VGN-FE41Z, BIOS support for Virtualizaton (VMX) Please!

[IntuitiveNipple]

I've just bought the VGN-FE41Z and I did so in large part because it contains the Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 CPU, which supports hardware virtualisation extensions (VMX).

I am therefore very annoyed that the FE41Z BIOS does not provide an option to enable VMX on the cores, and locks the feature-control register (MSR 0x34) so other software cannot enable VMX either.

I've checked BIOS versions R0190J3 and R0200J3.

Sony: PLEASE provide support to enable VMX. It is only a case of writing 0x03 to MSR 0x3A instead of 0x01 as you do now. Alternatively, you could write 0x00 to 0x3A which leaves the register unlocked so other software could choose to enable VMX and then lock the register.

As it is, I'm having to develop a hack of the existing BIOS that will enable VMX.

[Blencogo]

Hi IntuitiveNipple and welcome.

This is a forum only used by Vaio users like you and me. I suggest you let Sony know your feelings via the usual support channels as they do not routinely monitor these forums.

Sony have always published in the Specifications for all Models that: "Intel® Virtualization Technology is not supported on VAIO"

I don't know the reasons for this but it is a case of Caveat Emptor.

[IntuitiveNipple]

Yes, I discovered the "No support for Virtualisation" note stuck at the bottom of that page, but only after buying the PC. It didn't occur to me to visit the support web-site during pre-sales because the specification of the PC is extensively covered on the main site.

I did visit Intel to look up the capabilities of the T7200 CPUs; I never imagined that Sony would choose this CPU, whose main difference with the other models in the FE41 range is the VMX support (larger cache, too), and then effectively hobble it.

I have made my feelings known to Sony, quite forcefully

I'm hoping that as more people buy these PCs and want to realise their potential they might pester Sony into adding the support - its not hard to change the value being written to the register, or add a menu item to the BIOS

Once I've prepared the custom BIOS I'll be very happy with this PC. It is intended to replace 2 servers, a workstation and 2 notebooks (Vaio SRX51s)

Virtualisation will allow me to create exact images of several servers I develop for, and test new software before deployment, without having to maintain exact hardware duplicates.

[IntuitiveNipple]

I've created a custom BIOS that enables VMX.

It turns out that module BIOSCODE6 already includes the instruction to set the VMX bit, but that it is jumped-over because a check of the user's Setup configuration says VMX is disabled (the user never gets the chance to enable it!). For this custom BIOS I simply over-write the jump instruction with 2 no-op (NOP) op-codes so the instruction that sets bit 2 of MSR 0x3A is executed.

I'm now pursuing the much harder route to a solution. In thinking about the source code I realised the existing BIOS code is checking whether to enable VMX, and as there is no Setup menu option I over-looked the fact it will still be checking a flag-bit or byte in the PC's non-volatile CMOS NV-RAM that retains the PC's Setup configuration while the power is off.

So now I'm working my way through the calls that ultimately check the state of a flag in NV-RAM. When I find it I will be able to provide a simple program that changes the state of that flag in NV-RAM and, with luck, the PC's standard Sony/Phoenix BIOS will enable VMX for us.