Boot to Spinrite 6.1 - BIOS CSM Options?

[MikeCharlie]

I cannot get BootAble or Spinrite 6.1 to boot. It is a Beelink brand N100 with an American Megatrends BIOS.

1) I have made sure Secure boot is disabled
2) I have enabled CSM support
3) I have selected the Legacy boot option

But there are a lot of CSM Options, and I do not know what combination DOS is needing:

CSM16 Module Version 07.84
GateA20 Active: Upon Request
Int19 Trap Response: < I tried "Postponed" and "Immediate">
HDD Connection Order: Adjust <other option is "Keep">
Boot Option Filter: "UEFI and Legacy"<I also tried 'UEFI Only" and "Legacy Only"
Option ROM execution
> Storage: <I tried "UEFI" and "Legacy">
> Video: <if I set this to "Do Not Launch" or "Legacy", then the screen does not work at all and requires a BIOS reset, so this is left at "UEFI">
> Other PCI devices: UEFI
> Network: Do not launch

Boot Mode Select: I tried "UEFI" and "Legacy", while also changing the Option ROM execution to the same value.

If I set the Boot Mode Select to UEFI, then the two USB keys with BootAble and SpinRite 6.1 are listed, but selecting them bounces immediately back to the list. If I set the Boot Mode Select to Legacy, then the two USB keys with BootAble and SpinRite 6.1 are listed, but selecting them shows a black screen with white underscore like the DOS Cursor, but NOT blinking. Nothing happens after that.

Is there any guidance on what CSM settings I should be using?

 

[DanR]

Is there any guidance on what ... I should be using?

Yes! Please try this.

Edit Config.sys (a small simple text file) to remove the DOWNSIZE line. Save the edited Config.sys and reboot.

Steve inadvertently left this in Config.sys for the sr61.exe release 3 (it is only applicable to the sr61.zip release 3). Steve is aware of this.

For many users it harmlessly does nothing.

For some users it throws up a benign (but possibly alarming) error message which may be safely bypassed.

However, for a very few users, it interferes with SpinRite 6.1 running. Since you are not seeing the blue SpinRite splash screen I suspect you need to remove the unnecessary DOWNSIZE line from your Config.sys file.

 

[MikeCharlie]

Yes! Please try this.

Edit Config.sys (a small simple text file) to remove the DOWNSIZE line. Save the edited Config.sys and reboot.

Steve inadvertently left this in Config.sys for the sr61.exe release 3 (it is only applicable to the sr61.zip release 3). Steve is aware of this.

For many users it harmlessly does nothing.

For some users it throws up a benign (but possibly alarming) error message which may be safely bypassed.

However, for a very few users, it interferes with SpinRite 6.1 running. Since you are not seeing the blue SpinRite splash screen I suspect you need to remove the unnecessary DOWNSIZE line from your Config.sys file.

I tried that. This issue also happens with BootAble, which did not have a Config.sys, and also happens with bootable DOS USB made with Rufus. I do not know if I am meant to use CSM in the UEFI mode, and select UEFI boot mode, or use CMS in Legacy mode and boot to Legacy. I have tried both, and in the Legacy mode, it shows the black screen with a small white underscore, and freezes. But in the CMS UEFI mode, it briefly flashes the back screen with white underscore, and returns to the boot menu.

Am not sure if the 4K monitor could cause an issue?

 

[MikeCharlie]

I just put the BootAble ISO and Spinrite 6.1 ISO on a Ventoy Disk. When I boot to the Ventory disk (BIOS is set ti UEFI), and select BoorAble ISO or Spinrite 6.1 ISO, then it outputs a meesage that there is no UEFI boorable file.

If I then change the Boot mode to Legacy, and select the Ventoy USB drive to boot to, then it shows exactly the same outcome as booting to Spinrite 6.1 or BootAble, it just shows the black screen with non flashing underscore top left. It is not clear to me if the Ventoy boot is cabaple of booting into Legacy Mode, or is it UEFI mode only? I also have Windows 11 on NVME, and Fedora 39 on an SSD in that Beelink, and in Legacy mode, I cannot boot into either of those. Again, I am not sure that either of these are configured in a way that would boot in Legacy Mode anyway.

It looks like either there is a specific configuration item in this BIOS that I am not setting correctly for Spinrite, or there is a bug in the BIOS that means tha Legacy boot mode is listed, but not implemented correctly?

Thanks

 

[DanR]

Try REMarking out the SPLASH line in Config.sys. On a few systems the Splash screen creates a conflict with the system's graphics and freezes things.

The SPLASH screen is purely cosmetic and adds NO functionality to SpinRite.

Note: BootAble has it's own splash screen, different from what/how SpinRite does it. That may also be freezing things.

REMarking out the DEVICE=BOOTABLE.SYS line in Config.sys results in BootAble booting to a C:\> prompt for me.

What is happening here is the the video on some systems doers NOT smoothly handle the switching from text mode to graphics mode, for displaying the Splash screen, and then back to text mode again for SpinRite to run properly. Disabling the cosmetic Splash may resolve the problem on some systems.

 

[PHolder]

Am not sure if the 4K monitor could cause an issue?

Could, I guess, if it won't fall back to whatever resolution the BIOS (assuming it's booting) is asking for.

 

[AlanD]

I just put the BootAble ISO and Spinrite 6.1 ISO on a Ventoy Disk. When I boot to the Ventory disk (BIOS is set ti UEFI), and select BoorAble ISO or Spinrite 6.1 ISO, then it outputs a meesage that there is no UEFI boorable file.



