Samsung RV411, unlock option to change the size of video memory

[diegomainster]

Hello, sorry for my english, I'm using a translator, I need to change the size of the fixed video memory of my notebook, to at least 512 MB​​, is there any option for this, and there is the possibility to unlock?

Notebook: Samsung RV411
Motherboard: Jinmao 1.2-L
BIOS link: http://tecnoservfoz.com.br/utilitarios/B...2BVSIG.bin

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

It appears that your BIOS has already been unlocked. The INTEL Menu is already there.

Try looking under INTEL>Video (Intel IGD) Control Sub-Menu> for the graphics settings. Look for settings with the word "Memory" in them.


~Steven

[diegomainster]

Hello diegomainster,

It appears that your BIOS has already been unlocked. The INTEL Menu is already there.

Try looking under INTEL>Video (Intel IGD) Control Sub-Menu> for the graphics settings. Look for settings with the word "Memory" in them.


~Steven

Hello, did not tested this BIOS before, I found on a website, but it is to the motherboard of my laptop. The original BIOS of my notebook does not have "The INTEL Menu". I tried to flash the BIOS I have made available, following the tutorial from this link: https://www.bios-mods.com/bios-update/ but only appears the following error:

Platform Signature Not found in the Interface.

PRESS ANY KEY TO REBOOT

Also tried with another version of phlash (which worked perfectly on another laptop from another model, but tested with .WPH file) but ends up crashing. when it starts to read the BIOS.

I'm not with computer with LPT port on time, to try to flash directly with the SPIPGM program, then I wonder if there is some other way I can flash the BIOS I have made available? Or unlock one of the following BIOS:

Samsung official site, I could not extract: http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/do...N_04PA.exe
It is for the same model of my notebook (RV411) but I'm not 100% sure if it's for the same motherboard: http://tecnoservfoz.com.br/utilitarios/B...004PAB.wph

I thank you, and sorry for this long text.

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

The INTEL Menu appears on my end. There is probably a function that is hiding the INTEL Menu on your notebook. I will disable this function and upload the modified BIOS image.

[diegomainster]

Hello diegomainster,

The INTEL Menu appears on my end. There is probably a function that is hiding the INTEL Menu on your notebook. I will disable this function and upload the modified BIOS image.

After several attempts, I managed to extract the BIOS from the exe file, and is the same that is in the notebook. I uploaded and took pictures of the BIOS, do not have the Intel menu: http://dm.url.ph/img/bios_RV411/

I read some tutorials trying to learn how to modify the BIOS, but it is very difficult and the BIOS does not open in Phoenix BIOS Editor, also tried to get the NVRAM register of MaxDVMT option, but the most I got was this: http://dm.url.ph/img/bios_RV411/TEMPLAT00.png

If you can not unlock the menu, it would be possible to modify the configuration to MaxDVMT from NVRAM register?

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

Thanks for taking the initiative and doing your own research! It is not too often that we BIOS modders get to see this.

As you have gone out of your way to help make your BIOS mod happen, I will give your BIOS mod top priority (I will still be busy tomorrow and the next day though).


The menus and settings are already linked and should theoretically show up. The reason why they are not showing up in your actual BIOS setup menus is that there is a function that is hiding them. I will 'nop' these and reupload the image. I have not performed this type of mod on a 2MB Phoenix BIOS yet (I have only tried this on 512KB and 1MB Phoenix BIOSes). This mod is safe and I will make sure that it will not brick your BIOS/computer before I release it.


You did a good job of identifying the parts of the 'Total Graphics Memory' item string! The 'A206' in the item string for "Total Graphics Memory" is actually the NVRAM register. You would modify register (06A2) to change this setting.

(06A2) [0000] = 128MB
(06A2) [0001] = 256MB
(06A2) [0002] = MaxDVMT

{Notice a pattern? - the first option is 0000, the second option is 0001, and so on... The same order as in the TEMPLAT item string.}

00 18 DA05 D805 2E90 4190 6090 C490 A206 0000 3E02 6402 B206 <-- I have grouped related parts of the string together.

