Unlocking bios

[barhom]

Looks like some people find a way to unlock the bios.

Would be cool if we can do any of this from Linux without being forced to reinstall windows.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/ihsoo1/backdoor_unlocked_bios_for_lenovo_slim_7_and/
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/184982689

Any ideas?

[jrandiny]

Hmm interesting, I will try to look into this when I have the time, no promises though

[sssemil]

Tried this today on my Yoga Slim 7-14ARE05 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U, worked perfectly! Also enabled S3 in BIOS:

sudo dmesg | grep ACPI:\ \(
[    0.395213] ACPI: (supports S0 S3 S4 S5)

[barhom]

Tried this today on my Yoga Slim 7-14ARE05 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U, worked perfectly! Also enabled S3 in BIOS:

sudo dmesg | grep ACPI:\ \(
[    0.395213] ACPI: (supports S0 S3 S4 S5)

If I only could do this from linux.
Maybe i should boot a live windows

[sssemil]

OP in that thread said that you could if you have/can make a script to operate IO ports on Linux, so, in theory, you can, I guess.

[ko-christ]

I didn't try this yet. I first upgraded Bios to DMCN34WW but then I could not boot in Ubuntu 20.04 so I had to enable downgrading bios version in Bios and then revert to DMCN32WW. Has anyone tried the latest Bios DMCN34WW with Ubuntu?

[sssemil]

Yep, works fine, but I installed it over new bios. Got secure boot stuff disabled too.

[rjd22]

@ko-christ @sssemil I'm sorry for asking but I hope to get my answer here since googling doesn't give me any answers.

What would be the way to flash the bios on ubuntu if you don't have Windows installed anymore? I tried checking if UEFI capsule updates are possible but it seems this is not possible with these bios versions.

[ko-christ]

@rjd22 I really don't know how to do it from Ubuntu. Why don't you burn a freedos image with rufus or similar software and boot from it?

[ko-christ]

@sssemil what kernel are you using?
This folk also didn't manage to upgrade his bios and it is because of the unsigned 5.9 and the non secure boot settings
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-Yoga-Series-Notebooks/Yoga-Slim-7-BIOS-update-to-DMCN34WW-breaks-option-Secure-Boot-No/m-p/5046311?page=1#5196561

[sssemil]

I'm using Linux 5.9.8. I flashed BIOS update in windows 10 (always good to keep like 50 GB install around for cases like this).

[rjd22]

@ko-christ Is this the way you do it? I coudn't keep the Windows 10 install sadly because of the need of full disk encryption with secure boot. Dual boot doesn't work then >_>.

[sssemil]

If you have an extra SSD, you could use it to install windows and update :P

[ko-christ]

@rjd22 I have windows installed for the bios updates. Also see instruction in the end of this page, they may work for you https://www.lenovodrivers.download/ideapad-slim-7-14are05-bios-update/

@sssemil That's weird because, according to the post I linked and my personal experience with the upgrade to DMCN34WW
'Unfortunately booting in the mode "Secure Boot = No" stopped working with the last BIOS version.'
ans 5.9.8 which is an unsigned kernel requires secure boot off.

[ko-christ]

While I was in DMCN32WW I installed a self-signed 5.9.12 kernel and then I enabled Secure Boot.
With this setup (DMCN32WW + Secure Boot on) I was also able to boot with my self-signed kernel as well as with the 5.4.0 Ubuntu kernel but I was not able to boot with the unsigned 5.9.12 kernel which was kind of expected.

I then crossed my fingers and installed DMCN34WW but unfortunately the system didn't boot with the self-signed 5.9.12 kernel.
The system freezes with a message Loading ramdisk and nothing happens.
The unsigned 5.9.12 kernel was raising another error for the unsigned kernel with a message like please load the kernel..
I was only able to boot with the official 5.4.0 kernel but as you may already know this is useless in Yoga Slim 7 if you need HDMI.
Turning Secure Boot off with DMCN34WW didn't make any difference. The option to disable secure boot is still there btw.
So again, my 2nd attempt to upgrade the BIOS failed and I had to revert to DMCN32WW.

If anyone has a solution to install a 5.9+ kernel with DMCN34WW please post it.

[jrandiny]

@ko-christ Hmm regarding the updated bios compatibility maybe you can create a new issue?

[ko-christ]

yeap makes sense: #14

[rradar]

@sssemil wrote:

Tried this today on my Yoga Slim 7-14ARE05 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U, worked perfectly! Also enabled S3 in BIOS:

sudo dmesg | grep ACPI:\ \(
[    0.395213] ACPI: (supports S0 S3 S4 S5)

This looks like the best available solution to work'a'round this annoying problem. It's also the only one that "survies" linux re-installs, kernel changes and other OS related things (as it is completely OS independed). Not sure however what happens doing a bios upgrade over unlocked/hacked bios?

[sssemil]

I do not plan on updating bios any time soon, since this backdoor might get removed. But my guess is that it will just get overwritten.

[esno]

@barhom I wrote https://github.com/esno/yoga-bios-unlock to unlock mine today with DMCN32WW. People saying it should work as well with DMCN34WW but I never tried that by myself.

[barhom]

@esno you are a life saver! I was planning on installing windows and now I do not need to. Best gift ever ;)

[barhom]

@barhom I wrote https://github.com/esno/yoga-bios-unlock to unlock mine today with DWCN32WW. People saying it should work as well with DWCN34WW but I never tried that by myself.

So apparently I am still on, DMCN27WW.
Ill have to update to DWCN32WW first.

(PS: The BIOS versions are DM not DW)

[esno]

typo - sry ^^ fixed that in my comment. I never had a device running DMCN27WW can't tell if that would work. Only seeing people talking about DMCN32WW and DMCN34WW.

PS FlyGoat is the life saver not me - I only wrote some lines based on his guidance ;)

[jrandiny]

Tested with DMCN34WW. Thanks, I will put a link to your repo on the readme

[barhom]

Has anyone tried

https://bladecoder.medium.com/flash-your-lenovo-ideapad-laptop-bios-from-linux-using-uefi-capsule-updates-a82e455ea29c

On the yoga slim?

[rjd22]

@barhom sadly the bios that Lenovo supplies is not an uefi bios so flashing only works on Windows 10.

What I did was creating a Windows GO USB stick and booted the laptop from the usb. I also did the bios unlock this way.

I did this by getting the iso from Microsoft and making an Windows Go USB with Rufus. (You need a fast usb stick for this)

Btw don't flash your bios to version DMCN34WW but flash it to DMCN32WW. In version 34 a lot of options are hidden again even when unlocking the bios.

[rjd22]

@jrandiny Since we now have a tool that allows for unlocking bios in Linux I think this issue can be closed.