It looks like either there is a specific configuration item in this BIOS that I am not setting correctly for Spinrite, or there is a bug in the BIOS that means tha Legacy boot mode is listed, but not implemented correctly?

Thanks

Steve has identified that Ventoy is incompatible with SpinRite. It appears that Ventoy uses some of the same CPU registers for it's diskette emulation that SR uses for it's code. Easy2Boot apparently does work and can be downloaded from https://easy2boot.xyz/download/

 

[ED255]

I cannot get BootAble or Spinrite 6.1 to boot. It is a Beelink brand N100 with an American Megatrends BIOS.

1) I have made sure Secure boot is disabled
2) I have enabled CSM support
3) I have selected the Legacy boot option

But there are a lot of CSM Options, and I do not know what combination DOS is needing:

CSM16 Module Version 07.84
GateA20 Active: Upon Request
Int19 Trap Response: < I tried "Postponed" and "Immediate">
HDD Connection Order: Adjust <other option is "Keep">
Boot Option Filter: "UEFI and Legacy"<I also tried 'UEFI Only" and "Legacy Only"
Option ROM execution
> Storage: <I tried "UEFI" and "Legacy">
> Video: <if I set this to "Do Not Launch" or "Legacy", then the screen does not work at all and requires a BIOS reset, so this is left at "UEFI">
> Other PCI devices: UEFI
> Network: Do not launch

Boot Mode Select: I tried "UEFI" and "Legacy", while also changing the Option ROM execution to the same value.

If I set the Boot Mode Select to UEFI, then the two USB keys with BootAble and SpinRite 6.1 are listed, but selecting them bounces immediately back to the list. If I set the Boot Mode Select to Legacy, then the two USB keys with BootAble and SpinRite 6.1 are listed, but selecting them shows a black screen with white underscore like the DOS Cursor, but NOT blinking. Nothing happens after that.

Is there any guidance on what CSM settings I should be using?

Off topic question for you. I have an Ace Magician minipc running American Megatrends BIOS also. I posted for help getting BootAble to boot also. One of the suggestions mentioned enabling CSM support, but I could not find it anywhere in the BIOS settings. Could you point me in the right direction for where it was in your settings? Thank you and good luck with getting your problems resolved.

 

[Scott]

… One of the suggestions mentioned enabling CSM support, but I could not find it anywhere in the BIOS settings.

CSM is the same as Legacy

 

[ED255]

CSM is the same as Legacy

Okay, great. Thank you!

 

[PHolder]

enabling CSM support, but I could not find it anywhere in the BIOS settings

Not every modern UEFI supports legacy booting. The CSM (Compatibility Support Module) is basically the code that is the interface to DOS for BIOS on legacy booting machines. Basically an OS attempts to boot by using hardware support code that is part of the ROM that the machine came with. If it's booting UEFI mode, this is all modernized and modularized. If the machine can boot BIOS/Legacy mode, then it's old code that is 16bit compatible (for DOS.) Intel "declared" around 2020 that UEFI was the future and that BIOS support should end. We're in the middle of a transition now, and it's difficult to know which machines are capable of which abilities.

 

[ED255]

Not every modern UEFI supports legacy booting. The CSM (Compatibility Support Module) is basically the code that is the interface to DOS for BIOS on legacy booting machines. Basically an OS attempts to boot by using hardware support code that is part of the ROM that the machine came with. If it's booting UEFI mode, this is all modernized and modularized. If the machine can boot BIOS/Legacy mode, then it's old code that is 16bit compatible (for DOS.) Intel "declared" around 2020 that UEFI was the future and that BIOS support should end. We're in the middle of a transition now, and it's difficult to know which machines are capable of which abilities.

Thank you for the info. I'm good with the basics (and following directions!), but not as good with the "under-the-hood" stuff as I was decades ago. To the best of my knowledge, I've made the changes that I can (disable secure boot, enable Legacy boot mode, set to boot from USB first), but unfortunately not booting the FreeDOS usb key. It'll boot the Windows Recovery and PartedMagic USB keys I setup. At this point I may be resigning myself to not being able to use Spinrite for my situation.

 

[JustFax]

I have installed Bootable.exe on a USB thumb drive and successfully booted a computer from that USB drive. I appear to be booted into FreeDOS and can see the "C:" prompt. Should I now copy SpinRite.exe on to the USB drive while I am booted into Windows 10 and then after rebooting into FreeDOS with the USB drive, type SpinRite to run the Spinrite program? From what I have seen here on the GRC website, it looks like Spinrite's first screen has an "Install" button on it, so now I am back to "square one" and not knowing how to go about installing it on a USB drive. HELP, Please!

 

[DanR]

Should I now copy SpinRite.exe on to the USB drive while I am booted into Windows 10 and then after rebooting into FreeDOS with the USB drive, type SpinRite to run the Spinrite program?

Welcome, JustFax! Yes, you can do that. It will work!

From what I have seen here on the GRC website, it looks like Spinrite's first screen has an "Install" button on it, so now I am back to "square one" and not knowing how to go about installing it on a USB drive. HELP, Please!

SpinRite.exe is a DUAL executable file. Run it as a Windows app and it will guide you through the process of creating bootable media (with SpinRite.exe on it) for booting a PC and running SpinRite 6.1.

But, run the same SpinRite.exe at a DOS prompt as a DOS app and it is SpinRite 6.1.