I am deeply honoured! I cannot take all the credit for the explanation as your website has it very clearly laid out and is accessible to users of all skill levels. You should be very proud of the content that you have collected there! I might do a few other videos based on the content I've found on your website.
Has anyone been able to get the modified BIOS to install in Win 10? I had to flash to the stock 1.43 BIOS using the Lenovo LiveCD method. I was getting a BSOD of WinFlash64.sys when I tried to update to stock BIOS 1.43 via the flashing utility. I'm getting the same error when trying to flash the modified BIOS using the flashing utility. Cheers.
I had no issues doing this from a Windows 10 install using the included files from the link provided. Couldn't have been easier. Could you perhaps describe what you are doing in detail presuming you are using the files linked in this video?
Thanks for getting back to me. Yeah, in a nutshell I followed your steps exactly. When I get to your timestamp (th-cam.com/video/jsCfFOywZs0/w-d-xo.html) The machine BSOD right before it says 'Flash New BIOS'. The BSOD error is; SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION caused by ntoskrnl.exe and WinFlash64.sys Thanks again in advance
What version of the BIOS does it say you are running before doing the update? I Googled your error message and it does not seem related to the BIOS, but perhaps Drivers so you might want to ensure that Windows 10 has the latest drivers for your X220. I've also been told that updating from Windows 10 can cause issues like this, whereas the install I did was a fresh install and not an upgrade. Hope that helps.
Thank you for this video. I am having fun with my x220 upgrade projects thanks to your video and McDonnell tech resource site. My update to 1.46 modified bios was a success. 16GB 1866MHz ram is live and up to speed. Using that great tip on drive bay swap to run windows 10 on one evo 860 ssd in a caddy, and linux mint 19,1xfce on another. Took that one step further and got a hdd caddy that swaps out with the dvd optical drive in the ultrabase 3 so I can use the original 320GB hdd that came with it as a storage drive. Wow this is Fun ! ... Sorry, geeking out here.
Great question. Never did it on W11. I have read it may appear that it crashes and still goes through. Big thing is it cannot be past a certain version or the BIOS needs to be downgraded to work.
Thank you for your video, my loved one gave me this x220 laptop and I needed some upgrades for my work tasks and my main concern is ram upgrade since I have my ssd ready for upgrade to the original hdd installed. I'm not quite confident but seeing this straightforward tutorial gives me motivation to do some tweaks. Thank you so much. And like how you politely and enthusiastically respond to us viewers and give credits to others as well. Godbless. You deserve more subs! 👏👏👏👏 Thank you as well to McDonnell site for giving us resources and guides for some things like this.
@@LaptopRetrospective Hi, i forgot to ask these questions as well. Sorry I'm not a techie person, but do i need to update bios again, if ever i will change my ssd to new one, i mean whenever I replace my storage drive? And just to confirm, i don't have to tweak settings if i just wanted to have that allowable 16gb ram? The max ram allowed for upgrade is 16gb? Thanks alot in advance... planning to upgrade bios and ram this week... Godbless..
@@LaptopRetrospective wow that was a really fast reply! Can't thank you enough for giving response to your viewers questions promptly. Have a nice day!
Bought an X220 yesterday, today I flashed the advanced BIOS (1.46) - everything went well, but now the ThinkVantage button doesn't do anything on the BIOS splash, need to mash F1/F12 instead. Other than that, works fine. Thanks.
Done it on my x220i and set memory to 1600 and still shows up as 1333 is it because the ram is 1333 and I can't overclock or is it just how it shows up?
Seems like other people have reported the same thing: www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-REQUEST-Lenovo-X220-8DETxxWW-Whitelist-Removal?pid=141098#pid141098
@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks a lot for a pretty cool solution answered so quickly, but I already found, installed and setted tpfancontrol, which I hope will do. Do you think it does worth to hack via ivyrain? Will the system run quicker and more smoothly? Till now I was just considerred about getting errors from overheating, but now I am interested :D
Thank you for this one. In many years of computing this one is a top notch direct approach to BIOS flashing. Something that makes me A LOT worried each time I have to do it.
@@LaptopRetrospective thanks again for showing the way to install a modified bios on the x220, it also works on my x220i tablet 😁 to use an unsupported Bluetooth / Wi-Fi card. I'm in the process of upgrading the screen to full HD from 1366x768 and I hope I don't run into any whitelist bologna, fingers crossed.
Greetings, my lenovo, gets stuck in the thinkpad logo and does not allow access to the Bios or boot option, could you help me how that problem is solved?
Thank you so much for the cristal clear video, been looking for months for this best straight forward absolutely free way to do it..let's roll faste🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Hi, does this video work for the ThinkPad X220i? When I try to open the batch file it says that it was blocked by an administrator even though I am the admin of my computer. I would really appreciate any help. Thanks!
@@LaptopRetrospective As soon as I get access to the laptop I'll try that. I assume it would work with the x220i because I've updated the BIOS to 1.46 (which is the latest version now). Also I think that X220i's are the same as the X220, just with an Core i3 CPU and not an i5, i7 or Celeron. Also, I just realised that the laptop, which I bought second hand off a school, does have a BIOS password. Would that make a difference? Thank you so much for the reply!
Ok, I tried that and unfortunately it still doesn't work. When I try to open the file after saying that yes, I will allow this program to make changes to my computer, the command prompt flashes really briefly and then the program closes. Thanks for the idea though. (I have definitely extracted the files just so that you know.)
hey! i was wondering if you could point me in the right direction for the t520 bios? i just got mine and would love to mod it without needing to externally install coreboot. any help would be amazing, thanks so much!
Hey dude, I have a problem with my Thinkpad L540. After done BIOS update, suddenly I can't enter to Windows. It always shows "Configuration Changed-Restart the System" and then reboot, always like that. It was a night mare, I can't get an access to BIOS. I try to move SSD to use HDD caddy switch with my HDD (see on thw internet), it stops reboot and plug USB windows installation, but when I check in BIOS my SSD not readable in Boot Priority. Do you have a ny solution ?
