AMIBIOS 07.00.xx: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "thumb|The AMIBIOS 07.00.xx POST screen ''Not to be confused with AMIBIOS 07.00.10, which is based on a different codebase.'' AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is a family of AMIBIOS versions developed by American Megatrends from 1999 to 2001. These releases are assumed to be public pre-release versions of what would later become AMIBIOS 8 due to a lot of similarities between both versions. This release brought many new features over ...")
 
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AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is a family of [[AMIBIOS]] versions developed by [[American Megatrends]] from 1999 to 2001. These releases are assumed to be public pre-release versions of what would later become [[AMIBIOS 8]] due to a lot of similarities between both versions.
AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is a family of [[AMIBIOS]] versions developed by [[American Megatrends]] from 1999 to 2001. These releases are assumed to be public pre-release versions of what would later become [[AMIBIOS 8]] due to a lot of similarities between both versions.


This release brought many new features over [[AMIBIOS 6]], such as new VGA resolution (640x480) POST & setup screens with 8x19 font (except some very few exceptions that had EGA resolution), a completely different POST screen style, bitmap logo support in POST (VGA POST only), up to 2 TB hard drive support, code bug fixes and improvements.
This release brought many new features over [[AMIBIOS 6]], such as new 640x480 resolution POST and setup screens with an 8x19 font (although not on all instances), a completely different POST screen style, bitmap logo support in POST (for 640x480 resolution POST screen only), up to 2 TB hard drive support, code bug fixes and improvements. AMIBIOS 07.00.xx also retired the fixed core release dates used in the identification strings of most older AMIBIOS versions. With AMIBIOS 07.00.xx the string date is the compile date of the BIOS instead.


AMIBIOS 07.00.xx was not commonly used (except for mostly some Intel i8xx and ServerWorks chipset motherboards) and in 2001 it was replaced by [[AMIBIOS 8]], which is assumed to be the final release for 07.00.xx.
AMIBIOS 07.00.xx was not commonly used (except for mostly some Intel i8xx and ServerWorks chipset motherboards) and in 2001 it was replaced by [[AMIBIOS 8]], which is assumed to be the final release of the 07.00.xx family versions.


== Setup Utility ==
== Setup Utility ==
[[File:AMIBIOS 07.00.xx Setup.png|thumb|The AMIBIOS 07.00.xx Setup Utility]]
[[File:AMIBIOS 07.00.xx Setup.png|thumb|The AMIBIOS 07.00.xx Setup Utility]]
AMIBIOS 07.00.xx has only one known setup utility, Easy Setup. Although the instance of Easy Setup on 07.00.xx (and [[AMIBIOS 8]]) is different from the instances on [[AMIBIOS 6]] and [[AMIBIOS 07.00.10]]. So far, no instance of AMIBIOS 07.00.xx with the Simple Setup ([[AwardBIOS]] inspired setup utility) are known. Although AMIBIOS 8 does have Simple Setup.
AMIBIOS 07.00.xx has only one known setup utility, Easy Setup. Although the instance of Easy Setup on 07.00.xx (and [[AMIBIOS 8]]) is different from the instances found on [[AMIBIOS 6]] and [[AMIBIOS 07.00.10|07.00.10]]. So far, no instance of AMIBIOS 07.00.xx with Simple Setup ([[AwardBIOS]]-like setup utility) are known, even though AMIBIOS 8 does have Simple Setup. Although Simple Setup still may have existed for 07.00.xx.


Unlike Easy Setup of AMIBIOS 8, the gradient bar at the top does not move and is a still gradient. The moving gradient was available with some versions of AMIBIOS 8.
Unlike the Easy Setup of AMIBIOS 8, the gradient bar at the top does not move and is a still gradient. The moving gradient was available with some versions of AMIBIOS 8 only.
 
== Modification tools==
AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is the earliest version of AMIBIOS to be supported by 32-bit Windows compatible versions of AMI's BIOS modification tools. [[AMIBCP 2.25 Beta]] is known for being able to open and modify 07.00.xx ROM files, although newer versions of [[AMIBCP]] might fail to do so.


== AMIBIOS 07.00.10 ==
== AMIBIOS 07.00.10 ==
''Main page: [[AMIBIOS 07.00.10]]''
''Main page: [[AMIBIOS 07.00.10]]''


Despite the version number 7, 07.00.10 is believed to be based on the older code base used by [[AMIBIOS 6]] (rather than the new codebase of 07.00.xx), due to it sharing much more similarities with AMIBIOS 6 rather than AMIBIOS 8.
Despite the version number 7, AMIBIOS 7 (07.00.10) is believed to be based on the older code base used by [[AMIBIOS 6]] (rather than the new codebase of 07.00.xx), due to it sharing more similarities with AMIBIOS 6 rather than with AMIBIOS 8. Therefore it is not to be confused with 07.00.xx.
 
Although it is uncertain why this version was called AMIBIOS 7 (or "07.00.10"), it might have been because AMI wanted to release a stopgap BIOS version based on the older AMIBIOS 6 codebase while 07.00.xx was still in development, and they could have wanted to market it as a new version. Therefore, 07.00.xx could have been renamed to AMIBIOS 8 during its late development. However, this can't be confirmed and is only a theory. Although 07.00.xx and 8 are very similar, they still have some slight differences.

Latest revision as of 18:18, 22 January 2024

The AMIBIOS 07.00.xx POST screen

Not to be confused with AMIBIOS 07.00.10, which is based on a different codebase.

AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is a family of AMIBIOS versions developed by American Megatrends from 1999 to 2001. These releases are assumed to be public pre-release versions of what would later become AMIBIOS 8 due to a lot of similarities between both versions.

This release brought many new features over AMIBIOS 6, such as new 640x480 resolution POST and setup screens with an 8x19 font (although not on all instances), a completely different POST screen style, bitmap logo support in POST (for 640x480 resolution POST screen only), up to 2 TB hard drive support, code bug fixes and improvements. AMIBIOS 07.00.xx also retired the fixed core release dates used in the identification strings of most older AMIBIOS versions. With AMIBIOS 07.00.xx the string date is the compile date of the BIOS instead.

AMIBIOS 07.00.xx was not commonly used (except for mostly some Intel i8xx and ServerWorks chipset motherboards) and in 2001 it was replaced by AMIBIOS 8, which is assumed to be the final release of the 07.00.xx family versions.

Setup Utility

The AMIBIOS 07.00.xx Setup Utility

AMIBIOS 07.00.xx has only one known setup utility, Easy Setup. Although the instance of Easy Setup on 07.00.xx (and AMIBIOS 8) is different from the instances found on AMIBIOS 6 and 07.00.10. So far, no instance of AMIBIOS 07.00.xx with Simple Setup (AwardBIOS-like setup utility) are known, even though AMIBIOS 8 does have Simple Setup. Although Simple Setup still may have existed for 07.00.xx.

Unlike the Easy Setup of AMIBIOS 8, the gradient bar at the top does not move and is a still gradient. The moving gradient was available with some versions of AMIBIOS 8 only.

Modification tools

AMIBIOS 07.00.xx is the earliest version of AMIBIOS to be supported by 32-bit Windows compatible versions of AMI's BIOS modification tools. AMIBCP 2.25 Beta is known for being able to open and modify 07.00.xx ROM files, although newer versions of AMIBCP might fail to do so.

AMIBIOS 07.00.10

Main page: AMIBIOS 07.00.10

Despite the version number 7, AMIBIOS 7 (07.00.10) is believed to be based on the older code base used by AMIBIOS 6 (rather than the new codebase of 07.00.xx), due to it sharing more similarities with AMIBIOS 6 rather than with AMIBIOS 8. Therefore it is not to be confused with 07.00.xx.

Although it is uncertain why this version was called AMIBIOS 7 (or "07.00.10"), it might have been because AMI wanted to release a stopgap BIOS version based on the older AMIBIOS 6 codebase while 07.00.xx was still in development, and they could have wanted to market it as a new version. Therefore, 07.00.xx could have been renamed to AMIBIOS 8 during its late development. However, this can't be confirmed and is only a theory. Although 07.00.xx and 8 are very similar, they still have some slight differences.