ThinkPad X230 7 row keyboard BIOS mod research

edwinhack3d · **Posted:** Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:17 am

Dear all ThinkPad lovers and traditionalists

Recently, I have been studying the possibility of using a 7 row keyboard in X230 and all new generation ThinkPads released in this year.

The webmaster of TPuser discovered that a X230 has the capability of installing the X220 keyboard into it.

However, some reported that some keys of the 7 row keyboard do not function in X230.

We believe that the BIOS cause this problem.

Therefore, I started studying the different between X220 and X230, reading the spec of UEFI, and I discovered a module named "SystemKeyDescDxe.efi" looks like define the mapping of the keyboard.

Does anyone knows whether I am on the right track or not?

I founded that this module in X220's BIOS and T420's BIOS are the same. And the module in X230's BIOS and T430's BIOS are the same too.

I am still waiting for my device and looking for brave tester for testing the BIOS that build for 7 row keyboard.

The BIOS that I have built has just replaced the "SystemKeyDescDxe.efi" module in X230's BIOS by the one from X220's BIOS.

[I DO NOT BEAR ANY LOST OR ANY DAMAGE DUE TO FLASHING THE MODIFIED BIOS]

Sorry for my English as it is not my native language.

Summilux · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:55 am

Hi,

we discussed this just few posts below yours: viewtopic.php?f=69&t=104889
Modding the BIOS is indeed the best way to go, but nobody here has attempted it.

Your proposed solution sounds interesting even though I don't know much about BIOS internal structure.

Please keep us updated.

edwinhack3d · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:12 pm

Thank you for your reply

I got more questions today

1. what are the differences between .FL1 and .FL2
2. if FL2 is the controller file, does it contain the bios file?
3. I discover that .FL2 also contain the same efi file, should I update .FL2 too?
4. If I have brick my X230's BIOS, any way to recover it? The way to recover should be as same as X220

p.s. I use PhoenixTool to modify bios. The X220 and X230 follow the UEFI standard and they are written by Insyde.

yuji · **Posted:** Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:15 am

I would also be very interested in this BIOS mod.
Is anyone still working on this?
Any progress? I wish I could help, but my tech related knowledge is very poor.

skinnie · **Posted:** Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:20 pm

I don't know about thinkpads, but general laptops with phoenix bios can be recovered with this:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-comp ... ost4305289

Keep in mind that you have to have a usb floppy!
Usb pendrives don't work.
This tutorial saved my life with my Hp Dv9575ep laptop .

You can read more here http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-c ... thods.html

yuji · **Posted:** Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:14 am

Thanks for the information skinnie, hopefully the initial poster is still around.
I'm dying to see a bios mod for this laptop.
Perhaps I'm the only one who really uses the Insert, Home keys.

penartur · **Posted:** Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:40 am

yuji wrote:

Thanks for the information skinnie, hopefully the initial poster is still around.
I'm dying to see a bios mod for this laptop.
Perhaps I'm the only one who really uses the Insert, Home keys.

You're not the only one. Though I believe you might be the only one who purchased X230 despite using all these keys; it seem to be a show-stopper for all the others.

yuji · **Posted:** Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:04 am

Nah, I haven't taken the jump just yet. I'm still a proud X200/T42 owner. That said, one of these days the software technology will force us to move on to new hardware. Otherwise I'd still be using my T42

I'm just preparing in advance for the inavoidable change. Hopefully we can all find a good solution. I'm thinking about interacting with the folks at bios modding forums, to perhaps learn.

skinnie · **Posted:** Sun Nov 11, 2012 3:51 pm

penartur wrote:

You're not the only one. Though I believe you might be the only one who purchased X230 despite using all these keys; it seem to be a show-stopper for all the others.

I don't get why..the keyboard is very nice, only the layout isn't top notch.
But I come from a a late 2009 macbook

skinnie · **Posted:** Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:04 pm

Still no news about this?

bmwman91 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 08, 2012 4:57 pm

This is a GREAT idea. I would love to help out in any way that I can. The OP sounds like he has tried the most obvious method, possibly the easiest assuming it works. Can someone get me a picture of the BIOS chip? If it is a leaded flash package of some sort (TSOP, etc) then it would be fairly easy to remove the working stock one and make a backup. I've had to do that with some car ECUs and some hardware at work. After reinstalling one of the copies, we could try flashing the hacked version!

I need pics of the BIOS flash chip! I'll see if there are any decent mobo pics on eBay or anything. I don't own an X220 or X230, but if we can figure this out I will DEFINITELY get an X230!

bmwman91 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:58 pm

Oh, nevermind. The BIOS is onboard the Intel chipset chip...not gonna do anything with that. So yeah, someone needs to be brave and try it out! Has anyone with a USB floppy drive tried doing a recovery boot onto it?

skinnie · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:34 pm

bmwman91 wrote:

Oh, nevermind. The BIOS is onboard the Intel chipset chip...not gonna do anything with that. So yeah, someone needs to be brave and try it out! Has anyone with a USB floppy drive tried doing a recovery boot onto it?

The other models are different?
I have an usb floppy drive but never tried anything

only on the previous HP.

ThinkPad X230 7 row keyboard BIOS mod research

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