How to Enable Intel VT on a Montevina SR,FW,AW Vaio laptop with AMI Aptio BIOS

Hi All,
I have bought a new SONY VAIO FW11L and I'm running ubuntu 8.04 64bit. I use vmware and I have the little problem of VT !
I contact sony for information and for a BIOS vith VT feature enabled but nothing.

My BIOS version is R0250Y0
Model name : VGN-FW11L

I have used, booting with a winme image, symcmos version 643710-035 but when I have tried to dump bios :

symcmos -v2 -lDefault.txt
combineFiles (0h, COMBINE.ROM)
initPdmEntry ...
search '$PDM'
pdmEntry = NULL !

and no files ;-(

Secondo question :
when I have the dump how can I find for VT in it ?
Thanks
................................................
EDITED
Levicki appears to have found a fix-

http://www.levicki.net
Go to the download page to download the software. At the request of Levicki please do not mirror this file elsewhere.
see page 5 onwards for more discussion about this fix. Remember you flash your BIOS at your own risk.

 

Hi Marco

i've a SR (19XN) and i've the same out of you and no txt file;

So we have to find an other solution;
If i'll find it i will inform you;

Please do the same thing;


p.s. i'm italian as you (if you want you can contact me with skype, my username is evilaliv3)

 

Hi,
the problem, I think, is that we don't have a phoenix BIOS but American Megatrend... May be ?

 

yes, i also think this;

 

here is the program for flash and backup bios rom for the aptio that we have;
http://www.ami.com/support/download...port/downloads/afu_aptio_4.x.zip&InpDrvID=268

i'm goin to do some test;

 

bing with the utility we can extract the bios and reflash it; and ami has a bios editor!

http://www.lejabeach.com/ECS/AMIBCP75.zip
[i've to see if exist an updated version]

 

good job

This night I will try to use it

Let me know if you find further and useful information

 

@marcocanto

Did you flashed an edited vt bios succesfully? I am also owner of a FW11L and try to modify the bios. Help would be very nice.

 

Hi,
I have the software to dump and to program the bios for sony vaio fw11 (see messages above).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Host_Controller_Interface

I'm not interested in AHCI but I need Intel VT in order to use Vmware or other emulator software for running VM at 64bit.

 

Please,
register at sony :
https://e-support.vaio-link.com/eSupport/

open a case and write them that are piece of ****.... That we want a new bios, that we will not buy other vaio notebooks and that we want to know why they don't enable VT.

 

Yep, you do that. See how far it gets you and then write back and lets us know. <shakes head>

Gary

 

I know that I will not buy other sony products.

Sony has to know that.

 

I am sure that will have them quaking in their boots, especially if you tell them they are a piece of **** as you suggested we all do.

If you REALLY want to get them to do this (and many of us do) then you need to open a case and send them a reasonably worded request making an intelligent case for why we would like, no NEED, to have VT enabled. (I've done this myself.) Cursing at them and making shallow threats will gain you absolutely nothing.

Gary

 

I have already opened two case. I'm also asking to know why they don't enable VT on our sony vaio BIOS. They know that it's for vmware. They reply me that :

Unfortunately at present there are no plans to roll out a VT-capable BIOS for this mode

Unfortunately, Intel VT is not available on this VAIO. This specification is part of the End User License Agreement (EULA), so we cannot support assisting you making it available. We would advise you do not try and make it available by third party means, as doing so may corrupt the BIOS and in turn require a chargeable repair.

Unfortunately, the installed BIOS firmware does not support virtualisation technology. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

What more have I to add ?

Gary I think that now we are going out of topis. If you need more information please write directly.

Thanks

 

Did anyone figured out how to enable VT with Vaio Z?

Vaio Z is unfortunatley using InsydeH2O UEFI - so Phoenix BIOS trick will not work most likely.

MSR 0x3A is (of course) set to 0x00000009 - which means that VT is disabled and locked and Insyde firmware does not forget to re-disable it every time CPU wakes up from S4 (sleep)

Any ideas?

 

I have same issue as all of you guys my model is VGN-Z17GN with InsydeH2O UEFI firmware, I have tried phoenix trick it didn't work . any ther ideas as usual Sony is of no help. any help is much appreciated

 

Yes,
also on my FW11 there is a UEFI BIOS and we can't apply the symcmos workaround.

