My BIOS doesn?t provide ?VT? setting in model Aspire 8930G ??

Hi all,

After I have installed the Windows 7 Ultimate x 64 in my Aspire 8930G and run the VMware player to open a win7 virtual machine, a pop up window warned me that the VT had been disabled in the BIOS.

But I cannot find any VT setting in my BIOS ( version 1.2 ). Can anyone send me a BIOS which supports VT ?

I have found an article in the Internet which shows how to enable the VT on the Aspire 8930G :

Abort, Retry, Hack? Blog Archive Enabling Intel VT on the Aspire 8930G (and other InsydeH2O-based laptops)

But I don't understand what the article says since I am not software engineer.

Thanks.

 

look in the 8930g owners tread
or download the modded bios here

 

Hi Shakennstirred,
My notebook is Aspire 8930G with T9600 CPU, 2.8GHz, GeForce 9700M GT, 4GB RAM ( ELPIDA 2GB 2Rx8 PC3-8500S-7-05-FP ) and 1x320GB HDD.

Will your file KM2X64.fd remove my Serial No ?

 

It should be 6GB instead of 4GB RAM in my computer configuration.
Can I restore the BIOS to v1.2 if I install your BIOS and find it fail ?

 

if you look on that thread there will be one without the slic that just turns on the vt

 

Hi all,
A good news to all of us, Acer has upgraded the Aspire 8930G BIOS from v1.2 to v1.21 which supports VT-x. Today, the technical staff of Acer upgrades my BIOS and I can run the VMware player to open a win7 64-bit virtual machine. Later, all of us can download this new version BIOS from Acer web site.
The only disappointment is that the Aspire 8930G cannot support 8GB RAM. I try to upgrade the RAM size from 4GB to 8GB. Finally, the notebook can only recognize 6GB !! My notebook CPU is T9600, 2.8GHz , with GeForce 9700M GT.

 

Wow took that was quick.
BIOS hackers already unlocked VT literally years agos

 

where on the acer site is the 1.21 bios?
i only see 1.20 when i look

 

I think they pass the BIOS to him directly first.
The last time I complained they forgot to enable XD Capability they passed the corrected firmware to me first as well.
After a week then it was officially posted for downloads.

 

Yes, I know Marcan has solved this problem at 2009. But I don't dare to do it by myself since there are many points that I don’t understand what he said in the article. I am afraid I will damage my computer if I do something wrong in the step.

 

Yes, I carried my notebook to Acer customer service center and the technical staff programmed a new version BIOS in my notebook.
He said that this v1.21 BIOS will soon be officially posted for download.

 

Could you go back in there and ask if he could program a bios to enable 8GB of RAM please

 

8GB could be a hardware limitation of the chipset.
If the pins isn't connected to the full 8GB it can address there is no way around it. Programming isn't magic, you can only enable physical things that are already there.

 

The PM45 chipset in a 8930G can address up to 64GB. Certainly I know of users running 8GB in a 2530P (GS45.. low power version of PM45 with IGP). It is quite likely that a bios progammer set TOM (Top of Memory) to 6GB.



A hacked bios could get you your 8GB. Perhaps ask Acer to formally fix this problem with a bios update? If not, suggest ask Kizwan in http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/480992-acer-laptop-phoenix-bios-bios-mod-request.html to see what he can do. I know he's had a go at unsetting D_LCK bit before which would then allow you to alter this variable pre-OS boot as a test case using DIY ViDock Setup 1.x's setpci command on the commandline interface, followed by 'grub4dos w7' to chainload into Win7.

 

I have asked this question to Acer at 24Feb and they had no feedback to me. When I carried my notebook to Acer service center at 5Mar and asked the technical staff the same question again, they replied me they just received the BIOS from headquarter and didn't know anything.

Then I asked can I replace the CPU by Intel Core 2 Quad Q9100 since the socket of T9600 and Q9100 are the same (PGA478) so that I can plug the Q9100 in the same CPU socket directly, and did this CPU replacement need BIOS support ?
He just replied me that although some 8930G series support 8GB, but their motherboard were different. And you cannot just set the BIOS to meet your requirement.

Although I don't know whether his answer is true or false, I think there is no way to push Acer to solve this 6GB RAM limitation problem ...

Anyway, I have a question to you. I note that your computer's CPU is X9100 3.325GHz. But I check this CPU specification from Intel website and find that the clock speed is only 3.06Hz. Does that mean you have done something to raise the clock speed ?

Moreover, the selling price of X9100 is $851.00. It is very expensive ....

@ nando4

From your comment, it seems that we can solve this 6GB RAM limitation by setting the BIOS. Then I need to study what Kizwan had done in solving this problem...

