System BIOS for Endeavor-2 motherboard ("Advanced/EV2" 1.00.0X.CL0) MR BIOS (r) V097B51X Version 3.30 Copyright (c) 1996, Microid Research, Inc. -------- ! NOTE ! -------- Do NOT use this bios or flash loader with the original Endeavor board "Advanced/EV" 1.00.0X.CB0). The correct MR BIOS version for that design is in the MR_ENDVR.ZIP file. Do NOT use this flash loader with the "Atlantis" (Advanced/AS) motherboard. It is practically identical to the "Endeavor-2", even using the same system bios. But it also has an on-board ATI Mach64 VGA controller that requires inclusion of its VGA bios in the flash. The "Atlantis" motherboard will be rendered unusable if the VGA bios is omitted. The correct flash loader for it is contained in the MR_ATLAN.ZIP file. Intel BIOS Audio Chip Video MR BIOS version ----------- ------------- ----- ------------------- Endeavor-2: 1.00.0X.CL0 Crystal 4232 (none) MR_EV2 (V097B51X) Atlantis: 1.00.0X.CL0 Crystal 4232 ATI Mach64 MR_ATLAN (V097B51X) Endeavor: 1.00.0X.CB0 Creative Labs (none) MR_ENDVR (V097B50V) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright (c) 1996, Microid Research, Inc. MR BIOS is a registered trademark of Microid Research, Inc. MR CHIPS is a registered trademark of Microid Research, Inc. Instant! Boot is a trademark of Microid Research, Inc. Patents Pending. All Rights Reserved. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ShareWare Version: "Please copy this program in its entirety, without modification, and pass it on to others. If you like it, please pay for each copy you install. If you don't pay for it, please uninstall it. Remember, your purchase is a vote." License Fee: USD $15.00 per installed copy Microid Research, Inc. 2336-D Walsh Ave. Santa Clara, CA, 95051 USA email: mrbios@mrbios.com web-site: http://www.mrbios.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MR BIOS (r) Copyright (c) 1996 Microid Research, Inc. Patents Pending Advanced buzzword features include: (1) Plug 'n Play card support. 1a) Auto resource steering 1b) Win95 compatible (2) PCI and Bridge support. 2a) Auto resource steering 2b) DEC PCI-PCI bridges (3) Energy Star power management. 3a) APM for Windows and DOS 3b) VESA DPMS video mgmt 3c) SMI and STPCLK 3d) Timewarp correction (4) Fast-ATA support. 4a) ATA Mode 4/5 (to 20 MB/S) 4b) Built-in CMD-640, OPTi-621 drivers (5) Enhanced IDE support. 5a) LBA and CHS translations 5b) EDPT Table support 5c) IBM/Microsoft INT13 extensions 5c) 8 discs max, each to 137 GByte 5d) Drive remapping 5e) Boot SCSI (ahead of IDE) (6) Atapi and Removable IDE. 6a) CD-ROM recognition 6b) SyQuest and Ejectable Media (7) Enhanced Floppy support. 7a) 4 floppy/tape-drives max 7b) Drive remapping (8) Enhanced Parallel Port. 8a) SPP, Bidir, EPP, ECP modes (9) Anti-Virus protection. (10) Password Security. (11) PS/2 Mouse support. (12) Pentium and 6x86 CPU support. (13) Instant! Boot (tm). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------- Contents, Overview and DISCLAIMER --------------------------------- BE ADVISED THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RISK IN REPROGRAMMING THIS COMPUTER'S FLASH SYSTEM BIOS. IF THINGS GO AWRY, YOU MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE MOTHERBOARD ALTOGETHER. This particular motherboard design is especially unforgiving of flash failure. (1) It's flash ROM does NOT implement a write-protected failsafe recovery "boot-block". (2) The flash ROM is soldered directly onto the system board. If anything at all happens to the flash that causes it to be inoperable, no practical method exists to restore it. No "recovery" utility can be run if the system won't boot. And the flash component cannot be removed and replaced. Thus, the motherboard will need to be serviced or replaced altogether if the flash content becomes polluted. There are many possible causes of flash corruption, including: (a) losing power during flash upload, (b) using a faulty or unsuitable flash loader utility, (c) uploading a faulty or unsuitable bios image, (d) a runaway or malicious program alters the flash content. DISCLAIMER ---------- Microid Research Inc. is providing this documentation, flash loader and bios AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO MERCHANTIBILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. MICROID RESEARCH INC. DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET ANY REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. MICROID RESEARCH INC. