Can you hack a BIOS?

[jbond04]

I was wondering if it was possible to hack a BIOS (like, say, for the Asus P4T533-C), so that options could be added, like an option to fix the AGP/PCI multiplier, and the ability to set higher FSB speeds? Ideas, thoughts?

 

[ZimZum]

You can write your own bios if your so inclined many people do. It isnt something you can tackle if you dont know what your doing though.

 

[jbond04]

I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about it. I guess it must be really hard, otherwise we would see new BIOSes everywhere.

Well, it would be really cool if someone wrote a new BIOS for the Asus P4T533-C with some nice overclocking features... (hint, hint)

 

[tcsenter]

Sure, you can 'hack' a BIOS, many people have done it and there are plenty of hacked firmware floating around. Obviously, you can't 'add' functionality or options for something that isn't supported in hardware. One guy has taken several BIOS and added support for the K6-II+ and III+ mobile CPUs. Others have added overclocking options or expanded already existing options.

I removed ACPI support from several BIOS back when ACPI was new and giving everyone headaches, so that an ACPI ready OS (Win98SE and higher) wouldn't install in ACPI mode but rather APM mode instead with no need for setup command line switches. Of course, that wasn't a "true" hack, since it never required messing with code but was done by using an OEM firmware customization utility.

Generally, we're talking a lot of x86 assembly, since firmware interfaces with hardware directly.

 

[jbond04]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
Others have added overclocking options or expanded already existing options.

This is what I'm talking about. Currently, the Asus boards have some relatively limited overclocking features, while other motherboards (using the same chipsets) include them. I was just wondering how difficult it would be to add features, like an AGP/PCI fix, and higher FSB speeds. It doesn't sound too difficult (but I have absolutely no clue)...

Maybe you could use a BIOS from a board that has the features, and just look at the code to get an idea of what one needs to do?

 

[tcsenter]

This is what I'm talking about. Currently, the Asus boards have some relatively limited overclocking features, while other motherboards (using the same chipsets) include them. I was just wondering how difficult it would be to add features, like an AGP/PCI fix, and higher FSB speeds. It doesn't sound too difficult (but I have absolutely no clue)...

Its all relative. If you are good with assembly and other common code used for firmware, if you can figure-out how to decompile the firmware and work-around any encryption schemes (some use it, some don't), if you're minimally familiar with low-level hardware routines/instructions, then you shouldn't have too much trouble. Otherwise, its going to be pretty damned difficult.

I've talked with the guy who modded all those BIOS to support the AMD K6-II+ and III+ on older Super 7 mobos, he described to me how he did it, and I had no idea what he was talking about. Completely over my head.

Maybe you could use a BIOS from a board that has the features, and just look at the code to get an idea of what one needs to do?

Its been done before, but there is a fair amount of variation in firmware design from one manufacturer to the next. If you know what you're looking at, then you could look at the code of one BIOS, find the relevant portion of code, and by consulting the datasheets for the chipset, CPU, clock generator, or voltage regulator, find what you need to modify in another BIOS to accomplish what you want.

Again, in order to do that, you need to posses a certain amount of knowledge and skill. If you had the necessary knowledge and skill, you wouldn't need to ask. IOW, if you have to ask, then it is well beyond your current capabilty. Sorry.

 

[jbond04]

Don't worry about it! I have no programming experience whatsoever. I have no clue how to hack a BIOS...I was just wondering if it could be done. Thank you for your help, though!

I am going to college next year to become an electrical engineer, so I am sure I will learn about all of that stuff then, but I suppose it won't matter... At any rate---thank you for all of your help, tcsenter! I guess people with that level of hardware-software knowledge are fairly rare, otherwise hacked BIOSes would be all over the place!

If anyone out there who knows how to hack a BIOS for the P4T533-C (and wants to), I would be more than willing to test it on my mobo...

 

[tcsenter]

I guess people with that level of hardware-software knowledge are fairly rare, otherwise hacked BIOSes would be all over the place!

Well, yeah, demand for firmware design is less prevalent than software design so far fewer people have those skills. But another contributing factor to the availability of hacked firmware is the level of difficulty and effort that is required to decipher and re-write firmware. It's not something you're going to do in a free weekend, it is generally something that will take many many hours. A lot of people who posses the skills and knowledge to do it chose not to because it requires too much time and effort for so little benefit.

 

[zzzz]

A lot of people who posses the skills and knowledge to do it chose not to because it requires too much time and effort for so little benefit.

and those people buy Th7-2 so they don't have to mess with this issue!!

btw, go to overclockers.com and ask Mr. Natural about this board. He has written bioses for Abit Th7-2 and Bd7 with good success. He might be able to write for this board if he has it...

 

[xerx]

Im wondering about the same thing last night. I need to mod the MSI 6337LE5 bios to allow me to select Vcore higher than 1.7v for my Tualeron to reach 1.6G fully stable. I had done the pin wrapping trick but somehow the MSI bios is able to deter me from selecting the higher than 1.7v by refusing it to boot. DAMN MSI, they wont get my money anymore in future.