BOAMOT-489 - Asus PRIME Q270M-C is part of the Asus commercial range, for which Asus have opted to use the traditional text based menu system instead of the 'consumer' orinetated GUI..

To access the motherboard's built in EZFlash BIOS update utility, you need to press ALT + F2 during POST.

• While the utility has the monochrome UI used in past generations, it operates in the same way as any of the other Asus motherboards which use the GUI.

Applies to:

• BOAMOT-489 - Asus PRIME Q270M-C

Putting the Display Panel of your Stone All in One PC into Sleep

The chassis design of the Stone All in One does not incorporate an independent power button to control the power state of the display panel. The panel is normally fully active when the machine is awake.

Customers wishing for the ability to manually control the screen power state could use the attached alternative software based method of putting the display to sleep.

Setup

• Download the attached file 'Display off x86.zip' or 'Display off x64.zip' depending on the architecture of your operating system.
• Extract the folder contained within the downloaded .zip file to the root of C: drive.
  
• Inside the 'Display off' folder there is a shortcut file named 'Turn Off Display', copy this to the desktop or your desired location.
  
• Doubling clicking 'Turn Off Display' will initiate the command and after a short pause the display will turn off, the display can be turned on again via user input from the mouse or keyboard.
• Finally, you have the option to set a shortcut keystroke to initiate the 'Turn Off Display' command: to do this open the properties of the 'Turn Off Display' short cut file and define your desired key combination in the field marked below.
  

Applies to:

• SYSBRA-223 - Stone M780 AIO 23.6 inch Non Touch
• SYSBRA-227 - Stone M780 AIO 23.6 inch Touch
• SYSBRA-237 - Stone M770 AIO 21.5 inch Touch
• SYSBRA-238 - Stone M770 AIO 21.5 inch Non Touch

Utility to Change DMI Information

Please use the attached utility if you need to change the DMI information in either DOS or Windows on Stone / MSI H61 based systems. You can use it to change the system serial number, chassis serial number or asset number.

This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Instructions

DOS

• Boot to DOS using a Windows 98SE USB pen drive
• Run the DMI250U utility

Windows

• Use the x64 or x86 batch file depending on which type of Windows you are running. This will require administrative rights (an elevated command prompt).

Last Updated 1/5/14.

Applies to:

• Stone systems based on the MSI H61 and H81 motherboard platforms

Utility to Change DMI Information

Please use the attached utility if you need to change the DMI information in either DOS or Windows on Stone / MSI H81 based systems. You can use it to change the system serial number, chassis serial number or asset number.

This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Instructions

DOS

• Boot to DOS using a Windows 98SE USB pen drive
• Run the DMI250U utility

Windows

• Use the x64 or x86 batch file depending on which type of Windows you are running. This will require administrative rights (an elevated command prompt).

Last Updated 31/7/14.

Applies to:

• Stone systems based on the MSI H61 and H81 motherboard platforms

Changing DMI Strings

Some of the DMI strings in the Stone / Intel NUC BIOSes can be changed using the utilty attached to this article. To run the utility, you will need a Windows 98SE bootable USB pen drive.

1. Make the USB pen drive bootable
2. Extract the utility to the pen drive
3. Download the motherboards latest BIOS file (for example MK0061.BIO) and save it to the pen drive as BIOS.BIO.
4. Boot the system from the pen drive (use the F10 option to get the boot menu)
5. Run FLASH.BAT

The following strings will be prompted for:

• System serial number (this should be the serial number on the Stone serial number sticker).
• Bay Number (normally this is not used; Stone systems may have a QC tracking number here).
• Chassis Asset Tag (this should be used for the end-customer asset tag number).

​This DMI string update method reflashes the entire BIOS, so please note any BIOS settings needed for your operating system as these may be reset during the upgrade process, including:

• SATA Controller mode (for example, AHCI or IDE mode).
• UEFI Enabled (usually enabled for Windows 8 and disabled for Windows 7).
• Secure Boot Enabled (again, usually enabled for Windows 8 and disabled for Windows 7).

​This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Applies to:

• Stone / Intel NUC systems.

Changing DMI Strings

 Some of the DMI strings in the Intel desktop board BIOSes can be changed using the utilty attached to this article. To run the utility, you will need a Windows 98SE bootable USB pen drive.

1. Make the USB pen drive bootable
2. Extract the utility to the pen drive
3. Boot the system from the pen drive (use the F10 option to get the boot menu)
4. Run FLASH.BAT

The following strings will be prompted for:

• System product name (for example the motherboard name such as DQ67SW)
• System serial number (this should be the serial number on the Stone serial number sticker)
• Chassis Serial Number (normally this is not used; Stone systems may have a QC tracking number here)
• Chassis Asset Tag (this should be used for the end-customer asset tag number)

​This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Applies to:

• Stone desktop systems with Intel 4 or 5 series motherboard.
• Stone desktop systems with Intel 6 series motherboard with a non-Windows 8 capable BIOS (BIOS 0048 or earlier).