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND. Your use of the software serves as explicit acceptance of these terms. So evaluate the risk carefully and, should you choose to use this software, take your time and please be careful! Three files are included in this distribution kit. MR_EV2.BIO - MR BIOS (r) System BIOS MR_EV2.TXT - This file you're reading MR_EV2.EXE - Flash Loader Utility The System BIOS file contains the Microid Research BIOS ("MR BIOS (r)"), customized for your Endeavor-2 (Advanced/EV2) motherboard. The 1995 MR BIOS (r) core provides the latest state-of-the-art BIOS technologies that automate your computer's setup and deliver unmatched performance and utility. Unlike most programs that you are familiar with, the System BIOS does not execute from disk. Instead, it is stored in a Flash-ROM component that resides on the motherboard and begins executing immediately upon powerup. This Flash-ROM can be reprogrammed by means of a Flash Upload Utility. In order to install MR BIOS (r) in your computer, you'll need to reprogram its Flash-ROM through use of the Flash Loader utility. The Flash Loader provides a simple menu of 3 options (4, including "exit"). There are two objectives of this utility. First, it provides the facility to copy the existing BIOS into a disk-file for backup purposes. This is option "1. Backup". The companion function "2. Verify" allows you to confirm the backup file matches the existing BIOS. The other purpose of the Flash Utility is to install a new BIOS, accomplished through option "3. Upload". Be sure to backup the original BIOS before uploading MR BIOS into the Flash-ROM. Otherwise, you won't be able to uninstall MR BIOS should you want to do so. NOTE: THE INTEL FLASH LOADER WILL NOT OPERATE WHILE MR BIOS IS INSTALLED IN THE FLASH. BE SURE TO USE THE MR BIOS FLASH LOADER TO GENERATE THE BACKUP FILE. The exact steps for uploading MR BIOS are enumerated in the Instructions section below. Assuming you have followed those instructions and the upload has just completed, the Flash Loader will display a message directing you to reset the computer or re-cycle its power. Upon doing so, you will be greeted with an alarming message that the "CMOS Memory is Corrupt", and the BIOS Setup Utility will be activated. Don't be alarmed. The Flash Loader Utility intentionally clears the CMOS to simulate a factory-new condition and provoke the Setup session. Upon arriving in the Setup Utility, you will need to reset the time and date, and manually input the type(s) of Floppy drive(s) in your computer. Beyond that, everything else will already be set for optimal performance and you can simply exit by pressing . Or, you might browse around and tailor some options like Password Security or Power Management per your preference. After this Setup session, your computer will reboot thereafter without any hysterical messages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------- MR BIOS (r) Installation Instructions ------------------------------------- Step 0 ------ Please read and understand the DISCLAIMER stated above. Step 1 ------ Disable power management in the BIOS Setup Utility. Step 2 ------ Boot your computer "clean", to a non-Protected-Mode DOS environment. This is easily done by booting a floppy that contains only DOS, but neither CONFIG.SYS nor AUTOEXEC.BAT. Step 3 ------ Invoke the MR_EV2 Flash Loader by typing "MR_EV2" at the DOS prompt. Step 4 ------ Select option "1. Backup" to make a copy of the original BIOS that came with the motherboard. You will need to select a filename for the backup file - a good name would be "ORIGINAL.BIO". Step 5 ------ Select option "2. Verify" to confirm the backup was successful. The status will be reported to you, either success or failure. If it worked OK, proceed to Step 6. Else figure out what is wrong and correct it. Repeat Steps 4 and 5. Step 6 ------ Select option "3. Upload" to install MR BIOS into the Flash-ROM. You will need to enter the filename of the MR BIOS image that came with this distribution kit. (It should be MR_EV2.BIO, unless somehow this documentation has gotten out-of-sync. Tell us!) Step 6a ------ The upload process may take up to 15 eternal