@@LaptopRetrospective I have two storages, SSD and HDD (use HDD cadd) once I have updated the BIOS. Suddenly it always bootloop, I can't enter to the windows logo. When I see in Bios Priority setup, I can't find the SSD, only HDD can be read by the BIOS.
@@Jwojr not sure, the trick would be flashing it once it was built. Software has long since been locked out so I suspect it would need hardware to flash the BIOS.
Will doing these steps automatically remove the whitelist or are there any extra steps that you must take to do so? Sorry if I sound like an idiot but I'm new to these things.
Thanks for the great video! I’m just wondering if this upgraded BIOS will allow me to RAID an MSATA and the 2.5-inch SSD together as the current one on my X220 won’t let me. If not, do you know any other ways to RAID or stripe two SSDs together?
I doubt it? If RAID requires the same speeds then you're not doing it on an x220 since the mSATA slot is not SATA 3 speeds. No other place for an SSD either.
@@LaptopRetrospective I found two mod sites. One had a file for only the X220 and the other had the same file for both the X220 and the X220t. I think the same file for both on Thinkwiki is a mistake.
do they have a page like that for x230? i tried changing 220 to 230 but theres no site haha.. im trying to install a new AC wifi card but it wont allow it.
Is there a way to update the bios without running windows? I picked up an x220 for use as a linux machine but since there's no windows installed and I really don't want to get a copy I was wondering if it's possible to run these files some other way?
I updated my BIOS to 1.46 and did this using the Lenovo Utility - but I don't see the 'Advanced' tab in the BIOS. Is there something else I need to do?
Did you run to any issues with the wifi adapter? I recently updated to 1.46 and Windows 10 and noticed that my wifi adapter stopped working. I had the driver manually updated to 2023.1.1201.2014 but still no hope. I have to use a USB wifi adapter now.
@@LaptopRetrospective Yes I used the original 1.46, it din't work then the whiltelisted one and still didn't work. It looks like to me it's Windows related that the PCI express Wifi adapter is recognized but there's no power to drive it. I still can't figure it out and I'm relying on a USB wifi adapter instead.
The date and time issue is an issue. As for reversible, I've never looked into it. I imagine patching over top with an official one would be the thing to try.
Laptop Retrospective I had some issues with the laptop so I took the cmos battery out and after I fix it back I was ask to set the time and date. Now I don’t have the options to set the time and date. So I thought reversing it will be the first solution
Hello from Spain , Its better update first to 1.46 and after run flash.bat or run flash.bat without update to 1.46 I got mine on 1.28 ... Please help Im so afraid , I am 23 and I spend 200€ for a dockstation and x220
@@LaptopRetrospective Thanksgiving , ur so pure human being , ill do It , whatever , if i break is money so im not gonna die 😌😘, keep ur work , ur making good guides and we love free software and free HW , keep It 100%
hi there, I followed the instructions from x220.mcdonnelltech.com/resources/, I created a bootable cd using Active Boot Disk as stated here x220.mcdonnelltech.com/bios/ because I don't have windows installed on my x220. the problem is that i have to run hte update first because I am on version 1.4 and the latest modified version is 1.46, but the updater gives me always the error that the battery is not fully charged although it is. I tried removing the battery and running the updater again without any success. Is there a workaround ?
@@LaptopRetrospective Incremental update didn't work. I also tried burning the bootable iso update from support.lenovo.com/gr/en/downloads/ds018807 on a usb stick with different software like unetbootin, usb2iso, yumi etc. and they won't boot.
@@LaptopRetrospective No but what is the difference ? I think the one I got is the full blown since it mentions all the changes. Will try them to. I also tried to extract the El Torito image from the bootable iso with no success
i found where i went wrong i updated lenovo bios from lenovo1.46 then it says same bios will not install same bios just fixed a laptop updated bios no trouble
You'll have to spend some time on Google to see what's available and what method you will need to use. If it's newer than the X220 then it might involve some hardware bits.
@@LaptopRetrospective i upgraded my Lenovo z51-70 hdd to ssd and put hdd in a caddy. Now boot time has improved significantly but since bios loads up too fast now it doesn't have time to initiate the hdd hence wanted to increase the boot load up. Think u can help P.S. hdd is recognized but needs a reboot for that and it's annoying
The main reason to do it on this model was to install the faster WiFi card and make sure the RAM is being fully utilized. What need would you have to do it on your T450s?
@@LaptopRetrospective unlock all bios settings and try to experiment with ram clocks and also CPU power limits. This particular model seems to be power throttling quite a lot, while CPU can still push and thermals are good. And anyway it's nice to take full control over your system
@@LaptopRetrospective I dunno, I've done some research and no useful info came out. Everything I found was related to the x220 only. Apparentely nobody risked trying to do it on an x220i and document it [I can understand why lol]
@@LaptopRetrospective everything worked out! Now the cooler works more efficiently, and instead of 106°С the temperature is now 96°С! you just saved my hot laptop!
Currently my x220 is on ver 1.06 and I'm running on Windows 10. Am i able to upgrade to the latest bios version as the lenovo site only support till windows 8 only? Thanks!
Sorry if this has been asked before but will this bios work with the x220t as well? I read somewhere that the x230t has a bios that can't be modified but I couldn't determine the same is true for the x220t.
Is it safe to update the bios? I have X230 with 2.55 bios version and want to up it for 2.75 one. But im afraid if i accidentally brick my computer since its my one and only machine
Since this is the x230 we are talking about, I assume we are talking about the official update from Lenovo? If you don't need what is fixed in the change log then you don't have to do it.
@@LaptopRetrospective hmm okay Maybe i need to suggest you to make a special content about swapping keyboard over xx30 series with xx20 one. I love your explanation about all of your content because its detailed. Keep on work 👍
Hi I was wondering since I'm on MBR partition, I would need to repartition to GPT for this method correct? Thank you, I run a egpu and external monitor and is why I went with legacy mode and is my main concern when going to UEFI. thank you by the way
@@LaptopRetrospective yes thanks, most are on GPT since it's the same install image. I had to set my t430 to legacy only when installing Windows to get a MBR partition, and then I set the bios back to both afterwards. I did this to install egpu software at boot time. Anyway thank you, I was just wondering if someone happened to know.
