FN-CTRL swap on all Lenovo laptops [SOLVED]

First of all, I support that this location of Fn and Ctrl is very annoying.

I was wondering if this BIOS patch will work with Lenovo G530 (model 4151)? This mode is not listed on the first post, but it is a simpler version of G550.

Thank you

 

It's much easier for me to make the changes you want by myself than to explain all details of ThinkPad's firmware to someone, especially because I've already forgot these details (CTRL-FN patch was created two months ago).
Why I don't want to continue working on ThinkPad's firmware improvement, I wrote in my previous post.

Now you can find a link to G530 patched BIOS on the first page.

 

Thank you very much, Middleton! It works like a charm without any problems at all on my Lenovo G530! I join to a crowd of people appreciating your patches. I hope Lenovo will hear us at some point.

 

thank you so much middleton, the bios worked like a charm on my thinkpad R400
i'm a french employee of a big american consulting firm.
We just moved from older dell laptops (CTRL-FN) to those thinkpads (FN-CTRL).
This has been a huge issue since the new laptops have been distributed.
A lot of colleagues would die for this! Of course now thanx to you i can help...

It's a crazy world we live in when it's the end-user that have to re-generate a new bios by itself.

As I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I must say to Lenovo how useless they are:
Shame, shame, shame on you...

 

how bout for t510?

 

If you mean ThinkPad T510, then click these two links:

Switch Mode for Fn/Ctrl Keys: Follow-up
Switch Mode for Fn/Ctrl Keys: Start up

To all

Thanks for your kind words. Reading it, I realize that all my efforts wasn't in vain.
And by the way, check this link: Introducing IdeaPad Z360/Z560/Z565. As far as I know it's the first time when lenovo will make laptops with the leftmost CTRL key. It seems that we finally win this battle .

 

Hi Middleton,

Not sure if any one has asked for the u330 firmware? I saw some folks asking about it in another forum. Granted it's an older machine but some of us still have it

Don't want to burden you though if it'll be too much work and hassle. You've already done a lot for loads of people.

Thanks!

 

Sorry but it's impossible for me at the moment. I'll try to explain.

I have to know Embedded Controller's CPU model to make the CTRL-FN patch.
U330 has EC firmware which is written by Insyde Software Corp. We can read on their website (www.insydesw.com) that Insyde makes EC firmware for Intel 8051 and Hitachi H8 based Embedded Controllers.

I checked U330 BIOS, its code is neither Intel 8051 nor Hitachi H8 based. I can't disassemble EC firmware not knowing CPU type. If I knew CPU model I would make the CTRL-FN patch in 15 minutes (provided there is a disassembler for this type of processor).

 

Hi Mddleton,

Not sure if this helps but this is the information i got from cpuid on the intel
t4200 processor. The exact model number is U330 226758U & this does not have the ati graphics or the hdmi port.

Thanks!

 

System information utilities (CPU-Z, Everest etc.) will never show you the type of Embedded Contoller. There are two ways to determine it:

1) We can analyze EC's firmware (doesn't help in our case).
2) You can disassemble your laptop, find EC chip on motherboard and read its marking. But even if you'll find out EC's type, there is a probability that we'll not be able to disassemble EC's firmware because there is no disassembler for this type of processor.

 

Thanks for the detailed explanations Middleton. I guess i'll just have to get used to the weird key placement. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything!

 

Can anyone re-up BIOS for s10- file from first page doesn't found.

 

Click on "IdeaPad" word instead of "S10". This forum spoils some links.

 

Hi middleton, I wonder if you are still fixing BIOS? I have a Y560 and although this is my second laptop with the Fn-Ctrl layout, I still find the Fn-Ctrl layout to be very hard to adjust to. Please let me know if you are willing to help, and what info/files you need. Thanks.

 

Exactly how is this BIOS mod works? I got the T60 model, and flashed the modded BIOS, but the key are still the same.

 

Tell me please the type of your BIOS: Phoenix or Insyde H2O.

You have to use "flash.bat" to flash BIOS (see the first post of this topic).
But if you are using 64-bit operating system, then I'm afraid I can't help you because there is no BIOS update for 64-bit systems.
I don't wish to disassemble and patch DOS-executables on bootable CD image.

 

You missed reading me, I said " flashed the modded BIOS". Meaning the flashing of the bios is a success, I went into the BIOS and can see the version number get updated. But the Fn & Ctrl keys didn't get swap. And there is no BIOS option to swap the Fn & Ctrl keys either. In other word, the modded BIOS doesn't appear to do anything.

 

How did you flash T60 BIOS: using "winuptp.exe" or "flash.bat"?
It seems you haven't read this topic from the beginning. Otherwise you'd know that "winuptp.exe" always checks Embedded Controller's firmware version and if new and old versions are the same, then Embedded Controller's firmware will not be updated - just like in your case.
Use "flash.bat" to flash BIOS. This method supresses all version checks.

 

I did use the winuptp.exe but my BIOS was originally on version 2.25 and upon completion I verified it and it show 2.26 So the it did flashed the BIOS. Unless you are saying that running winuptp.exe will only flash the original unmodded BIOS while flash.bat will flash modded BIOS. That said, the T60 modded BIOS version 2.26 didn't swap fn & ctrl key.

 

You don't understand what I'm trying to tell you. There are two files to be flashed:

1) Main BIOS image (*.FL1).

2) Embedded Controller's (EC) firmware (*.FL2). EC is responsible for keyboard handling.

