Hi,

Have noticed that there are updated bios files made from newer mainboard generations for an older board. For example what has become popular is that for example others have taken the bios of an Apex X and flashed it onto an Apex IX. I would like to learn how or what changes were necessary to make this possible?

Thank you

In situation like you mentioned, probably BIOS ID at minimum has to be edited, a few places in BIOS before flashback or EZ flash will allow the crossflash to happen.
Or can be put on with programmer, ME PCH SKU may need adjusted as well, if the newer SKU Fails to boot properly, that's changed with Intel FIT app in the ME System tools package for whatever FW series it is.

Easier way to do it on a more simple level, if it's just for the BIOS or settings changed between the two, extract Setup module as-is, AMITSE as-is, and AMITSE/Setupdata as-is (entire modules for all) and replace in one BIOS from the other, this effectively gives you the other BIOS settings.
I do not know the outcome of this is BIOS GUI is laid out differently, sometimes may be messed up BIOS, if it's same style but different colors then should be no problem. Do not attempt this without programmer in hand and backup ready for recovery

I wish this can be broken down to easier steps or if someone who has done this before could comment ie. @Dsanke or someone write a guide. I am very interested in trying this out but need more details. Thank you.

I know what you mean, sorry there's no guide that I'm aware of, nothing useful in the other threads where you said you were reading about it?

You have a programmer correct? If yes, send me a dump of the board you want to do this on, and in that same package a copy of the stock BIOS you want in there.
I will make you a few BIOS to try, one with your current BIOS ID changed to the other boards ID, so you can try to flash in other BIOS, another with the other BIOS ID changed to your ID, so you can try flashing that way.
I'll make you a BIOS where I just transfer out the "BIOS" visual part you see in BIOS (Settings) into your BIOS from the other BIOS.

But really, if you have programmer, none of this is needed, first extract body from capsule of other BIOS you want to use.
Program that to your board as a "Will it run test" If it works, then let me know, or you can do, transfer out both your main NVRAM volumes from top of BIOS into new stock BIOS of other board, then transfer in your serial, UUID, and MAC.
Then program to board = win!

So you want a copy of my bios dump and a copy of the stock next gen stock bios release?

Here it is: http://www.mediafire.com/file/21bh65xzcc...usZ390ProWS.zip

Yes, if you want to do that, and don't understand how to do what I meant. Please test that other BIOS on your board first, via programmer as mentioned, so we're not wasting our time with this.

I certainly do not want to waste any ones time. Not sure if its worth the risk of modding an Asus Z390 WS Pro bios onto a Z20-WS motherboard. I may just go with a standard Z270 bios coffee lake mod using the bios dump I have. However I have been doing a little bit of research trying to understand in the case of the Apex X to Apex IX crossflash mod that was featured on HWBot what was done. As best as I can understand the ME was downgraded to 11.7 something. Not only that the bios of both mainboards were run through FIT and an XML transfer was performed from one bios to the other. I compared the XML files from both bios's in a Notepad++ and did a file compare to see the differences against the stock Asus Apex X bios and the differences against the later stock bios was striking.

So I downloaded the Apex IX 1301 most recent release bios and ran it through FIT and saved the xml file and then I opened up the stock Apex X bios and transfered the xml settings and rebuilt the bios file using the Apex IX 1301 xml. Comparing the final xml dump against the HWBot Dsanke mod was almost the same. So I am beginning to understand what is necessary to mod a bios from a newer mainboard. The only thing is Dsankes mod had other changes put in there as well. For one the Setup program was completely different on both accounts. Not sure where he pulled it from at all. Maybe it was from a beta bios is my guess. Also few other modules were changed such as the Aura sync modules.

I find this all very interesting and will be attempting this mod soon. Just need to buy a suitable coffee lake cpu. Will take a drive today to the local Microcenter and pick one out though the choices are limited. The have a Celeron G4900 at $49, i3-8100 at $170, and an i5-9600K priced at $245. Theres also an open box i7-9700K at $345. The i5 + i7 would need to be pin modded to get this to work. Not sure which cpu to get as don't really want to spend a lot on this experiment. Not sure.

Thanks

Sorry, I didn't meant it to sound like "you're wasting my time" I meant that in general, as in "We shouldn't waste our time with this, without doing that quick test first" kinda thing - hope you get what I mean

ME Downgrade is common, with coffee mod since only up to a certain ME 11.7 will work for that, and FIT is used for this, none of that has anything to do with the BIOS itself though, just the ME FW only.

Get the cheapest CPU, since you're only playing around for now, then later pickup a more expensive one once you've confirmed things work how you wanted and don't plan to get a different board instead.

Thats ok I did not mean to sound like I took offense. In anycase this project is more complicated than its worth I think because Asus did not produce a Z370-WS of which bios would have been easier to cross flash. Instead they skipped it and jumped to the Z390-WS Pro which looks like a very similar motherboard however the same version of FIT tool will not work on both bios versions to transfer details from one bios to the other and will not even accept the xml data from an older version. So I don't think it will be possible or easy to do and its above my pay grade and will be a headache. Though you say FIT is not necessary.

In anycase I modded the last bios version for my board with the Easy Automated Coffelake modding tool and flashed it with success and got a 9700K open box item that was discounted a great deal with warranty no less and got it to post into bios after a few on and off reboots. Not sure if its 100% stable though because I hosed a window installation I had on another pci-e ssd drive. Seems to be working though but not sure may return the cpu. Got it for educational purposes and here I am spending a few hundred on a new cpu. So might return it.. Idk.

Thanks.

Well I am ready to try this out. Plan is to flash the Asus Z390-WS Pro bios onto the Z270-WS motherboard.

Steps will include to downgrade the ME
Transfer Aura modules according the @Dsanke work where he transfered:
E98D33CD-1AEB-46B1-A4B6-0BB4CC655C26 -Replace body PE Image!
BC327DBD-B982-4F55-9F79-056AD7E987C5 -Replace body PE Image!
611F7FDD-C7C6-4CFE-8072-2155D7B25A80 -Replace raw section

Only thing is I can't find 611F7FDD-C7C6-4CFE-8072-2155D7B25A80 in the Z390-WS Pro bios. If Dsanke can help?

Also transfer UUID serial info with FD44Editor.

Going to flash via FPTW64 since all my descriptor regions are unlocked.

@Lost_N_Bios Anything else come to mind?

Thanks