BIOS R4044M3 for VAIO Z Series

I realy don't see your problem.

As the Vaio Z has no eSata it is irrelevant what mode you select for an external drive (how did you conect it to your Z - USB?)

And if you have Vista just use slow format (it will overwrite everything with 0). Or use any windows based freewaretool.

You need IDE Compatibility mode only for dos based programs and for the internal drive.

TDO

 

HDDErase is dos based program and if I'm right, it's the only program capable of doing the "secure erase", which will not just securely erase the SSD, but it'll also reset it to the factory shipped condition.

 

If your SSD is out already, you can try this. This procedure is rather for 大きなハッカー only.

Reformating and overwriting with 0 isn't a good idea - it makes SSD slower as before.

 

Hi, I accidently flashed this BIOS too and now stuck with passworded BIOS. Been pressing the Esc and F buttons to get the boot device options but can't get the boot device menu to appear. Tried flashing as well with other BIOS versions from within Windows but BIOS password is still there.

Can you or anyone tell me how to clear CMOS or make it let me choose boot devices please on a Vaio Z? Thanks.

Edit: 64 bit Win 7 btw, tried CMOS clearing utility but wouldn't run on 64 bit.

 

Boot CD with this
Edit: You need to use the included flash it tool included in the R4044M3 package

 

I've spent the whole day looking for a working Boot CD and burned 7 CDs (that include Flash it and several BIOS files) to no success now. Most CDs were able to boot, but somehow failed to show the BIOS files and the flash it. This is getting frustrating because it's something so simple, yet so difficult to make it work somehow.

 

Ok, have finally managed to flash the BIOS using your batch file... but password remains... argh!! I've also tried flash it /c to clear CMOS and password still won't disappear... wth :/

 

As an update, I finally gave in trying to clear the CMOS and reflashing it with other BIOSes.... I called Sony Support to give me the code to unlock the BIOS password. My Vaio Z had to be switched on while waiting for them to give me the code.... about 12 hours later. Oh well... at least that annoyance was finally over.

 

Currently have a Z650N/B with Vista Business. Want to set up a dual boot with Win7-64. If I flash the new bios from Sony in order to run the W7-64, will I still be able to run the 32bit Vista as a dual boot with the new bios update?

 

ShadowFlare, so how did you finally unlock the BIOS password? Sony Support did it?

I have R5031M3 version now. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes, I had to call Sony Support to switch off the password on the BIOS. Basically after you enter the password 3x incorrectly, the blue password box turns red and say "Onetime Password'. Above this box you'll see a 16-letter string which you give to Sony so they can give you the Onetime Password according to the 16-letter keyword. Sony contacted me 12 hours later for the Onetime Password and my laptop had to be switched on the whole time. It's because the code changes on each reboot. Still.... 12 hours just for an unlock code... bleh.

 

Can someone help me? i have Sony Vaio vgn-z11mrn with brick bios. Notebook is power on, screen is black. if am enter cd disk it start reading(and i think looking for correct name .FD file) How can i repair my bios? i read many forums and doesn't find solution. p.s sorry for my english, i'am from russia

 

If you notebook can boot from dos, maybe is possible to recovery by flash the bios again using the bios and flash program in this thread. If you cannot boot from dos, I think that you probably need to bring it back to the repair center.

 

as i sad screen there is nothing on screen. and i dont have a repair center in my town. There is no another way to restore bios?

 

Are you burning a dos based bootable CD? If so re-work it with the file "AUTOEXEC.BAT" and

Code:

flash[I]it[/I] [B]biosname[/B]

It will restart if it successfully completes the flash

 

Has anyone come across BIOS R5031M3 with unlocked advanced menu or perhaps have personally unlocked it? If I punch this on google, it'll return R5031M3 BIOS download from Sony asia and Japanese forums.

 

Maybe this helps. It's from an acer forum.

Undocumented INSYDE BIOS recovery method: http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=13095

TDO

 

Its harder to recover INSYDE bioses as they require the "SPECIFIC" name for the bios file. It isnt flexible and only looks for 1 file...... Unless you are extremely lucky, this file name could range from 1 letter to about 8 letters.

Ive tried to use this method, but in the end sent it to sony.

 

R5031M3 advance menu hacked, no modified boot screen or any changes

 

Cheers cosmok

 

I have 5030 right now (Z890 canadian model), should I install the R5031M3 on it? thanks

 

Installing R50 31M3 is not that you 'should', I had R50 30M3 working just fine. I'm just a bit adventurous, that's all

 

Have you been able to get the firmware on your SSD upgraded to 19C?

 

Unfortunately I haven't... nor will I be able to. Was reading from several forums, that Samsung SSDs are not capable of firmware upgrade I hope I was misreading them or someone figured out a trick to upgrade the firmware.

 

The OCZ firmware updater+19C firmware works on Zxx with unmodified R5031M3 bios without any problems.

 

Would that work on RAID0 sets as well?
Thank you in advance,
S

 

So far I know it would not. The updater contains IDE and ACHI drivers only.

 

Ok, fine But what are the advantages of 5031? Is there a changelog of some sort?

