[REQUEST] ASUS FX506LU full unlock

[loopdee]

@Sml6397
Sorry, I'm new to all of this. I guess I could have used some extra cautioning for metalal, because I don't know all that much about BIOS modding (outside of simple to use tools like AMIBCP). So, in the results.rar I saw w_AFUBAK.rom. I assumed this was metalal's BIOS dump. If w_AFUBAK.rom wasn't his BIOS dump, then what was it? I'm just trying to learn, so anything helps.
Edit: I read your post incorrectly. I believe that metalal refreshed his download link, there were 5 downloads, and it dropped to 0. Would you mind reviewing what I did, and telling me if it's right?

[Sml6397]

@Sml6397
Sorry, I'm new to all of this. I guess I could have used some extra cautioning for metalal, because I don't know all that much about BIOS modding (outside of simple to use tools like AMIBCP). So, in the results.rar I saw w_AFUBAK.rom. I assumed this was metalal's BIOS dump. If w_AFUBAK.rom wasn't his BIOS dump, then what was it? I'm just trying to learn, so anything helps.
Edit: I read your post incorrectly. I believe that metalal refreshed his download link, there were 5 downloads, and it dropped to 0. Would you mind reviewing what I did, and telling me if it's right?

@metalal Hang on a moment for the BIOS flash. I'm going to do some checks on it.

@loopdee
No worries, we all have to start somewhere. It's great to see someone else trying to take up BIOS modding!

If metalal refreshed the download link and you modified the AFU backup from results.rar, that should be fine. I just wanted to make sure that that is where the backup was from.

It might be the case that a few more edits are required, such as unblocking hiding functions such as SUPPRESS_IF and GRAYOUT_IF in the Setup module.

Sometimes in older AMI UEFI images, there is also a string of 00 and 01 bytes that control which top level menus show up. In newer images, edits must be made in the AMITSE module with a hex editor to remove blocks on menus.

I intend on writing comprehensive, beginner-oriented guides for Phoenix, AMI, Award, and Insyde UEFI modding. Right now, Phoenix is probably 65% complete. AMI is next. Though, I can surely show you some examples of edits on AMI before the guide is complete.

As for the current image, I will verify your edits. It is highly probable that some of these additional edits I mentioned earlier will be necessary as AMIBCP is often just one piece of the puzzle. If you don't mind, I could finish these hex edits on this UEFI image, integrating your current AMIBCP edits.

Afterwards, once the mod is successfully flashed, I can walk you through how I did the non-AMIBCP portion and maybe get you set up with some more BIOS mod requests from people who have hardware programmers (in case anything goes wrong) if you are interested in becoming an AMI UEFI modder. How does that sound?

[loopdee]

@Sml6397 . Yeah, that sounds great! I can test on some of my own hardware as well. I have a hardware programmer coming in 12 days. My lappy is AMI, I've got an XPS420, and I have an old Compaq Presario R3000 running god knows what.

[Sml6397]

@Sml6397 . Yeah, that sounds great! I can test on some of my own hardware as well. I have a hardware programmer coming in 12 days. My lappy is AMI, I've got an XPS420, and I have an old Compaq Presario R3000 running god knows what.

@metalal,
I will try to have the mod done tonight. If not tonight, then it should be done by tomorrow.

@loopdee
Once your SPI Programmer arrives, I think it would be good if we created a separate thread in the AMI section for your XPS420 where we could correspond on your learning and experimentation. That way, others could see the things you and I post and discover. This will also help with the guide I ultimately aim to write.

When you get your programmer, be sure to take several BIOS dumps so that we can compare them to ensure they are consistent with each other. The default clip that comes with the CH341A often doesn't work well because it gets a poor connection with the chip. Several people - including myself - have had to purchase the Pomona 5250 clip and 8 female-to-female jumper cables to get a good connection.

~Steven

[Sml6397]

@metalal

I have found the settings you are looking for. Below are some of the settings I found by extracting the "Setup" module from your BIOS image using UEFITool Version 58 NE and running the extracted module through Donovan6000's Universal IFR Extractor. I found the setup module in UEFITool by searching for something I guessed would be in your BIOS ("Chipset" - an unlockable menu). I will be making edits to this module and the module named "AMITSE", and possibly AMITSESetupData as well.

I have attached a text file that contains some of the settings that you have requested, namely CAS timings (look for tCL) and memory frequency. This is kind of a "sneak peak" at the final mod. I am working on the BIOS mod right now.

[Sml6397]

Hello metalal,

Your BIOS mod is complete! In your BIOS Setup Utility, you should now see 2 new menus: Advanced and Chipset (yes, you will now have TWO Advanced Menus).

