Display POST messages instead of boot logo

[firefan]

Hello,

Is it possible to have my T42p display POST messages instead of the IBM logo during system startup everytime? It will do so if I configure the BIOS to do a diagnostic boot instead of a quick boot, but that increases the boot time significantly. Thanks!

[edelrc]

I is posible to customize that IBM logo at the begining (I changed it to the original IBM logo in the center and I added my name and phone number...) but i am not aware that you can also add Post messages.

[tfflivemb2]

edelrc, how did you manage to modify the IBM logo at boot?

I have seen software that modifies it, but I have heard talk that there are ways to do it without paying for some software to do it for you. However, I have heard that the Thinkpads couldn't be done.

Sorry to steer the conversation away from the original post.

[tfflivemb2]

OK, I'm an idiot that got ahead of myself when I read the previous post. I see now that there is a lot of information on this topic throughout the forum. I hadn't looked for it before because I thought that it wasn't possible.

Thanks!

[edelrc]

I´d got the idea from this forum somewhere.
Updating BIOS has a very remote risk inherit on it; however it does exist!

1. First make a the screen logo of your design. It has to be 640x480, 16 colours Bitmap file. Name it "LOGO.BMP"

2. Download Virtual Floppy Disk (VFD) from http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.zip.

3. Download the BIOS upgrade from IBM (the disk-less version).

3b)NOTE: If your current BIOS is the same as the one you're downloading in Step 2, you'll need to downgrade. (Sometimes if you apply this BIOS and Update the Serial Number to your Thinkpad model will also work).

4: Unzip vfd.zip into the desktop.

5: Double click on the IBM BIOS upgrade file (from step 2), then click Next, then accept the agreement and Next again. Go straight to step 5 (i.e. leave this running for now).

6: Run vfdwin.exe (from step 3). The image file that you're going to use is from C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Username]\Local Settings\Temp\ In one of those directory, there's another sub directory containing the extracted files (from step 4). The size of the image file is 1440kB with .IMG extension. Select it and mount it. Viola, you now have a floppy disk drive with the files.

7: Copy your LOGO.BMP to A:\.

8: Run logo.bat. You'll know if you're successful or not. The generated LOGO.MOD has to be less than 10kB. If it is more you have to lower the complexity of the LOGO.BMP you had created.

9: Edit lcreflsh.bat (from A:\) to contain "flash2.exe /u /L:LOGO.MOD" (without quotes).
NOTE 1: lcreflsh.bat might be "read-only" so make sure it isn't, otherwise you can't save the edited version).
NOTE 2: leave the LOGO.BMP in the A drive.

10: Unmount A:\

11: Continue with the BIOS update (i.e. clicking Next 4 times).

I have changed my logo several times this way on my T42p.

[KillaByte]

*deleted because the poster did not read the original post correctly*

[andrey]

edelrc, were you able to do this with various 16 colors, 4bit images? For me, some images work and some do not. Pretty strange...

-- Andrey

[edelrc]

These are the requirements:

The original Logo.BMP image must be...
- 640x480
- 16 colours Bitmap
- 4bit

The final LOGO.MOD must be...
< 10kB

(Complex pictures or abuse of arrays of colors makes that the LOGO.MOD goes beyond the 10kB...)

[andrey]

here is the one I have, it compresses under 10k using LOGO.BAT, but is still gets only half displayed after the BIOS update.

http://members.cox.net/andrysha/logo/logo.zip

-- Andrey

[edelrc]

Andrey, if it meets those requirements, don't know what other characteristics could be on place... (your link does not work)

I had tried several BMPs and all worked fine. I would recommend you to re-draw the BMP from scratch.... palete color order may be not in order... (I had many problem with color whne designing the bitmat for when Windows loads that requires similar requirements.)

Also all the BMPs I had tried had large areas of black, could be this a factor?... not sure.

[andrey]

edelrc, I updated the link to fix the typo.

Do you think you can try that logo once you'll get a chance? That's a pretty neat image by the way and you're more then welcome to use it if you like

-- Andrey

[smugiri]

Here is a link to definitive instructions at ThinkWiki if you are a linux weenie:


I have always thought that a BIOS mod that would allow one to have a short message and name / phone number/email address shown after the initial screen when the laptop is waiting for a password is much much more useful. With a password set, anyone who wanted to use the machine would have to have that info sitting right there. Makes it almost impossible to sell if stolen I think ...

[GomJabbar]

I have always thought that a BIOS mod that would allow one to have a short message and name / phone number/email address shown after the initial screen when the laptop is waiting for a password is much much more useful. With a password set, anyone who wanted to use the machine would have to have that info sitting right there. Makes it almost impossible to sell if stolen I think ...

Interestingly enough, that was a feature of my ThinkPad 600E. IBM had software for it called the Personalization Editor. One used it to create a floppy disk for writing your personal info to the BIOS. When you booted up the laptop with the password set, your chosen personal information was there at the password screen.

I wonder why IBM doesn't offer that feature on the newer models?

[christopher_wolf]

Well, because the newer ones aren't 600E's

That would be an excellent idea, but I guess IBM decided, for one reason or another, that newer ones wouldn't need it.