Mini Lesson/Review/Clarification: The first byte (a byte consists of two hex characters) of the string (00) identifies the type of string. In this case, it is a "Pick Field" string. The second byte identifies the length of the string (in hex, starting after the 00 byte before it). This string is '18h' bytes long (24 bytes in decimal). The next two bytes (DA05) are a sting call to the item string/name in the STRINGS module. The next two bytes after those (D805) are a sting call to the item descriptor in the STRINGS module. The next 8 bytes are calls to functions that are located farther in the TEMPLAT module (grouped 2 bytes per function for a total of 4 function calls). After that is the NVRAM register. You convert A206 to 06A2 to obtain the register. Anything after the NVRAM register will be an option for the setting. The 0000 that is immediately after the A206 is an empty option slot. The manufacturer decided to not include an option there.


~Steven

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

There are 3 hidden menus: "INTEL" "TPM State" "Physical Presence operations".

The INTEL Menu contains upwards of 50-100 settings or more. It is among the largest, most fully-featured INTEL Menus I have even seen. I am going to unhide this menu along with the other 2 menus. Also, your Main Menu is due for a massive upgrade.

If you wish to see what settings are going to/could be added, look at the STRINGS module in a hex editor as you did the TEMPLAT module. Part of the way through, you will begin to see plain text strings. These are the settings/options/items that are available in your BIOS image.

Unfortunately, I cannot emulate this BIOS in PBE (Phoenix BIOS Editor - used for emulation purposes only, edits actually performed with a hex editor). This makes it time-consuming to reorganize menus and settings freely as I have to manually check each setting. Pictures of your BIOS menus once you flash the first version of the BIOS mod would eliminate most of these difficulties.


~Steven

[diegomainster]

Hello diegomainster,

Thanks for taking the initiative and doing your own research! It is not too often that we BIOS modders get to see this.

As you have gone out of your way to help make your BIOS mod happen, I will give your BIOS mod top priority (I will still be busy tomorrow and the next day though).


The menus and settings are already linked and should theoretically show up. The reason why they are not showing up in your actual BIOS setup menus is that there is a function that is hiding them. I will 'nop' these and reupload the image. I have not performed this type of mod on a 2MB Phoenix BIOS yet (I have only tried this on 512KB and 1MB Phoenix BIOSes). This mod is safe and I will make sure that it will not brick your BIOS/computer before I release it.


You did a good job of identifying the parts of the 'Total Graphics Memory' item string! The 'A206' in the item string for "Total Graphics Memory" is actually the NVRAM register. You would modify register (06A2) to change this setting.

(06A2) [0000] = 128MB
(06A2) [0001] = 256MB
(06A2) [0002] = MaxDVMT

{Notice a pattern? - the first option is 0000, the second option is 0001, and so on... The same order as in the TEMPLAT item string.}

00 18 DA05 D805 2E90 4190 6090 C490 A206 0000 3E02 6402 B206 <-- I have grouped related parts of the string together.

Mini Lesson/Review/Clarification: The first byte (a byte consists of two hex characters) of the string (00) identifies the type of string. In this case, it is a "Pick Field" string. The second byte identifies the length of the string (in hex, starting after the 00 byte before it). This string is '18h' bytes long (24 bytes in decimal). The next two bytes (DA05) are a sting call to the item string/name in the STRINGS module. The next two bytes after those (D805) are a sting call to the item descriptor in the STRINGS module. The next 8 bytes are calls to functions that are located farther in the TEMPLAT module (grouped 2 bytes per function for a total of 4 function calls). After that is the NVRAM register. You convert A206 to 06A2 to obtain the register. Anything after the NVRAM register will be an option for the setting. The 0000 that is immediately after the A206 is an empty option slot. The manufacturer decided to not include an option there.


~Steven

The configuration via NVRAM register did not work, originally, as you can see here, was (06A2) [0003], I tried the 3 options, and no difference:



The current video memory size is 64 MB, as shown in the image above, and this option of 64 MB, is not with the others, may be why it did not work?



In DEFAULT.TXT file, I not found the register 02AF.

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

I will look into this 2 days from now. I have a lot of homework to complete as well as several after-school activities.

The 64MB was under a different setting titled "DVMT Pre-Allocated:". The "Total Graphics Memory" setting apparently does not control what you wanted to change. I think one or both of these settings remain in your BIOS, but your computer does not use them as they are not germane to its particular hardware (they would probably be hidden by a hardware-checking function if they were added to a BIOS menu). I will investigate this further later on.

Good work on correctly identifying the item string's components!


~Steven

[Sml6397]

Hello diegomainster,

I have started work on your BIOS mod today (It should be complete some time today). Do the 'SysInfo' and 'Advanced' Menus show up? If they do, then the BIOS mod is nearly complete. I just have to map the SysInfo Menu (PBE will not emulate it) and upgrade it.