Thanks

 

@Visioneer: Do you have a Samsung or OCZ branded drive? I tried updating the firmware with a Samsung MMDOE56G5MXP (256GB) drive and it did not work.

 

one thing...i have a z41wd european model.i had installed windows 7 pro with my serial number, i had installed all the drivers manually and all work. yesterday i install vaio update 5 and now i can update the bios to R4044M3. Can i have some improvments if i flash the R5xxxx? I don't want to burn my laptop

 

Only difference from R4044M3 to R5031M3 is native SLIC 2.1. Either of the advanced roms in this thread have SLIC 2.1 so it's really your preference.

 

I have OEM Samsung drive. What doesn't work during updating (drive detection, fw update)?

 

thank you so much!!maybe could be usefull if i would like to restore an image of an hard drive of a z51 with windows 7 pro native installation. how can i flash this bios on my laptop?

 

The updater posted on the OCZ site ( http://www.ocztechnology.com/ssd_tools/OCZ_Summit_Series_SSDs/ ) detects the drive OK, it starts updating but then it gives an error and quits. It actually does not change anything on the drive (does not erase it or change firmware).

I thought it was because I had an OEM Samsung drive, not an OCZ branded one.

What hardware IDs do you have for your SSD drive in the windows device manager? Mine is listed as SAMSUNG MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB.

 

It looks, that my SSD has the same hardware ID: MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB. Did you use a usb stick to flash?

 

Yes, I used a USB stick formatted to FAT with DOS. The only difference I see is that I have BIOS R3054M3. I guess I should update to R5031M3 and try again.

By the way, which version of DOS did you use (6.22 or 7.0) ?
Also, do you have an ICH9M or ICH9M-E south bridge? I have the later.

 

So is there a changelog for R5031M3? Comparing to 5030 in particular?

 

Yes, here: http://vcl.vaio.sony.co.jp/download/EP0000211672.html

Although I suspect SONY's published logs may be incomplete.
Note: If you do not read Japanese, use your favorite translation soft.

 

The update is for Windows 7 Bit locker compatibility, the same as R4044M3

 

Yes indeed my laptop has BIOS R5031M3 and ICH9M-E southbridge. I use a usb stick formatted to FAT32 using win98 (standard Microsoft) boot files instead of FreeDos.

 

I understand that lastest BIOS for Z Serie is R5031M3. Is it possible with advance menu to change the temperature when vent (processor fan) is starting ?

My Vaio too noisy. The vent is starting too early. I am really looking to find a solution. Z51 series comes first with P8500 and the P8600, I guess the BIOS was fine tuned for those processors (less heat). But know with P8700, the temp is higher and vent runs almost non stop.

 

It is possible to change fan ON temperatures (max. is 75 C)

However, I never managed to make this actually work in Windows - looks like Windows power management driver does not rely on these values for FAN control.

Could be that different values are written in ACPI tables.

 

Ok thank you psy!!

I am installing last VAIO Power Management 5.0 - 5.0.0.11300

I will try also installing the advanced BIOS also later. Might solve the noisy situation.

 

Well, I updated the BIOS to R5031M3, tried both FAT and FAT32 with win98 or DOS - still does not work on my Z.

I have tried Corsair, Mushkin and OCZ flasher. The first two do not even recognize the drive. The OCZ flasher finds the drive fine. After I press "y" (twice) it starts updating, puts out dots ..... on the screen. Once the dots reach the end of line I get "ERROR downloading firmware", then it tries IF.bin (initial firmware) and the same thing happens.

The drive remains unchanged, no firmware update, no erase.

From the research I have done it looks like I am not the only one on this board experiencing these symptoms.

I am just puzzled what the problem could be: Visioneer seems to have identical system and same drive and he flashed his without a hickup!

 

I haven't been able to get the stock PM800 in my Z to flash either, none of the DOSRD tools have been able to see the drive.

 

That's really strange: there is one difference between Corsair and OCZ updater only - the DSRD.enc file. This file contains the hardware-IDs of the SSD drives. Both updater do work on my system, Mushkin's doesn't.

I'm very sorry I have no explanation for this phenomenon.

 

Did you figure out how to open that file to edit it?

 

At this point I think I would like to see Samsung's official updater for their OEM drives.

In a statement that they put out on their German site they pledge:

"As a strong supporter of Windows 7, Samsung will be offering support tools and firmware updates for Windows 7 which will be available in the beginning of 2010."

Quoted from: http://semicon.samsung.de/relaunch/products/ssd/firmware_update.asp

@cosmok:
What is your hardware IDs as shown in the Windows Device Manager? Mine is SAMSUNG MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB, as I mentioned before.
Also, do you have Intel ICH9M-E or ICH9M south bridge?

 

@cosmok
Unfortunately I didn't. .enc is a generic extension for encoded files. So far I know there is a program to open and edit such files called My Personal Programmer from Mpact Tech. But it seems, that the company doesn't exist anymore.

Samsung is going to release a universal updater without any hardware ID restriction soon, so I hope you could update your drive.

 

We'll just have to wait for the word from Samsung I suppose. I have M-E and it shows up as SAMSUNG SSD PM800 Series 2.5" 256GB. It was listed similar to yours but with formats and bios updates it's changed.