Crosshair IV Formula with updated RAID ROM

[davidm71]

Stupid question if I have the Sata setup in bios running in raid mode, does an individual drive run in ahci mode or use the raid driver? For example I have a single boot drive, and a data raid-0 array..

Thanks

[p4spooky]

Stupid question if I have the Sata setup in bios running in raid mode, does an individual drive run in ahci mode or use the raid driver? For example I have a single boot drive, and a data raid-0 array..

Thanks

This is not a stupid question - no one knows. I have a RAID 5 using platter drives and one SSD on Crosshair V and I am seeing mixed results. Appears that the SSD runs in IDE mode but I am still testing and plan to secure erase the drive to make sure its not a drive issue. If someone else can confirm it will be great. I know Intel swiches to AHCI mode when configured in RAID mode with a single drive.

[p4spooky]

Spooky,

Was wondering did you just repackage your mod with newer versions? If so how do I check I used the most latest release you posted?

Thanks!

The AHCI version INCLUDES the RAID ROM updates. So install this if you need the latest ROMs in both modes and you should be good. Hope this clarifies.

[davidm71]

This is not a stupid question - no one knows. I have a RAID 5 using platter drives and one SSD on Crosshair V and I am seeing mised results. Appears that the SSD runs in IDE mode but I am still testing and plan to secure erase the drive to make sure its not a drive issue. If someone else can confirm it will be great.

Guess you could go into device manager and see which driver is loaded (raid or ahci) and go into properties and see which ports are in raid mode or ahci. But I'm not sure what version of your mod bios I installed or rather if I installed the new ahci firmware. Guess I'll have to check what version posts at boot I suppose. Tried using Everest but couldn't find it with that one..

Thanks

[felix_w]

Don't know if anyone's interested, but there is a post in a thai forum, having a SB8XX 3.2.1540.92 Raid Rom. There is also 3.0.C.5 AHCI available and a late version of MM Tool. Link is here

[CrimInalA]

Been using the later raid mod without the ahci mod.
The v3.3.x raid mod.

Just got around to checking the ahci thing.
On my setup, I see the ahci screen for a split sec (didn't know there was one...).
And after that it goes black and does nothing.

When i use the bios with raid mod but without ahci mod i have the same thing .
When i set ahci in the bios instead of raid (for testing) it shows a black screen (with a few colored pixels) during boot and sits there .

NEOAethyr : did you try the raid+ahci mod bios ? Same behaviour there ? I haven't tried that bios myself .

[davidm71]

You guys know if its possible to roll back to original 2002?

Only because the AHCI mode with the modded bios causes a hang at post..

Thanks.

Edit: Upgrading the ACHI Rom from 3.0.7 to 3.0.C Fixed the hang problem.

[davidm71]

@P4Spooky,

Why did you settle on 3.3.1540.14 as opposed to .17 or other newer version of raid rom? I was playing around in MMTool and thinking of updating the package
you posted but thought you would have if you could so must be a reason why not?

Thanks.

[Albertini]

@P4Spooky,

Why did you settle on 3.3.1540.14 as opposed to .17 or other newer version of raid rom? I was playing around in MMTool and thinking of updating the package
you posted but thought you would have if you could so must be a reason why not?

Thanks.

Well, I guess .14 was the latest and greatest back when spooky modded the bios

Just played around with MMtool, too and bootet succesfully in AHCI mode with the following rom:

CrosshairIV-Formula-ASUS-2002-AHCI_RAID_JMB_updated.ROM

Changes:
AMD AHCI ROM 3.1.0.0
AMD RAID ROM 3.3.1540.17
JMB36x RAID ROM 1.07.28

Can only confirm that AHCI works flawlessly, the other two modules should, too - but of course: don't blame me if your cat is on fire because of this rom

EDIT: ATTENTION - the misc.bin was not updated (can't find the module...) - so only use that BIOS in AHCI Mode. Will try to find the misc.bin when I got some spare time.

[felix_w]

Albertini, did you also replace the MISC.BIN module that matches the 3.31540.17 RAID ROM ?

[Albertini]

Albertini, did you also replace the MISC.BIN module that matches the 3.31540.17 RAID ROM ?

no - wasn't aware that this was necessary.
I suppose misc.bin is a placeholder for the raid.bin/ahci.bin... at least there is no misc.bin in the original 2002.rom
I strictly followed the guide I found here on a german site: win-lite.de

[felix_w]

Well, check this also : AHCI/RAID ROM modules for BIOS modding - already extracted

The two separate folders hosted ( somewhere near last post) have a separate misc.bin inside. If you compare them you can see they are different.

I don't know their structure but arecent test i did without also inserting the proper MISC.bin gave me an error (Error..Misc.bin Not found/loaded, or something like that)

[Albertini]

Ok, I see - I'll have a look whether I can insert the propoer misc.bin, too. For the time being please don't use the modded rom if using RAID as it will probably not detect your array.

[davidm71]

Spooky,

Did you have to add the misc.rom file when you made your modded bios?

