Uniflash reports boot block problem with patched BIOS
Posted: Thu May 09, 2002 12:16 pm
Please can someone suggest what I have got wrong with the following BIOS patch process ?
Jan Steunebrink's patched PC-Chips M577/Amptron PM9900 BIOS has the BIOS ID string modified to PM9900 instead of M577. Rainbow kindly provided a large disk version to test on my M577, but I wanted it to say "M577" (and AWDFLASH complained that it was the wrong BIOS).
I used CBROM 2.05 to extract and release the PCI (ncr307.16k) and VRS (Anti_Virus) modules but it would not touch the XGROUP module (Awardext.rom). I found that I could extract and release it as an "other" module using CBROM 1.13. I released the EPA module using CBROM 2.05.
I used MODBIN to obtain the ORIGINAL.TMP uncompressed. I patched the BIOS ID string and re-compressed it using LHARC 2.55. Following Rainbow's instructions on another thread I removed the original compressed ORIGINAL.TMP with a hex editor and put my own in using "COPY /B ORIGINAL.LZH+TEMP.BIN NEWBIOS.BIN", removing four FF bytes to retain the original length. At this point CBROM shows two modules, with negative free space.
I then used MODBIN 4.50.80C to make a minor change to the startup string and updated the file. Now CBROM showed only one (BIOS) module in NEWBIOS.BIN. I used CBROM 2.05 to add the EPA, XGROUP, VRS and PCI modules. (CBROM 2.05 is happy to add XGROUP, but not to extract or release it). I used MODBIN again to make the final changes to the startup string. AWDFLASH no longer complained that it was the wrong BIOS and flashed the mobo quite happily. Boot failed, blank screen and no beeps.
AWDFLASH 6.28 would not reflash the ROM on another board, saying there was an error clearing flash. Uniflash would reflash it, but warned that there was a boot block incompatibility. This worked, so I tried using Uniflash to flash my modified BIOS. Again, it warned of a boot block incompatibility and again the M577 did not boot, so I have reflashed the ROM to the original BIOS.
Help, please! What is likely to cause this boot block compatibility issue ?
Here's what CBROM says about the NEWBIOS.BIN:
CBROM V2.05 (C)Award Software 1999 All Rights Reserved.
******** newbios.bin BIOS component ********
No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K) 14210h(80.52K) original.tmp
1. EPA pattern 0168Ch(5.64K) 0041Dh(1.03K) awardbmp.bmp
2. XGROUP CODE 03480h(13.12K) 024F3h(9.24K) awardext.rom
3. VRS ROM 0239Dh(8.90K) 014A6h(5.16K) Anti_vir.bin
4. PCI driver[A] 04000h(16.00K) 02594h(9.39K) NCR307.16K
Total compress code space = 1B000h(108.00K)
Total compressed code size = 1A55Ah(105.34K)
Remain compress code space = 00AA6h(2.66K)
and here's what it says about Jan Steunebrink's BIOS:
CBROM V2.05 (C)Award Software 1999 All Rights Reserved.
******** 990309j.bin BIOS component ********
No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K) 141FBh(80.50K) original.tmp
1. EPA pattern 0168Ch(5.64K) 0041Dh(1.03K) AwardBmp.bmp
2. XGROUP CODE 03480h(13.12K) 024F3h(9.24K) awardext.rom
3. VRS ROM 0239Dh(8.90K) 014A6h(5.16K) ANTI_VIR.BIN
4. PCI driver[A] 04000h(16.00K) 02594h(9.39K) ncr307.16k
Total compress code space = 1B000h(108.00K)
Total compressed code size = 1A545h(105.32K)
Remain compress code space = 00ABBh(2.68K)
Jan Steunebrink's patched PC-Chips M577/Amptron PM9900 BIOS has the BIOS ID string modified to PM9900 instead of M577. Rainbow kindly provided a large disk version to test on my M577, but I wanted it to say "M577" (and AWDFLASH complained that it was the wrong BIOS).
I used CBROM 2.05 to extract and release the PCI (ncr307.16k) and VRS (Anti_Virus) modules but it would not touch the XGROUP module (Awardext.rom). I found that I could extract and release it as an "other" module using CBROM 1.13. I released the EPA module using CBROM 2.05.
I used MODBIN to obtain the ORIGINAL.TMP uncompressed. I patched the BIOS ID string and re-compressed it using LHARC 2.55. Following Rainbow's instructions on another thread I removed the original compressed ORIGINAL.TMP with a hex editor and put my own in using "COPY /B ORIGINAL.LZH+TEMP.BIN NEWBIOS.BIN", removing four FF bytes to retain the original length. At this point CBROM shows two modules, with negative free space.
I then used MODBIN 4.50.80C to make a minor change to the startup string and updated the file. Now CBROM showed only one (BIOS) module in NEWBIOS.BIN. I used CBROM 2.05 to add the EPA, XGROUP, VRS and PCI modules. (CBROM 2.05 is happy to add XGROUP, but not to extract or release it). I used MODBIN again to make the final changes to the startup string. AWDFLASH no longer complained that it was the wrong BIOS and flashed the mobo quite happily. Boot failed, blank screen and no beeps.
AWDFLASH 6.28 would not reflash the ROM on another board, saying there was an error clearing flash. Uniflash would reflash it, but warned that there was a boot block incompatibility. This worked, so I tried using Uniflash to flash my modified BIOS. Again, it warned of a boot block incompatibility and again the M577 did not boot, so I have reflashed the ROM to the original BIOS.
Help, please! What is likely to cause this boot block compatibility issue ?
Here's what CBROM says about the NEWBIOS.BIN:
CBROM V2.05 (C)Award Software 1999 All Rights Reserved.
******** newbios.bin BIOS component ********
No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K) 14210h(80.52K) original.tmp
1. EPA pattern 0168Ch(5.64K) 0041Dh(1.03K) awardbmp.bmp
2. XGROUP CODE 03480h(13.12K) 024F3h(9.24K) awardext.rom
3. VRS ROM 0239Dh(8.90K) 014A6h(5.16K) Anti_vir.bin
4. PCI driver[A] 04000h(16.00K) 02594h(9.39K) NCR307.16K
Total compress code space = 1B000h(108.00K)
Total compressed code size = 1A55Ah(105.34K)
Remain compress code space = 00AA6h(2.66K)
and here's what it says about Jan Steunebrink's BIOS:
CBROM V2.05 (C)Award Software 1999 All Rights Reserved.
******** 990309j.bin BIOS component ********
No. Item-Name Original-Size Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
=========================================================================
0. System BIOS 20000h(128.00K) 141FBh(80.50K) original.tmp
1. EPA pattern 0168Ch(5.64K) 0041Dh(1.03K) AwardBmp.bmp
2. XGROUP CODE 03480h(13.12K) 024F3h(9.24K) awardext.rom
3. VRS ROM 0239Dh(8.90K) 014A6h(5.16K) ANTI_VIR.BIN
4. PCI driver[A] 04000h(16.00K) 02594h(9.39K) ncr307.16k
Total compress code space = 1B000h(108.00K)
Total compressed code size = 1A545h(105.32K)
Remain compress code space = 00ABBh(2.68K)