Changing DMI Strings

Some of the DMI strings in the Intel desktop board BIOSes can be changed using the utilty attached to this article. To run the utility, you will need a Windows 98SE bootable USB pen drive.

1. Make the USB pen drive bootable
2. Extract the utility to the pen drive
3. Download the motherboards latest BIOS file (for example MK0061.BIO) and save it to the pen drive as BIOS.BIO.
4. Boot the system from the pen drive (use the F10 option to get the boot menu)
5. Run FLASH.BAT

The following strings will be prompted for:

• System serial number (this should be the serial number on the Stone serial number sticker).
• Bay Number (normally this is not used; Stone systems may have a QC tracking number here).
• Chassis Asset Tag (this should be used for the end-customer asset tag number).

​This DMI string update method reflashes the entire BIOS, so please note any BIOS settings needed for your operating system as these may be reset during the upgrade process, including:

• SATA Controller mode (for example, AHCI or IDE mode).
• UEFI Enabled (usually enabled for Windows 8 and disabled for Windows 7).
• Secure Boot Enabled (again, usually enabled for Windows 8 and disabled for Windows 7).

​This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Applies to:

• Stone desktop systems with Intel 6 series motherboards (used with Windows 8 BIOS files only).
• ​Stone desktop systems with Intel 7 series motherboards.

Utility to Change DMI Information

Please use the attached utility if you need to change the DMI information in either DOS or Windows on a Stone / Asus based systems, with a 7 series chipset or later. You can use it to change the system serial number, chassis serial number or asset number.

Motherboards supported include:

• Asus P8Q77M-E (BOAMOT-461)
• Asus Q87M-E (BOARDMO-462, BOAMOT-473)
• Asus B85M-E (BOAMOT-463)
• Asus CS-B (BOAMOT-467)
• Asus Q87T (BOAMOT-470)
• Asus H81T (BOAMOT-471)
• Asus H81M-P-SI (BOAMOT-476)
• Asus B150M-A (BOAMOT-480)
• Asus H110M-A (BOAMOT-481)
• Asus Q170M-C (BOAMOT-482)
• Asus H110T (BOAMOT-483)
• Asus B150M-A/M.2 (BOAMOT-485)
• Asus B250M-A (BOAMOT-488)
• Asus Q270M-C (BOAMOT-489)
• Asus H310M-A (BOAMOT-492)
• Asus B360M-A (BOAMOT-493)
• Asus Q370M-C (BOAMOT-494)
• Asus H310T (BOAMOT-495)
• Asus H310M-R R2.0 (BOAMOT-499)
• Asus A320M-R (BOAMOT-500)
• Asus H310T R2.0 (BOAMOT-501)

This DMI utility will also program "OEGStone" into the BIOS as a manufacturer string.

Instructions

DOS

• Boot to DOS using a Windows 98SE USB pen drive
• Run the DMI250U utility

Windows

• Use the x64 or x86 batch file depending on which type of Windows you are running. This will require administrative rights (an elevated command prompt).

​Updating the UUID

Invalid UUIDs (such as UUIDS made up of just 0 or f) can be fixed by running /SU AUTO.

For example:

 AMIDEWINx64.exe /SU AUTO

Last Updated 30/6/16.

Applies to:

• Stone systems based on a Stone / Asus 7, 8, 1xx, 2xx and 3xx Series Chipset motherboard platform.

Intel Visual BIOS

The Intel Visual BIOS is the new BIOS layout and is the default in the Q77 series BIOS with later BIOS revisions.

The guide below explains how to find the Serial-ATA Controller Mode setting which is useful if you need to disable AHCI model for legacy operating systems, such as Windows XP.

Instructions

• Enter the BIOS using the F2 key as normal
• Look for the Advanced button in the top right hand side and click on it

• Click on Devices & Peripherals:

• Click on the SATA sub-tab:

• Click on the Chipset SATA Mode drop down list. This enables you to change the SATA controller mode.

• Press F10 as normal to exit save the changes. You will get a confirmation prompt.

Applies to:

• Stone desktop and All-In-One products using 7-series and 8-series Intel motherboards

Clearing the CMOS

The method used to clear the CMOS settings on an Intel Desktop motherboard is different to the method used on Asus or MSI motherboards. Use the instructions below to clear the settings.

