Hey @paranoid_android - it’s OK, we all get busy! On the “Second System” you can run FPT from DOS, just use the version from the DOS folder instead of Win/Win32 folder
SMART errors might be due to driver related issues, I saw Fernando mentioning this the other day I think.
Hi @Lost_N_BIOS - I have the Region Dump now.
This ist from the “Second System” - P9X79-WS with Bios 4901: Please note that the Bios is a modded one, with NVME Boot-Options added.
I finally managed to set up a system on a Sata SSD.
I used Win 10Pro because I hoped it would run a bit smoother with X79 chipset than win7.
But instead I seem to face new problems… There seem to be no updated drivers for chipset and onboard components for win 10.
Some are not recognized… Chipset drivers seem to be provided by microsoft or windows update.
But the Intel chipset Sata Controller is identified as “Standard AHCI Controller” while under win7 it was registered as “Intel C600/X79 AHCI Sata Controller”.
I can’t seem to get separate Intel Chipset drivers installed.
Nor do I find win10 drivers for some onboard components such as additional sata drivers.
Could I use Win7 driver packages instead?
Further, I cannot get the Intel RST drivers installed. Don’t I need them for operation with win10?
Should I try to get a Win7 installed on the second system instead?
biosreg.zip (3.9 MB)
@paranoid_android - If you want I can do the NVME mod to the other BIOS too?
On win10 drivers, you should be able to install all from the below links, based on what each page says per your chipset. Install chipset first, that should update some of the items names
Intel Chipset Device “Drivers” (= INF files)
Recommended AHCI/RAID and NVMe Drivers
Intel RST/RSTe Drivers (newest: v17.0.0.1063/v5.5.0.1334 WHQL)
Intel Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware & System Tools
USB 3.0/3.1 Drivers (original and modded)
Or, on the Asus download page, choose Win8.1, all those drivers should work for Win10 too I think. If not, get ones you need at above links
As for moving forward with mods, I still need testing report from you on the other system, which BIOS mod worked (both or only one) and which method you preferred
@Lost_N_BIOS - Win10 has some chipset drivers installed wich seem to be provided by intel.
When I tried to install the INF-inst-utility (several versions), it either aborted due to compability issues or because the installed drivers were of newer date.
So I could not manually install AHCI drivers also.
I was able to install the Intel ME though.
But I will DL and try out the files that you posted.
Problem is, the system is now refusing to start up at all.
Recover and Repair Operations fail also.
I will try and setup win10 newly from scratch. But I find it strange that this quite new install failed to boot already.
I will have to do some validation of the installed memory and perhaps the CPU before a new install.
I will have to try out the mods you provided for my other system. Which is in fact my main machine, the one I’m using right now.
I wasn’t sure if the system would start up after flashing the mod, so the other system (which now does not work) shoud have been my by-pass.
In general, I think its a good idea if you implemented the NVME mods to all bioses I provide also.
Could you rework the ones you sent me?
Plus, I did aquire an Asus Z9PE-D8 WS board. It is in mint condition, but in the end I would have nvme and bitfurcation mods applied on that platform too.
I’ll have to do some testing and validation on both the current main machine and the designated “second” system.
Happy new year to you!
Hi @Lost_N_BIOS , I tried to write a modified bios (the switched option) using ftpw.exe.
I had copied the bin file into the app folder previously.
The operation failed, here is a dump of the command window:
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D:\Tools\x86\Intel ME System Tools v8 r3\Flash Programming Tool\Windows>FPTw.exe -bios -f Switch.bin
Intel (R) Flash Programming Tool. Version: 8.1.60.1561
Copyright (c) 2007 - 2014, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Platform: Intel(R) Patsburg Chipset - Reserved DID 0x1D41
Reading HSFSTS register... Flash Descriptor: Valid
--- Flash Devices Found ---
W25Q64BV ID:0xEF4017 Size: 8192KB (65536Kb)
PDR Region does not exist.
