How to do middleton's bios properly?

[thinkpadcollection]

I downloaded the bios and it is not clear which to use for non swap or swapped fn + ctrl. I wanted to put on non-swap version.

Note the iso packages for either choices is not working, I had tried both.

Cheers, Jason

[RealBlackStuff]

Which BIOS-version did you download from where, and for what Thinkpad model is it?

[thinkpadcollection]

8927-CTO (R61, 15.4 widescreen, Nvidia 140m and firewire board). Taken from thinkwiki.

Also I need to reflash back to original bios, this is a problem at this point because all of them I tried would not work. Then start over with middleton that is working properly. The downloaded middleton bios from thinkwiki is stretchy since the prepared bootable iso images does not work. One failed to work, and other one only flashed the EC 1.08 but does not proceed to flash bios.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[PandorasThinkpad]

Hey!

Try this out http://www.mediafire.com/file/860x308qw ... .08%29.rar,

all Middelton's from there have worked....and i've flashed T61, X61 and X61s....

Good luck!

Kindly,

PAnDoRa

[thinkpadcollection]

Issue resolved, it was matter of not clear of identifying the type number motherboard. Forcing bios flash method was found to take back from stubborn flash program.

Problem is I like Ctrl-Fn not swapped and cannot know which firmware with normal keyboard to use for R61 (8927-22U).

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[PandorasThinkpad]

Hi again!

My fault, you will/ would have need in this...

R61 (14.1" widescreen without IEEE 1394): 7732, 7733, 7734, 7735, 7736, 7737, 7738 R61 (15.4" widescreen): 8914, 8918, 8919, 8920, 8927, 8928, 8929 R61i (15.4" widescreen): 8918 2.29-1.08 + + + + + +

http://www.mediafire.com/file/vtcyvrtmm ... .08%29.rar

And maybe this would even be interesting to you....Attention to ThinkPad owners.
If you get error message during BIOS update:
"BIOS image file is same as BIOS ROM. An update is not necessary at this time."
OR
you flashed the patch but FN and CTRL are still not swapped

then you have to do the following:

1) Create "flash.bat" file in the folder with WINUPTP.EXE. Bat-file should have the following contents:

@echo off
echo Updating BIOS. Please wait...
winuptp.exe /s
echo BIOS flash completed. Reboot your machine now.
pause

2) Run flash.bat as administrator, you'll see "Updating BIOS. Please wait..." message.

3) Wait until "BIOS flash completed. Reboot your machine now." message is displayed.

4) Reboot your machine.

flash.bat is attached just in case.

Source...http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads ... t-10025336



Sorry!

Greets,

PandoRa

[thinkpadcollection]

Thanks, I like the original Ctrl & Fn as is now, not swapped like it is was included with modded bios.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[PandorasThinkpad]

But you even can flash the normal file, so you would have SATA-II support, or have you already did that?

[thinkpadcollection]

The content of the folders and other firmware files are not that clear.
I flashed R61 with this one in modded folder. The other firmware does not say if that is modified or not in different folder.

The *.iso files are broken like I said for both 1st and 2nd choice.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[RealBlackStuff]

Downloads from here are always working: http://ali.dj/blog/sata-ii-support-for- ... 61-x61-r61

[coolcat37]

This is a question to experienced flashers out there. I am wondering what the best way is to flash.

Say you get a NOS T61. BIOS has never been updated. Before applying the Middleton fix, you apply the latest Lenovo-issued BIOS, right? Once that's done you do the Middleton, correct? I read on the German forum Middleton doesn't carry the latest EC, hence you should always apply the Lenovo-issued first.

Secondly you get a T61 w/o Middleton but with the latest Lenovo-issued BIOS. You want to flash it with Middleton. Before proceeding one should load the default BIOS settings (F9), no?

I'd appreciate it if anyone with experience in flashing could elaborate on above questions.

[ajkula66]

Say you get a NOS T61. BIOS has never been updated. Before applying the Middleton fix, you apply the latest Lenovo-issued BIOS, right? Once that's done you do the Middleton, correct? I read on the German forum Middleton doesn't carry the latest EC, hence you should always apply the Lenovo-issued first.

