GA-P35-DS3 rev2.0 -> Award BIOS -> OROM Exchange

BIOS/UEFI Modding BIOS Modding Guides and Problems
1

Hello!

I like to replace the Realtek LAN OROM “rtegrom.lom” … with the Plop Bootmanager OROM “PLPBT.ROM” … for booting from USB2.0 devices.
rtegrom.lom (079FDh / 30,50kB) has a little bigger compressed size than the PLPBT.ROM (0678Eh / 25,89kB).



There are 2 problems for me:
1. I have to create a FAKE.BIN or DUMMY.DUM with compressed size (01251h / 4,58kB).
How could I do this in best & simple way for this old non-UEFI Award BIOS?

2. The LAN OROM rtegrom.lom is below the sensitive MEMINIT.BIN.
How can I work around this problem (p.e. with HxD)?

I have CBROM_155.exe, CBROM198fixed.exe and BIOS “P35DS3.F14” in same folder.

My idea is:
- to add the same rtegrom.lom to the BIOS,
- find the same compressed code of rtegrom.lom 2 times → at the end & at the original position,
- copy with HxD the PLPBT.ROM into the original position of rtegrom.lom …

… but now begins the problem for me, how to fill the rest of the code, because after 2 other BMPs there is another sensitive OROM called “PPMINIT.ROM”.

Or should I make a Dummy.DUM/FAKE.BIN & put it into the original rtegrom.lom with HxD?
But then, the problem is: How to change the item-name “PCI ROM[C]”, because i need this for inserting the PLPBT.ROM.

Last question: to replace the rtegrom.lom, do I have to rename the PLPBT.ROM to “rtegrom.lom”?

Thanks for your ideas & help!
MiMo|addpics|eto-1-3071.png|/addpics|

2

@MiesMosel :
Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of BIOS Gurus, who are experts regarding the BIOS modification of old Award BIOSes with a sensitive module below/behind the modules, which shall be updated/replaced.
The best matching thread, where you may find answers to your questions, is >this< one.

The MEMINIT.BIN is no problem, because the LAN ROM is beyond and not above this sensitive module.

AFAIK it is not required to rename the Option ROM module you want to insert instead of the currently existing one, especially when both modules have an absolutely different function.

By the way: What is an OROM "Tausch"?

3

But I want to start the PLOP-Bootmanager OROM with the BIOS Option -> Boot from LAN.
I’m afraid of not changing the name from "PLPBT.ROM" to "rtegrom.lom" could produce problems.

Btw OROM Tausch was "exchange"d.



I’ve found out here in this guide of Pinczakko, that p.e. the "rtegrom.lom" of my BIOS begins with "FF 24 32 2D 6C 68 35" @ offset (h) C0E40 … or C0E41?



Update:
I’ve replaced the LAN OROM with the Plop-Boot-Manager OROM.
Used CBROM_155 to release all ROMs after & inclusive the rtegrom.lom.
Then re-inserted all in the right order with CBROM198fixed.



Now I need help to change the checksum - or is it just happened through inserting with CBROM198fixed …?
How could I do this?

|addpics|eto-1-3071.png,eto-2-f31a.png|/addpics|

p35ds3.f14.zip (589 KB)

p35ds3.f14 (neworder).zip (584 KB)

4

I’ve flashed the newly edited BIOS (with PLPBT.ROM in NewOrder) … and the PC starts with a peep-tone, but it’s all okay.
At the end of QFlashs work it shows the Checksum “0E00”. If I restart PC, it beeps two times, but it works.

What did I wrong or can I change?

5

@MiesMosel :
You may boost the chances to get support by a real Award BIOS expert like SummoneR, modfreakz or felix, if you address your questions directly to them.
If you want, I can merge the content of this thread into >this< one.

Off topic:

Your Signature uses too much space. Please reduce it to max. 3-4 lines.
For this Forum it is enough to mention the name and manufacturer of your system/mainboard, its chipset and the sort/configuration/SATA mode of your storage disk drives.

6

Thanks Fernando,

you could could merge the important content into or instead this message.

Greetings, MiMo

7

Update:
I would be pleased if somebody could help me or give some hints. Please, I will share my knowledge too.
1. How can I compare the checksum from Q-Flash (v2.05) with the checksum in the BIOS-file (@ address 0EBFFEh & 0EBFFFh)?
2. The mainboard is beeping once more than it used to be. It’s because of the checksum (see above) & some filled 00’s & FE’s by the cbrom tool.
3. There is also a 00 @ adress 0E0000h in original file, but not in the changed file by the cbrom tool.

Somebody knows about that?
Best regards, MiMo

8

Conclusion/solution: Yes, I did it.

1. Checksum made by CBROM (re-inserting something).
2. It’s still beeping a little more than original from Gigabyte.
3. CBROM is managing it, no problem.
4. Added PLOP OROM as LAN-ROM alias.
5. Changed boot picture for better reading.
6. Manual updated cpu microcode (B6 -> BA).
7. Updated Q-Flash to Version 2.23.
8. Find a second possiblity to flash from dos-disk(usb) with FlashSPI.
Very nice tool with clearing DMI, erasing CMOS & loading CMOS Defaults (saving BIOS file, too).
It helped me, when Q-Flash couldn’t flash any bios since DMI/CMOS weren’t erased.

9

Whats a Plop boot manager do?