I found a "Locked to Win8" bios

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Asus x551m Laptop. The bios wouldn't allow for anything else to be installed on the original BIOS.

 

Found out ASUS had released a BIOS update you had to install to get a BIOS OS installation choice.

 

It does go to show that there was laptops (Decent ones too) that had been released as MS originally demanded, locked down to Win8.

[NoelC]

Wow.

 

It's a shame that SO much effort went into Microsoft avoiding doing good engineering.  In the end, all of it was a waste, Win 8 is a market flop.  So the question is:  Did anyone learn anything, or will the Marketeers redouble their efforts at piling BS and doing nefarious things, all in a supreme effort to avoid rewarding the people who do honest work?

 

-Noel

[Tripredacus]

I have run into this as well. It isn't specifically locked to "Windows 8" but it just uses that wording. They use terms Windows 8 instead of UEFI boot and Windows 7 (or Other OS) for Legacy boot.

I've even seen one where UEFI mode is enabled, legacy is disabled and 64bit is disabled.

[jaclaz]

I have run into this as well. It isn't specifically locked to "Windows 8" but it just uses that wording. They use terms Windows 8 instead of UEFI boot and Windows 7 (or Other OS) for Legacy boot.

I've even seen one where UEFI mode is enabled, legacy is disabled and 64bit is disabled.

Add *somewhere*  "SecureBoot", and you are done.

 

jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

Yeah, I suspect on the more limited BIOSes, that the Windows 8 option enables everything that Windows 8 needs/wants/works with. I certainly have seen some where you can enable Windows 8 and there is no options for Secure Boot or Rapid Start or what-have-you.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Yeah it took at least a dozen reboots and variations of settings before I got on my main system and Google.

 

I tried several different basic setups of Win7 DVD's and USB none of them were be able to kick off the setup until after the BIOS was flashed. 

 

It looks like they didn't even have the option to select win7 in the BIOS until may 2014.

 

There was a secure boot option but none of the changes would make Win7 install-able.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Kelsenellenelvian

[jaclaz]

Yep, can you remember when you just setup CD-ROM as "first boot device", or simply pressed F12 when booting?

JFYI:

http://www.canbike.org/information-technology/2013/03/12/asus-uefi-boot-from-cd-dvd-x55u.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/338018-can-t-install-windows-7-new-asus-laptop.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/264491-cant-install-windows-7-preinstalled-windows-8-laptop.html#post2178898

 

Specifically, it seems like the good Asus guys "forgot" to provide a way to disable UEFI and enable CSM:

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/456084-asus-x551ca-boot-issue

 

For anyone who has Asus X551MA with BIOS version 504 or earlier and want to install Win7, you need to flash your BIOS to 506 version (newest for now).

 

 

Though seemingly they managed to add some further restrictions and managed to call the chioices "Windows 8", Windows 7" under "Choosing OS":

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2033112/win8.html

 

I just checked and 12 (twelve) BIOS updates between 2013.10.22 and 2014.07.13, i.e. 9 months must be a new record.

 

jaclaz

[Kelsenellenelvian]

That toms hardware was the link that got win 7 on this laptop.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Kelsenellenelvian

[osRe]

I'm still unclear on what benefits there are to UEFI booting instead of legacy. The only thing I recall is "quicker booting", but I didn't notice it with Win8. If there is a difference it's in the order of a second or two, on the single computer I tried it on. By now I have it disabled to have better compatibility in multibooting.

[jaclaz]

I'm still unclear on what benefits there are to UEFI booting instead of legacy. The only thing I recall is "quicker booting", but I didn't notice it with Win8. If there is a difference it's in the order of a second or two, on the single computer I tried it on. By now I have it disabled to have better compatibility in multibooting.

Benefits to WHOM?

Like:

1. Benefits to Intel or Mocrosoft?
2. Benefits to the three or four companies that provided BIOSes before?
3. Benefits to OEM's and PC manufacturers?
4. Benefits to Software houses that can sell upgrades?
5. Benefits to the final user?

The answers from #1 to #4 are blowing in the wind .

 

The answer to #5 is NONE (or none that a final user can perceive, if not much nicer and more graphical "BIOS Setup screens") yet.

 

WHEN and IF the EFI/UEFI will be (hopefully):

1) simplified <- the documentation is over 2000 (two thousand) pages

2) become a "real" standard

3) the stupid "FAT32" UEFI booting limtiation removed

3) if not the three above at least a "common use" will be eventually reached, making UEFI tools portable between different hardware

4) the nonsensical BIOS=MBR EFI=GPT equations (actually connected more to the stupid Windows 8 than anything else) will be abandoned

5) programmers will want (or be able) to produce programs for the "environment"

 

EFI/UEFI has ALL the cards to become the third of fourth best things in life (after beer, sliced bread and ice cream ), as it will be an extremely useful "real mode" Operating System, and we may start to think UEFI + a Windows NT not completely unlike good ol' DOS + Windows 9x.

 

 

jaclaz

Edited July 24, 2014 by jaclaz

[submix8c]

BAHAHAHAH! Stepping back to original IBM-style "bios boot" ("ROMBasic"->FloppyDOS)!

http://ohlandl.ipv7.net/config/ROM_Basic.html

(disclaimer - above link may/may-not-be accurate)

Progress!

 

(yeah, I've found/stumbled-upon on the WWW references to "truly" system-locked OS/Edition BIOS')

[Tripredacus]

IMO, the only real benefit for UEFI mode is you can boot a 2.2TB+ disk. Also, IMO, having the OS on such a large drive is a waste because I'd rather not keep my stuff on the same disk as the OS.

[jaclaz]

IMO, the only real benefit for UEFI mode is you can boot a 2.2TB+ disk. Also, IMO, having the OS on such a large drive is a waste because I'd rather not keep my stuff on the same disk as the OS.

Sure , and this happens - coincidentally - when everyone (besides the few that know the involved issues with a "single disk" and already use separate devices for OS and Data) is shifting to the much faster SSD's (typically - at the moment - 128 or 256 Gb in size, with the largest ones affordable 512 Gb's, and I believe it will take a few years for "consumer grade" SSD's to go  beyound the 2.2 Tb size), i.e. when there is NO *need* whatsoever of addressing 2.2 Tb on the boot/system device.

 

BTW the MBR limitation is actually about addressing more than 2.2Tb, nothing prevents from having a BIOS (non-EFI/UEFI) capable of reading a GPT disk (that can address more than 2.2 Tb), nor to have a hybrid MBR/GPT (Apple has used this for years), or find some other solution, again these equation are not entirely true, particularly if taken as a couple:

BIOS=MBR

EFI/UEFI=GPT

 

jaclaz

[NoelC]

IMO, the only real benefit for UEFI mode is you can boot a 2.2TB+ disk. Also, IMO, having the OS on such a large drive is a waste because I'd rather not keep my stuff on the same disk as the OS.

 

Everyone has different needs and goals, but a system based on a single C: volume, backed by performance hardware (e.g., an SSD array), and with everything organized by subfolder can be very good indeed.  I run my own system that way.  There are a lot of advantages.

 

It's hyper-fast and stable (since every application prefers drive C: and is most tested there), everything gets the benefit of the full performance of the I/O subsystem, and everything's backed up with a System Image backup.  I doubt there are too many systems on the planet that are more responsive.

 

-Noel

[dencorso]

Then the single disk dies and everything goes puff!

 

Of course, if one's single 4TB disk is in truth a 4TB RAID 6 SSD array, then it's different... but is the cost worth it?