Meh. A couple of years ago I ran into a virtually unused T61p with a very old BIOS. Flashed Middleton's and all was well. If you *really* want the latest and the greatest - which I tend to question more often than not when it comes to both BIOS versions and drivers - you can update over Middleton's and the SATA II will stick from what I've seen from some users on the Lenovo Forums. Personally, I leave everything "as-is" since I know what type of behaviour I should expect from a machine running Middleton's BIOS.

Secondly you get a T61 w/o Middleton but with the latest Lenovo-issued BIOS. You want to flash it with Middleton. Before proceeding one should load the default BIOS settings (F9), no?

It won't make any difference.

[Hans Gruber]

I just updated my T61 to the Middleton bios a few days ago. If you are running a 64 bit OS you have to go the .ISO flash route via CD/DVD. I had to change my bios settings allowing bios flashing via the network settings on my T61.

I had bios 2.21 and after Middleton I was updated to bios 2.29 which according to the wiki file is the bios version Middleton supports.

I used the first package, not the Ctrl/Fn bios that has #1 bios and #2 bios if number #1 bios fails.

It's all self executing and automatic. Make certain to have your laptop plugged into a power supply and change your boot order to the optical drive in the 1st position. After flashing your bios you change your boot order back to the way it was.

[coolcat37]

Make certain to have your laptop plugged into a power supply

+ a fully charged battery in it too

Thank you Ajkula66 for your feedback. If others have something extra to add I am all ears.

[thinkpadcollection]

To force bios update with latest original bios, rename *.FL1 as bios.rom and rename *.FL2 as platform.bin, run winphlash.exe as admin; right click on that one and choose run as admin. Repeat on modded middleton's bios (correct one without reversed keys). On condition of success any OS *must* be 32bit. I had to steal hard drive from another machine and fire up into 32bit OS. That was one of many complex problem found out.

NOTE: cannot change back and forth between keys and reversed keys bios firmware. Have to flash the original bios first then modded bios next, That was my problem. I cannot stand the reversed keys part.

Now new post coming on my modified heatsink to help with pre- 08 08 GPU motherboard.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection.

[RealBlackStuff]

The proper way to do it is using the included ISO to make a bootable CD, NOT do it inside of Windows!

[thinkpadcollection]

Both ISO images failed, that was right after trying to update and chose reversed keys bios without thinking.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[RealBlackStuff]

Perhaps you failed to make a proper self-booting CD from that ISO file?
You don't copy it onto a CD, you use the likes of ImgBurn to make a CD from an ISO.

[pidjones]

Sorry to bring back up an old thread, but this one has the basics of my question. My T61 14.1 Wide was purchased pre-loaded with Windows 10 (I'm learning 10, and it is starting to grow on me.) It has only an AG WIFI card, however. I have an AGN to replace it with, but need the whitelist removed (would be nice to pick up SATA II for my SSD, too!) I have tried twice to flash my T61 with the ISO version that includes CTRL-FN swap. ISO 1 disk complained of not able to flash over network. ISO 2 disk ran and swapped the keys, but did not update the BIOS. I suspect that there is a BIOS setting not mentioned in the readme that needs changed. In this thread I saw the comment:
"I had to change my bios settings allowing bios flashing via the network settings on my T61"

How is this done?

[RealBlackStuff]

In BIOS, go to Config/Network/Flash over LAN and set it to Enabled.

[pidjones]

In BIOS, go to Config/Network/Flash over LAN and set it to Enabled.

Thanks ever so much! I plan to do this when I get home this evening.

[pidjones]

Update: Yeah! Worked great. Thanks so much. Now if I could just get the touchpad the way I want it. For some reason, it doesn't want to cursor Left. Right, Up, Down are fine. I've replaced the touchpad unit already (had the broken left button I've sen a lot about). Tried a lot of settings on the UltraNav settings. Still fairly flaky. If I just use a straight down tip of finger on it, it seems better. I can move back right and then left quick Ok, but if multi-swiping across the screen it often doesn't respond to the 2nd or 3rd swipe until I back up a bit. Win 10 Pro OS. Middleton BIOS rocks, because now I can use my AGN card and get much better speeds!