WHAT IS "BIOS Patcher"?

BIOS Patcher is a kind of software that can find and fix errors in your system BIOS (only AWARD BIOS for now) and also it can add or open new features, i.e. some features that your BIOS has but they are closed by manufacturer of your motherboard.

WHAT DOES IT MAKE?

BIOS Patcher scans rom file. If it finds any known errors it fixes the errors. If it finds any closed features it opens it. Also if it is started with any keys for add new features than it should add it.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

As we know AWARD BIOS consists of several LHA-packed parts. For scan patcher extracts parts that it needs into RAM and looks for parts of code that it knows and that contains errors. If it finds something looks like an error it should check this error by several other signals and if all is allright patcher will signalize about it. If patcher has some mishmash about this error it shouldn't fix it.

WHY DOES IT WORK?

It is rather big question. I'll try to tell about shortly. Programmers who writes AWARD Bios sells it to motherboard manufacturers, who can change and/or add new features. It seems clear that nobody will write BIOS from the very beginning (Simple not every company has their own programmers and money for them :-))
That's why BIOSes of most motherboards looks like others. That is why all that motherboards has seldom updates of their BIOSes. And that's why most of them has identical errors and that's why patcher works more effective with this BIOSes.

"Adult" companies make changes (a lot and serious). Patcher can distinguish brand BIOSes such as Gigabyte or Asus.
I haven't information but it seems to me that Asus has rights to AWARD BIOSes and it writes their own BIOSes (with AWARD logo). It means that Asus has their own standarts and often has no any connection with "normal" AWARD BIOSes. So that is why such tools as cbrom or modbin can't work with Asus BIOSes. And also I want to stress that Asus has no problem with programmers and their BIOSes often seems like an art. (that is why almost a third part of patcher is a database of all features of Asus BIOSes).

And as an answer to this question - patcher works because of most general roots of all Award BIOSes (a great part of them hasn't changed since 1990).

WHAT IS CHANCE OF FAILURE?

Possibility of failure presents every time. But as I told above for identification of errors patcher uses many signals and error can't be because of work of patcher.

WHICH PARTS OF ROM IT MAKES CHANGES?

"Know How" of this patcher is in that.... it fixes nothing! I.e. that all parts of rom doesn't changes. Changes only microcodes and other changeable parts. Simply all changes makes in stand-alone file and it loads in progress of POST. It means that as a result of work there are two files - file of changes (modul.tmp) and file of start (start.tmp) - to load changes. This two files add to rom with standart tool - cbrom (automatically - it is integrated into patcher). As a result of such way of making changes we make several things:
- all manipulations with BIOS makes by AWARD tools;
- we can make no changes;
- flashing of BIOS can be with out flashing BootBlock and that's why this procedure is more reliable.

Only Asus BIOSes has their own non-standart structure of extracting modules while POST, that is why we should change BootBlock too.
Also we need to change a Boot Block in case of adding several features such as "+PCI" for VIA-based motherboards and also support of 256Mbit memory modules (while in progress) and so on. In all this cases we have no 100% reliability of patcher and that's why it is only for tests.
Also I'd like to note, that in case of editing of BootBlock in rom patcher will signalize a message like that "Warning! BootBlock was changed! Flashing BIOS only WITH BootBlock!"

HOW SAFE IS IT?

Patcher has several features against failures.

1. Virtual "DUAL-BIOS"

Because of keeping changes in one file patcher can load both BIOSes - original and fixed. This Roll Back starts if you'll press "-" on keyboard during BOOT. Module of changes reads pressed key and in case of minus simply skips fixed BIOS and loads old BIOS.

2. Roll Back without keyboard.

Unfortunately, there is no universal initialization of keyboard controller for all motherboards, that is why sometimes doesn't work read of pressed key. In this case BIOS uses absence of keyboard. If module of changes can't get signal from keyboard (DIN or PS/2) it should load old BIOS. Afterwards you can connect keyboard and flash your old BIOS. But I think that you shouldn't use this case.

As I count minimal reliabity of patcher is about 95%. IMHO this figure shows reliability and a question about reliability solved (for people who has little practise in flashing BIOSes).

WHAT CAN THAT PATCHER DO?

Patcher works with BIOSes:

- 1Mbit (128kB), 2Mbit (256kB), 4Mbit (512kB)
- Award 4.5x, Award(Phoenix) 6.xx
- Pentium - Socket5, Socket7, SuperSocket7; Pentium II/III - Socket8, Slot1, Socket370 (PPGA/FC-PGA/FC-PGA2), AMD K7 - Slot-A, SocketA; Pentium 4 (Socket423/Socket478)
- "Asus standart" of packing BIOS modules (in CUSL/TUSL etc)

Patcher can add support of CPU:

- AMD K6/K6-2/K6-III/K6-2+/K6-III+
- Intel Pentium Pro/Pentium II/Pentium III/Celeron
- AMD K7/K75/Athlon/Duron/Athlon 4/Athlon MP/Athlon XP (tested)
- Intel Pentium 4/Celeron-478 (in progress)

Support means not only names of CPUs (which shows with kernel name and can be change) but correct init of L2-cache, FSB, Multiplyer, support of different steppings. There are many thing that patcher makes, and all of them that the manufacturer didn't make for correct support of CPU.

Note: It doesn't mean that you shouldn't modify your board for electric compatibility with CPU.

Patcher can make support of big HDD (up to 137 Gb)

Patcher can add much more choice of frequencies in BIOS SETUP

Patcher can add ASYNC mode of memory on VIA 693A,694X,694T (+PCI) and on VIA 693 and less (-PCI), Interleaving (2/4 way), minimal timings (2-2-2-5-2), IOQ Depth (8) and so on.

Also patcher changes default choice on exit from BIOS (from N to Y) in old (AWARD 4.5x) BIOSes, default date is 2003 and others little but useful thing for people who work with a great quantity of boards (people like me :-)).

Also for P4 BIOSes which has Hyper-Threading patcher can unlock the choice of this menu in BIOS Setup for ANY CPU.
Note: It doesn't add but it's unlock (open) this menu.

Other things that are in progress now:

- support of 64/128 Mbit memory on P1 platform (Via VPX and i430TX), 256 Mbit on P2/P3 platform (VIA 693A and some of VIA 694X)
- add load by hot key from proper device
- support editing of AMIBIOS and so on.

HOW TO WORK WITH PATCHER?

All is very simple - just copy patcher and rom file to any directory and run:

bp name_of_rom [keys]

Keys:

/c - force name of CPU (it will be shown for ANY CPU PLUGGED INTO THIS BOARD)
/d - don't delete temporary files
/e - show rom file info. This is like cbrom.exe /d (only info and no patch)
/h - help
/m - manual choosing of things to patch. By default patcher fixes all errors.
/p - add "+PCI" (RAM_freq>CPU_freq) for VIA 693A/694X/694T (testing)
/s - turn off roll back
/v - overcloking (speed optimization) of memory for VIA-based motherboards P1/P2/P3 (testing)

Examples:

"bp 6130.bin /e"
"bp 6via86p.bin /p/c/d"

After patching you should flash your BIOS. HOW? If you don't know how, maybe you shouldn't have to do it? :-)

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based patcher version is 4.00.rc7.1

All questions, requests and offers - forum (for english-speaking)

More thanks to Andrew (aka mamyx) for translate to english.