The new Advanced Menu (let's called it Advanced2) contains several cool submenus of interest, including Overclocking Performance, CPU Configuration, Power & Performance, and Thermal Configuration - among others. The Chipset Menu has additional power-user settings that might be fun to play around (carefully) with.

Though I have performed many many checks on this BIOS image, any BIOS flash - even from a safe manufacturer update or a safe BIOS mod - carries a very small risk of things going awry. Make sure that your laptop is plugged in and fully charged before flashing. Make sure you do not interrupt the flashing process for any reason, unless it doesn't appear to be doing anything for 4 hours.

That said, none of my mods have ever bricked anyone's computer before, except for one time when an SPI hardware programmer was being used and the cheap included clip had a bad connection to the BIOS chip and wrote garbage data to it.

However, if you'd like to get a head start, you can get things set up by following the following:

1.) Format a USB Flashdrive as FAT32. This will erase all files on your flashdrive. Follow these instructions: https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/...html#part2 BUT DO NOT TICK "QUICK FORMAT" in Step 3. We do not want to do a quick format.

2.) https://github.com/chipsec/chipsec/raw/m.../Shell.efi Download this file. It is a UEFI shell. Create the directory /efi/boot on the flashdrive and then place the Shell.efi file there. Rename it to "bootx64.efi".

3.) http://ruexe.blogspot.com/2020/05/ru-5250379-beta.html Download this file (the password is right under the download link). It includes RU.EFI. We will use it tomorrow to change some hidden settings to allow us to flash the BIOS mod. Extract just the "RU.EFI" file to /efi/ on your flashdrive.

2.) Extract all of the files from the attached archive to /efi/ on your flashdrive. You should now have the following files on the flashdrive:
/efi/boot/bootx64.efi
/efi/fpt.efi
/efi/fparts.txt
/efi/RU.EFI
/efi/mod.rom*

*Substitute "mod.rom" with the name of the modified BIOS image.

3.) With the flashdrive inserted into a USB port, reboot your computer and enter the BIOS Setup Utility. Set the computer to boot from the USB flashdrive.

4.) Once you boot into the EFI Shell Environment, run the following commands:
fs0:
cd efi
fpt -d FPTbackup.bin

This just backs up the BIOS, but it will allow us to test to make sure that FPT Version 14 is working on your machine. Let me know if you encounter any errors.

It is likely we will need to need to change a few hidden settings via RU.EFI, namely "Flash Protection Range Registers (FPRR)" and "BIOS Lock". I will post instructions on this tomorrow, as well as the command the flash the mod. After we successfully get the BIOS mod working, I will also post a brief version of how I performed the mod as there seems to be a lot of interest in AMI UEFI modding in this thread

[metalal]

Hi Steve!
WOW! Super excited dude!I really am!
I will be giving it a go as soon as i find some spare time! 
I shall keep you posted how things go and fingers crossed i won't mess anything up .
Regards .
MetalAL

[metalal]

[quote pid="184776" dateline="1631432043"]
Hi there Steve. 
Something is not going well. 
When i downloar the 5.25.0379 file from thjis link and then i use rar to extract it only shows 3 files in there. 
RU.efi
RU -- application file 
and RU32.efi
.according to your guide i should have more files in there but i have not .
What am i doing wrong? 
Thanks very much . 

[/quote]

[metalal]

[quote pid="184776" dateline="1631432043"]
I think i made a mistake cos i have found the missing files so i have all the files in correct directories now but i am missing the ROM.MOD file.My only ROM file is called FX506LU_Chipset +Advanced blah blah blah ... 

Do i reneme this Rom File to MOD .ROM instead of the long name ? 
Thanks 
[/quote]

[BDMaster]

So friend, Steven wrote above , *Substitute "mod.rom" with the name of the modified BIOS image ... fpt -d FPTbackup.bin

At that level he said to make a Bios Backup by efi FPT , not to flash the bios mod !!!
And the command is ...

fs0:
cd efi
fpt -d FPTbackup.bin

this will produce a file (Firmware backup = FPTbackup.bin) that will be stored into USB stick, if the FPT version 14 will not work on your ME (as disaligned) then
you will get any errors, so have to comunicate here ...
If it will work then you can flash the bios mod , but the file posted by Sml6397 is not Firmware, but Bios Region so the command is different ...
so rename the Steven's file as mod.rom and execute this command ...

fs0:
cd efi
fpt -f mod.rom -bios

Please if you want to be sure about the ME version and FPT , use the HWINFO64 tool to get the ME version and post it here :

https://www.hwinfo.com/download/

Or use the MEinfo.exe in verbose mode and post here the result , execute from an Admin right window the command "MEInfoWin.exe -v" :

https://www.mediafire.com/file/e0lzfgwge...7.rar/file

Regards