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

[determo13]

Just replaced images with links....
Actually I've use the same configuration as you, replaced optical with ssd caddy.
Right now I've use
HDD + SSD(optical driver replaced with SSD kingfast)
AS much as I know, there is no need to setup RAID array to make RST working, but I just want to prove the concept....
In general I need to boot with SATA = RAID.... so maybe I need to experiment more with UEFI console....

I've read that some people had problems with Intel rapid storage splash screen appearance and to fix that they just plugged devices in different SATA ports . In our case there is no more ports to experiment with.... 

@kasar have you tried to change SATA to RAID and check if that splash screen would appear?

P.S. that would not kill your OS, so going back and changing SATA to AHCI would make everything back to normal....

[kasar]

I use the diagnosis boot instead (wich looks more than a fully desktop machine showing detected devices instead just a progress bar)





here is my boot config



hdd drives detected (On AHCI mode only, on RAID mode they dont get detected.)





so yes, we are experiencing the same issue.

I have to admit I wasnt worried about SATA when I applied the changes to the BIOS, but wanted to add the functionality for others, but since I didnt tested I couldn't confirm it worked or not.

so, lets wait some input from brabellbla and follow_me, maybe they can give us a hand.

I have some pending changes for the next BIOS version, but since they wasn't big changes alone I was waiting for more features to relase an update, so I think I will update the bioses on the NBR forums when I get the RAID feature working.

[determo13]

So more info here when getting output from dh -b -p BlockIO

when in AHCI
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ecoUy...sp=sharing

when in RAID
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ecoUy...sp=sharing

Some device missing....?

[kasar]

yeah, definitly something is not working properly on RAID mode.

not sure, but I suspect we have a RAID driver issue on our laptops.

maybe if we pick the RAID rom from the L702X and compare with the L502X we can find the source of the issue, not sure about aditional drivers

did you noticed any difference with the modded bios with update RAID rom?

I didnt tested it.

[determo13]

Well if I remember it right, barabellbla or follow_me also had issue with that SATA devices missing, but managed to set boot device through UEFI console. However I'm guessing in our case SATA devices haven't been found even in UEFI and that's another reason why we wouldn't see Intel Rapid Storage splash screen.... as it would not show if NO SATA or only one SATA device is found.....

Re new RAID rom I just can't test as I'm using HDD for OS and TRIM is just for SSD.....
If you wish you may install intel rapid storage drivers from here and see if you've got any difference....
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_...rodId=2101

[determo13]

I've made some progress!
In RAID mode, once windows installation usb running you can't see any SATA devices BUT! once drivers loaded from here
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_...rodId=2101
all SATA devices found and OS can be installed.... I haven't completed this step yet, but going to, once important data backed up...

So that's brings us to the drivers which maybe somehow can be loaded at the bios level in RAID mode...... but thats question to the bios guru......

[Brabbelbla]

Your findings confirm that RAID mode is enabled, but that the option ROM is not being run so the BIOS is clueless about the SATA controller with changed device ID, and its connected devices, your disks. I remember that @follow_me once said that the drive in his ODD caddy wasn't visible in the shell in RAID mode, don't know about inside the RAID utility. I remember for myself that if I'd disable a SATA port so only one disk is visible, the OROM wasn't run, too. Or maybe I disabled the messages, I am not really sure anymore. So maybe either the controller, the firmware, 'something' thinks that only one disk is present and the OROM doesn't need to be run?

What might be possible anyway, looking at @follow_me a bit , is to write a simple UEFI driver that forces loading the OROM, when the SATA mode byte in the right variable in NVRAM is set to RAID. Looking here (http://wiki.phoenix.com/wiki/index.php/E...S_PROTOCOL) I see two functions, InstallPciRom and ShadowAllLegacyOproms (which might be a bit overkill) that should allow this.

[determo13]

So here is the result of trying installing OS...



Question, which one device should be selected as bootable?

[Brabbelbla]

@determo13
193 EDIT: is the SATA controller. The disks aren't there.

I'm wondering though what you are actually trying now. If you haven't created an array yet, and you want to use RAID, installing the OS now is futile as you will have to do so again. And installing an OS won't change the fact that the BIOS doesn't run the OROM, doesn't see your SATA devices and therefore won't boot from such a device.

[determo13]

My finaly goal is to establish Intel Smart Response, for that RAID should be enabled, but actual array will be created by Intel Smart Response software.
Right now I'm trying to give as much info as I can... because I'm on my own don't have any knowledge in moding bios, so maybe you guys can help with that....