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33 Replies Last post: Feb 16, 2006 9:49 AM by Borg Number One

VMWare BIOS Modification / translation

Jan 8, 2005 1:06 PM

Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
I am testing the current VMware Workstation 5 beta (build 11608) and I would like to add my own BIOS-Boot-Logo(replace the VMWare-Logo with my own firm-logo), but the file: "bios.440.rom" cannot be loaded in Phoenix-BIOS-Editor.
(I do not mean the public Phonix-BIOS-Editor-Demo!!!)

I have knowledges in BIOS-modifying for example I have knowledges how to work with:

American Megatrends Inc's

(Modify AMI-BIOSes and add (Logo)Modules to AMIBIOSes)
amibcp 700b11
amibcp 700b12
amibcp 70101
amibcp 75100
amibcp 75103
amibcp 76004
amibcp for Windows ( AMIBCP8 )
including the AMI-BIOS-Simulator (simulate.exe)
amimm 200beta
amimm( mmtool ) for Windows

AMILOGO - AMI LOGO Module Configuration Utility
AMIOLG - OEM LOGO Generator
AMI SMBIOS Information Editor
AMI DMI Editor

(Flash utilities for AMI-BIOSes)
ami-winflash203
ami-winflasher14
ami-winfsi18
ami-WinSFI1090
ami-WinSFI113a
ami-WinSFI205
ami-WinSFI209
ami-WSFI207p
ami70012
ami81500
ami81502
ami81503
ami81800
ami82000
ami82100
ami82200
ami8230e
ami82600
ami82615
ami82700
ami8270a
ami82713
ami82724
ami82725
ami82729
ami82734
ami82736
ami82738
ami82740
ami82741
ami82743
ami82744
ami82900
amiflash460
amiflash465
amiflash523
amiflash641
amiflash700e
amiflash703e
amiflash710
amiflash711b
amiflash841
amiflash843
amiflash855
amiflash860
amiflash864
amiflash867

Award Software International's
(Award/Phoenix-Award BIOS-Simulator)
BIOSVIEW 1.00.00
BIOSVIEW 2.00.00
BIOSVIEW 2.00.05
BIOSVIEW 2.01.00

(Convert bmp to colored EPA/modify epa-logos)
bmp2epa 1.1
bmp2epa 1.2

(Convert AWBM[Award-Bitmap] to compressed AWBMs ["PLUGIN Image"])
BMP2PLIN_Rev_14

(Award/Phoenix-Award BIOS-Module-Modification software)
CBROM 110
CBROM 112c
CBROM 113a
CBROM 123b
CBROM 124c
CBROM 126b
CBROM 130
CBROM 130b
CBROM 130c
CBROM 132
CBROM 201a
CBROM 205
CBROM 207
CBROM 208
CBROM 214
CBROM 215
CBROM 217a
CBROM 219
CBROM 220
CBROM 32_v100
CBROM 32_v103
CBROM 32_v109
CBROM 32_v130
CBROM 32_v140
CBROM 602b

(DMI Config- view and change DMI-entires [e.g. OEM-Strings, Manufacturer-strings etc...])
dmicfg 105u
dmicfg 108u
dmicfg 23Au
dmicfg 23Iu
dmicfg 241u
dmicfg 243Cu
dmicfg 250u

(Change/modify the BIOS-Setup-Menu, BIOS-Strings, view BIOS-setup etc... )
modbin450_58
modbin6_10003
modbin6_10012
modbin6_10037
modbin6_10038
modbin6_10048
modbin6_20000beta
modbin_45036
modbin_45060

modbin_45063
modbin_45064
modbin_45066
modbin_45075
modbin_45076
modbin_45077
modbin_45080c
modbin_45082a
modbin_45088

(Flasher for Award/Phoenix-Award BIOSes)
awd52c
awd532
awd533
awd535a
awd535b
awd54
awd543
awd55
awd56
awd622
awd624
awd625a
awd631
awd650d
awd66
awd705
awd707
awd708
awd712a
awd720
awd721
awd722
awd73
awd733
awd733_x
awd73_x
awd741
awd752c
awd753
awd757
awd761
awd763
awd764
awd764a
awd77
awd771
awd772
awd776a
awd78
awd787d
awd789
awd791
awd796
awd797a
awd797d
awd800
awd801
awd802
awd803
awd808
awd808a
awd810
awd810am
awd810b
awd812
awd814c
awd816a
awd818
awd818q
awd819a
awd820a
awd821a
awd822
awd822a
awd822q
awd823
awd823e
awd823f
awd823g
awd823h
awd823i
awd823k
awd823k_msi
awd823z
awd824b
awd824c
awd824dq(Lenovo)
awd824f
awd824g
awd824l
awd826b-msi
awd826c
awd826e
awd826g
awd826h
awd828l
awd829e
awd830
awd831
awd832
awd833
awd833a
awd833b
awd833c_msi
awd833d-msi
awd852
bfl821a
flash53
winflash100
winflash120
winflash123
winflash151
winflash154
winflash159
WinFlash172
WinFlash174

Phoenix

Phoenix First BIOS Editor
phoenixdeco (phoenix-BIOS-module-unpack-utility)

etc...

