Sony Vaio SA/SB/SC/SE Advanced Menu BIOS Hack

[pyr0]

@pyr0: about unlocking SATA III capability: i still run the original BIOS R1031H4 on my SA which supports SATA III. if you think comparing the two BIOSes could be helpful to pinpoint what has changed, i can dump the BIOS and send it to you if you tell me which program i should use.

Compared and analyzed them already, thanks. Found some traces and starting points. Will dig into that deeper next week.

[redmimic]

Any chance this can unlock the Rotate Screen function?

Sony seems to have banned it from the SE and despite editing the registry, I cannot use the option that existed in my 4 year old Toshiba.

[unney]

Thank you pyr0.

I installed it in my VPCSB and it worked well... The installation was easier and quicker than original sony vaio updater program... . I gone thru the options in the BIOS quickly, and its really an impressive work. Hats off you.

One doubt, does the patched BIOS support SATA 3 ?


Also a feature request - Option to set ATA HDD password

[pyr0]

Thank you pyr0.

I installed it in my VPCSB and it worked well... The installation was easier and quicker than original sony vaio updater program... . I gone thru the options in the BIOS quickly, and its really an impressive work. Hats off you.

Thanks, it was fun to do the hack.

One doubt, does the patched BIOS support SATA 3 ?
Also a feature request - Option to set ATA HDD password

No SATA3 support yet. Sony removed it from the newer BIOSes and I did not find time yet to approach reintegration - but I will.

There is an option for ATA HDD password but it is critical to use at least for those owners that utilize RAID. You can use hdparm in a linux live cd for setting your passwords and doing fancy stuff like secure erase and drive lock.

[Strider22]

Thanks a lot pyr0. Related to this thread, I just want to ask a question. At the bottom of every Sandy Bridge Processor Spec sheet on ark.intel the following information is given:

"Some products can support AES New Instructions with a Processor Configuration update, in particular, i7-2630QM/i7-2635QM, i7-2670QM/i7-2675QM, i5-2430M/i5-2435M, i5-2410M/i5-2415M. Please contact OEM for the BIOS that includes the latest Processor configuration update."

I have a SB laptop with Core i5 2410M and AES-NI is not enabled. Do you think it is possible to enable this feature via your update?

[CyberWalrus]

For the safety of others, I would also recommend you disable/provide a big warning regarding the graphics options. In particular, setting "PEG" as the graphics card to use on boot will result in an unrecoverable brick. It would be helpful to remove this option entirely, to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
The "enable switchable graphics" option is safe to use, however the machine will default to the intel graphics if graphics switching is disabled.

[AKZam]

Hi all

Thanks for the work you have done so far pyr0, much obliged.

I have just installed the bios and it installs fine (on Sony VPCSA-290X), however when I try to change my IDE mode from RAID to AHCI, upon reboot it gives me a cyclical BSOD.

I want to change to AHCI as I want to have another go at installing OSX on my laptop - hit a brick wall months ago when I tried as nothing I could do would get the OSX installation process to recognise my HD (as it is wasn't in AHCI mode).

Any idea why I am getting a BSOD? I have not touched anything else in the BIOS.

[pyr0]

Are you running on a RAID0 array? Have you enabled AHCI in windows first?

How to Enable AHCI in Windows 7

[CyberWalrus]

Hi all

Thanks for the work you have done so far pyr0, much obliged.

I have just installed the bios and it installs fine (on Sony VPCSA-290X), however when I try to change my IDE mode from RAID to AHCI, upon reboot it gives me a cyclical BSOD.

I want to change to AHCI as I want to have another go at installing OSX on my laptop - hit a brick wall months ago when I tried as nothing I could do would get the OSX installation process to recognise my HD (as it is wasn't in AHCI mode).

Any idea why I am getting a BSOD? I have not touched anything else in the BIOS.

First a warning - Discussion of installing mac OS on PC's isn't allowed on this forum.
that said, this link
Have fun!

[mtroyan]

Any progres on unlocking sata3?