GBE Region does not exist.
- Reading Flash [0x800000] 6656KB of 6656KB - 100% complete.
Error 7: Hardware sequencing failed. Make sure that you have access to target flash area!
Trying to erase the same block (iteration: 2)
Error 7: Hardware sequencing failed. Make sure that you have access to target flash area!
Trying to erase the same block (iteration: 3)
Error 7: Hardware sequencing failed. Make sure that you have access to target flash area!
Failed to erase this block 3 times!!
@Fernando - Microsoft doesn’t stop Intel drivers from being installed, correct? I know Win10 is a pain in the xxxxxxxxxx but wow! 
@paranoid_android - For the BIOS flashing tests, you have to flash via USB Flashback for mod BIOS on this board, sorry I didn’t realize and mention that. And apologies for not noticing that back when I sent you the files.
Due to that, you’ll need complete BIOS files not just BIOS region, here is new files to use, since you must do it this way. Rename the files to P9X79EWS.CAP as you test, each one must have this same name so only put on file on USB at a time.http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=41473949488134764740 - Failed BIOS mod, do not use - final BIOS posted in post #74
Smaller the USB the better, format to FAT32 and put BIOS on root of USB. Yes, I remembered, NVME added to these BIOS
I’m not sure what’s going on with your system that wont start, is that due to a BIOS I gave you?
@Lost_N_BIOS :
I do not really understand what you mean. About which specific Intel drivers and at which stage (during the OS installation or from within a running OS) are you talking?
@Lost_N_BIOS - Thanks, I had used Bios flashback method before on that second board to flash my own NVME modded Bios (4901+NVME for P9X79-WS).
That’s the system that won’t start. I reverted back to the official unmodded Version now, but at no effect.
Next I’ll eihter try to set up win10 new from scratch or to run some memtests before that.
I am not really sure if it might be a hardware issue other than related to the bios or win10.
So I’ll try to use your modified bios file(s) on my current system (P9X79E-WS) next.
By the way, this is my bios file I used for the system that won’t start now, the P9X79-WS.
I used Fernando’s modding guide to build it.
P9X79-WS-ASUS-4901-NVME.zip (4.83 MB)
@Fernando - I am not sure either, only asking based of what paranoid_android said in post #24
@paranoid_android - that BIOS you attached looks OK. Does it boot to BIOS, and just not windows, or wont even boot to BIOS?
Questions:
1. Did you read the start post of >this< thread?
2. Who gave you the advice to install the “INF-inst-utility”?
3. Why did you install it at all?
4. How did you install it (the normal way or with the command suffix " -overall")?
5. Why did you install several versions?
This is not true.
You can manually install each AHCI driver, which matches the HardwareIDs of your on-board AHCI Controller, no matter whether it is older or less good digitally signed as your in-use driver.
This is the way how to to it: Right-click onto the related Controller and choose the options “Update driver” > “Browse my computer…” > “Let me pick…”. Then press the “Have Disk” button, navigate to the folder with the desired driver, double-click onto the matching *.INF file (for the Intel AHCI driver it is usually named “iaAHCI.inf” or “iaAHCIC.inf”) and click onto the “Ok” button. The rest will be done automaticly.
@Lost_N_BIOS : The System did and does pass POST. And it also boots up with install media and did also support two windows install runs.
So I did not think that the Bios could be related to any of the encountered problems first.
@Fernando :
1. Not at that time. I was led to this thread by @Lost_N_BIOS.
Installing the INF-inst-utility is what I had been doing after new windows installs since my P4 or Core2-Systems (so for about 15 years or so, I’ve been doing this on windows installs).
2. The above mentioned is part of the explanation for this point also.
On previous win-versions and hardwares, the chipset components often weren’t installed/listed properly in the device mangager, lots of them with exclamation marks as unknown (pci-)components.
So it has become a routine to check wether the chipset components are “installed” seemingly correctly or not.