I already successfully dumped
-the first 1MB inside the emulation and
-the whole VMWare-process.

Afte dumping I could find "parts" of the whole BIOS inside the both dumped files and I could successfully extract/uncompress the VMWare-Logo.
(...and other BIOS-modules/components too)

Look here:
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/
(What is about the questions on this page?)

The public BIOS-File (Is it from an earlier VMware release?)

ftp://download1.vmware.com/pub/software/support/bios.440.rom.zip

can successfully loaded in Phoenix BIOS Editor.
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/phoenix/pbe-vmware.gif

Please, tell me (if necessary via E-mail) how to modify the "bios.440.rom" (from the current VMware Workstation 5 beta (build 11608) ) so it can be load in Phoenix First-BIOS-Editor?

I would like to change the logo.

Message was edited by: Borg Number One

Message was edited by: Borg Number One

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 24, 2004 5:43 AM
Click to view KevinG's profile Guru KevinG 16,980 posts since
Jan 8, 2004 VMware Moderator
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
FOR VMWARE® DESKTOP SOFTWARE PRODUCT

You may not remove any titles, trademarks or trade names, copyright notices, legends, or other proprietary markings on the Software. You are not granted any rights to any trademarks or service marks of VMware. VMware retains all rights not expressly granted to you.
Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 24, 2004 8:22 AM
in response to: KevinG
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
...I expected such an answer. :)

It would be the same like:

"You may not remove any titles, trademarks or trade names, copyright notices, legends, or other proprietary markings on your BIOS"

However, modifying BIOS is allowed and many mainboard manufacturer offer public support for adding own Logos.

for Example

Asus:
http://www.asuscom.de/products/mb/feature.htm
http://www.asuscom.de/products/mb/mylogo.htm

AOpen:
http://global.aopen.com.tw/tech/techinside/
http://global.aopen.com.tw/tech/techinside/vividbios.htm
============================================================================================
=
= Name: AOpen EzSkin 2
=
= Author: Aaron Ho
=
= Copyright (R) for AOpen Inc.
=
============================================================================================

Purpose:

AOpen EzSkin is a tiny utility for you to change Vivd BIOS and Open Jukebox skin under
windows, and now supported AOpen Diehard BIOS 2 technology.

Run-time Environment:
(1).Currently it supports Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
(95/98osr1/NT4 had never been tested yet, but WinCMOS won't detect operating systems)
(2).Only for AOpen motherboards.

Declaration:
This utility allows you to change your original POST screen for Vivid BIOS with your
preferred 256-color pictures in GIF format; and activate Open JukeBox Skin changing
purpose. Before running this utility, you are recommended to close all running programs;
otherwise it may cause serious damage to your system.

There is certain risk to flash BIOS, it is still not a 100% error free process. AOpen has
tried our best to prevent any possible damage of the BIOS. If you continue, you agree to
take the risk of BIOS flash error, if unfortunately, you do encounter the BIOS flash error,
please contact our RMA service center.

Legend QDI
http://www.qdigrp.com/qdisite/eng/support/Utility.htm
http://www.qdigrp.com/qdisite/eng/support/f_logo.htm

etc...

So, I think it is important to differ between
-changing the BIOS-Logo in VMWare
or
-modifying VMware-Binaries.

The last mentioned point is about "Copyrights and license agreement", but not modifying the VMware-BIOS.

In this way, please let us(all users) know, how to add an own BIOS-Logo to the current VMware-BIOS.

If you say "no", it will be hard and sad for me and each other user.
However, in this case I will go on to try to figure it out how to modify the VMware-BIOS.

If you go on with your attitude/behavior to say "no" you will stop user which use VMware to develop new BIOS-technologies and research current BIOS-technologies.

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 24, 2004 4:13 PM
Click to view petr's profile Champion petr 7,218 posts since
Jul 10, 2003 VMware
I am testing the current VMware Workstation 5 beta
(build 11608) and I would like to add my own
BIOS-Boot-Logo(replace the VMWare-Logo with my own
firm-logo), but the file: "bios.440.rom" cannot be
loaded in Phoenix-BIOS-Editor.

What it says? I do not know about any modifications which could cause this... Did you extract BIOS to the file correctly? It is compressed in VMware binaries...
Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 24, 2004 7:36 PM
in response to: petr
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
Until now I tried to get a decent BIOS-image with the help of memory dumps inside the emulation (dump the whole 0-1MB-area) and dumping the whole VMware-process.
I was partially successful.
I could extract and display the BIOS-Logos in their original-PGX(phoenix graphics)-format from the memory dumps, but I did not reach to get decent enough BIOS-images to load them in the Phoenix-BIOS-Editor.