Hello i want to ask about my bios my bios now is 1.17, my question is i have to update it first to 1.46 version then update to modified bios? Or can i just update to the modified version Thx you for your attention
Thank you for the link to the x220 website would this also cover the x230 that I have or is there another website x230 for me to find? thanks, Bob love the channel very helpful
@@LaptopRetrospective any hint to a guide for the x230?. It's such a good little laptop that I would love to upgrade the battery (whitelisted ) and unleash the full potential.
Happen the same here, I finally get it updated with modified BIOS booting from a Windows 7 Install USB key. I just booted, then at the first install panel, I do Shift+F10, then inside CMD, I entered the directory inside other USB key (prepared for this) with the modified BIOS archives, cd "C:\X220 v1.46 Modified BIOS\", then I started .bat file with "C:\X220 v1.46 Modified BIOS\flash.bat". That launched the executable, and started the process. When flashing, it tried several times saying "Flashing failure. Reflashing ...". To be honest, I was not very comfortable with this, but after a while, it stopped, and returned to the CMD prompt. Here, it doesn't restart automatically like in the video, but I made a hard power-off (keeping power button pressed). Once powered on again, I entered BIOS like always and the Advanced menu appeared, pffffff. :-)
@@greatzorbak2105 how did u boot with W7 usb key? I'd like to update my bios too. Currently running W10. Not really a tech guy. But with proper instruction I guess I can do it.
@@greatzorbak2105 i managed to update to 1.46 mod. My experience is just like you. Glad it works. All bluetooth, wifi, speakers and brightness control work as they should. I'm getting 1600MHz now 💪
Does this software work on other Lenovo models besides the X220? Great video how to for an inefficient streamlined way to upgrade your BIOS. Will try and share my results, thanks!
T430 Swapped motherboard into another chassis and started getting FW Status Recovery Error; was hoping the Advanced tab would help me out.@@LaptopRetrospective
I was afraid of that. It would be nice to have that Advanced functionality as easy to add to all Lenovo models, not just the X220. @@LaptopRetrospective
Yes, unfortunately for better or for worse Intel and Lenovo stopped the ability for the user to software flash the BIOS with unofficial patches after the 220 gen. It can still be done, but either requires custom programming or hardware tricks.
i have tried boths steps of bios upgrade windows 10 and windows 7 im running latest bios update when it get to last step says bios is the same will not update
My current BIOS is version 1.26. What benefit would I have if I upgraded to the modified 1.46 one, besides whitelist removal and faster RAM clock (which I don't plan to use)? I'm not too tech savvy to mess around with BIOS and the main thing I'm looking is to improve performance on games as it's my main machine for a while now. Thanks in advance for your work!!
Those are the main benefits. You're not going to get any performance increase directly related to the GPU. The increased RAM speed "might" have some incredibly minimal impact.
Besides the ones you've listed? That's it. The removal of the whitelist means a newer and faster WiFi card with Bluetooth. The extra RAM clock is nice.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thank you. I already ordered a eGPU adapter and a IPS screen but I think I'll skip this BIOS update as I don't aim to have those advantages, I'm fine with my wifi/bluetooth/ram. I just want some FPS more :D
I am happy after finding this video. so i just bought x220 laptop. with 8gb ram, 128 ssd and windows 10. but i was shocked after installing bluestak or other emulator. which all emulators can't run properly because VT can't be activated. after I checked my bios it was still version 1.15 (8DET45WW) and there I couldn't activate VT. My question is, can I activate VT after updating the bios?
I've checked with guidelines from several sources on the internet. all say yes but i can't do it. now i am confused what should i do with my device. I hope you can help me with this problem.
Great summary of the modified BIOS update process. Thanks for the kind words about my X220 site!
I am deeply honoured! I cannot take all the credit for the explanation as your website has it very clearly laid out and is accessible to users of all skill levels. You should be very proud of the content that you have collected there! I might do a few other videos based on the content I've found on your website.
Has anyone been able to get the modified BIOS to install in Win 10? I had to flash to the stock 1.43 BIOS using the Lenovo LiveCD method. I was getting a BSOD of WinFlash64.sys when I tried to update to stock BIOS 1.43 via the flashing utility. I'm getting the same error when trying to flash the modified BIOS using the flashing utility.
Cheers.
I had no issues doing this from a Windows 10 install using the included files from the link provided. Couldn't have been easier. Could you perhaps describe what you are doing in detail presuming you are using the files linked in this video?
Thanks for getting back to me.
Yeah, in a nutshell I followed your steps exactly.
When I get to your timestamp (th-cam.com/video/jsCfFOywZs0/w-d-xo.html)
The machine BSOD right before it says 'Flash New BIOS'.
The BSOD error is;
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION caused by ntoskrnl.exe and WinFlash64.sys
Thanks again in advance
What version of the BIOS does it say you are running before doing the update? I Googled your error message and it does not seem related to the BIOS, but perhaps Drivers so you might want to ensure that Windows 10 has the latest drivers for your X220. I've also been told that updating from Windows 10 can cause issues like this, whereas the install I did was a fresh install and not an upgrade.
Hope that helps.
never goin back...this beauty getting better @1.46 full blown bios
Thank you for this video. I am having fun with my x220 upgrade projects thanks to your video and McDonnell tech resource site. My update to 1.46 modified bios was a success. 16GB 1866MHz ram is live and up to speed. Using that great tip on drive bay swap to run windows 10 on one evo 860 ssd in a caddy, and linux mint 19,1xfce on another. Took that one step further and got a hdd caddy that swaps out with the dvd optical drive in the ultrabase 3 so I can use the original 320GB hdd that came with it as a storage drive. Wow this is Fun ! ... Sorry, geeking out here.
That's awesome! I was on the hunt for an ultrabay capable dock but found others locally. I'm excited to hear about your project so far.
Thanks man. First I was totaly shoked when I wanted to boot my x220 with the new wifi + bt card. Your BIOS update guide helped a lot!
Glad to be of help!
