Request: Supermicro C2SBX+ motherboard possible hidden menus for memory settings?

[Sml6397]

Hello We of Us,

That is great news! We could use this BIOS for testing and the newer BIOS for the permanent mods once we confirm them to work with this CRISIS-compatible BIOS. We still have to confirm that CRISIS actually works with the older BIOS version. Once you do this, we may have all we need to proceed with the setting importation.

I will look at your image right after I perform a Main Menu mod (that was confirmed working with your BIOS) on someone else's BIOS.


~Steven

[Sml6397]

Hello We of Us,

If you are sure that this image is compatible with your motherboard, you should try flashing it. After that, try using CRISIS with the same BIOS image.

[We of Us]

If you are sure that this image is compatible with your motherboard, you should try flashing it. After that, try using CRISIS with the same BIOS image.

It is compatible, but it has a bug with AMD Radeon HD5600 series not booting up, and wecells have the HD5670 on board ATM.

Wecells should get some cheap older VGA card for just testing this CRISIS method.

Off to go and order one...

[Sml6397]

Hello We of Us,

In the mean time, I will mod the CRISIS-compatible BIOS image with the mods that I have applied to the other BIOS that you flashed. Once these mods are flashed, then we can begin exploring.

[Sml6397]

Hello We of Us,

I have just finished the Main Menu mod for the CRISIS BIOS. The before and after images are at the bottom of this post.

The funny thing is, adding items to this Main Menu created 56 bytes of extra space for other items/settings/menu/sub-menus. This is enough room for about 13-14 extra items (depending on where the sub-menu link to the items is placed). If the items are added directly to the Main Menu, even more space is available, 60 bytes total. This is room for 15 extra items instead of 13-14.

If you are able to get CRISIS working, I am going to try to see if the area before the $PDW entry in the TEMPLAT module can be expanded to allow for even more room for new settings/menus. The first 2-3 attempts will probably result in a broken BIOS menu (still bootable though).


The list below includes the things I wish to test using CRISIS. The ideas colored in green have already been confirmed to be working in real BIOSes.

1.) Move the major offset jump-table (parent menus) from one location to another (I have only tested this in PBE emulator, not with a real BIOS - result: success).

2.) Modify a default setting in the BIOS's own NVRAM Token Table using the ROMEXEC module to confirm it works. This method has been tried before, but I have never tried it on someone else's BIOS.

3.) Insert a string such as "POTATO POWER!!!!!" into somebody's BIOS image using a STRINGS module mod. I can already do this with a TEMPLAT module mod. The TEMPLAT mod is hidden from the user though (unless they look in TEMPLAT00.ROM). Note: I bet you never noticed that the same string listed above was inserted into your modified BIOS's TEMPLAT module.

4.) Unhide a hidden setting (such as "frequency ratio") by 'nop'-ing the function that hides it (7th & 8th bytes of each item string in TEMPLAT are offsets (after Endian "byte swap") to the function (which begins with 55 8B)).

5.) Allow access to an inaccessible menu (MCH Workarounds).

6.) Experiment with the Main Menu.

7.) [Experimental] Experiment with the area after the $PDW. I have already linked to existing setup tables after this area with success.

8.) [Somewhat Experimental] Based on a rumor: Add something to the end of the TEMPLAT module, link to it, and see if it appears without a semi-brick (able to boot up, but not access BIOS setup menus) or odd BIOS settings/menus.

9.) Change the serial number.

10.) "Upgrade" a computer to a "newer model" by changing the "computer model" in one of the ROMEXEC modules.

11.) "Change" the BIOS version by changing the string that contains it.

12.) "Change" the date the BIOS was manufactured.

13.) [New Concept for me - Very experimental] Experiment with Option ROM's.

14.) [New Concept for me - Moderately to Very experimental] Experiment with Custom Boot Logos.

15.) Get even more ambitious with the reorganizing/restructuring of the TEMPLAT module before the $PDW. I have already done a lot of this with success (especially with the Main Menu mods), but I still have a LOT I wish to test.

16.) Check and see if the non-code plain text string in the TEMPLAT module (begins with "PCI" if you wish to see it for yourself) can be "extended" by using the "00" bytes after the string.

17.) [If it applies to your computer] Change the default language in multi-language BIOS's.

18.) Change the locations of the instructions at the bottom of the BIOS screens. These tell you which keys do what (Ex. "F1 Help").

19.) [Experimental to Very Experimental] Move the $PDW further into the TEMPLAT module. I would use the 00 bytes that succeed the $PDW entry to accomplish this.

20.) [Coinciding with the previous experiment - not very experimental though] Change the offset at which the rest of the TEMPLAT module after the $PDW starts.

21.) See if setup-table termination codes that are duplicated sequentially (00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00) can be used for more space (remove one of the two termination codes (00 00 00 00)).

22.) [Very Dangerous - I will probably go through several bricks before I succeed, if I am able to do so at all] Explore the realm of CPU settings (CPU/GPU overclocking, voltages, memory timings, FSB, EIST, etc.).

