher ver. 4.0_RC.7.1 from "Second_Hope utils".
Warning! It is only test-version and recommended only for power-users!

Found 1Mbit BIOS!

(cpu_names) 1. : -> fixed.
(old_P3) 2. : not request to fixed.
(koefs) 3. : -> fixed.
(32g) 4. : -> fixed.
(32g-2) 5. : -> fixed.
("MB") 6. : -> fixed.
(65g-1) 7. : -> fixed.
(65g-2) 8. : -> fixed.
(1000MHz) 9. : not request to fixed.
(koef>9.5x) 10.: not found.
("genu") 7. : not request to fixed.
(L2-init) 11.: not found.
(new_freq) 12.: not found.

("Y"/"N") 13.: -> fixed.


Write Allocate addinng: -> fixed.
UDMA for "big"-HDD on UDMA33_only_MB fix: not found.

Not free space in BIOS!
error!

if you can`t see all messages - choose 80x50 mode or run with ">report.txt".
(c)2002 apple_rom, www.ROM.by
I wonder whether it would squeeze in if I chose some different command-line options....

By the way, can I vote to move this to the "BIOS utilities" forum ?

Interesting results...and thanks NickS!!

I didn't think it would do the HD patching as I mentioned before, but it looks like it did the K6 stuff...or did it? Not sure what all the (things to fix) mean though...

(cpu_names) 1. : -> CPU Designations, New CPU's ??
(old_P3) 2. : MB can't do - lol !!
(koefs) 3. : -> Multipliers ??
(32g) 4. : -> 32GB HD Bug ?? S/B 32g-1 to be consistant??
(32g-2) 5. : -> ??
("MB") 6. : -> KB to MB Designations??
(65g-1) 7. : -> 64GB HD Bug ??
(65g-2) 8. : -> ??
(1000MHz) 9. : MB can't do - lol !!
(koef>9.5x) 10.: MB can't do - lol !!
("genu") 7. : ?? Why is this item number 7 again??
(L2-init) 11.: ??
(new_freq) 12.: ??

("Y"/"N") 13.: -> ??

Write Allocate addinng: -> For AMD CPU ??
UDMA for "big"-HDD on UDMA33_only_MB fix: MB can't do - lol !!

Not enough room huh... ...Yeah, Jan found that out...

BTW...I vote "YES!!"

>(old_P3) 2. : MB can't do - lol !! ...etc
BIOS Patcher is "universal" utilite for adding support all CPUs - from K6-2 to P4/Celeron and AMD Athlon T-bred/Barton.

>(cpu_names) 1. : -> CPU Designations, New CPU's ??
Yes - "new"-CPUs support

(old_P3) 2. : MB can't do - lol !!
fixing old-style display P3

(koefs) 3. : -> Multipliers ??
Yes.

(32g) 4. : -> 32GB HD Bug ??
Yes.

(32g-2) 5. : -> ??
Not absolutely obligatory other mistake of sexadecimal multiplication at detection HDD

("MB") 6. : -> KB to MB Designations??
No - "MB" or "GB" displaying (for 65Gb-problem)

(65g-1) 7. : -> 64GB HD Bug ??
Yes.

(65g-2) 8. : -> ??
"Second" subroutine of 65G-problem

(1000MHz) 9. : MB can't do - lol !!
Fixing error display freq>999MHz

(koef>9.5x) 10.: MB can't do - lol !!
Fixing error display koefs>9.5x

("genu") 7. : ?? Why is this item number 7 again??
little "bug"

(L2-init) 11.: ??
fixing L2-init for CPU with Tualatin-core

(new_freq) 12.: ??
"open" new frequencies in BIOS Setup


>Not free space in BIOS!
>error!
Check for "free space" in bios manually (with "cbrom/d file.bin") and release "not-using" parts...

apple_rom wrote:>Not free space in BIOS!
>error!
Check for "free space" in bios manually (with "cbrom/d file.bin") and release "not-using" parts...

******** 2a59gd4b.bin BIOS component ********

No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K) 14DF1h(83.49K) 2a59gd4b.BIN
1. NCR ROM 08000h(32.00K) 04D9Ch(19.40K) ncr400.bin

Total compress code space = 1A000h(104.00K)
Total compressed code size = 19B8Dh(102.89K)
Remain compress code space = 00473h(1.11K)
I don't see what I can release.......

You can release NCR ROM if you don't have NCR SCSI adapter.
But - there's 1.1KB of free space - isn't that enough for the patch?

I wasn't sure about the NCR - I thought in some BIOSes the NCR module is used for ATA drives.
Having released the NCR module, apple_rom's patcher runs, so I'll send KachiWachi the patched image to evaluate. The 1.1K does not appear to be enough, as apple_rom's patcher adds two new files:
******** 2a59gd4b.bin BIOS component ********

No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
==========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K)14DF1h(83.49K)2a59gd4b.BIN
1. Other(4E00:0000) 00E6Eh(3.61K)0046Ch(1.11K)modul.tmp
2. Other(2E5F:0005) 00020h(0.03K)00041h(0.06K)start.tmp

Total compress code space = 1A000h(104.00K)
Total compressed code size = 1529Eh(84.65K)
Remain compress code space = 04D62h(19.35K)

>I wasn't sure about the NCR - I thought in some BIOSes the NCR module is used for ATA drives.
ONLY if you have NCR-SCSI-adaptor without onboard-BIOS.

NickS I wasn't sure about the NCR - I thought in some BIOSes the NCR module is used for ATA drives.
apple_rom ONLY if you have NCR-SCSI-adaptor without onboard-BIOS.

I do have a SCSI card in the system, but not for booting...just for my CD burner and my ZIP100 (Adaptec AIC-7850 PCI).

NickS - could you also send a copy to BIOSMan for his evaluation, as he has spent considerable time on this project...Thanks!!

Now we also put in a patch for setting the Multiplier to 4x for my CYRIX so it could be run at 66x4 and 75x4...would they be included as well?

So now what are the other two modules for...modul.tmp and start.tmp?

>So now what are the other two modules for...modul.tmp and start.tmp
It also is result of work of the program. (i.e. NOTHING changes, and these modules ARE ONLY ADDED)
modul.tmp is the file containing all changes.
start.tmp is a starting modul.

apple_rom wrote:>So now what are the other two modules for...modul.tmp and start.tmp
It also is result of work of the program. (i.e. NOTHING changes, and these modules ARE ONLY ADDED)
modul.tmp is the file containing all changes.
start.tmp is a starting modul.

Do you mean you don't change the original Bios but add some files that are executed at startup to patch the Bios/Bios modules on-the fly ?

Do you mean you don't change the original Bios but add some files that are executed at startup to patch the Bios/Bios modules on-the fly ?

Absolutely truly.

KachiWachi wrote:NickS - could you also send a copy to BIOSMan for his evaluation, as he has spent considerable time on this project...Thanks!!

Aww, c'mon! I bet you've got that mail I sent you in your mailbox and all you have to do is forward it to an address you probably know off by heart. It's less work for you and I don't mind.

NickS - I will forward it to him...I didn't know if you had a *direct line* to him or something ...
I actually mail him from another address though, and I actually have to look up his address all the time ...

The KachiWachi address is one I don't check often...I have now and I will forward it to Jan later today.

Hmmm...patch on the fly huh...interesting concept...

Has anyone at WIM'S tried one of apple_rom's patched BIOS's yet on anything??