📌I tried updating the bios on windows 11 already installed, the result is crash and blue screen error. Is there a solution?
Does the BIOS modification update have to be on Windows 10 or below?
Great question. Never did it on W11. I have read it may appear that it crashes and still goes through. Big thing is it cannot be past a certain version or the BIOS needs to be downgraded to work.
Thank you for your video, my loved one gave me this x220 laptop and I needed some upgrades for my work tasks and my main concern is ram upgrade since I have my ssd ready for upgrade to the original hdd installed. I'm not quite confident but seeing this straightforward tutorial gives me motivation to do some tweaks. Thank you so much. And like how you politely and enthusiastically respond to us viewers and give credits to others as well. Godbless. You deserve more subs! 👏👏👏👏
Thank you as well to McDonnell site for giving us resources and guides for some things like this.
Thanks Megumi! I'm glad you found this video helpful. Best of luck with your upgrades and let us know how it goes!
@@LaptopRetrospective Hi, i forgot to ask these questions as well. Sorry I'm not a techie person, but do i need to update bios again, if ever i will change my ssd to new one, i mean whenever I replace my storage drive? And just to confirm, i don't have to tweak settings if i just wanted to have that allowable 16gb ram? The max ram allowed for upgrade is 16gb?
Thanks alot in advance... planning to upgrade bios and ram this week... Godbless..
The BIOS isn't impacted by the SSD.
@@LaptopRetrospective wow that was a really fast reply! Can't thank you enough for giving response to your viewers questions promptly. Have a nice day!
I try my best! I like to think it's one of the things that makes my channel unique.
Hello, laptop retrospective.
My laptop hp EliteBook shows me "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The System cannot boot"
Please help me out
Sounds like Windows boot manager is toast and needs to be reinstalled.
Bought an X220 yesterday, today I flashed the advanced BIOS (1.46) - everything went well, but now the ThinkVantage button doesn't do anything on the BIOS splash, need to mash F1/F12 instead. Other than that, works fine. Thanks.
Interesting. I've never had an issue with the button. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, i have a lenovo thinkpad edge e330. Where can i find the file to remove the whitelist ? Thank you
I'm not familiar with that model or if it can be done.
Done it on my x220i and set memory to 1600 and still shows up as 1333 is it because the ram is 1333 and I can't overclock or is it just how it shows up?
If the RAM is 1333 then that will never change. It allows for you to take advantage of 1600.
Well shit just killed the laptop changed the igfx current limit and now I just get a black screen
fantastic I was able to go from a whitelist modded 1.39 -> 1.46 without having to revert to stock, thanks!
Glad to hear it Carlos. Enjoy!
Did it work wint windows 10 Profesiona 20H2 19042.1348? i try to flah the bios but get blue screen on process. Thanks
Can you confirm the model and specs of machine you're trying as well as the current BIOS version?
How do change the Date/Time in the whitelist BIOS? The setting is not longer there.
Seems like other people have reported the same thing: www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-REQUEST-Lenovo-X220-8DETxxWW-Whitelist-Removal?pid=141098#pid141098
Please, could you help me with X230 fan speed control? It seems impossible.
If it involves BIOS business, ivyrain is something you need to look into.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks a lot for a pretty cool solution answered so quickly, but I already found, installed and setted tpfancontrol, which I hope will do. Do you think it does worth to hack via ivyrain? Will the system run quicker and more smoothly? Till now I was just considerred about getting errors from overheating, but now I am interested :D
If you tinker at all I'd say it would be worth exploring the benefits to see if it's right for you.
Tried this on Windows 10, but it Windows just crashes everytime I run the batch file 😕
Hmmm, sounds like a step is missing.
How you open this screen in your laptop
You mean the BIOS? The Thinkvantage button.
Thank you for this one. In many years of computing this one is a top notch direct approach to BIOS flashing. Something that makes me A LOT worried each time I have to do it.
I don't know if that feeling ever trying guess away. 😂
Do I really need to install Windows to get the modified bios, or is there a way to do that on Linux, what the flah.bat does?
I think there is still a way to do it. I just found this to be easiest.
Hi. My X220 BIOS version is 1.29. Can i update using same method in this video?
Yes but you'll need to update to the latest supported version. See the website in the description for more information.
@@LaptopRetrospective okay. thanks for your explaination, will try it later.
Anyone can tell same flashing way for x240, or a website like the one in video but for x240??
Nope, sorry. It's considerably more involved.
@@LaptopRetrospectiveI didn't get it, sorry I'm not that good in English, can you explain a little bit 🙂
@@tahaa6206 It is not the same for the X240. You need to dive into the world of hardware flashing.
You should walk into the submenu in this video, I still don't know that benefits I can get through the advance menu.
The advanced menu is the icing on the cake. The main benefits are access to more WiFi cards, RAM speeds and a few other mods.
@@LaptopRetrospective thanks again for showing the way to install a modified bios on the x220, it also works on my x220i tablet 😁 to use an unsupported Bluetooth / Wi-Fi card. I'm in the process of upgrading the screen to full HD from 1366x768 and I hope I don't run into any whitelist bologna, fingers crossed.
Nice, good luck on your mods!
Can you help me with my thinkpad E430
I wish to unlock all bios hidden future
So I can disable battery whitelist.
Not sure what the process with that model might be. Start your search at ThinkPad.org
@@LaptopRetrospective I can't access the website.
It says I don't have permission.
Thank you for your quick answer ☺.
Sorry I have you the wrong website. For your model you need actual hardware to flash a custom BIOS. SPI-programmer+SOIC8
Greetings, my lenovo, gets stuck in the thinkpad logo and does not allow access to the Bios or boot option, could you help me how that problem is solved?
Hrmmm. Strange. Think Vantage button does nothing?
How to update mine? E450
You'd need to use a hardware programmer to read the BIOS, modify it and then rewrite it.
Can i do this with my T410 so far a can not find an update for it.
No idea. I believe you can software flash unofficial BIOS to that model but I've never tried.
Does this works with lenovo thinkpad x230 i7?
Nope, different process. Look up information on ivyrain.
I have a Lenovo m73 mini, can I do this to it? I want to use whatever WiFi card I want.