23.) [safe - will not brick] Have someone flash a BIOS that PhoenixTool says was "X bytes too small" upon reintegration. The only reason I want a test computer to do this is that I have not done it before. I know it is safe (like a lot of the things above), but I don't want to do it to normal BIOS's until it has been tested.

24.) [Assume that this will brick your computer] "Import" a setting from an older BIOS version to a newer BIOS version in which it has been removed. The reason for the brick is that this mod will require me to copy an unknown number of parts from an unknown number of BIOS modules that I have never modified before.

I am going to continue to update the above list as we confirm things to work or I come up with new ideas to test.

I can actually test almost all of the ideas listed above in just a few BIOS mods. I will only send individual mods for individual ideas for difficult/experimental mods.

I am going to make these test BIOS images private so that other people do not flash them and brick their BIOSes. We should exchange email addresses so that we can more easily send files between each other. I have sent my email address to you in a PM. I am going add a reply to this thread each time I email you a modified BIOS. If the mod works perfectly, then I will add the BIOS image to the thread post.

The benefit that you will receive from this is having the most fully unlocked BIOS mod that I have ever performed. If I learn of a new BIOS mod elsewhere and it can be applied to your BIOS image, I will do so.


I think that I will use this thread as a dumping ground for most of my new BIOS discoveries since a lot of my recent discoveries have already been posted here anyways.


-----------

One more question: Does the "Memory Remapping" setting actually show up under the Advanced>Advanced Chipset Control> menu?


~Steven

[We of Us]

In the mean time, I will mod the CRISIS-compatible BIOS image with the mods that I have applied to the other BIOS that you flashed. Once these mods are flashed, then we can begin exploring.

Well...

This day went with that CRISIS experiment.

Wecells got one Radeon HD2600pro for testing purposes.

First wecells managed to do the USB CRISIS key, so that it contained the 3 needed items.

Then wecells tried to change the bios to that CBXP6019.ROM, but the flashing of that BIOS was disasterous (bricked)... Tried to use that USB CRISIS key, but the bios couldn't boot to understand the USB key with that POWER button 4-sec pressing code. BIOS couldn't boot up and after many attempts of resetting BIOS etc... Wecells desided to change the BIOS chip...

That went well until wecells tried to start it after the change... no booting up...

Wecells desided to change the whole motherboard to that earlier BIOS chip changed MB... then wecells figured out, that it was programmed with the official 1.2a BIOS, and it's booting up took a long, long time... Wecells wondered after that realization that maybe the newer BIOS chip was also programmed with the official 1.2a BIOS agaist ourcells wish, and that's why it didn't boot up immediately after restarting like the newer BIOS's do after flash restarting.

So there must be something odd with that CRISIS BIOS that wecells linked yesterday... No wonder, why they removed the CRISIS function...

One more question: Does the "Memory Remapping" setting actually show up under the Advanced>Advanced Chipset Control> menu?

Yes it shows up, and it's enabled by default.

[Sml6397]

Hello We of Us,

Not all hope is lost!

CRISIS DID manage to flash the BIOS (even if it didn't do a very good job of it...).

Were you able to actually boot up the computer after CRISIS-flashing it? If CRISIS can brick the BIOS, it should be able to debrick it as well with the confirmed working BIOS images.

[We of Us]

Hello We of Us,

Not all hope is lost!

CRISIS DID manage to flash the BIOS (even if it didn't do a very good job of it...).

Were you able to actually boot up the computer after CRISIS-flashing it?

Wecells think that it didn't flash anything when wecells tried that CRISIS flashing.

Before and after CRISIS test no boot up, if it wasn't also that weeeeeery loooooong bootup, and wecells were too hasty to realize it.

[Sml6397]

Have you tried flashing the original unmodified BIOS image? This will allow us to see if it is actually flashing. How long does it take to boot up? I have seen other computers hang for 5 minutes at or before POST doing absolutely nothing before booting up (not because of a BIOS flash though...).

I wonder if you could hardware program it. I have never tried this before (I have done this with a modem, but not a computer BIOS). I will have to check with TheWiz. He knows far more about hardware programming than I do. Normal BIOS images should work though (I think).

[We of Us]

Sorry for late answer, wecells had a little mess up with our OS System file corrupting and it took 3 evenings to solve.

Have you tried flashing the original unmodified BIOS image? This will allow us to see if it is actually flashing. How long does it take to boot up?

What do youcells mean by the unmodified? Do youcells mean the official CBXP6019.ROM that is not within that CRISIS zip file?

Wecells don't have that and we just renamed the BIOS.WPH from the CRISIS file to CBXP6019.ROM, and flashed that with that assumed bricking result.

The looooooooooong boot up time was like 30 minutes to reach to the point of starting BIOS setup screen that normally goes about <1min after the BIOS flashing restart.

This is how long it feeled, we didn't watch the clock for reference.

I wonder if you could hardware program it. I have never tried this before (I have done this with a modem, but not a computer BIOS). I will have to check with TheWiz. He knows far more about hardware programming than I do. Normal BIOS images should work though (I think).

Wecells don't have the BIOS programming device, which can do the hardware programming to the BIOS chip:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/...18973.html

... if youcells mean that?