It doesn't matter what main BIOS version you have because CTRL-FN patch is in EC's firmware.
It's obviously that your version of EC's firmware is the same as in my patch. So "winuptp.exe" detects this and simply doesn't flash the patched EC's firmware.
I want to repeat it once again: You've flashed only one file (*.FL1 - Main BIOS image), but the second one (*.FL2 - Embedded Controller's firmware where my patch is contained) is still not flashed because its version is identical to yours.
You have to use "flash.bat" to force "winuptp.exe" to skip all version checks. I hope you'll understand me this time.

Flash my patch once again with "flash.bat" and write your results here.

 

Now, what you just said make sense, and yes it work now. But let me point to the fact that I did follow the original instruction

As you can see, because my original BIOS was a lower revision therefore I did not get that error message therefore I wasn't doing the .bat method, ala just adding /s parameter. If the instruction was to use batch file method regardless of whether I got the error message or not then I would have do so that way.

Sorry for the confusion

 

I don't know if this has always been the case, but I just took delivery of an x201s and the ctrl-fn swap feature is in the factory Bios.

 

The first screen of the BIOS setup says "Phoenix SecureCore(tm)". Version "30CN54WW". EC version "27EC31WW"
(Recap: this is for the Y560. Thanks.)

 

You have to wait for an official BIOS update for Y560. I can probably patch a dump of your BIOS but you'll not be able to flash it back without knowing a type of flash memory chip (this information is present in the official BIOS update).

You can learn the type of flash chip either by disassembling your laptop and reading chip's marking or by writing an utility which reads flash chip's ID. If you are able to accomplish these tasks, then let me know.

 

I'll be changing out the keyboard when the new one arrives... Hope the chip is right under the keyboard? Unlikely?

 

I don't know, I've never seen any lenovo laptop in real life. But you'd better wait for an official BIOS update because all attempts to flash firmware in unofficial way are extremely risky.
Even the official BIOS update can brick your machine, see this topic !!! WARNING !!! Y460 Bricked by Bios Update 27CN43WW(64).

 

ah.... thanks for the horror stories... I'll wait

 

Lenovo heard my wish? They released a BIOS update for the Y560 (and Y460 too) already (64bit). Lenovo Ideapad Support & downloads - Drivers & Downloads

 

You can download the modded BIOS from the first page of this thread.

 

Thank you very much! It is working! I'm happy as a clam now

 

Thank you very much for the y560 BIOS mod, was checking this thread a few times a day
I registered just to say that.

Just curious, what tools do you use to decompile/compile the bios images?

 

To make a CTRL-FN mod you need disassembler which supports various processors for Embedded Controllers.

 

Thank you very much!

So just install this modded y560 update? or install the official one and then this one?

Edit: this works for 64bit, right?

 

You need to flash the modded BIOS only.

Yes.

 

Sorry for so many questions, would a future Lenovo bios update remove this one

In other words, should i avoid future lenovo bios updates?

 

Yes, you should.
But if you write in this thread about new official BIOS for your laptop, then I'll patch this firmware too and place here a link to it.

 

K, Thanx again.

 

Hi I see the bios for x200s... any chance of getting the fix for:
the x301?

Bios verions: 3.10-1.05
Official Bios: Lenovo Support & downloads - BIOS update utility - ThinkPad X301

Thanks for your efforts

 

I think it's possible for X301 too. But I'm very busy now. Wait a couple of days.

 

Hi Middleton,
Are you able to create a BIOS fix for the SL400?
I can wait a few days if necessary, so thanks in advance.

 

No problem. Beggers can't be choosers.

Thanks

 

Check the first post of this thread.
I've added patches for the following ThinkPads:

- X301
- SL300
- SL400
- SL400c
- SL500
- SL500c

 

Dear Mr. Middleton,

I have one further question: Is tehere any possibility to activate/edit "secret" or more functions in x200 BIOS?
As I can see there's an undervolting lock in the BIOS preventing all software to go below 0,9 Volts.

Keep up the great work!

Pete

 

As far as I know BIOS can't lock CPU undervolting. Bottom voltage limit depends on CPU model. Some CPUs allow to set very low voltages (~ 0,7 V) but there are CPUs which block setting voltages below ~ 0,9 V limit.

 

middleton:

Your CTRL/FN swap works perfectly on my SL410. Unfortunately I am having issues with my laptop powering off and reporting 'critical' battery randomly.

It looks like Lenovo has addressed these issues in the latest BIOS updates (which obviously will not install).


[EDIT]: It says update failed but the newer bios no longer shows up. I assume the main BIOS updated but the controller failed. As long as the system no longer randomly shuts down/sleeps I am happy.


Would you mind updating the swap for the latest update? Lenovo Support & downloads - BIOS update utility - ThinkPad L410, L510, SL410, SL510

Do you accept donations for your work?

 

I've updated BIOS for ThinkPad L410, L510, SL410, SL510.
And as for donations: Unfortunately paypal doesn't allow to receive money in my country (only sending is allowed). All other payment systems are not so convinient for the people in foreign countries.

 

Middleton,
Thanks so much for the BIOS patch for the SL400. It seems that a new BIOS version 1.28 was released on June 3rd. Would you be able to update the patch to reflect the change? Thanks again. You are amazing!

 

Done (see the first post).

 

Thank You!

 

Hi, is it possible to add suport fo Lenovo IdeaPad U350 please?