Bios Mods -The Best BIOS Update and Modification Source

Hey, I think I've got this figured out but I just want to make sure I do.

So I have a Dell XPS One (A2010) and the current BIOS and currently installed BIOS is 2.0.6, within the BIOS Dell has whitelisted just two MXM graphics cards, there Intel G33 and the ATI 2400 HD. I would like to try and run something like a Nvidia 9600M GT. So following some WLAN whitelisting guides, I've come up with this,

Here's the original BIOS download from Dell extracted into this folder (available here http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19)



Anyway, after extracting it I opened the second of the 1MB files (M-020006) in MMTOOL, I didn't think it mattered which one of the two I opened and used. I did have to append .ROM to the file for it to open in MMTOOL



Then I extracted every one of those files displayed in MMTOOLS to a separate folder and opened them all in my hex editor,





I searched in every file for the Vendor and Device ID's I had for the Intel and ATI cards, VEN 8086 DEV 29C2 and VEN 1002 DEV 94C9, respectively, and found them both here,

Intel


ATI


Now it is my understanding that I can replace one of these values with the VEN and DEV ID's from say a 9600M GT (10DE and 0649). I would replace the ATI values just in case the card didn't work I wouldn't be left without a display, but are the SUBSYS values important? I don't have them for the ATI card and couldn't find them in the editor for the Intel, no idea what the Nvidia would be.

Would that be the process though? Edit those values, save the changes, use MMTOOL to replace the file and then flash the BIOS? Again, does it matter which of the two 1MB files I use? and there's this,



Does it mean anything that the selected option shows the same Intel values from the card in the VenderID and DeviceID boxes?

I would request the BIOS mod in the request thread but I prefer learning how to do something then make someone else to it for me, otherwise what's the point?

Hi,

did you managed to update the BIOS? Facing the same problem right now

(03-15-2017, 06:24 AM)tsalat Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,

did you managed to update the BIOS? Facing the same problem right now

I'm sure it's possible but I never did get around to trying, I didn't want to drop a couple hundred dollars on some graphics cards that may or may not work. Not to mention they where already outdated then by a large margin. It was easier and made more sense just to sell it and build a new gaming PC, which I'm still using today (with most of the same hardware sans SSD's and current generation GPU).

Is your username an Alt-J reference

Hi. Does anyone manage to sort out this problem?
I try to search on the bios you mention for device id and vendor but hex editor can't fine anything, and your pictures posted here doesn't work, does't open, I believe they are deleted. Please if anyone can reply. Thanks.

@721: the XPS is quite old but still a lovely machine and it deserve a bit better GPU : already got hand on one GPU but the whitelist will not allow it. I have still a backup plan, unsolder the bios get the same chip and backup it like this. Than try to modify the HEX code and try it inside the XPS, if it will fail, remove the old one and replace with the backup and so on... however, i would o like this as the last option... so far i hope someone will reply

@raileanu: just extract it uncompressed and you will find it. By the way, i used the https://web.archive.org timemachine to get the pictures from this thread

Hi,

here is the image: https://web.archive.org/web/201409131649...734425.jpg . In the header of the image you can see the name of the module - single link (i attached also mine, just for sure). If you will need any other information, just let me know :  glad to help if i know

OK thanks. I was thinking that I have to search for text string, but from the picture I see they are hex values. Those hex values can be also found on the complete main bios with Hexeditor without being extracted as uncompressed and the numbers for Ati are 0210C994 instead of 1002 94C9 and I suppose for Intel I have to search 8680C229 instead of 8086 29C2, which I also found them, giving a singe search result for each value. Again if I search for them on the extracted uncompressed Link with MMTool I can find 0210C994 once, like on the original picture from the webarchive and 8680C229 for 6 times. I am a bit confuse here about these differences. And why the numbers are like backwards? And on your picture the values are 00. Please if you can explain a bit I will really appreciate. I will like to solve this problem for this model once for all. I have a test machine and an Nvidia 8600M GS, where the original Ati card is gone, beyond repair. 

Here is the original bios of the XPS ONE A2010 and the vbios from the eeprom chip of the original Ati video card and the Nvidia 8600M GS that I'm trying to use; just in case someone will need them.

Ok. I understand now the part with inverted numbers 0210C994 instead of 1002 94C9 and how to replace them with DE 10 25 04 for my Nvidia 8600M GS card on B1 module with MMtool. I only need to find a moded version of MMtool that will allow me to replace the files on this module as I get the error "1bh this is non-editable module". I will give a try and come back with updates.

(03-21-2017, 05:35 AM)raileanu Wrote: [ -> ]Ok. I understand now the part with inverted numbers 0210C994 instead of 1002 94C9 and how to replace them with DE 10 25 04 for my Nvidia 8600M GS card on B1 module with MMtool. I only need to find a moded version of MMtool that will allow me to replace the files on this module as I get the error "1bh this is non-editable module". I will give a try and come back with updates.

It didn't work. I still get blank display and I have two working 8600M GS cards. I use this mmtool that allows me to replace the B1 module. I try with the bios extracted from dell website and the original bios. Maybe the subsys values has to be also replaced but I don't have these values for ati or nvidia and not quite sure how to do this.