My BIOS in an Aptio BIOS with UEFI :
ami.com/Aptio

As you can read in the above ami page there are several tools to manipolate UEFI ami aptio BIOS like our and I think we need AMIBCP and/or Veb, and then a simple ami flash program.

The problem is that I can't find any of that tools that works, the last one that I have found is :
torrentportal.com/details/3577714/bntbtc+-+6.1.20080913.7z.html

But amibcp can't read my bios. So I think that we need a more recent version of ami tools or I'm so far from the right way.

Let me know if you do some step ahead.

 

Hi, a properly working flashtool for fw is afuwin (AMI firmware update utility). Using ver 2.19 i can succesfully save my bios. Writing back a dumped bios is resulting in a full rotating system cooler, but it works. Editing the bios seems to be another story. I don´t know how.

 

Has anyone tested this on the SR series? I want to run a virtual x64 Vista Ultimate but cannot do so because VT is not enabled.

Thanks.

 

I just got my Sony Vaio FW290 yesterday and started configuring it today. It has the American Megatrends Aptio BIOS. Has anyone been able to enable Intel VT for the FW290?

 

hi all,

I have two question for my Sony Vaio AW11S/B:

1. Does someone know which register i have to change in order to enable VT? My BIOS is an Aptio R0200Y2 (Version 1.23.1109).

2. If I start the BIOS the "Advanced" tab is completely empty. I think its disabled by Sony. Is there a possibilty to enable these options?

Thanks in advance!

bye,

mumu

 

yeah I've been trying to fig out how to enable VT on my vaio vgn-fw285j ...going to attempt some...stuff......dunno tho--nice if anyone has experimented already w/ fw/aptio???and may have some tips~!? (my info: aptio- R1090Y0) newaze--thanks
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr =>sony..if i cant enable VT, back to the store it goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is RIDICULOUS! It's like buying a car that looks awesome, has all the CAPABILITIES of great performance and then not getting the keys....geeeeeeez -(yeah yeah yeah--i know that's an over exaggeration..but hey when you buy something and expect it to do what it can do..and then ya cant...yeah nuff said..)

 

Hi,

i have also the R1090Y0 version bios and i don't know how to enable the VT function.

If someone have the solution ...

Thanks

 

it doesnt look like there will be any solution anytime soon..the bios editor is only available from american megatrends..and its like 800 bux~~~~ plus it would be way to risky to mess with...that means this blasted p>o.S is going back to the store tomorrow..-and I am EXCITED to lose the 15% restocking fee...believe me...Sony is ridiculous--I told them in this hard economic times--they should be trying to make customers stay--but obviously....soo sad...welp thanx

 

i think its really worth it. newest microsofts` server (2008 64bit) has this new role - hyper-v - which couldnt be started w/o vt-enabled processor/mobo bios.
ms virtual pc 2007 (which is free to download and doesnt require vt-enabled proc) cant even be installed in this os ;-(

 

I just bought an VGN-FW21E with the R1090Y0 BIOS. I would really appreciate some help in finding which register I need to change in order to get Intel VT working!

 

Has anybody been able to get further than this? Apparently hacking the BIOS of said machines is possible, but with the right tools only. Anyone been able to find those? I'd REALLY like to unlock VT on my FW21E

 

Hi everybody,
I am also longing for enabling VT on my Sony Vaio VGN-SR13GN with Ami/Aptio BIOS.

I have reached to http://www.ami.com/support/ and able to download a firmware utility to read BIOS data but I dun know how to edit and flash it back.

I am really disappointed that Sony have blocked that features from guys like us.

But if you guys (geeks) can find a way of work around, please share me.

Thanks a million.

 

Hello everyone.

I am looking for a way to enable VT on my Sony VAIO VGN-FW190E.

Notebook has an AMI BIOS version R0250Y0 so the procedure described for the Phoenix BIOS doesn't work.

It would be nice if someone could provide me with AMI BIOS update for VGN-FW190E or a similar Sony notebook built around the Montevina platform (a valid BIOS dump would also do), so I can try to analyze it and find a way to enable VT.

 

The BZ series VAIO has a user changeable VT-x setting, mentioned here, and its BIOS dump is available here after extracting the downloaded file with Universal Extractor.

