(UEFI) Dell XPS 15z L511z modded BIOS - and HOWTO

[nebster]

You need to run it through gdb:

Code:

> gdb --args ifdtool.exe <args>
.
.
.
> run
...
Access Violation
> bt

[kasar]

tried something

Code:

C:\BIOS MOD\A12 PROJECT\modded menus\ME test\Tools\System Tools\ifdtool>ifdtool -u mydumpfile.rom
File mydumpfile.rom is 4096 bytes
Found Flash Descriptor signature at 0x00000010
Writing new image to mydumpfile.rom.new

C:\BIOS MOD\A12 PROJECT\modded menus\ME test\Tools\System Tools\ifdtool>

then hex compared both files, untouched and "patched one"

it changed following

0B 0A 00 00 0D 0C

to

FF FF 00 00 FF FF

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Code:

C:\BIOS MOD\A12 PROJECT\modded menus\ME test\Tools\System Tools\ifdtool>ifdtool -u mydumpfile.rom
File mydumpfile.rom is 4096 bytes
Found Flash Descriptor signature at 0x00000010
Writing new image to mydumpfile.rom.new

C:\BIOS MOD\A12 PROJECT\modded menus\ME test\Tools\System Tools\ifdtool>ifdtool -l mydumpfile_unlock.rom
File mydumpfile_unlock.rom is 4096 bytes
Found Flash Descriptor signature at 0x00000010
Writing new image to mydumpfile_unlock.rom.new

mmm, not sure if this tool works properly, tried something

1 unlock
2 relock again

the relock output file is 5 kb instead just 4 kb, and well, there are still many differences

I attacked the files to the post

[TimeWalker]

That's what @CodeRush had to say:

The only way to unlock flash descriptor for 7-series boards is by writing a sequence of 00 00 FF FF 00 00 FF FF 18 01 into address 0x60 using a hardware flasher/programmer.

And I've already quoted it once .. and that's exactly what the tool has done:

But read the part in bold .. it applies to us since Dell will never release v8 ME as desktop board manufacturers do. (otherwise having the v8 flash would unlock the FD and ME) They have updated EC only once to fix adapter detection interval (re-try 3 times every 500ms to extend detection time for Adapter plug-in). Look at Lenovo ... they update everything even for their baseline laptops .. And not it's like Dell doesn't have problems with their EC .. take the stupid fan noise for example.. it's just they ditch their users.

Look at Dell's support retarded employees .. people ask if SecureBoot is possible on XPS 15/17 L502x/L702x and Vostro 3450/3750 and their consultants say 'UEFI Bios is required to support SecureBoot" - they don't know sh*t ..
Actually new Insipiron 17R and Special Edition (SE) have SecureCore Tiano 2.31 and SecureBoot is enabled from the factory and can't be disabled from the BIOS according to what I had read, so people are struggling to install Windows 8 because it won't let them update the Boot Manager...

[jkbuha]

What if we had to flash the descriptor through winflash alongside the main bios?

[TimeWalker]

How do you point WinFlash to update the desciptor? It's not like you have a way of having it as a stanalone file or something .. WinFlash has to load a capusle into memory. How would you know how the descriptor is integrated into the capsule to be able to be recognized in the process of flashing ?

There's an /ALL flag to update everything including the FD region.. as well as /DESC flag .. but.
Since FD signature starts at 0x10 there should be something similar to a sequence of:
5A A5 F0 0F 03 00 04 02 06 02 10 12 20 01 21 00 25 00 00 00 .................... or at least the 'lock' part 00 00 0B 0A 00 00 0D 0C 18 01 08 08
somewhere in the capsule, right? well, too bad the there isn't ...

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Actually an interesting link I had stumped upon: ftp://ftp.icg.eu/Drivers/Printers/.../Dr...l/Phoenix/

1.5.65.0
Bug fix:
Bugzilla 14819 - Windows
(Emerson) flash tool can not update descriptor region on HuronRiver platform.

[kasar]

well, if the only viable way of getting that thing unlocked is directly program the flash unit by hardware programer, I think we can go for it.

as for me, I made some electronic projects before.

like turn a cheap RC car into a wireless comtroled robot with camera and more stuff, everything controlled from a wrt54gl router.

while I was flashing modded firmwares into it, it got bricked once.

so I had to build a JTAG cable, then I was able to flash and recover the router by conecting the JTAG cable to the parallel port of a computer and the other side to a custom made conector at the router.

I think I may be able to use the JTAG cable to get access to the motherboard, not sure if when I made the internal usb mods to my xps15 I saw some kind of dev internal port, so I manage the get the correct pinouts from that port, I may get all of this working.

this also have some advantages, like if we get a working hardware programer, then we can made a whole backup of the flash, and by having a whole backup of the flash, I supose there will be no posible way our laptop get bricked ever, because we will allways be able to restore our working backup ^^

we also would be able to unlock the descriptor by hex moding the backup by modifing the values timewalker pointed, and then flash it back ^^

some pics of the JTAG cable I made









also, if I manage to get the correct pinouts, I could put that small conector on the l502x ram expansion door, so when I have to flash anything from that, I woulnt have to take appart the whole laptop, just remove the door.

what do you think about this guys, would be a viable option?

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now some images from the net of the jtag cable ussage






I hope this will works :3

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well, there are also another solutions

this one for example

http://www.embeddedcomputers.net/products/FlashcatUSB/

you can see our SPI Flash device: "W25Q32BV" unit is supported

[TimeWalker]

SPI is surface mounted and non-removable, you don't have access to pins on the chip. At least this is the case of my Winbond.

Great project though. I have my ways around basic circuit design and soldering, but I wouldn't dare removing a surface mounted chip ;/

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2

[nebster]

Well, SPI is just a protocol. If you just have any board such as an arduino or similar (maybe even your router), you can communicate easily with the flasher with a simple program.

@TimeWalker you can get surface mount "sleeves" which just rest on top of the chip and there's no soldering required.

[kasar]

@timewalker

ty

well, I am not going to remove a surface mounted chip either ^^

I was thinking more about adding wires to the motherboard on easy points to solder.

then I can add the conector easly and program the chip by adding a external/internal connector.

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mmm, aparently our flash device just have 8 legs, so it would be easy to attack 8 wires to the motherboard in worst situation ^^

[TimeWalker]

CodeRush is actually in the process of designing a cheapo flasher. I think he has finished his design and ordered custom pxbs this Monday. If all turns out great I can ask him if he has some tricks up his sleeves in regards to our chips.

@nebster Yeah I know about the clip on ribbons, but they are finicky and not really stable. At least the ones I had to deal with weren't. But I don't really feel like tampering with hardware since I have like 1.5 years of warranty on my unit.

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2

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That's a SIG part number, we don't nscesarrily have a SIG. Mine is a flat chip 100%, I've seen both it and EC ITE chip while dismanteling the unit.

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2

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Get the Quanta schematic online and see the pinout and the actual P/N. My Emerald Lake board has a surface-mounted SPI.

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