[Guide] Lenovo ThinkPad T440S [OpenCore 0.6.7]

[raulmazda]

Raul I already ordered a CH431a to reflash the bios on my x250. The problem is that I don't have another board to extract the bios file. Where can I get the bin to flash it? And one question, if I flash the bin did I lost something, like the serial number, or the ACPI MSDM for example or it is located in other place?

You can read the broken bios and attempt to put together something that will work.

Step #1 is grabbing an image of the contents of your broken bios chip. After that you can experiment with replacing pieces to revive it.

Without knowing what's broken, you can maybe get by with clobbering the entire BIOS region with a working one:

Don't touch the other regions. You should be able to find plenty of working bios images for your board on the bios mod request boards. Extract the region from theirs, replace it in yours with UEFITool (there are 2 versions, I use the old/stable one for this stuff, but use the alpha version for nvram variable stuff).

I was focused on doing same bios version and extracting the image from the factory firmware. It didn't work, but what did was a different bios rev ... so don't give up if the first one doesn't work.

If you bring your laptop back to life, then you can look at porting some of your mainboard bios settings over to the new image. The alpha UEFITool it parses the nvram variables, but doesn't display their contents. I'd recommend searching for a few characters of your product key in the broken bios image, finding the nvram variable (in my image it's in the variable LnvActivationVar), and cloning that into the appropriate place in the new one or just finding the var in the new one, extracting the contents, hexediting, and replacing. Same with mac address. IIRC they're in different places, so when you find each maybe poke around the same nvram area looking for other variables to clone.

My other tip is that the advanced menu replaces the clock setting screen, so if you've disconnected your cmos battery it can be a pain to set the system clock. If it doesn't prompt you to fix the value, you have to boot up an OS (I was using Linux) and set the system clock.

My final tip is that there's a BIOS modding channel that you can turn to for help. I wouldn't have sorted out my stuff without their help.

Good luck

 

[Sniki]

Also my bonus tip would be to not play with the NVRAM settings without knowing what you are doing.
There is the documentation.pdf that Acidanthera provides (updated with each OpenCore release) to know what each thing does.

I did set everything properly so none of you T440S owners need to touch that setting so you don't mess anything there.
Never had this problem once, used OpenCore since 0.0.3 as my default on all my hackintosh machines.

 

[swatchie-1]

@Sniki Hope you can get one for t4d0p soon. As we are speaking I’m reinstalling macOS from scratch using clover again because of not able to get my Bluetooth working with opencore.
Would love to buy you a beer if the t440p opencore is usable.

 

[Sniki]

@Sniki Hope you can get one for t4d0p soon. As we are speaking I’m reinstalling macOS from scratch using clover again because of not able to get my Bluetooth working with opencore.

It will be ready tonight, im almost done.

Would love to buy you a beer if the t440p opencore is usable.

Rules:

Solicitation

• No member can ask, accept, offer or provide any form of compensation to any other member for any form of assistance.

 

[CoBrA2168]

Hi @raul and @Sniki,

######WARNING ADVISE!!!

My x250 died exactly as yours, I change a few things in the OC 0.5.9, then I reboot the laptop and I while starting I read in the preboot log of OC something like NVran full, it start the macos well, I reboot and the x250 never came up again. Is gone. Same behaviour as yours. I push the power button I see the power led switch on, the keyboard backlight turn on then off, the fan spin for a while and in 50 second OFF. No matter what I try even disconnecting the CMOS battery or the internal battery or pushing the internal reset button. So I can confirm your assumption that something in the OC modify the Bios/UEFI/NVRAM and ciao.

Maybe is a bug or a bad setup, I can't discard the second as I'm new to OC, but it never happened to me to broke my bios playing with Clover.

I have a copy of my "killer" OC config.plist saved If someone want to review it.

Raul I already ordered a CH431a to reflash the bios on my x250. The problem is that I don't have another board to extract the bios file. Where can I get the bin to flash it? And one question, if I flash the bin did I lost something, like the serial number, or the ACPI MSDM for example or it is located in other place?

Just curious - when you "change a few things in the OC 0.5.9," did you mess with NVRAM settings at all? This is a bit concerning if OC is basically just bricking systems randomly. Unless you actually were changing some advanced settings...

 

[Sniki]

Just curious - when you "change a few things in the OC 0.5.9," did you mess with NVRAM settings at all? This is a bit concerning if OC is basically just bricking systems randomly. Unless you actually were changing some advanced settings...

Nothing else other than NVRAM can cause that.

 

[CoBrA2168]

Nothing else other than NVRAM can cause that.

Thanks for the confirmation. I just want to make sure I don't brick my machine when I eventually switch over from the Clover configuration to OC.

 

[Sniki]

No worries, like i said, used OC since 0.0.3 as default on all my hacks, never happened, OpenCore compared to Clover always had the manual (documentation.pdf) where every single option is listed with a description on what it does.
It's updated with every OC release so you know what every option does.

Its not more than 30-40 pages, for someone who plans to use his/her hackintosh machine it should be worth reading.

 

[swatchie-1]

It will be ready tonight, im almost done.

Rules:

That's very professional. In that case you have my well wishes.

 

[Sniki]

Lenovo ThinkPad T440P Open Core guide is up:

[Guide] Lenovo ThinkPad T440P [OpenCore 0.5.9]

Lenovo ThinkPad T440P using OpenCore (0.5.9) Considering i haven't finished the OpenCore Bootloader guide yet, due to the big number of request for a OpenCore guide, here is the Open Core guide which is much more stable and faster than Clover, i have been using the OpenCore Bootloader since...

www.tonymacx86.com