 

I am sorry but that file doesn't help -- that is an EFI (extensible firmware interface), not a regular BIOS.

That means it is in completely different format than the AMIBIOS 8.0 which is used for my VGN-WF190E.

If I had EFI, I would have already figured it out, because EFI image is easier to disassemble since it is basically a collection of 32-bit executable files in PE format.

I guess I will have to check out if there are any Sony laptops built around Montevina with AMI BIOS with a VPro sticker.

 

Your FW based on AMI Aptio, the successor of AMIBIOS8, which uses UEFI, not the legacy BIOS standard. You can download an FW bios update here, inspect it for yourself and verify that this is the case, as is with all other Montevina-based VAIO models.

 

That is what I am trying to tell you -- it is not based on UEFI.

I dumped the F000 segment using Everest, take a look at it yourself:
http://rapidshare.com/files/194569753/vgn-fw190e_F000.zip.html

From what I can find in that dump (and in a more straightforward and obvious way by using system information and diagnostics utilities such as Everest), it is a legacy AMIBIOS version 8.0. If it were Phoenix or UEFI I wouldn't be the one who asks for help but the one who provides a solution here.

The last link you gave me at least has afuwin.exe instead of InsydeFlash.exe so I can try to extract the full BIOS again.

I tried various versions of afuwin.exe so far and all of them refused to dump the BIOS -- they all complained that the BIOS is write-protected (even though I wasn't trying to flash it) and they all set the CPU fan to 100% (probably by poking around the SMBus at wrong offsets). Hopefully this version will work.

I really just need a way to extract the full original BIOS image so I can analyze it. If I knew the EEPROM flash part used it would be much easier to find a proper flash tool.

In any case, if you want to join me for some quick brainstorming, check out my contact info in my profile.

 

Anybody successfully dont this on a Sony FW21E?

Thanks

 

Some comments were also made in this thread about the newer Montevina Vaio laptops.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=326351

It is interesting that the BZ BIOS is different from the ones used in the rest of the Sony Montevina line.

 

Anybody interested in dumping the BIOS on an AMI Aptio EFI based machine, please download the following.....

Click Here

I verified that this properly dumps the 2048KB BIOS file for my AMI Aptio based Lenovo IdeaPad Y530.

Basically my research indicated that a ThinkPad T60/T61 has the same BIOS chip soldered to its motherboard as my IdeaPad Y530. I then searched for a BIOS update for the ThinkPad and it uses WinPhlash. I downloaded the BIOS update and used it to back up my own BIOS to a file.

Now the million dollar question is.....how do you edit the BIOS dump?

 

Well, I assume you need AMIBCP, at least version v4.06 (see here http://www.ami.com/products/product.cfm?CatID=6&SubID=14&ProdID=172.

There is a detailed description about this piece of software. You can also see the required version here: http://www.ami.com/support/doc/AMI_Aptio_Utilities_Dsheet_PUB_2008-06-11.pdf

The problem is that you cannot download this tool for free anymore. Someone told me that it costs about 800 bucks. So we need someone who provides us this tool for free? Right?Will it work if we got this tool?

Regards
Guido

Update: I got a reply from Sony regarding VT support. Its a shame:
---
Thank you for contacting e-Support regarding your query on VT activation.

Unfortunately VT is not supported on any of the present or past VAIO models. Even if the CPU and chipset support it, it will not be possible to enable VT.

Should your issue remain unresolved, please do not hesitate to update your case with detailed feedback.
---

 

Here it is... :

AMIBCP75

http://rapidshare.com/files/199120236/AMIBCP75.EXE

 

Thanks, but that's a pretty old one from 2002. They renumbered the versions. The latest one availalbe on the internet is 3.13 from 2005. Current versions (v4.X) support the APTIO platform which you must have for latest Sony Vaio
products.

 

I am back with more info -- bogart was right, FW and Z series have AMI Aptio BIOS and it is UEFI + CSM (Compatibility Support Module), that is why it is listed as AMIBIOS8 in diagnostic utilities and that is why dumping F000 segment shows the old style BIOS code.