seconds, during which time you are likely to begin worrying. Relax, and do NOT shut off the power or otherwise disturb the computer. You'll be notified with a message on the CRT when the upload has completed. Then, and not before then, restart the computer. Step 7 ------ The first bootup after loading the new BIOS, you will be directed into the BIOS Setup Utility. Configure time, date, floppy drive(s) and other options. Exit by pressing . Step 8 ------ Win95 Users: In a few installations, Windows 95 has been reported to "remember" certain properties of the BIOS that has been replaced by MR BIOS. This can lead to some bewildering behavior. The best rule of thumb is to unconditionally run Win95's "Hardware Wizard" once after installing MR BIOS. If weirdness persists, use the sledge-hammer approach and run Win95's "Setup". Step 9 ------ Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------- Un-Installation Instructions ---------------------------- Follow Steps 6-8 above, exactly as with installing MR BIOS, but instead specify the Backup File. If you followed the instructions above, the Backup file was created in Step 4 before you installed MR BIOS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Revision History ---------------- Microid Research Inc. is grateful for your suggestions, criticisms, and bug reports. We're proud to share with you evidence of continued progress and improvements, much to your credit. Thank you! Ver 3.30 - Display MR BIOS logo on powerup screen. Show PnP serial and parallel ports in setup utility. Longer IDE spindown timer values (2,5,10 --> 5,10,20 min). Ver 3.29 - EV2,ATX,Atlantis: Fix for Crystal Audio + Win95. UMC/ITE 8669F Super I/O chip: Fix PnP support. Ver 3.28 - Update: Deleting on-board COM/LPT ports in "Ports" setup utility now fully disables them. Fix: 6x86 cacheable range for non-binary memory sizes. Ver 3.27 - Workaround: PnP issues with Crystal soundblaster. Workaround: COM4 port usage by ATI video. Update: Aggressive CMOS-default memory settings. Update: Roundup CPU MHz display (cosmetic). Update: Display dram config in Chipset setup screen. Update: Performance tweaks for 6x86 CPU. Ver 3.26 - Workaround: Aha2940 PCI I/O alignment for Chinese OS/2 (TWarp). Reduced binary bios image to 92K. Changed flash loader, now does not clear cmos century byte (ref: NDD95). Ver 3.25 - Fix: Timing problem with certain 512K pipeline cache modules. Fix: Incompatibility with WD 719X SCSI controllers. Ver 3.24 - Workaround: Disable CPU Pipelining during POST. Upgrade: Higher performance for Mode4 IDE drives. Ver 3.23 - Workaround: Apply v3.22 fix to *all* Adaptec PCI devices. LPT modes: SPP,Bidir,EPP,ECP options for Winbond Super I/O too. Upgrade: Add "CPU-Pipeline" on/off option (for debug purposes). Upgrade: RAID-0 disk striping option, interleave 2-8 IDE drives. Ver 3.22 - Workaround: Fix for Adaptec 2940 bios Ver 1.21 warm-boot bug. Workaround: Fix for nVidia/SGS VGA, replicated PCI ROM register. Workaround: Fix for Holtek asic 8042 bug. Workaround: Move Pnp-Data-Read port to avoid gameport decode bug. Ver 3.21 - Upgrade: Add aggressive "55nS" memory-type option. Bugfix: Obscure bug in "manual" PCI-Int Setup affects mapping over bridge of Ints B,C,D (not A) for a few non-Zappa's. Ver 3.20 - Upgrade: Add CMD 646 EIDE built-in driver. Upgrade: Longer IDE spindown timer values (1,2,5 --> 2,5,10 min). Upgrade: Provide setup field to disable soundblaster totally. Workaround: De-enhance disk seeks to eliminate Norton8 complaint. Workaround: Fix for Adaptec 2940 bios Ver 1.20 bug. Workaround: Fix for S3 '968 32MB pageframe decode bug. Workaround: Fix for Supra PnP Modem bug (drop Adaptec 1542CP fix). Ver 3.19 - LPT modes: SPP,Bidir,EPP,ECP now user options. (SMC & NSC chips). Ver 3.18 - Update for production Cyrix 6x86. Ver 3.17 - Limit ATA-disc "auto" to Mode 3. Mode 4 only avail via "manual". Ver 3.16 - Asymmetric 2M dram support (16M/bank, single-sided). Ver 3.15 - n/a Ver 3.14 - Force bidirectional parallel-port for Nat'l Semi Super-I/O. Ver 3.13 - n/a Ver 3.12 - Bugfix: PnP core overlapped "manual" setup of PCI interrupts. Ver 3.11 - n/a Ver 3.10 - Original Zappa ED,ZP ShareWare release; with new PnP core. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ End document ------------------------------------------------------------------------------