However, it will be more and more interesting.

If I delete the file: "bios.440.rom" (525.362 Bytes) in the VMware-directory and start ..\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware.exe, nothing goes wrong.
VMware starts without problems.

There is the file: bios.440.rom, but why will it not be used?
For what is the file?

It seems to be that the BIOS-Image can be found in:
"....\VMware\VMware Workstation\bin\vmware-vmx.exe" and/or
"....\VMware\VMware Workstation\bin-debug\vmware-vmx.exe"

That is not good for easily exchanging the logo, but I am interested more than before in the whole VMware-BIOS-modifying-theme.

Which meaning does this file have:
ftp://download1.vmware.com/pub/software/support/bios.440.rom.zip ?
Well, this file can be successfully loaded in the Phoenix BIOS Editor, but it seems to be a BIOS by/from an older VMware release.
Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 24, 2004 8:50 PM
in response to: Borg Number One
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
Wow....
after long search and many tryings I found the correct PhoenixBIOS.

For all BIOS-developer who like to work with VMware:

Inside "..\VMware\VMware Workstation\bin\vmware-vmx.exe"(3.530.821 Bytes) [VM Workstation 4.5] the VMWare-Phoenix-BIOS can be found in following area:

0x002CA3B8-0x0034A3B8

Inside "..\VMware\VMware Workstation\bin-debug\vmware-vmx.exe"(5.386.306 Bytes) [VM Workstation 4.5] the VMWare-Phoenix-BIOS can be found in following area:

0x0048FB98-0x0050FB98

After extracting the mentioned area to a new file this can be opened with Phoenix-BIOS-Editor.

Well, I do not still know the meaning of: "..\VMware\VMware Workstation\bios.44.rom".
Can you help?

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 25, 2004 3:12 PM
in response to: Borg Number One
Click to view petr's profile Champion petr 7,218 posts since
Jul 10, 2003 VMware
See http://www.vmware.com/support/gsx2/doc/guestos_netware6_gsx.html - especially pay attention to what 'vmware-enable-netware.pl' does.
Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Jan 7, 2005 4:32 PM
in response to: petr
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
1.)
Thanks for this hidden and undocumented switch in the perl script. :)

bios440.filename = "C:\program files\VMware\VMware Workstation\bios.440.rom"

2.)
Well, there is still a confusing thing.

In the VMware-4.5-Install-package you can find the file: "bios.440.rom" but its size(525.362 Bytes) is not usual and it will not be accepted by VMware:

If bios440.filename = "C:\program files\VMware\VMware Workstation\bios.440.rom" was add to the vmx-file and the vmx-file was load then you will get following message:
BIOS C:\program files\VMware\VMware Workstation\bios.440.rom has unexpected file size 0x80432; not in the range [262144..524288].


Why

-has the BIOS-file(which will be installed together with the other VMware-files) this "stupid" size(525.362 Bytes)????
-can this file not be opened in Phoenix-BIOS-Editor?
-is it in the VMware install package, if it cannot be used?
-what is the sense of this file which has this stupid size and which cannot be used by VMware?

Please answer the questions about the "original" installed bios.440.rom(525.362 Bytes).
Has this "nonworking" bios-file something to do with the colored logo
(http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware4_logo0-b.png)?
This logo can be found if you dump the whole vmware-workstation 4.5-process while the emulation is running, but it seems to be that it will never be displayed in VMware Wkst 4.5.
Here is the original uncompressed PGX-file:
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware4_logo0-b.pgx

You can watch it with:
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/ ->abr g2

3.)
Well, this works:

extract the 0x80000 Bytes of BIOS-code from the "vmware-vmx.exe",
modify it
and store it to: bios.440.rom.

VMware loads with my custom BIOS...without modifying the VMware-binaries. Thank you very much for the undocumented switch:
bios440.filename = ""

4.)
Now, I am planning to translate the whole BIOS and the whole VMware Wkst. including the help-files into German. :)

Am I allowed to do this and will it be helpfully for you at all?

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 26, 2004 9:29 AM
in response to: Borg Number One
Click to view petr's profile Champion petr 7,218 posts since
Jul 10, 2003 VMware
In the VMware-4.5-Install-package you can find the
file: "bios.440.rom" but its size(525.362 Bytes) is
not usual and it will not be accepted by VMware:

This file should not be there... definitely, nothing in the product will use it. And it should be 524288 bytes long; I get 525360 bytes long file if I run 'unix2dos' on bios image to convert LF to CRLF, and 525360 is rather near to the size you report...
Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Jan 7, 2005 4:35 PM
in response to: petr
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
After long work, I reached to modify and (begin to) translate the VMware-Workstation-BIOS.

