Sony VGN-AR760U - Unlocked hidden options & EIST Unlocked

[hippotek]

Hi everybody!

I have a VGN-AR760U currently running two SSDs... My problem is: This particular model of the AR series seems to be the only one, in which the RAID functionality of the bios is completely disabled

Sony has never published a firmware upgrade for the machine (version R2080J8) or any of the later AR series, so all I can provide as a starting point is the latest available AR bios upgrade in its original sony flavour and unpacked as well as the Backup of my bios and one backup of a slightly newer release I dug up online (R2090J8)...

I want to squeeze the most from the machine, hence the hope to run a RAID 0.
If anybody has a later AR series I'd love to try a newer bios... if somebody manages to recombine R0162j6.wph and whichever backup bios into a flashable version...

RAID is the number one priority... SLIC 2.1 would be a bonus

[hippotek]

Sony has never published a firmware upgrade for the machine (version R2080J8) or any of the later AR series, so all I can provide as a starting point is the latest available AR bios upgrade in its original sony flavour and unpacked as well as the Backup of my bios and one backup of a slightly newer release I dug up online (R2090J8)...

RAID is the number one priority... SLIC 2.1 would be a bonus

I manged to patch the backup bios .rom file with the platform information from an earlier bios... Integrated Slic 2.1 but still have no raid

[kizwan]

This is modified BIOS image for Sony Vaio VGN-AR760U. It is based on BIOS R2080J8F which hippotek gave to me (R2080J8SLIC21.zip - see previous post). This mod was requested by hippotek in the other forum. I post the modified BIOS here in case anyone else who own the same notebook in this forum also looking for the same modified BIOS. Use it at your own risk.
Sony Vaio VGN-AR760U R2080J8F MOD R2.rar (Please give feedback if you use this modified BIOS. Please take pictures of the unlocked options on your computer & post it here.)
- Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) is unlocked - for enabling dual-IDA using ThrottleStop.

NOTES: I have unlocked other menu as well. Please be careful with it. If your computer doesn't boot after changing something in the sub-menu, you will need to disconnect the CMOS/RTC battery to reset CMOS back to default. To do so, you will need to open your notebook casing.

Please make sure your notebook can recover corrupted BIOS with CRISIS disk before flashing BIOS with this modified BIOS image. I will not responsible for any problem. Good luck.

[hippotek]

The BIOS works Fine. My board does not support raid so I cannot comment on that...

[mhurst99]

I have a Sony VGN-AR790. Its data sheet explicitly states "RAID technology". In March the motherboard failed and I sent it to Sony for repair. It appears to work EXCEPT the two disk drive no longer work as a single drive (RAID 0) and I can't figure out how to fix this. It has bios R2090J8 like Hippoteks. Did they use the wrong motherboard or BIOS? BELARC says the controllers are: 1) 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI; and ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controllers.

Will these controllers support Raid 0 if the BIOS would allow RAID to be selected?

Many thanks

[kizwan]

Hi,

For RAID to works, it needs support from hardware & software (BIOS). I can tell you that BIOS R2080J8F support RAID. There is Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v7.0.0.1020 ICH8M-E in the BIOS. So, BIOS should not be a problem. I also found the 82801HEM chipset (ICH8M-E) also support RAID. The last thing that can prevent RAID from working is if manufacturer decided not to implemented it. I checked VGN-AR790U/B does support RAID (mentioned in the product specification).

[mhurst99]

Thanks for you response. BIOS R2090J8 does not offer any RAID options in my AR790. RAID 0 use to work before the motherboard was replaced by Sony. I have no idea what the BIOS version was prior to the repair and I don't know if the BIOS offered RAID as an option...there was no reason to look since it worked fine as a RAID 0 computer.

I called Sony and they want me to ship it back. The guy on the phone certainly implied they could fix it in the shop BUT only in the shop. I'm shipping it out tomorrow and should know in 10 days if they actually fix it.

[fabbri]

Hi Kizwan!

I saw what you did with the Phoenix bios R2080J8F.
great job!

I would need something similar for the bios of my Sony Vaio SZ4 (R0112N0), which I join.

I'm really interested in accessing the CPU thermal settings, because, since I upgraded to windows 7, fan is giving me lot of problems (I would like to rise the thermal trip).

I managed to enable VT and AHCI using symcmos, but unlocking hidden menus is really beyond my abilities.

please help me freeing my bios!

many thanks,

fabbri.

This is modified BIOS image for Sony Vaio VGN-AR760U. It is based on BIOS R2080J8F which hippotek gave to me (R2080J8SLIC21.zip - see previous post). This mod was requested by hippotek in the other forum. I post the modified BIOS here in case anyone else who own the same notebook in this forum also looking for the same modified BIOS. Use it at your own risk.
Sony Vaio VGN-AR760U R2080J8F MOD R2.rar (Please give feedback if you use this modified BIOS. Please take pictures of the unlocked options on your computer & post it here.)
- Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) is unlocked - for enabling dual-IDA using ThrottleStop.

NOTES: I have unlocked other menu as well. Please be careful with it. If your computer doesn't boot after changing something in the sub-menu, you will need to disconnect the CMOS/RTC battery to reset CMOS back to default. To do so, you will need to open your notebook casing.

Please make sure your notebook can recover corrupted BIOS with CRISIS disk before flashing BIOS with this modified BIOS image. I will not responsible for any problem. Good luck.

[kizwan]

Hi fabbri,

Please create a proper request thread in Phoenix Unlocking Requests section. Thank you.

[anypet]

Hi,

For RAID to works, it needs support from hardware & software (BIOS). I can tell you that BIOS R2080J8F support RAID. There is Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v7.0.0.1020 ICH8M-E in the BIOS. So, BIOS should not be a problem. I also found the 82801HEM chipset (ICH8M-E) also support RAID. The last thing that can prevent RAID from working is if manufacturer decided not to implemented it. I checked VGN-AR790U/B does support RAID (mentioned in the product specification).

Hi Kizwan!
This the VGN-AR95US Japan type rom,
could you help me ? modify support windows 7.
thanks you