 

@michaelmak

X9100's base core is 3.06GHz, but it has an unlocked multiplier. Using Throttlestop to overclock and undervolt, it works a treat!
Ebay is your friend Got my X9100 for £180

 

Do you only plug the X9100 in the same CPU socket directly to replace the old CPU, and do this CPU replacement need BIOS support ?

By using the software "Throttleshop" to overclock, do I need to install some additional cooling equipments ? and what value of undervolt should be set ?
As you know the ventilation inside notebook is poor. I am afraid the CPU becomes hot and at last damage it.:

I am very suprise that you can get this chip in this very low selling price from Ebay ( £180 ~ US$289 )
I want to buy one to test it.

 

Remove old processor, clean heatsink, insert new processor, put on thermal compound, lock in place, put the heatsink back in place and you're good to go. Updating to the latest bios is always a good idea prior to a hardware upgrade.

As for undervolting, every chip is different - you might not be able to undervolt as much as me and still be 100% stable, your best bet is to do extensive stress tests for a few hours at 100% load. There are programmes out there, off the top of my head I can't remember their names, all it takes is a quick google of CPU stress testing.
Also worth checking out the throttlestop thread on these forums.

 

Will you plan to replace your CPU by a Core™2 Quad Processor in future ?

 

Unfortunately even though it's the same chipset, the 8930G's motherboard won't support anything higher than a Q9000, which isn't really that good.

 

The 7738G is the only core 2 based acer system to accept a quad higher than a q9000 so far.

 

Can you please share your bios with the rest of us?

If you have the installer, it very easy.

If you don't have it, you can still dump your bios using the installer from another version of the bios.

You just have to edit the plattform.ini and add a filename for the backup:

Code:

;The file is Insydeflash utility configuration file

[Version]
Version=00
;Insydeflash utility will display the value at top 

[FDFile]
FileName=
BackupName=backup.fd

;FileName    -> Utility always load this file.
;BackupName  -> Utility will backup current BIOS to the file.

When you run the flasher it will make a backup, and then it will ask you if you want to flash your bios (you should answer no if you want to keep VT).

And then share the backup.fd with us.

Thank you.

 

Hi,
Although I don't understand what you mean , I will try to do it. Can you tell me where I can find the installer and the file "plattform.ini " ?

 

I will try to explain myself better.

You have to go to the official acer web page and download the bios installer:

Here you have the link to the 1.13 bios, but you don't have to take my word on it

http://global-download.acer.com/GDF...=Aspire 8930G&OS=V10&LC=es&BC=Acer&SC=EMEA_11

Once you unzip the package, inside the folder there is a file called plattform.ini, which you have to edit adding a name for the backup file.

Then you save plattform.ini, and after you have to right click and run the InsideFlash.exe as an administrator.

The flasher will make a backup of your current BIOS before doing anything else.

Then it will ask you wether you want to proceed, and you should cancel now.

Inside the folder, there should be now a new file: the backup of your current BIOS (1.21) which is the file I'm kindly asking for.

You can compress the file and upload to any server (megaupload, rapidshare...) or you can email it to me and I will do it: mat_ov(at)hotmail(dot)com

 

Hi mat_ov,
Please download the backup file from the below link :
Download backup.fd from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

Hope it can help you.

 

I've downloaded it, but in my bios flasher it reads v1.20.

Thank you anyway.

What laptop do you exactly have? I have an Acer Aspire 9830G.

 

Hello, michaelmak.
I've got ur BIOS backup, and instal to my 6935G, and it works!
thank u.
now I can run my XP mode.
could u tell me, what're the issues (improved performance beside the VT activation) from ur 1.21 BIOS?
once again, I thank u for shared it.

 

I don't know why it shows v1.2 in your flasher ? I remembered that when the Acer technical staff was programming the new version BIOS, my screen showed v1.21.

Anyway, does your computer support VT-x now by using this backup file ?

 

My notebook is Aspire 8930G with T9600 CPU, 2.8GHz, GeForce 9700M GT, 6GB RAM.

 

Hi,
I admire your brave in trying my backup file since your model is different from my model.

I carried my notebook to Acer customer service center and the technical staff programmed a new version BIOS in my notebook. He said that this v1.21 BIOS will soon be officially posted for download.

 

well, our system is most like the same. mine is small size of urs.
so, I've no doubt to flashed it into my 6935G..

but the setting couldn't show on BIOS menu.
my previous 6492 travelmate was better in doing VT.

 

I also have a 8930g and x9100.
What settings voltage etc did you use on Throttlestop to overclock? I've also seen someone on here who has taken it to 3.6, did you try his?

How do you get the temperature of your cpu realtime? Mine doesn't update and only takes a reading on bootup, I think it's a common problem, do you use a different bios?

 

Throttlestop uses the processors DTS to tell you the temperature. Voltages are standard if O/Cing to 3.6GHz