VOGONS

MR BIOS Public Service Announcement

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First post, by eesz34

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Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd advise anyone looking for a MR BIOS image to also grab the "target5" download referenced in the "MRBIOS Big Bundle" Google Doc on vogonsdrivers.com (https://archive.org/details/target5). It is a large download that contains lots of old programs, but it contains several megabytes of MR BIOS files.

Perhaps most importantly, it contains text documents for each chipset that I found extremely useful in determining which image to use. I recently asked about something pertaining to MR BIOS images and another member provided one of these to me. I wondered where he got it. Well this is apparently the source.

And, although it ended up being the incorrect image for my motherboard, there's an image in the "MRBIOS Big Bundle" that is missing every other byte. Specifically, it's in V002B406, but the "target5" download contains the complete copy. There could be more examples of this.

Just something to consider.

Reply 1 of 11, by drosse1meyer

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Cool. Should post that in this thread How about a MR-BIOS ROM file repository?

Also, not sure if its ok, but may be worth just copying out the MRBIOS stuff, zipping it, and asking to put it up on vogonfiles.

P1: Packard Bell - 233 MMX, Voodoo1, 64 MB, ALS100+
P2-V2: Dell Dimension - 400 Mhz, Voodoo2, 256 MB
P!!! Custom: 1 Ghz, GeForce2 Pro/64MB, 384 MB

Reply 2 of 11, by eesz34

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drosse1meyer wrote on 2022-12-15, 13:45:

Cool. Should post that in this thread How about a MR-BIOS ROM file repository?

I will do that.

drosse1meyer wrote on 2022-12-15, 13:45:

Also, not sure if its ok, but may be worth just copying out the MRBIOS stuff, zipping it, and asking to put it up on vogonfiles.

Totally agree.

Reply 3 of 11, by douglar

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I'll review and see how it compares to the stuff on the FTP site

Still hunting for that mythical Acer M1209 Mr Bios...

Edit-- Updated file

All of those BIOS files are already in https://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1971

Last edited by douglar on 2022-12-17, 00:23. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 4 of 11, by eesz34

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douglar wrote on 2022-12-15, 20:25:
I'll review and see how it compares to the stuff on the FTP site […]
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I'll review and see how it compares to the stuff on the FTP site

Still hunting for that mythical Acer M1209 Mr Bios...

Edit--

All of those BIOS files are already in http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … menustate=32,29

But where are the text files for each chipset brand? That is what was missing. Those tell me exactly what ROM I should be using.

Reply 5 of 11, by Horun

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Some of the .doc files list many MR BIOS versions for diff chipsets. Wish there was a way to find many of the missing ones (there are many)....

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 7 of 11, by eesz34

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Sphere478 wrote on 2022-12-16, 05:26:

any 430nx bioses?

Zeos motherboard project

This is all it lists for Intel:

VLSI TOPCAT / Intel-340
-----------------------

Filename Port Description
-------- ------- ---------------------------------------------------------
V019B301 VLSI301 386 SX/DX, non-cache
V019B302 VLSI302 386 SX/DX, non-cache, with 82C106 combo chip
V019B312 VLSI312 386 SX/DX, 385 cache, with 82C106 combo chip
V019B401 VLSI401 486
V019B402 VLSI402 486, with 82C106 combo chip
V019B404 VLSI404 486, with 82C106, on-board COM2 inhibited for SCO

--------------------------
ZYMOS POACH-SX / Intel-335
--------------------------

Filename Port Description
-------- ------- ---------------------------------------------------------
V004B300 ZYMS300 386SX
V004B301 ZYMS301 Turbo: 8042 Pin 23 (only) Active Low
V004B302 ZYMS302 (T-)
V004B303 ZYMS303 (T+)

Reply 8 of 11, by Windows9566

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any UMC 8498F MR BIOS?

R5 5600X, 32 GB RAM, RTX 3060 TI, Win11
P3 600, 256 MB RAM, nVidia Riva TNT2 M64, SB Vibra 16S, Win98
PMMX 200, 128 MB RAM, S3 Virge DX, Yamaha YMF719, Win95
486DX2 66, 32 MB RAM, Trident TGUI9440, ESS ES688F, DOS

Reply 9 of 11, by douglar

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edit: Updated link

This bundle has all known surviving MR Bios images is here: http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1971

Many were pulled from target 5

This sheet has them listed by system type & source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vtPso … PGXZOp8ZeyuFf8/

Last edited by douglar on 2022-12-17, 00:21. Edited 4 times in total.

Reply 11 of 11, by douglar

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Sphere478 wrote on 2022-12-16, 20:05:

Sweet!

We should upload the compatible ones to listings on ultimate retro database

I've been doing my best to let them know when I find one that works

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