InsydeH2O BIOS Modding Problems

The flash tool (H20FFT-Wx64.exe) was happy to proceed from within Windows but when dropping out of the GUI before the flash was executed the ‘Invalid Flash Image’ error was present and ‘Press any key to restart’.

You’ll need to get flash programmer then, or find H20FFT alternative that people say works for modified BIOS.

FYI or anyone following, tried the WIN & B BIOS recovery restart with BDW.fd (modified) on a flash drive, did not work, tried all 3 USB ports.

I have a flash programmer and software v1.30 in English, no idea what the next step is.

Next step is to download this package, so you have many versions of the software, not all work with all boards or BIOS roms
https://www.sendspace.com/file/gtcmvd

Then you want to connect the clip cable into the programmer with red wire going to middle of socket on the lever side. By middle I mean, there is 2 sets of 4/4 slots for BIOS, farther edge towards back of programmer is for 24xx BIOS, not yours. Middle slots of 4/4 is for 25xx BIOS, this is what we want to use. Red wire is pin 1, this goes on lever side of the programmer in the middle BIOS slot. Then red wire to clip on motherboard end goes to pin one on the motherboard BIOS. This is usually noticeable by a dot or paint or marker, or a indentation on the BIOS itself, and usually there is a white triangle or 1 by that same BIOS pin, that is pin one, Red wire there.

Then install driver in above package. Then open software of your choosing to try first, I already try newest version first. Hit detect and if it detects your chip by ID OK, then select that one. Sometimes you might need to choose less than full ID, or different than ID too, like BIOS ends in FV sometimes BV works better, but you’ll figure that out later if it comes to that. Once you’ve done that, hit read and when it’s done hit verify. If it verified good, then you hit save BIOS. Verify after reading it should tell you chip and buffer or memory match, then that is possibly a good verified file (not always). Open that file in hex editor and make sure it’s not all FF"s. Then repeat that a time or two and compare those two verified files, if they’re always good files and match then probably OK. Save this BIOS somewhere safe as backup. Make sure it opens properly and looks correct in any BIOS editing tools you are familiar with too, then you’ll know it’s OK.

Once all that is done, you can safely write to the chip. My way of doing that is to use partial auto. On the top you’ll see auto with everything checked, I un-check the first two and do those manually (Erase and blank check), leaving write/verify on auto.
To write a BIOS I always close the program to be sure buffer is clear, open it again and detect chip or select ID etc. Then erase chip, then blank check, then open BIOS file and hit auto. If that verifies correctly when it’s done, time to test the board.

Upload your dump here and I will check it for you, and redo the mod + unlock the BIOS Lock and see if I can undo the PRR lock for you too (possibly not on that, so you may need to program any mod BIOS in the future)

I’m fine with programming any update after this one as I don’t think the vendor (Acer) will ever shift their position. Removing the locks if possible would be excellent as you’ve told me the steps I would need to study to achieve any future updates.

I’ll need to strip the laptop down to the board and only have a desktop machine to use as a programmer, but thank you and I will be sure to report back once I’ve done all you ask.

OK the 131 tool detects but does not set the flash chip. It leaves the setting on 1MB/8Mbit

The 130 tool detects and offers Winbond W25Q64BV/FV. I took a picture of the chip and it is FV.

[[File:flash chip.png|none|auto]]

There is a privileged instruction warning when I select FV but went ahead and read. I verified the file as the same in memory. I’ve attached the dump from 130 CH341A tool.

[[File:flashdump130.zip]]

Had a look at the dumped image in UBU, it identifies as InsydeH20 and goes through EFI modules and OROM detection, I get the menu so I had a look at uCode and it flashed up about unknown AMD uCodes!

[[File:AMD uCodes.png|none|auto]]

The only thing that concerns me is that the modified image is over 9MB, so I have done a 16MB dump with the 131 CH341A tool.

I can’t upload as it is over 6MB so I will put it on Dropbox

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rqqol65j2lc1o2…ump131.zip?dl=0

Edited to remove all files.

So what is attached 1.30 dump, it’s only 8MB? Privilege instruction warning or access violation usually means connection was lost or incorrect connections, could be version error etc though?

I don’t know what you mean about 9MB mod image? Nothing from before matters or applies now that your going to dump the board, so toss all that and forget about it.

