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

[kasar]

thanks for the info

I replicated that on mine and it definitly works


do you have the suppresion parts for all the other items on your list?


because some of those features seems also interesting

edit:

wich laptop bios did you modded?

L502X, L702X?


also, how did you managed to get universal IFR extractor working for you?

it crashed for me while loading both L502X and L702X advancedsetup modules

[Brabbelbla]

L702X, that is my machine. Strange about the extractor... for me, it worked straight away. Just to be sure, the version I used is in the attachment, together with the (L702X) extracts for AdvancedSetup and Security. How/where/when does it crash?

[kasar]

tested your version, the executable is 1 kb bigger than mine, however, it still crash

running win7 ultimate x64, the app works fine while opening, selecting the file , after click on extract, it ask me for the output location txt file and name.

I click ok, and then, windows shows the "app stoped working dialog" no txt file there

tried with easier paths and names without spaces, no luck too.



what OS are you running?

well, since the app seems to be working for you.

you may be able to run it on my l502x a12 modules

here are both advanced and security modules, if you can send back the app output txts for them I would be so happy

[Brabbelbla]

Running the same OS, strange. You may be able to sort things out in the thread of the tool.

[kasar]

so it worked for you?


thats weird , maybe I have some framework or stuff interfering with the app, well, anyway, after download your attachment, I doesnt need the app anymore, thank you a lot

I will start modding the bios right now ^^

[kasar]

I am doing nice progress with the new unlocking

here you can see some images on my main L502X modded bios topic

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps...ost9581714

[kasar]

mmm, maybe someone is interested on this.

after set computrace setting to any option, it will stay greyed out and unselectable forever.

making imposible to change it more than the initial time.

however.

I found the way to make the computrace option changeable again, and permanent.

just replace

40 84 D8 70 45 0A 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 (2F) 02

to

40 84 D8 70 45 0A 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 (30) 02

those changes are made in the menu security module, not in the advanced settings menu

[Brabbelbla]

Hmm, after looking into it a bit further, I don't think this is al there has to be done in order to enable RAID, if it is possible at all. It seems that with our BIOS, they moved the SATA operation setting from HDD configuration to the not-so-advanced advanced page (the one that doesn't need to be unlocked). I took a look at the Inspiron 7720 BIOS (SCT as well), some Insyde thing and found this manual which all list the same options with almost the same terminology, and found the SATA operation setting as Interface Combination in the 7720 BIOS, hidden under HDD configuration. With a third option, one we don't have, RAID.

The IFR snippet from the Inspiron, comes from between the settings 'SATA Device' and 'RAID Alternate Device ID':

0x3D7A8 Setting: Interface Combination, Variable: 0x12 {05 A6 A0 01 A1 01 70 00 01 00 12 00 00 10 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D7CE Default: 8 Bit, Value: 0x1 {5B 0D 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D7DB Default: 8 Bit, Value: 0x1 {5B 0D 01 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D7E8 Option: IDE, Value: 0x0 {09 0E A2 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D7F6 Option: AHCI, Value: 0x1 {09 0E A3 01 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D804 Option: RAID, Value: 0x2 {09 0E A4 01 00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3D812 End of Options {29 02}

And mine:

0x30703 Setting: SATA Operation, Variable: 0x64 {05 A6 0E 00 0F 00 25 27 01 00 64 00 04 10 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x30729 Default: 8 Bit, Value: 0x1 {5B 0D 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x30736 Default: 8 Bit, Value: 0x1 {5B 0D 01 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x30743 Option: ATA, Value: 0x0 {09 0E 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x30751 Option: AHCI, Value: 0x1 {09 0E 11 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x3075F End of Options {29 02}

This is why I was wondering whether the unlocked RAID entries actually do something, as looking at this I don't think they will. Maybe sacrificing our ATA mode setting by changing its value to 0x2 which corresponds to RAID in the other BIOSes will allow us to use RAID. Otherwise I think we will come back at UEFI string insertion which jkbuha mentioned some time ago, but I am pretty clueless on that subject. This all has to be tested, I think I will in some time, but before I do, I seriously need to look into a working recovery disk and backup the data from my harddisks. So no time soon.

TimeWalker once pointed to a russion thread about unlocking the 7720 BIOS, with an image showing the RAID setting:

[TimeWalker]

God find people.. Thing is, highly doubt these settings will have any effect, much like the majority of other unlocked settings don't do anything...
P.S. RPB is Remote Power Boot
Sent from my GT-I9070 using Tapatalk

[Brabbelbla]

I am curious about something. To make the RAID entries visible, I changed

0x35188 Suppress If: {0A 82}
0x3518A Question Ref: 0x0 {40 84 25 27}
0x3518E 64 Bit Unsigned Int: 0x2 {45 0A 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x35198 Not Equal {30 02}
0x3519A End {29 02}

to

0x35188 Suppress If: {0A 82}
0x3518A Question Ref: 0x0 {40 84 25 27}
0x3518E 64 Bit Unsigned Int: 0x2 {45 0A 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x35198 Equal {2F 02}
0x3519A End {29 02}

I now think this is not right. I came to think the Question Ref points to some variable or setting, though I don't know how. For instance, under boot configuration, "Boot in Legacy Video Mode" is hidden if legacy boot is disabled, and its suppress condition is represented as:

0x315AC Suppress If: {0A 82}
0x315AE Question Ref: 0x0 {40 84 32 00}
0x315B2 64 Bit Unsigned Int: 0x0 {45 0A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}
0x315BC Equal {2F 02}
0x315BE End {29 02}

Of course it seems logical that this question ref should point to the legacy boot setting, then if that value is 0x0 (disabled), the option is not displayed.

Then I guess it works the same way with the RAID entries. If some setting has the value 0x2, the entries will be displayed. If I was right in my previous post, the SATA Operation setting should have value 0x2 for RAID, if it is possible at all. So my conclusion is that probably the RAID entries will show up if SATA Operation is set to 0x2. So I guess THAT is the key to RAID. And I have just thought of a way to test without flashing.

EDIT: Indeed 40 is the OpCode to push a question's value. Then, if I correctly interpret the Phoenix wiki, the remainder of the statement is the question ID, but I can't see a way for it to link it to the setting concerned.

EDIT2: Sacrificing IDE/ATA mode by setting its value to 0x2 and then selecting that option indeed reveals RAID options with the original Not Equal statement. So that is a way to have them displayed. Now it remains to be determined which setting if any will actually trigger the RAID OROM, or the UEFI SATA driver with some RAID functionality.