Trying to roll my own modded bios but read somewhere u have to add the misc file. Confused.

Thanks!

[davidm71]

If anyone can contribute how you mod the crosshair iv formula raid and ahci bios please contribute... We need a new one with ahci 3.1.0.0. Read somewhere there are performance increases in that version..

Thank you.

[Fernando]

If anyone can contribute how you mod the crosshair iv formula raid and ahci bios please contribute... We need a new one with ahci 3.1.0.0.

According to my knowledge you can update the AMD AHCI ROM module without any problems (there is no MISC.BIN file for that ROM).
The problem is the update of both AMD RAID ROM modules for DEV_4392 and DEV_4393, because both of them need a separate MISC.BIN file within the BIOS for proper working.

[aGeoM]

Replace all 4 files with MMTool, misc.bin file was modded to go with Crosshair IV. All those files was downloaded from Fernando's http://www.win-lite.de/wbb/board208-...ady-extracted/ post.

I have the 3027 bios modded, and working 100%.

CIVF_RAID_MOD.zip

[felix_w]

.....file was modded to go with Crosshair IV....

Did you mod the misc.bin to be recognized from CHIV or do you mean that you just exchanged the misc.bin file on the official BIOS with the proper one from an other board ?

[aGeoM]

The misc file was modded, from the "original" (your's misc), selected area removed.

MISC.jpg

[felix_w]

What info is included in the removed lines ?

[Fernando]

@ aGeoM:

What info is included in the removed lines ?

Yes, that is an important question, but I have additional ones:

1. The misc file was modded, from the "original" (your's misc), selected area removed.

   Has the selected hex code area to be removed for all AMD board BIOSes or just for specific ones? It it's the latter, for which boards is the shown modification valid?
2. How is it possible to find the correct MISC.BIN files, which have to be replaced by more actual ones, within a non-UEFI AMI BIOS opened by the MMTool?
   I have extracted all "User Defined and Reserved" modules and opened them with a hex editor, but I couldn't find any module with the text string "misc.bin" in it. To be honest, I didn't find even a module, which has a quite similar size and content as the opened misc.bin file you have posted.

[aGeoM]

What info is included in the removed lines ?

@ aGeoM:
Yes, that is an important question, but I have additional ones:

1. Has the selected hex code area to be removed for all AMD board BIOSes or just for specific ones? It it's the latter, for which boards is the shown modification valid?
2. How is it possible to find the correct MISC.BIN files, which have to be replaced by more actual ones, within a non-UEFI AMI BIOS opened by the MMTool?
   I have extracted all "User Defined and Reserved" modules and opened them with a hex editor, but I couldn't find any module with the text string "misc.bin" in it. To be honest, I didn't find even a module, which has a quite similar size and content as the opened misc.bin file you have posted.

The info removed was de UEFI module header.


I'm no bios or whatever programmer, but what I did was simple, when I saw the new raid(**.17) rom and the misc on your post, I modded my BIOS, I got the error misc.bin not find or something like that. So I opened de misc.bin files, the previous (from ROM **.14) and saw the difference on the header, removed, replaced de misc.bin in BIOS. and... ta ta.

Fernando I don't know what specific BIOS are you talking about. I had found MISC.BIN on Module ID F1(Crosshair IV) and ID F0(Crosshair III) modules. Sometimes de misc.bin module is compressed in bios.

Now my question? It's working for you guys? It should even on the 2002 bios, I didn't test on that because a have a 8120 BD on my board.

Edit: the Felix misc.bin was taken from an UEFI bios, and the new ones will be found on new boards with UEFI bios. Someone (can't remember the site) said to search for modules with "FC" or "FD" at the end of the name.

Example: Crosshair V Formula -Z, 0508 UEFI BIOS:

CVZ_MMTOOL.jpg

Let's extract ***FC module as it is:

CVZ_MMTOOL_FC extracted as it is.jpg

and now as uncompressed:

CVZ_MMTOOL_FC extracted as uncompressed.jpg

voillá... our MISC.BIN file, with the header

Extract Option Rom 1002.4393

CVZ_MMTOOL_ROM extract.jpg

Now we have a option rom and the compatible misc.bin file. That's all.

[Fernando]

@ aGeoM:

Thank you very much for your detailed and clear answers to our questions and the screenshots for a better demonstration of what you have done.
Your contribution is a very good basis for adding some instructions regarding the MISC.BIN files into my BIOS modding guide.

Thanks again!
Fernando

[aGeoM]

Welcome

Just wanted to help, since I got it to work on my board. But all the thanks goes to the community.

Be well...

[Albertini]

Thnx to the info provided by aGeoM and Fernando (and of course Spooky) I was finally able to update the misc module, too.

crosshair_IV_2002_AHCI_RAID

Changes:
AMD AHCI ROM 3.1.0.0
AMD RAID ROM 3.3.1540.17 (+ misc bin)
JMB36x RAID ROM 1.07.28

Thank you again!
Albertini