• NVram/CMOS BIOS Hacking to Remove WiFi Card Whitelist

    From Computer Nerd Kev@21:1/5 to All on Thu Sep 3 00:23:36 2020
    XPost: ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad

    I'm trying to get an Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN WiFi card to work in
    a Thinkpad R60. I'm getting the 1802 error, and applying the no-1802
    fix using the Live CD didn't stop it.

    I'd rather keep with the NVram setting approach to fixing this rather
    than flash a hacked BIOS image, because if I stuff up the NVram
    settings then the worst result should be needing to pull the BIOS
    battery to reset them.

    There are guides to hacking BIOS ROM images linked from this page on
    ThinkWiki: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_with_unauthorized_MiniPCI_network_card#Modifying_the_BIOS

    I'm wondering if there's a guide or at least some description of
    NVram BIOS setting hacking. I'm thinking it would be something like
    comparing a dump of the NVram to a dump of the BIOS ROM, and looking
    at what parts of BIOS code change the NVram. The BIOS may have the
    function to offer a "disable whitelist check" in the settings menu,
    but it's just not enabled by Lenovo - that would show where to write
    with an R60-compatible no-1802 program.

    --
    __ __
    #_ < |\| |< _#

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@21:1/5 to Computer Nerd Kev on Sun Nov 1 07:16:20 2020
    XPost: ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad

    In comp.sys.laptops.thinkpad Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:
    I'm trying to get an Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN WiFi card to work in
    a Thinkpad R60. I'm getting the 1802 error, and applying the no-1802
    fix using the Live CD didn't stop it.

    Well on my third attempt (and the second with an Intel 3945 card out
    of a Thinkpad!) I managed to get one that the BIOS was happy with. So
    I guess I'm saved from any BIOS hacking, if that was ever going to
    happen given the limited info that I managed to dig up.

    --
    __ __
    #_ < |\| |< _#

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)