No idea. Google will probably have to be your first stop to see what options are available, if any.
can i do the same to my x220tablet ??
I believe the BIOS isn't the same. Can't recall but there should be instructions around somewhere.
Thank you so much for the cristal clear video, been looking for months for this best straight forward absolutely free way to do it..let's roll faste🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Glad it was helpful!
CPU Clock Cycle Change When Battery Is Removed. 800mhz .Can I solve the problem with mod bios?
Don't think so.
Hi, does this video work for the ThinkPad X220i? When I try to open the batch file it says that it was blocked by an administrator even though I am the admin of my computer.
I would really appreciate any help. Thanks!
Not sure about the i model but you might have to right click the batch file and choose run as administrator.
@@LaptopRetrospective As soon as I get access to the laptop I'll try that. I assume it would work with the x220i because I've updated the BIOS to 1.46 (which is the latest version now). Also I think that X220i's are the same as the X220, just with an Core i3 CPU and not an i5, i7 or Celeron. Also, I just realised that the laptop, which I bought second hand off a school, does have a BIOS password. Would that make a difference? Thank you so much for the reply!
Ok, I tried that and unfortunately it still doesn't work. When I try to open the file after saying that yes, I will allow this program to make changes to my computer, the command prompt flashes really briefly and then the program closes. Thanks for the idea though. (I have definitely extracted the files just so that you know.)
If there's a BIOS password then that could be the problem.
Ok, thank you. I'll contact the school where I bought it and see if they can remove it. I really appreciate the help.
Can you share Link for BIOS mod Thinkpad L440 ?
Don't even know if there is one. My suggestion is to start searching.
Can I install also the 1.4+ bios version to my Lenovo L420?
This process only works for the X220.
@@LaptopRetrospective can you please make one for L420, Is it latest version taht x220; however, the latest bios version on the Lenovo website is 1.23
If I ever get a L420 I might, if the mod is even possible.
@@LaptopRetrospective how can mod it?
The L series wasn't popular in the modding crowd. I do not know of any simple solution like the X or T series.
i have a bios version of 1.31 cant i still do this by upgrading it to 1.41 first?
The website in the description has detailed information on how to proceed.
Hi.... I have lenovo x230... I will love to mod my Bios to advance....Is there any chance do it ? Please for help......
The process is different for the x230 and requires additional hardware.
So this exists now, you might want to check it out if you didn't find it. 1vyra.in/
How about x230 and t430?
Ivyrain.
hey! i was wondering if you could point me in the right direction for the t520 bios? i just got mine and would love to mod it without needing to externally install coreboot. any help would be amazing, thanks so much!
Hmmm good question. I'm not entirely sure off the top of my head. Bios-mods.com is probably going to be the source of your answer.
i tried this on my x220 i7 but it didnt work on windows 10.
What part didn't work?
@@LaptopRetrospective the win 10 blue screen appeared and it says there was an error and windows automatically restarted after 20sec.
@ranimungcal what BIOS was already present when you tried this mod? It will only work from certain versions.
@@LaptopRetrospective 1.46
Yeah, that's probably your issue. x220.mcdonnelltech.com/resources/
Is this a similar process as on the x220t? I have one and want to see if I can unlock the advance tab.
BIOS is not the same. Haven't done it on a T so it might require some digging.
Ok I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the quick reply
@@ytdoode4899 you're welcome.
@@LaptopRetrospective I`ll wait for it too, Sir. Please, make a video for x220t.
One day I hope to.
Hey dude, I have a problem with my Thinkpad L540. After done BIOS update, suddenly I can't enter to Windows. It always shows "Configuration Changed-Restart the System" and then reboot, always like that. It was a night mare, I can't get an access to BIOS. I try to move SSD to use HDD caddy switch with my HDD (see on thw internet), it stops reboot and plug USB windows installation, but when I check in BIOS my SSD not readable in Boot Priority.
Do you have a ny solution ?
I'm not sure I understand what you're doing with the drives. Can you try explaining that again?
@@LaptopRetrospective I have two storages, SSD and HDD (use HDD cadd) once I have updated the BIOS. Suddenly it always bootloop, I can't enter to the windows logo. When I see in Bios Priority setup, I can't find the SSD, only HDD can be read by the BIOS.
Have you tried these steps? forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T/Booting-from-the-SSD-drive-with-2nd-HDD-installed/td-p/4124791
Hey. I need help flashing my thinkpad l460 so I can use a aftermarket battery.
Not familiar what is available for that model. Did you find any information that it was possible?
I searched all over… And couldn’t find anything about it
@@Jwojr given the number designation, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a reliable, well known method.
Would it be possible to build my own? There scary thought because I don’t want to brick it. Lol
@@Jwojr not sure, the trick would be flashing it once it was built. Software has long since been locked out so I suspect it would need hardware to flash the BIOS.
Will doing these steps automatically remove the whitelist or are there any extra steps that you must take to do so? Sorry if I sound like an idiot but I'm new to these things.
Doing this BIOS update will automatically remove it. Good question!
Thanks for the great video! I’m just wondering if this upgraded BIOS will allow me to RAID an MSATA and the 2.5-inch SSD together as the current one on my X220 won’t let me. If not, do you know any other ways to RAID or stripe two SSDs together?
I doubt it? If RAID requires the same speeds then you're not doing it on an x220 since the mSATA slot is not SATA 3 speeds. No other place for an SSD either.
exists for x230 tablet?
Ivyra.in should be able to do the tablet.
Do I use the same BIOS files for the X220T?
BIOS for the X220T is different.
@@LaptopRetrospective I found two mod sites. One had a file for only the X220 and the other had the same file for both the X220 and the X220t. I think the same file for both on Thinkwiki is a mistake.
I have an issue with my lenovo laptop, is there a way I can contact you?
You can contact me via email either on my About page on TH-cam, Twitter or the contact form on my website. 👍
@@LaptopRetrospective great ! I just emailed you through your website👍
Got it, hope to look at it in detail tomorrow.
do they have a page like that for x230? i tried changing 220 to 230 but theres no site haha.. im trying to install a new AC wifi card but it wont allow it.