Plus, in this particular case, I felt encouraged through post #23 also, so, even after reading your start post there, I later decided to give it another try to install it anyway.
3. I did install it because I had thougt that I could implement a native Intel AHCI Driver file this way, since the controller is part of the chipset.
After finished initial Win10 install, I looked in the Device Manager Tab and noticed that the chipset components had already been identified and listed, so I did not need to install anything for those.
But instead of the “Intel X79/C600 Sata AHCI Controller”, there was merely a Microsoft-branded “Standard AHCI Controller” installed/listed in the Controllers section.
I had expected that if I chose to add an inf-package that was not needed, the system would discard or omit it anyway and at solely install the “correct” AHCI controller drivers.
I was not sure if the intel RST packages were explicitly for raid use or for usual single-volume AHCI also, so I tried out the chipset-packages first.
4. I did install it by using setup.exes if the packages came with one. I also used the method of pointing to the .inf files manually later.
5. Why “Several Versions”: I used the latest (2013, for Win7 and 8.1) packages provided by Asus, then I tried to DL a package from intel, and finally I tried a package found in this forum.
I did that because trying to install the diverse sata driver packages provided by asus or intel (RST) did refuse to install (“wrong platform”) or Win10 stated that there was a “better driver already installed”.
And I used the manual method you described also.
Since the system has not started up for several days now and I had tried to install drivers for the further not recognized onboard components afterwards; plus I had to fix my attention on another operation on my main system in the mean time, so I do not recall anymore if the Intel AHCI driver had been accepted or not.
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At this point, I am not even sure why the system won’t start up at all.
I had encountered a not identical, but, looking back on it, similar appearing problem when I had installed win10 on that system the first time.
Installation was successful, but after some boot-ups (with me trying to install the ahci drivers) the win 10 system wouldn’t start up and shortly after that the Bios began to warn me about a SMART fail of the system drive that was in use; I had thought that the failing of the first win 10 system was do to harddisk failiure.
But if I look at it now I begin to question wether it could be some sort of hardware issue.
The board and installed memory had been in use for 11 months only and had then been stored away until I had began to build up a system a month ago. So I did not expect that any damage could have occured on board and dimms in the mean time.
@paranoid_android :
Thanks for your detailed answers to my questions.
Here is my comment:
1. Regarding the Intel Chipset Device INF files I recommend to read >this< short statement I gave today for another Forum member.
2. Contrary to the “normal” Intel Chipset Devices, which are managed by simple text files, the Intel Controllers (SATA Controller, USB Controller etc.) need real drivers (= *.SYS files with a complicated hidden code).
3. It is no problem to replace the generic MS AHCI driver named MSAHCI.SYS or STORAHCI.SYS by a specific Intel RST driver, which supports the HardwareIDs of the on-board Intel SATA AHCI Controller.
4. As you I suspect a hardware issue as origin for your problems and recommend to check your on-board hardware one after the other.
@Fernando :
It may be a problem with the onboard marvell sata controller.
I have tried several win10 setups in the mean time and I created a recovery point right after first boot-up and basic settings.
I let the chipset inf files untouched, as win10 seems to install own ones after some time.
I included the intel rst driver found in this forum during the win10 setup procedure, which speeded up the setup time dramatically.
The only item which remains with an exclamation mark in device manager is the marvel 9128 sata controller.
First it is listed as unknown sata controller, later as standard sata ahci controller. But alway with warning, that the device cannot be started.
This does not change if I deactivate the marvell oprom in bios setup at all.
If I replace the driver with one mvs91xx.inf, the device name changes to “Marvell 91xx SATA 6G Controller” and seems to be ok.
But from this point the option fields in the controllers device manager tab to update the driver files or to remove the device are greyed out an inctive.
If I try to start the “scan for new hardware” funtion, the system keeps on scanning to infinity. The next boot-up ends in the hang that I experienced earlier.
