@ mavortium
Just want to share my experience on my Gigabyte mobo:
Strange that you guys needed the Z97 Gigabyte NVMe modules. I have a Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD4H and used the uncompressed NVMe module from the first post.
I added the module with the MMTool.exe to the latest BIOS of my mobo.
After flashing the new BIOS i disabled all Intel and Marvell Sata ports in the BIOS. Then i was able to install Win10 x64 on my SM961 256GB.
After the Win10 installation i enabled the Sata ports again, installed all drivers and everything was running perfect.
Iâm using the DeLock PCIE to M.2 adapter, part# 89370. Nice thing on this adapter is that thereâs a HDD power LED connector which works very well.
I installed the adapter with SSD on the 2nd PCIE X8 port which should give better speeds than on the lowest PCIE X4 port.
Enjoy your 960 EVO
@Andy1 :
Thank you for your interesting report, which may be helpful for other users, who have problems to get their NVMe SSD properly working as bootable system drive.
I am wondering as well, why so many users choose the more difficult way and insert 3 previously manually extracted modules into the BIOS instead of simply taking the NvmeExpressDxE.ffs module, which I am offering within the start post.
According to my own tests there is no difference between both methods regarding the result.
Thanks again!
Dieter
Obviously yes, otherwise you would have succeeded to get the modded BIOS successfully flashed by using the ASUS USB Flashback feature.
The correct BIOS name should have been R4E.CAP
For further details you may look into >this< guide, which had been written for exactly your mainboard.
So I double checked my flashing procedures against the walk-through you posted. The file type for usb was indeed fat 32 and the spelling was R4E.CAP i just typoâd in my earlier post as I was tired. For what ever reason Asus Flash Back is not accepting the modded bios. Again I checked it against the source bios which will flash, as soon as I mod it and add the NVMe module (which I checked it is there) Asus Flash Back wonât take it. As I stated early I hold down the button while the stick is in the white USB slot for 3 seconds (tried longer as well) but I only get 3-4 flashes on the button and it goes black. When I have used Flash Back with the unmodded file it would blink for a minute or so and everything would be defaulted which is not happening with the modded as mentioned. Again I do not doubt I am making a mistake somewhere but for the life of me I canât find it. I normally donât have these kinds of difficulties modding/flashing/hacking my hardware/software so any other suggestions would be appreciated.
@atomicWAR :
Since we havenât watched what you had done, it is not easy for us to find out, at which step of the procedure you made a mistake.
I recommend to repeat everything from scratch according the start post of this thread.
Well I have tried several more approaches since my last post. I have tried disconnecting all drives then installing windows 10 to the NVMe drive. While in install it runs great when I reboot I get a bios error saying I need to correct my CSM settings to recognize my boot device. I tried every combo I can think of to no avail. I have redone your walk through several times from scratch with no difference in Asus Flash Back rejecting the modded bios (and only rejects the modded bios, stock is fine). With both insert FFS options used (first insert compressed as listed in walk-through and then insert as is) always under vol. index 2 which is the location of my CSMCORE volume 2 index 4D to insert NVMeEpressDxE.ffs. When I check to see if the file saves properly in MMtool as you stated the module shows up as the last Volume 2 index as volume 2 index A3. I even tried installing windows 7 using the NVMe driver listed by Samsung and while the drive will recognize, windows 7 will not allow install to said drive. My goal was to try to update using the media creation tool but since I couldnât get past Win 7 install that clearly didnât work out. I am really at a loss but not about to give up.
@Fernando , would you mind modding an RIVE 4901 bios and sending it my way? I know it is a fair amount to ask and I will not hold you accountable for the results. I just want to see if I am missing something or this is something else we are both missing. It would help me a lot. If not I understand due to the potential risks involved. Any other ideas or install methods would be appreciated.
I also tried an older bios version 4804 with the same results.
No, I generally to not modify any BIOS upon request. Otherwise I would not be able to continue my work as owner of this Forum.
What you can do is to put your latest modded BIOS into a ZIP or RAR archive and attach it. Then I will do a look into it.
Like I said any help is appreciated. I have run this walk-through 30 times at least now. Here is a .Rar of the last one I tried.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qkbsoon9im6qt01/R4E.rar?dl=0
I have also tried Flash Back directly after resetting my CMOS again with no changes. I hoped maybe a setting in my bios had prevented it, I was wrong.