Nope, X230 is a whole other process and sadly, not as straightforward.
This is a thing now: 1vyra.in/
I need to flash my X230 for a 7260HMW card. Would these same steps be applicable?
Nope, look up ivyra.in
Is there a way to update the bios without running windows? I picked up an x220 for use as a linux machine but since there's no windows installed and I really don't want to get a copy I was wondering if it's possible to run these files some other way?
There should be a way to make a bootable version. I haven't done this in years now.
I updated my BIOS to 1.46 and did this using the Lenovo Utility - but I don't see the 'Advanced' tab in the BIOS. Is there something else I need to do?
You need to use the custom Middleton BIOS.
@@LaptopRetrospective - Where can I get this from? Can you please provide the link?
Thanks
In the description of the video: x220.mcdonnelltech.com/resources/
Did you run to any issues with the wifi adapter? I recently updated to 1.46 and Windows 10 and noticed that my wifi adapter stopped working. I had the driver manually updated to 2023.1.1201.2014 but still no hope. I have to use a USB wifi adapter now.
You using the whitelisted BIOS? Taped the pin?
@@LaptopRetrospective Yes I used the original 1.46, it din't work then the whiltelisted one and still didn't work. It looks like to me it's Windows related that the PCI express Wifi adapter is recognized but there's no power to drive it. I still can't figure it out and I'm relying on a USB wifi adapter instead.
@@tee-dee Strange. Mine is still going strong.
Is there a way to reverse it? I can’t set the bios date and time anymore
The date and time issue is an issue. As for reversible, I've never looked into it. I imagine patching over top with an official one would be the thing to try.
Laptop Retrospective I had some issues with the laptop so I took the cmos battery out and after I fix it back I was ask to set the time and date. Now I don’t have the options to set the time and date. So I thought reversing it will be the first solution
Yep, makes sense. Let me know how it goes.
can i install this mod with bios locked by supervisor?
No idea, you could try.
Hi! It works for a x230t? Thanks!
The BIOS is different so you'll need to track down one specific for the X230T.
what about x230 whitelist and advance menu?
X230 has different security and itant as straightforward.
Hi
i just installed windows 10 on this laptop model, is there a way to enable the bluetooth, FN+F5 does not work :(
Does it have Bluetooth? It isn't a standard feature.
@@LaptopRetrospective so i need to change the bios to have bluetooth?, yes i dont see bluetooth
If you don't see Bluetooth, your invitation might not actually have a card. It was not a standard feature.
Apakah bisa ditambah lebih untuk vram bro
odd.. mine updated to 1.46 but still no advanced menu.
Did you use the modified BIOS files?
Any Custom BIOS for X230? What's under "CPU Configuration"? Can you touch BCLK, Multi or voltages?
Not as easy to install as this one sadly. Lots of options, if I remember correctly, those are some of them.
This is out now: 1vyra.in/
CAN WE USE IT ON X230??
Nope. Process is entirely different.
Good video. is there a way to remove the whitelist for the x240 ? Thanks
There is but requires hardware to flash.
@@LaptopRetrospective cool. I have just purchased the hardware but am looking for the patch
Not sure how you found the hardware without the files. 😁 www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Custom_BIOS
Hello from Spain , Its better update first to 1.46 and after run flash.bat or run flash.bat without update to 1.46 I got mine on 1.28 ... Please help Im so afraid , I am 23 and I spend 200€ for a dockstation and x220
The instructions on the macdonell site are very good. I'd suggest following them as they were my base.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thanksgiving , ur so pure human being , ill do It , whatever , if i break is money so im not gonna die 😌😘, keep ur work , ur making good guides and we love free software and free HW , keep It 100%
@@chemaalonso7931 thanks! Best of luck, let me know how it goes.
Is there anyway to get the advanced option on my x131e i3?
Different unit entirely. Google would be my first stop. Don't have one on hand myself.
Laptop Retrospective ok thanks
Good luck!
hi there, I followed the instructions from x220.mcdonnelltech.com/resources/, I created a bootable cd using Active Boot Disk as stated here x220.mcdonnelltech.com/bios/ because I don't have windows installed on my x220. the problem is that i have to run hte update first because I am on version 1.4 and the latest modified version is 1.46, but the updater gives me always the error that the battery is not fully charged although it is. I tried removing the battery and running the updater again without any success. Is there a workaround ?
Strange. Have you tried incremental updates for the BIOS? Can't remember if it can make the jump or not.
@@LaptopRetrospective thnx. i will try that and let you know
@@LaptopRetrospective Incremental update didn't work. I also tried burning the bootable iso update from support.lenovo.com/gr/en/downloads/ds018807 on a usb stick with different software like unetbootin, usb2iso, yumi etc. and they won't boot.
Have you looked at this thread?
www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-REQUEST-Lenovo-X220-8DETxxWW-Whitelist-Removal?pid=141098#pid141098
@@LaptopRetrospective No but what is the difference ? I think the one I got is the full blown since it mentions all the changes.
Will try them to.
I also tried to extract the El Torito image from the bootable iso with no success
Can I upgrade the vram
You can increase the allocation, that's it.
@@LaptopRetrospective how
@@bigpoolol1738 There should be a setting in the BIOS. Can't remember if it's an option on the x220.
@@LaptopRetrospective thanks
i found where i went wrong i updated lenovo bios from lenovo1.46 then it says same bios will not install same bios just fixed a laptop updated bios no trouble
Nice. Congratulations!
Can you show us the process of upgrading wifi and bluetooth card please :)
I do in another video on this channel. 😁
I`m gonna do the same network card switch that you made, but I have a Lenovo Thinkpad S430. Is there a BIOs available for mine to?
You'll have to spend some time on Google to see what's available and what method you will need to use. If it's newer than the X220 then it might involve some hardware bits.
How can i change the amount of time the bios looks for connected hardware
Not sure. What are you trying to do?
@@LaptopRetrospective i upgraded my Lenovo z51-70 hdd to ssd and put hdd in a caddy.
Now boot time has improved significantly but since bios loads up too fast now it doesn't have time to initiate the hdd hence wanted to increase the boot load up.
