[GUIDE]How to unlock AMI Aptio 4 BIOS with mono-GUID tabs.

[Maxinator500]

How to unlock AMI Aptio 4 BIOS with mono-GUID tabs.

Old Sony Vaio and Clevo primarily.

1. Markers in BIOS indicating success of applying such method.
The same GUID for every Formset.

Data array.


2. Main part.
Some background and patching.
How it was done.

It is known that changing the beforementioned sequence of bytes array allows you to unlock settings for some bios, and for some it is not. So if it exists in all Aptio 4, why even if it is filled with bytes-ones, the menus are still not available? I do not have an exact answer to this question, but I can tell you how it can be fixed!
While looking for a general difference between Sony BIOS and any others in which changing the sequence of bytes gives visible changes, I determined which patches needed to be applied.

Patching.

To reproduce that legacy logic of work of bytes array, please follow next examples.

Place 1:

Place 2:

Place 3:


3. Results.
Before and after.

If any of the tabs is empty, then you either did something wrong, or you need to set the access level in AMIBCP program.

List of utilities and programs required for patching:
1. UEFITool;
2. Universal IFR Extractor;
3. HxD.

[elianaham]

Thank u for that nice Tutorial u made.

[Zyoops]

i have same pc

coud you please share your mod bios?

Kind regards

[Maxinator500]

i have same pc

If yours VGN-NS31MR/S has Y3 BIOS, here's the mod

[Zyoops]

Thank you, it works 100 %
Your the number 1 thank



I also tested your bios on another sony vaio of a co-worker

He haves Vaio VGN-NS21M , original bios is R1040Y3.ROM , since both models are same
board ( Y3) and same series.
I flashed your bios and it works on VGN-NS21M, but some settings don't seem to work.

I try to follow your tuturial, i did try to modified stock bios but didn't work.
Did you just change that one byte on setup module ( move byte 40 to right) , or you modified any other module?

Thank you

[Maxinator500]

Did you just change that one byte on setup module ( move byte 40 to right) , or you modified any other module?

I modified 2 modules in many places: freeform section of Setup, PE section of Setup, AMITSE Setup Data module.

Each number (1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 40) represents a tab. I you change it to some random hex number, that would also work and a corresponding tab should become unlocked.

[Zyoops]

Perfect.
I was abled to diff those 2 modules and ported the changes to the VGN-NS21M 1040Y3 bios, its working
As an bonus i also added and updated the cpu microcodes .

Thanks again, awesome detective work