@atomicWAR :
Thanks for having attached the modded BIOS.
Meanwhile I have opened the modded BIOS and looked for visible mistakes.
My comment:
Provided, that you have
a) used the original BIOS as source and
b) just inserted the NvmeExpressDxE.ffs file,
the BIOS seems to be correctly modified and should be accepted by the ASUS USB Flashback mechanism.
I have tested the source bios before modding and they flashed fine. I have re-downloaded 4901 several times from asus as well as tried an older versions of the bios with the same results. I wonder what makes my RIVE different from everyone else. I have tried several different RIVE NVMe walk-throughs from your thread, yours obviously first but including enyceedannyâs listed below and a few others.
[Guide] How to get full NVMe support for Intel Chipset systems from 6-Series up (40)
Not to mention several RIVE NVMe walk-throughs found or talked about via you-tube channels/rog forums/ Overclocker forums to no avail. Again something about my RIVE board in particular seems to have issues. Anyways If someone gets any ideas please let me know. And thanks for your help!!!
@atomicWAR :
If you really have done everything correctly and used a properly working USB Flash drive for flashing the modded BIOS, there is only 1 option left:
The USB Flashback feature of your special mainboard doesnât work. In this case I recommend to contact the vendor of your mainboard or the ASUS Support.
I got it to work. I had to switch thumb sticks of all things. I loaded the modded bios onto my secondary bios chip. I knew I was doing something stupid wrong. Apparently the thumb-stick had some weird partitioning going on. I figured it when i tried an older bios on asus flashback instead of in bios (which is what I had been doing). I had only tried the modded bios with flashback rog usb/button. All the other flashes where in bios. Anyways when Flashback wouldnât accept a vanilla bios I knew something was up. apparently it was fat 32 but GPT partition and it needed a MBR partition. So If you having the same issue I was check your USBâs partition.Thanks so much for you help. Just cloning my disk now to see if I can salvage my windows install otherwise Iâll do a freshy.
@atomicWAR :
Congrats for having found the reason for all your troubles and thank you for the related report.
To prevent, that other users may run into a similar problem, I have just customized the chapter "Flashing of the modded BIOS" within the start post of this thread.
Now I hope, that you will be able to get your NVMe SSD working as bootable system drive.
Good luck!
@Fernando ,
I am confused about what NVMeExpressDxE.ffs to use.
In the start post you refer to NVMeExpressDxE.ffs dated on 20th December 2015.
Among the 89 pages of the subject, I have seen somewhere you offered NVMeExpressDxE-64.ffs dated on 07th January 2017.
So, what is the good one ?
What file do you recommend to mod BIOS of ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe to be able to get 960 EVO bootable ?
At the moment using the older file does boot with 950 PRO , but does not boot with 960 EVO.
@100PIER :
The NvmeExpressDxE.ffs module, which is linked within the start post, has been tested by a lot of users (inclusive myself) and worked for nearly everyone.
The newer variants of this module may work as well (eventually even better or with more NVMe SSD models), but until now I havenât gotten any report written by a user, who had tested them. As soon as I get test reports, which indicate, that any of the newer modules is better than the currently recommended one (linked within the start post), I will update the start post and the related link.
@Fernando ,
Thanks for the clarification.
I will test with 960 EVO and P8Z77-V Deluxe modded BIOS with NVMeExpress.DxE-64.ffs module inserted, and then let you know.
However, the verification of successful insertion does not show the name of the successfully integrated module. (see screenshot)
The name does remain blank. Is it normal ?
That would be fine!
No, I forgot to insert the code, that the given name will be shown by the BIOS tools. It doesnât have any effect on its function, but makes it difficult to find the related module within the BIOS.
Meanwhile I have corrected my mistake regarding this module. Furthermore I have changed the internal and visible name to "NvmExpressDxE_2".
Please take the attached freshly customized module, when you are doing the test.
NvmExpressDxE_2.rar (14.3 KB)
Hello will this work for my Fatal1ty P67 Professional. Iâve bought a Samsung 960 SDD, I want to make it my bootable drive or Iâm going to replace motherboard and cpu??