Think u can help
P.S. hdd is recognized but needs a reboot for that and it's annoying
Also, the website x220mcdonnelltech does not work for me. What do I do?
Really? What information are you needing?
I was saying that I could not access the website but I think it was just a server issue or something. It works now. Thanks.
Glad to hear it.
谢谢，已经刷成功。请问可以锁定CPU频率吗,在高级菜单中？
Excuse me, what is the thang button?
?
ok my x220 keeps blocking me from flashing it says needs administrator
Run as administrator, right click on application.
ok so i got it to work on cmd but now its saying bios fail and keeps reflashing but no success
I got it thx for the help
@@axtonsadventures2524 Be sure to follow the instructions on this website pretty explicitly. x220.mcdonnelltech.com/resources/
@@axtonsadventures2524 Awesome!
any way to do this on thinkpad t series?
Procedure changes entirely between models. So there might be a way, but how will depend on the specific model you have in front of you.
@@LaptopRetrospective That was a very quick reply, thank you! I have t450s and so far I had no luck finding modded bios firmware
The main reason to do it on this model was to install the faster WiFi card and make sure the RAM is being fully utilized. What need would you have to do it on your T450s?
@@LaptopRetrospective unlock all bios settings and try to experiment with ram clocks and also CPU power limits. This particular model seems to be power throttling quite a lot, while CPU can still push and thermals are good.
And anyway it's nice to take full control over your system
@@tp2681 true enough. The newer you go, the more locked down you get I think.
Does this work on the X220i model?
BIOS is different.
@@LaptopRetrospective welp, another reason to replace the motherboard in this thing with the one from a "standard" X220
There might be a similar mod for the i variant, but I've never looked into it.
@@LaptopRetrospective I dunno, I've done some research and no useful info came out. Everything I found was related to the x220 only. Apparentely nobody risked trying to do it on an x220i and document it [I can understand why lol]
Yeah, it wasn't as popular of a model.
Do a video on how to clear whitelist on Lenovo ThinkPad edge E430
Sorry, I don't own one of those and don't expect to see one. I'm not sure if ivyrain would work on it or not.
@@LaptopRetrospective ok
@@LaptopRetrospective ok
after advanced bios install.can we return again the original bios?
Yes if you wanted. Not sure why you'd want to though.
I would appreciate if you share the original bios a return video.
Probably won't happen anytime soon since I specifically installed the custom BIOS to put in a better WiFi card.
will this work on a windows 10 x220?
Yes, it should.
@@LaptopRetrospective tysm it worked!! i wanted this to increase allocated vieo memory in advanced but can find it here, can you help me pls
Keep looking, if it's an option you'll find it.
@@LaptopRetrospective yessssssssss
i found it!!
once again tysm dude i've been looking for this for soo long mate you're the best
It works on Lenovo ThinkPad x220 but with core i7 2640m?
Cpu shouldn't matter.
@@LaptopRetrospective thanks a lot
@@inside9050 you are most welcome. Good luck.
@@LaptopRetrospective everything worked out! Now the cooler works more efficiently, and instead of 106°С the temperature is now 96°С! you just saved my hot laptop!
@@inside9050 if it's running that hot you might need to repaste your CPU or change out the fan, but glad I helped.
Even if I update to Lenovo latest bios version I can switch to the modified bios version? Thanks.
Depends on the version. The website in the description gives you all the details on the most recent updates.
@@LaptopRetrospective ok thanks! I received and updates to Lenovo bioa 1.46 lol
Currently my x220 is on ver 1.06 and I'm running on Windows 10. Am i able to upgrade to the latest bios version as the lenovo site only support till windows 8 only? Thanks!
Yep. No problem.
Sorry if this has been asked before but will this bios work with the x220t as well? I read somewhere that the x230t has a bios that can't be modified but I couldn't determine the same is true for the x220t.
The X230 era has ivyrain. Not sure about the X230T.
What if my X220 runs on BIOS version 1.16? Can I do any upgrade or this version is simply too old and can't be upgraded?
You can follow the directions on the website in the description to update and unlock your BIOS.
Yess ofcourse
If you have to change your BIOS battery, this BIOS doesn't have "date and time" so now you have to run a new O/S from USB.
Correct. There are workarounds but you do indeed lose that menu.
@@LaptopRetrospective post a video about the workaround if you think it's appropriate. Maybe not?
Is it safe to update the bios? I have X230 with 2.55 bios version and want to up it for 2.75 one. But im afraid if i accidentally brick my computer since its my one and only machine
Since this is the x230 we are talking about, I assume we are talking about the official update from Lenovo? If you don't need what is fixed in the change log then you don't have to do it.
@@LaptopRetrospective i just prepared for future project, swapping X230 keys with X220 one. I've already downloaded the bios executable file here.
@@hafizhnabawi1707 Gotcha, haven't done that myself but flashing the BIOS is a step you'll need to take for that mod.
@@LaptopRetrospective hmm okay
Maybe i need to suggest you to make a special content about swapping keyboard over xx30 series with xx20 one.
I love your explanation about all of your content because its detailed. Keep on work 👍
@@hafizhnabawi1707 Haha if I ever get the chance, I will.
Hi I was wondering since I'm on MBR partition, I would need to repartition to GPT for this method correct? Thank you, I run a egpu and external monitor and is why I went with legacy mode and is my main concern when going to UEFI. thank you by the way
Hmmm, excellent question. I don't recall if I had to do anything special like that when I did it.
@@LaptopRetrospective yes thanks, most are on GPT since it's the same install image. I had to set my t430 to legacy only when installing Windows to get a MBR partition, and then I set the bios back to both afterwards. I did this to install egpu software at boot time. Anyway thank you, I was just wondering if someone happened to know.
Where is date and time on the newer BIOS?
Hmmmm. That's an excellent question. I took a quick look but didn't find it. Wonder if it got moved somewhere weird?
Let me know if you find it, because I spent ages looking with no luck.
does it apply for x230?
No, different processes and files needed.
Does this work on the x220t? I didn't see any commentary on that site regarding the tablet version :(
I suspect the firmware is likely different enough that you need to do some digging for a custom version.
It does work with x220T. Here's my video: th-cam.com/video/_nQ0M7er-e8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing this.
Hello i want to ask about my bios my bios now is 1.17, my question is i have to update it first to 1.46 version then update to modified bios? Or can i just update to the modified version
Thx you for your attention
The website in the description should give you even more detailed steps. I did this years ago now and don't entirely remember.
@@LaptopRetrospective oke thx you for your respone dude😀
@@johanespaska2919 You're welcome! Let me know how it goes.
I wonder if you can do this with the x230?
Possible but it's a bit more of an involved procedure. The easy software method starting with that model has been removed.
Thank you for the link to the x220 website would this also cover the x230 that I have or is there another website x230 for me to find? thanks, Bob love the channel very helpful
Sadly the process for the x230 is more involved since they put things in place to stop you from doing it. Not impossible, but more involved.
@@LaptopRetrospective any hint to a guide for the x230?. It's such a good little laptop that I would love to upgrade the battery (whitelisted ) and unleash the full potential.
It's nowhere near as easy as you need to flash it with hardware. Battery whitelists haven't been an issue for a while?
Notice! I had to install windows 7 to do it, windows 10 would blue screen when flashing!
Strange. I wonder what was different.
Happen the same here, I finally get it updated with modified BIOS booting from a Windows 7 Install USB key. I just booted, then at the first install panel, I do Shift+F10, then inside CMD, I entered the directory inside other USB key (prepared for this) with the modified BIOS archives, cd "C:\X220 v1.46 Modified BIOS\", then I started .bat file with "C:\X220 v1.46 Modified BIOS\flash.bat". That launched the executable, and started the process. When flashing, it tried several times saying "Flashing failure. Reflashing ...". To be honest, I was not very comfortable with this, but after a while, it stopped, and returned to the CMD prompt. Here, it doesn't restart automatically like in the video, but I made a hard power-off (keeping power button pressed). Once powered on again, I entered BIOS like always and the Advanced menu appeared, pffffff. :-)
Interesting. Thanks for documenting your experience.
@@greatzorbak2105 how did u boot with W7 usb key? I'd like to update my bios too. Currently running W10. Not really a tech guy. But with proper instruction I guess I can do it.
@@greatzorbak2105 i managed to update to 1.46 mod. My experience is just like you. Glad it works. All bluetooth, wifi, speakers and brightness control work as they should. I'm getting 1600MHz now 💪
does it work with toshiba satellite c660?
plz tell me
You'll need to do some reading if a whitelist BIOS exists for it.
wow that was fast like!
@@LaptopRetrospective what is whitelist BIOS?
You're welcome. Wish I had a definite answer for you.
@@LaptopRetrospective can you give me a link atleast?
Does this software work on other Lenovo models besides the X220? Great video how to for an inefficient streamlined way to upgrade your BIOS. Will try and share my results, thanks!
The procedure changes on the model. Some aren't quite as straight forward as this unfortunately. Did you have a particular model in mind?
T430 Swapped motherboard into another chassis and started getting FW Status Recovery Error; was hoping the Advanced tab would help me out.@@LaptopRetrospective
T430 are a bit harder to flash. Most requiring hardware.
I was afraid of that. It would be nice to have that Advanced functionality as easy to add to all Lenovo models, not just the X220. @@LaptopRetrospective
Yes, unfortunately for better or for worse Intel and Lenovo stopped the ability for the user to software flash the BIOS with unofficial patches after the 220 gen. It can still be done, but either requires custom programming or hardware tricks.
Do you know if I can upgrade my x220 bios from windows to ver 1.46 if I have win10 pro? Thanks for the vids! saludos de Mexico
Did it with bootable cd! now 1.46 bios. Going for the advanced bios!
Nice, glad you sorted it out.
i have 1.46 bio i wantede to upgrade it will not let me any help please do update video regards
What steps have you done so far? We will need more information to troubleshoot your problem.
i have tried boths steps of bios upgrade windows 10 and windows 7 im running latest bios update when it get to last step says bios is the same will not update
@@pbox9642 Strange. I assume you're doing this on an X220?
yes x220 but im using 1.46 2018 i tried phoenix bios installer and the lenovo which are in the download files
@@pbox9642 Not sure, it worked for me without issue.
My current BIOS is version 1.26. What benefit would I have if I upgraded to the modified 1.46 one, besides whitelist removal and faster RAM clock (which I don't plan to use)? I'm not too tech savvy to mess around with BIOS and the main thing I'm looking is to improve performance on games as it's my main machine for a while now.
Thanks in advance for your work!!
Those are the main benefits. You're not going to get any performance increase directly related to the GPU. The increased RAM speed "might" have some incredibly minimal impact.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks for the instant reply! What would be the practical advantages of this update if I may ask?
Besides the ones you've listed? That's it. The removal of the whitelist means a newer and faster WiFi card with Bluetooth. The extra RAM clock is nice.
@@LaptopRetrospective Thank you. I already ordered a eGPU adapter and a IPS screen but I think I'll skip this BIOS update as I don't aim to have those advantages, I'm fine with my wifi/bluetooth/ram. I just want some FPS more :D
I am happy after finding this video.
so i just bought x220 laptop.
with 8gb ram, 128 ssd and windows 10.
but i was shocked after installing bluestak or other emulator. which all emulators can't run properly because VT can't be activated.
after I checked my bios it was still version 1.15 (8DET45WW) and there I couldn't activate VT.
My question is, can I activate VT after updating the bios?
sorry if my english is bad, because i use google translate
Is VT supported by the CPU? Not sure if this is a BIOS thing.
I've checked with guidelines from several sources on the internet. all say yes but i can't do it. now i am confused what should i do with my device. I hope you can help me with this problem.
I'm using processor an Intel Core i5
in bios in security tab i can't make option enable or disable for VT.
and there it is automatically disabled and cannot be changed.
can anyone link the same software for Lenovo ideapad flex5?
Possibly? This is what I found th-cam.com/video/90xd718SVsM/w-d-xo.html