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majorheadache Wrote:I've come up with a method that I think SHOULD work, yet isn't. This is on an ASUS P5N7A-VM. I realized that Asus now includes an on-board, OS independent, BIOS updater tool. Simply press Alt-F2 during POST and the tool comes up.

In order to update the BIOS, I am using AMI's OEMLOGO.EXE which I downloaded as part of an AMI tools package. The tool has a small GUI that allows you to backup your old logo (works) and implant a new one. After I implanted the new one, I verified that it was present by "backing it up" again, and the new image came back out.

Next, with the updated ROM file on my flash drive I rebooted, Alt-F2 into Asus EZ Flash2, and it automatically found my new ROM file. But when I went to reflash teh BIOS it checked and said the file was "invalid".

Any ideas?

I was trying the same method with the same result. Unfortunately the solution (at least for me) was to install a full Windows and use MyLogo... (anyway, you also can access the updater tool from the bios itself. It is on the most right menu item)

Well, I broke down and installed Windows and did the update. There's an hour of my life I'll never get back, but it did work. On the downside though, the update from 404 to 504 ads an Nvidia logo in the corner that sits atop the XBMC logo. I'm using the second bigger logo from the first post. I don't know if it's possible to overwrite that with nothing, or something that would match perfectly with the XBMC logo, but it would be nice.

In any case, I finally got it done.

majorheadache Wrote:Well, I broke down and installed Windows and did the update. There's an hour of my life I'll never get back, but it did work. On the downside though, the update from 404 to 504 ads an Nvidia logo in the corner that sits atop the XBMC logo. I'm using the second bigger logo from the first post. I don't know if it's possible to overwrite that with nothing, or something that would match perfectly with the XBMC logo, but it would be nice.

In any case, I finally got it done.

Nice work.

It IS possible, using the method I posted above...

Download the CBROM program here: http://www.virtualplastic.net/download/o.../cbrom.zip

run

That should list all the stuff in your BIOS file, as shown here:
http://deepthought.ena.si/logo/bios/

You can then find and remove the other logo. It should be called something.bmp (look on the right-hand side, probably nvidia.bmp).

use this:

Where ITEMTOREMOVE is just the first part in BOLD on the left-hand side.

ie. to remove the item name "EPA pattern", original filename AwardBmp.bmp, you would type

I'll try and do a wiki on this when I can.

-Wes

It's possible I was doing it wrong, but when I last tried it, I found that CBROM rejected the P5N7A-VM BIOS file as invalid. I notice that it's expecting a .BIN file and we're using a .ROM file. But if you know that it will work, I'll give it another shot.

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OK, I just tried again using the 3 latest builds of CBROM in the download. In each case it would appear to run but there was no output and a process named ntvdm.exe would be using 99% CPU. I tried both the logo switch and just the /d switch. I also tried renaming the extension to .BIN.

No joy.

Any ideas?

majorheadache Wrote:It's possible I was doing it wrong, but when I last tried it, I found that CBROM rejected the P5N7A-VM BIOS file as invalid. I notice that it's expecting a .BIN file and we're using a .ROM file. But if you know that it will work, I'll give it another shot.

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OK, I just tried again using the 3 latest builds of CBROM in the download. In each case it would appear to run but there was no output and a process named ntvdm.exe would be using 99% CPU. I tried both the logo switch and just the /d switch. I also tried renaming the extension to .BIN.

No joy.

Any ideas?

Is this board using an AMI BIOS? (American Megatrends?)

CBROM is for Award and Phoenix only.

I'll do some more searching...

Yes, it is an AMI BIOS. OEMTOOLS is an AMI tool, but for some reason it didn't work correctly, although it did at least go in change the logo. It's just that once it was changed, the BIOS verification no longer was able to validate the updated BIOS.

Any assistance will be appreciated, not only by me, but also other members.

majorheadache Wrote:Yes, it is an AMI BIOS. OEMTOOLS is an AMI tool, but for some reason it didn't work correctly, although it did at least go in change the logo. It's just that once it was changed, the BIOS verification no longer was able to validate the updated BIOS.

Any assistance will be appreciated, not only by me, but also other members.

Can you try and download the DOS flasher utility from the Asus website and use that? It may have a command-line argument that forces it to ignore the checksum and proceed with the update anyway...

I just realized that you said earlier up the page that you were using an AMI BIOS and the built-in Flash utility. Sorry...

Well, I believe the only flash utils on the Asus site have to do with the actual flashing, which is done already -- not modifying the logo(s).

As for ignoring the checksum, I have to admit, that scares me a little.

That's the reason why I choose the size smaller for my original logo. To avoid overlaping with this asus/nvidia logo.

Would be great to find a way to eleminate this.

(also, I am looking for a way to somehow hack the bios not the make the case led blinking while it's suspending... Haven't find a trick for this either yet)

majorheadache Wrote:Well, I believe the only flash utils on the Asus site have to do with the actual flashing, which is done already -- not modifying the logo(s).

As for ignoring the checksum, I have to admit, that scares me a little.

It is scary to ignore the checksum, but you should still be able to recover if it hoses your BIOS. You're in luck!

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?modelm...3=812&l4=0

Quote:*ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
Simply restore corrupted BIOS data from USB flash disk
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip.