~Toughbooktalk~

Hello all,

I recently became the proud owner of a Toughbook CF-51 Mk3. I love the notebook, but immediately ran into issues running my virtualization software. "Strange." I thought. I mean, I know the Core Duo series (and thus Core 2 duo) supports VT-X.

The answer to this riddle is in the BIOS. I'm a bit of a reverse engineering guy, and I discovered that though the VT-X technology is supported in this notebook, the BIOS option is hidden. Furthermore, it defaults to disabled and there is no easy way to change this! At least not until now.

After a LOOONG night, I discovered a solution. Using a CMOS editing utility, you can "flip on" the bit that enables VT-X. I made a boot disk that does this. For those curious, it uses SYMCMOS to work, and flips register 026A.

I also discovered some other interesting things while doing this, like the ability to turn off the Panasonic boot logo and get the standard "text" bios screen, and perplexingly, a "Service Mode" option (but it doesn't seem to do anything!). Anyhow, back on topic.

Attached is a zip archive. All you have to do is extract this to a bootable MS-DOS floppy and let it boot from it. Then power off (cold) and turn it back on. A simple "reboot" won't work. Your BIOS settings will be cleared as a result of this, so be sure to reset them!

Also in the zip is the "securable" utility. It lets you know whether or not what you just did worked. Run it, and if it reports VT-X is "Locked On" it's working.

Note that restoring "default" bios settings will erase this and you will need to do it again.

Enjoy!

Wonder if you could use the CMOS editing program to add different wireless cards to the whitelist? That way you wouldn't have to do the pin 20 mod.

I use different wireless cards in my CF-51 without issue or any mod, but it is mini-PCI-E

Really I tired both an Intel 5100 and 6200 and could not get either to work without the pin 20 mod. Mine is a CF-51PFVDEBM and the BIOS is V3.00L21. Wonder why the difference? What model is yours?

Same here...I had to do the mod too. (MK3LL)

Mine is a Mk3 CF-51, the one with the 256MB Ram X1300. Model # is CF-51QG5EEBM. It's for sale right now if anyone is interested in checking it out, actually. I have no idea why, but I BIOS updated the unit to the latest Mk3 BIOS. Perhaps that removes the whitelist?

What is the BIOS number?

Where can we check it out?

Actually, posting the auction here is not a bad idea if no one is opposed. It's on ebay. I'll get the link and make a post of the bios build here, as well as the auction in the for sale forum, when I get home. Shouldn't be long, leaving now.

EDIT: The auction is over Buy it Now, so no point in posting it, here is a link to the BIOS I used:

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/t ... 1m3l20.zip

The BIOS description says "BIOS Fix for a CF-51P/Q to support PXE running Windows XP"

I'd be careful installing it to different models.

Go ahead and post your auction link here...we don't have them rules like NBR has

I would, but as the auction is over there is no point in drooling, someone else owns her now.

That said, I'll post the pics if you guys really need something to drool at.