(It is an animation!!! :)
Furthermore I stopped the BIOS-System time to reach better Gif-Opimization/compression. :))
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware_biosmod.gif

The fullscreen logo is a new one(selfmade) and it is based on exactly the same colors from this logo.
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware4_logo0-b.png

Here is a static screenshot:
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware_biosmod_01a.png

here you can get the translated BIOS:
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/VMware_Wkst_4_5_8848_bios440.rar

Well, now I am really thinking about translating the whole VMware including the docs and manuals into German language.

Will I get (more than normal "public-forum-styled" ) support?

With support I do not mean money.
Please mail me.

This happens if the System-BIOS was not correctly compiled: :) :) :)
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/images/borgbios/vmware/vmware_biosmod_00a.png

Only the VGA-BIOS posted its message. :)

@VMware Developer:

Thank you very much for this:
http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html

VMware Workstation is powerful virtual machine software for developers and system administrators who want to revolutionize software development, testing and deployment in their enterprise. Shipping for more than five years and winner of over a dozen major product awards, VMware Workstation enables software developers to develop and test the most complex networked server-class applications running on Microsoft Windows, Linux or NetWare all on a single desktop. Essential features such as virtual networking, live snapshots, drag and drop and shared folders, and PXE support make VMware Workstation the most powerful and indispensable tool for enterprise IT developers and system administrators.

Now VMware can be used for BIOS-development too.

@VMware Developer: thank you very much!!!
In future I hope you will add further such good features which are related to development and which are more than usefully.

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Dec 27, 2004 9:31 AM
in response to: Borg Number One
Click to view bblnews@hotmail.com's profile Enthusiast bblnews@hotmail.com 106 posts since
Dec 26, 2003
to my knowledge there does not exist any public BIOS EDITOR for Phoenix Bios 6.xx, AMI Bios 8.xx and Award Bios 6.xx.
It would be interesting if you know any publicly available tools, or are you a BIOS developer yourself?

Vmware workstations seems to use a standard 440BX chipset, so maybe you can even exchange the Phoenix BIOS for a plain vanilla Award 4.51PG bios, on which you could use some tools from www.biosmods.com (MODBIN, AWDFLASH).
Don't know which motherboard BIOS would come closest, maybe Asus P2B.

Also there's www.linuxbios.org, they create an opensource BIOS.

What I'd like to know is if the size of the Vmware BIOS space is hardcoded/limited to 512KB (4Mbit).

as you noticed already, Vmware has an internal default BIOS, but you are able to specify another one.

Interesting thread!

Re: Modifying BIOS in VMWare Mar 7, 2005 11:05 AM
in response to: bblnews@hotmail.com
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
1.)
There exist maaaaaaaany tools to modify AMI, Award, PhoenixBIOSes.
All tools can be found with the help of Google.com
I did collect all the tools which I could find and put them together to the: "bnobtc".
"Borg Number One`s BIOS Tool Collection"
http://bnobtc.pix-art.com/bnobtc-v5.rar (it is only a pre-version. The online-BNOBTC with more public tools, which I found, will be released soon.)

In conclusion, my message(s)/reply abnegates your statement:
[quote] to my knowledge there does not exist any public BIOS EDITOR for Phoenix Bios 6.xx, AMI Bios 8.xx and Award Bios 6.xx.[/qoute]

PS: Please, do not publish the "Phoenix FirstBIOS Editor download link" which you will get on/at the above mentioned page!!!

2.)
My first step is to translate VMware into German.
After this I intend to build Award, AMI, Open/Linux-BIOS for VMware...If the VMware developers agree with me.

Re: VMWare BIOS Modification / translation Dec 14, 2005 6:38 AM
Click to view Borg Number One's profile Novice Borg Number One 33 posts since
Dec 24, 2004
To modify VMware Phoenix BIOS of VMware Linux releases, check this link:

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=28149&tstart=0
Re: VMWare BIOS Modification / translation Feb 9, 2006 11:05 AM
Click to view Jasemccarty's profile Champion Jasemccarty 3,805 posts since
Apr 5, 2005
I cannot seem to get any alternate bios to work in Workstation 5.5.1.

Any pointers?
Re: VMWare BIOS Modification / translation Feb 9, 2006 2:21 PM
in response to: Jasemccarty
Click to view petr's profile Champion petr 7,218 posts since
Jul 10, 2003 VMware
You mean alternate from this thread, or from other sources? In that case please name other sources ;-) If BIOS has support for i440BX, and Opteron processors, it should work. In other cases BIOS will be unable to communicate with motherboard, or with processor's SMM mode. If you are hitting some ASSERT/NOT_IMPLEMENTED (make sure you have checked 'run with debug info'), just post them here. If it is just dead, I'm afraid we'll need to know BIOS you are trying to use...
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