In the end, anything that I try that is related to the oboard marvell controller results in the system hang I described earlier.
It is of no matter which mvs91xx.inf file I use (win 7/8.1 from asus webpage; or the ones provided in this forum), it triggers this system hang which I can only fix by reverting to that recovery point.
As for now, the only option seems to be that I simply don’t use the marvell controller, whis is not that much of a problem.
But I can’t remove the driver or device permanently, since it keeps on coming back even if I deactivate it in bios.
This could trigger further problems, if future windows updates would try to update that driver also, I suspect.
What I still don’t understand is why it makes the system hang so badly, that it cannot repair the error by itself.
This indicates a bug within the BIOS. Does this happen even when no disk drive is connected to any Marvell SATA port?
According to my own experience the “automatic repair” option of the OS usually doesn’t work with storage drivers.
By the way - what has our discussion about the function of the Marvell SATA Controller to do with the topic of this thread?
@Fernando :
I have no devices connected to that controller.
This topic developed somehow while the thread progressed.
First it was about that I wanted to provide @Lost_N_BIOS with a bios region dump from the X79-WS Board.
I wanted to test any bios mod on that board first before I use them on my current system (X79E-WS Board).
→ But I had to get a system running on that board. To use the Intel ME Engine for the Bios Region Dump.
–>I decided to install win10, so I could try this out too, before replacing the OS for my current system.
—>And then, while installing ME and vendor driver files on win10, the problems with the system hang began.
---->Until yesterday, when I could locate the marvell controller or the respective driver(s) as source of the problem.
And the qustion how to fix this problems developed as a side effectshrug
@paranoid_android :
Thanks for your resume of this thread’s history.
Anyway the thread title has become misleading. Furthermore the issue of the Marvell Controller has obviously nothing to do with the topic “BIOS Modding”.
@Lost_N_BIOS :
Since the thread title doesn’t match the final outcome of the discussion, it seems necessary to customize the title and may be useful to move this thread (or parts of its content) into another Sub-Forum.
What do you think?
@Fernando :
I had “let it flow” because I did not expect the problem to grow so big and time-consuming and because I found the provided information useful to get this win10 system running.
I am still interested in
a) make the amsedia/iocrest nvme controller working on my systems (this was the initial problem and relates to nvme booting).
b) explore the possibilities of adding bitfurcation funtions to my X79/C600 systems, as @Lost_N_BIOS and I were talking about.
So of course, it is not my decision to make, but you could crop the thread so that strictly the nvme-bitufurcation-biosmod related content remains.
The cropped parts could be edited/transitioned into something else - I don’t know, maybe there is still some information contained in it that some-one else coud find useful in the future?
@Lost_N_BIOS - I will try out your modeded capsules on my P9X79E-WS board and will report on the results.
Well, if the machine should boot up after the procedure. If not, a response could take a few days.
I used this method to get bifurcation functional on P9X79, however I havent been able to enable the bios menu.
@Fernando - I’m not a fan of split topics “just because” during progression of the discussion all for the same user/board covers multiple topics, so I’ll leave that to you, since we all probably have differing opinions on stuff like this.
To me, this leads to broken discussions for no reason, and may confuse future readers following along.
I always use chipset.exe -overall too, on all clean installs, it’s a thing since forever 
@paranoid_android - you and Fernando’s discussion has lost me what’s going on now, so not sure where you are or what’s going on anymore?
I’m still ready to build both BIOS for you, but unsure what’s going on, this has taken forever so I can’t even remember if I’ve already done the mods or not, but do remember I was waiting on dumps form you for both systems for some reason, instead of sending you stock mod BIOS.
Now, I think maybe we don’t need dumps, since we’ll use USB Flashback instead of FPT.
@JackSted - I just saw your thread too. this can all be done via other easier BIOS modifications, but your end result may be similar/same. Once we get to that here I’ll be sure to tag you again so you can see final outcome BIOS and maybe test it if you want.