@ortegaluis:
I wouldn't use WinPFlash (Phoenix tool) to dump AMIBIOS. I also wouldn't advise you to edit the BIOS unless you have proper tools and even then I wouldn't edit the BIOS but NVRAM only as it is being done for models equipped with Phoenix BIOS so far.

Check my post on the Intel Software Network forum:
http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/virtualization-software-development/topic/63409/reply/75267/

I have linked AFUWIN which worked for me, attached a small tool I wrote which decomposes the EFI image into small PE executable files and described where you can find the offending code. Perhaps someone with means of BIOS recovery (in case they brick the notebook) can try to patch the EFI image and flash it back.

I also have another idea:

1. Dump the BIOS as per my instructions in that post.
2. Go to Sony service center and ask them to enable VT for you
3. Dump the BIOS again so we can compare what has changed

As for #2, I am not sure if they can do it but I suspect they can and here is why:

When I once asked why the notebook cannot boot from the USB flash drive I was told by their support that I can take it to the service center to get a BIOS changed to get the option. From that I deduce that they can modify any option you ask them to, and if you are good in social engineering you might even convince them to give you the tools "just in case".

The problem is that I live in Serbia and I don't have service center near me. If I had one I would take a laptop there and try something like this:

Me: "Good afternoon, I have been instructed by the second level tech. support to ask you to modify my BIOS settings to enable Intel VT for me".
Them: "Who told you that?"
Me: "Supervisor of the second level tech support. You have some problem with it?"
Them: "That is not possible. There is no BIOS option for that."
Me: "Well they told me you have the BIOS and NVRAM editing tools and that you can change any option even if it isn't there. This is really important to me. Please can you do that for me?"

I hope some of you guys are brave enough to try it.

If all else fails you can all join me in this thread and politely voice your dissatisfaction with Intel's policy which enables OEMs to do as they please when it comes to support for such important CPU features:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/virtualization-software-development/topic/63409/

I already got a promise that their director of OEM enabling will hear about this issue. The more people asks for a change the bigger the chance they will listen and do something about it, perhaps put some pressure on Sony to release a BIOS update or at least a utility for advanced users which will change the option without them having to expose it for everyone in the BIOS interface.

@Guido:
Please contact me via MSN or Skype or via Intel forum I need to ask you something.

 

Hello,
I owned an VGNFW373JB and it's seems not support the Intel VT technology

 

I'll confirm in here, though it's already been done, that the only Sony with VT support is the BZ series. It works, is easily enabled, and has a great time with VMWare.

 

We must push for a solution from Sony.

Situation is as follows:

1. You pay for a notebook with expensive CPU capable of VT
2. Intel gets the money and ships the CPU with VT to OEM
3. OEM disables VT and laughs all the way to the bank

That is completely unacceptable.

I will continue to pursue this with Intel, you may join me but please only polite posting:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/virtualization-software-development/topic/63409/

 

I figured it out. Patch is in the works.

 

*holds breath*

 

Here is a patch for Aptio based Sony Notebooks, but please read the whole article most carefully before attempting anything -- I won't be the one responsible if you brick your notebook:

HOWTO: Enable Intel VT on Sony VAIO notebook with AMI Aptio EFI BIOS

 

Somehow does not work:

XML Parsing Error: mismatched tag. Expected: </img>.
Location: http://www.levicki.net/articles/tip...ony_VAIO_notebook_with_AMI_Aptio_EFI_BIOS.php
Line Number 118, Column 3:

 

Interesting write up - will def give it a shot on my Z when I get home. How about unlocking AHCI as well?

Impressive work - Wish sony would just make it optional.

 

Oops, sorry about that -- its fixed now. It was the last minute addition.

Of course it was viewable in Internet Explorer all the time, only Firefox was choking on it.

@brody:
Thank you. Let me know if it worked for you.

As for AHCI, I am afraid that it isn't as simple as this. It would require a lot more reverse-engineering hours.

Furthermore, it seems that my FW190E has AHCI enabled.

What I would like to be able to do is to test another patch for VT which should make it permanently on. However, for that I need volunteers whose notebooks are under warranty and who are close to the Service Center because the patch may not work as intended. The worst that can happen is a bricked notebook which can be recovered by reflashing it in the Service Center. If you want to help me with such "dangerous" testing please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Great work here. I may try it out on a Z series notebook I have with me here to see if I can get it working.