What you do need to sort out is why one dump is 8MB and one is 16MB? Dumping with programmer should be full chip always, if not there is a problem, toss the file and try again doing something different.
From what I can see the 16MB BIOS is a proper BIOS, with a second BIOS under main BIOS region, duplicated? Maybe that is how this system is setup fro recovery, seems like a terrible way to do that and very unusual.
Probably invalid dump or something.

Choose BV if you picked FV initially, and try the reverse too, see if both files match. And on 131 no detecting, you can leave like that, or select a chip ID yourself.
See my comment here, same chip I think, if that is your chip (W25Q64FVSIG) Asus X550LB shutting down every 30min (5)

Please read the chip with magnifying glass if you need to, and give me the exact model name. I cannot see anything in that image you posted, it’s just as small enlarged as it is here on the forum page
Then I can test this exact chip on my end and let you know which version works OK (I will start with latest and stop there if it’s OK). Do you have black/gold programmer or green/blue one, so I can know which one to test with.

Thanks it’s definitely W25Q64FVSIQ will try W25Q64BV setting

It is the black programmer. Yes I think the issue with 131 Is versioning.

Will post back shortly.

All files are identical; BV, FV and 131 detects as EF401716. (I used HxD to compare).

flashdump131ef401716.zip (3.89 MB)

I have those chips and that programmer if you need me to test things for you. I know it works OK because I have this image from a previous thread I showed someone, but I can’t find it so I can’t be sure which version of software or which flasher was used. I can retest for you though if needed.

Open-Write-Verify-Chip-Buffer-Same.png



*Edit - Just saw your last post on previous page! So yes, this should be 8MB image, BIOS is poorly coded from the get-go as mentioned before (Stock image), so this one looks similarly bad, so I think that means OK
I didn’t even remember saying that before, until I just now looked back to see what all we did on the BIOS previously

I will redo the mod, and unlocks etc for you on this dump and then you can write it back. Sorry I’m heading out the door for a while right now, so it may be a few hours
Please wait patiently and don’t start writing to the chip, well you can but be ready to recover if necessary Now you can do that though, since you have programmer!

The picture very much looks like 130 because the chip in the image has the pin 1 shown incorrectly

@winactive - Good eye, so 1.31 does not look like that? I’ll have to keep in mind for future image spotting
Here is your dump updated and fixed, change log included in zip
https://www.sendspace.com/file/t5f88n

131 does not show a chip image.

131noimage.png

I wish I could expand that versions window area, tried a few ways in congi.ini but no luck

Yeah I know what you mean. I don’t think the .ini file is doing anything. I statemented out and then deleted all the settings pertaining to window mode and size and it made no difference.

There are a couple of registry entries on my end relating to the .exe and nothing to the main .dll I’ve packed them into a .reg file for your analysis or info and attached it.

The good thing is the modified BIOS works! I just had a couple of mechanical issues after reassembling the laptop, a stuck DVD-RW tray and an unresponsive left-click (both largely resolved by reseating / refitting).

CH341ATool.zip (735 Bytes)



Sorry for the delay in responding but I just wanted to test it out a bit more thoroughly before posting

Same here, I changed a bunch, copied in a bunch from other version etc, nothing changed. So BIOS all working good now, that’s great!

Next time, it should be much easier for you to flash BIOS, you can flash mod BIOS and update ME etc now with FPT too if needed.

Hello,
could anyone be able to unlock hidden options in bios of my old Toshiba L300-1A8 (PSLB8E)? Below some details and original bios:

BIOS Vendor: INSYDE
BIOS Version: 2.20 rev. 3.5
BIOS Release Date: 12/09/2009
BIOS link: https://mega.nz/#!qQdh0ajT!SZ47OcAOHCwET…40GtKkC1eH2Fz4s
RW-Everything report (compressed with 7zip): https://mega.nz/#!GRMl1AJB!WFoaeAMtBwNhE…yxP3xgog-kjNTFk

@analyzer64 - key is needed for that download? Is this a BIOS Dump from your system, or a stock BIOS? If stock BIOS, please provide stock download link instead, thanks

@Lost_N_BIOS sorry, when i copy these links, they unfortunately gone cut.
Here is original bios from Toshiba (not a dump): http://support1.toshiba-tro.de/tedd-file…00225083641.zip