Patch A Bios Eeprom ?

Hatex · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 8:52 am Post subject: Patch A Bios Eeprom ?

Hi !

Would it be possible to :

-change the default settings in the bios like boot order, numlock etc.
-get rid of the "press f1 to continue"
-and keep the bios from initiating the numlock leds on the keyboard

why ?

I want to use a mainboard without a battery !
I want it to use the default settings and let it boot without user intervention
I don't care about the date/time function (so battery not needed).

And : would it be possible to patch/program directly to the eeprom without dumping the bios to disk...

any ideas ?

Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

I think you will run into difficulties if you would like to run the mainboard without a battery and still retain BIOS settings.

Realise that the battery is responsible for supplying power to retain all BIOS settings; not just the date and time. When the computer is powered off the mainboard relies on the battery to provide the power to retain the BIOS settings, until the system is powered back up again.

If your battery is low or dead probably you would be best off replacing it - the batteries are becoming more widely available now and are cheap enough.

The only easy way I can think of to accomplish what you are suggesting is if you could modify the settings that the BIOS defaults to - to your own, so that every time you power on the system the BIOS defaults to the settings that you want the system to run off. But again, I would not know how to do this. And also every time you want to change the defaults, you have a hassle to change them.

I personally would avoid trying to do without a battery.

Hatex · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 3:31 pm Post subject:

Realise that the battery is responsible for supplying power to retain all BIOS settings; not just the date and time. When the computer is powered off the mainboard relies on the battery to provide the power to retain the BIOS settings, until the system is powered back up again.

>>> I know....

If your battery is low or dead probably you would be best off replacing it - the batteries are becoming more widely available now and are cheap enough.

>>> true

The only easy way I can think of to accomplish what you are suggesting is if you could modify the settings that the BIOS defaults to - to your own, so that every time you power on the system the BIOS defaults to the settings that you want the system to run off.

>>> That is exactly what i need and asked for !

But again, I would not know how to do this. And also every time you want to change the defaults, you have a hassle to change them.

>>> Because we have many more of the same systems we don't need and want to change them ! Those systems are exactly the same !

I personally would avoid trying to do without a battery.[/quote]

>>> Yes but if the battery fails the computer doesn't boot properly and since we have no keyboards or VGA monitors attached it's impossible to make it boot and so we have to send a technician... My idea is to avoid this and make it boot using the -altered- default settings !

edwin · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 8:13 pm Post subject:

I fear you'll have to fit high-quality batteries so the systems will have been replaced by the time the batteries wear out.
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Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

Hi Hatex - Thanks for your detailed response. The only thing I can ask is that if new batteries would outlast the machines, would that help? I have seen batteries in some systems last almost six years, some admittedly much less. But if you didn't have to change them, or maybe change them once in a five year period rather than remove them, would this outlast the machines (until you plan to retire them).

I can think of rough but incomplete and flawed ideas of how to achieve what you want to do. But as we both agreed the best chance would be to change the BIOS defaults and I don't know how to do this. Maybe you could manually create an image, with some trial and error and risk of killing the BIOS, or maybe there is a utility somewhere that will let you do what you want to do, which perhaps you could search for - even then there might be legal or copyright issues involved which would need to be addressed.

Afterthought: They may well totally ignore such a request, but since the machines are all identical, and especially if they are not too old, maybe the manufacturer of the mainboards may consider producing a custom BIOS image with the defaults you request for you. I don't consider this a likely option, but you never know what could happen if you contact them and manage to speak to the right person.

ruelnov · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:52 am Post subject:

I've done this bios customization a number of times on my system using Modbin6 for award bios v6PG. I simply changed the default settings to my own preference and everytime I boot up I don't go through CMOS setup anymore.

My onboard RTC is also not keeping it's time accurately when powered down, even though how many times I change the battery. So I always get a checksum error prior to OS loading, But having customized the default settings already using Modbin6, I simply have to press F1 to continue loading the OS.

Rainbow · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:49 am Post subject:

Have you tried changing the default for "Halt on" option in Standard CMOS setup to "No errors"? I expect that this will eliminate the need for pressing F1 on each power up (time can be easily set from a network server).
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ruelnov · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:29 pm Post subject:

Rainbow:

That's a good point to try. But for my system that's no longer able to keep time accurately without power applied, CMOS would still trigger a checksum error during cold boot.

Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

What about using modbin6 to also set a default and valid date/time.

If I understand what you are doing correctly, this default d/t would be set to the assigned default every time you boot and you would not get this checksum error.

ruelnov · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 9:52 am Post subject:

My RTC is now dead, but I don't get a "Checksum Error" or "Press F1..." anymore.

Thanks to Rainbow. He was right about setting the default for "Halt On..." to "No Errors" in the BIOS ROM. Now I get a straight loading of my OS even from a cold boot. And I don't have to worry about my CMOS forgetting its settings very often because all my desired settings are already set as defaults in the BIOS ROM. And no need to enter BIOS Setup Menu anymore.

However, Modbin6 could not set defaults for time and date. I tried it many times but to no avail. Any ideas out there?

Rainbow · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 12:35 pm Post subject:

Set the date in OS - either to fixed values (by using time and date commands) or from network (if available).
_________________
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere http://www.uniflash.org

Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

I don't believe setting date/time in O/S will work.

If the POST complains because of invalid date/time and requires user input, this will still be required after loss of power because the O/S date/time sets these values in the BIOS and relies on the BIOS to store them when there is no mains power.

However, if the BIOS POST does not complain, I agree that you can set a default but maybe an assumed correct default rather than the actual correct values. I agree that network values may be the most correct values available after the BIOS values.

ruelnov · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2004 1:46 am Post subject:

It's not a problem for me setting the date/time in OS, but I expect this setting to be volatile (as it's not hardcoded in BIOS ROM). This setting would be retained in CMOS RAM I believe, but since my CMOS forgets its settings when booted from cold I think setting the date/time in OS is not the long-term solution.

Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

Thats what I was thinking. Even if you can avoid POST errors by setting via O/S, you are likely to get the wrong values.

Ritchie · BIOS Guru Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 761

I just thought I'd say again that installing a good CMOS battery really makes more sense to me. If there are no other problems with the board it should last at least a few years. By trying to do away with the battery you may run into other complications that you are presently unaware of and I don't know if this could include legal issues which you would want to avoid.