Intel Desktop Board CMOS Clear Instructions

Method 1

• Shut the system down.
• Find the BIOS Configuration Jumper (this may be marked, CONFIG, RECOVERY, or BIOS depending on model, see below for an example).
• Put the configuration jumper from the pins 1-2 normal position to the pins 2-3 configure position.
• Turn the system on.
• The BIOS setup menu will automatically appear if the system is functional.
• Use F9 to request CMOS defaults or use the Save/Exit menu to load defaults, and then save them.
• Shut the system down.
• Put the configuration jumper from the pins 2-3 configure position to the pins 1-2 normal position.

Location of the Recovery Jumper on the Intel DQ77MK

Configuration Jumper Summary

Method 2

• Shut the system down.
• Disconnect the AC Mains.
• Remove the CMOS Battery from the CMOS.
• Short the battery terminals on the motherboard together using a screwdriver or other metal object for at least 10 seconds.
• Refit the battery.
• Reconnect the AC Mains.

Applies to:

• Intel Desktop Motherboards

Clearing the CMOS

The method used to clear the CMOS settings on a Stone / MSI H61M motherboard is different to the method used on the Intel desktop board range. Use the instructions below to clear the settings.

MSI CMOS Clear Instructions

• Ensure the system is switched off
• Short the JBAT1 2-pin jumper block for 10 seconds either using a jumper, or a screwdriver
• Remove the short
• Turn the system back on

Use a suitable screwdriver or a 2-pin jumper to short JBAT1.

Applies to:

• Stone / MSI H61M desktop boards
  • BOAMOT-438 - SC Micro ATX H61M-P31 LGA 1155, DDR3 x2, DVI, VGA, PCIE x16, SATA II x4, DX10.1.
  • BOAMOT-443 - SC Micro ATX H61M-P31/W8 LGA 1155, DDR3 x2, DVI, VGA, PCIE x16, SATA II x4, DX10.1.

Wake On LAN

Wake on LAN from S5 (power-off) state on systems that include an Intel LAN / Ethernet Controller may require operating system configuration so that the system wakes up when a magic packet is sent to the adapter.

1. Install LAN driver:

Install the latest tested driver from the Stone Driver Finder or the motherboard manufacturer's web site.

2. Check LAN controller settings:

Enable the following setting in the LAN controller’s properties within Windows; ‘Wake on Magic Packet from power off state’ as shown in the image below.

Windows 10 Considerations

In addition to Windows 10 requiring that fast start-up is turned off in order to support WOL, please note that some Intel LAN controllers do not have an official Windows 10 driver available from Intel. Some controllers such as the 82574L are only supported by the Windows 10 "inbox" driver. Most of these inbox drivers do not support WOL functionality. This means that a system that has an 82574L and supported WOL on Windows 7 or Windows 8.x may not support WOL on Windows 10.

Applies to:

• Desktop and selected laptop systems that include an Intel LAN controller

Stone Computers systems USB 3.0 ports can be recognised by the blue colour of the USB port connector. This is an industry standard. Use the USB 3.0 ports to take advantage of much faster data transfer rates compared to USB 2.0, when used with devices that support this standard.

Applies to:

• All Stone PCs and laptops from 2011 that include USB 3.0 controllers (6 Series chipsets and later).

The Serial Number

When logging a support call with Stone Computers Service helpdesk, one of the details that we need to identify the machine is the Serial number.

This is usually found on a silver Stone sticker (underneath the bar code) on the case. For any reason this number has become faded over time due to use, you are able to access it through the command line as below.

How to Retrieve the Serial Number from the Motherboard

These steps are designed for a system administrator, or for customers which have local administrator rights. If you do not have the permissions to add programs or make changes to your system, you may need your administrator to carry out these instructions for you:

Steps:

• Open an Administrative Command prompt
• Type wmic bios get serialnumber and then press Enter

This will then query the bios for the system serial number and return it in the command line.

Applies to:

• Stone branded Desktop and Laptop systems

Most Stone PCs come equiped with a range of output ports, depending on model.

The 15-pin VGA port is slowly being replaced in favour of more modern alternatives, such as DVI, Display Port, and HDMI. If your Stone system includesa Blue DVI port (DVI-I), then this can be adapted to provide an 15-pin VGA port using the DVI to VGA adapter included in your manual pack.

Systems that include a white DVI port only (DVI-D) usually cannot be adapted to provide a 15-pin VGA output.

Applies to:

• All Stone desktop products fitted with an analogue capable DVI port (DVI-I)

Clearing the AMT Configuration or Settings

Intel Q Series desktop motherboards contain AMT functionality. AMT functionality and settings are not cleared by resetting the main CMOS by loading BIOS defaults. Intel B series boards can also have AMT functionality and again the AMT settings are not cleared by resetting the main CMOS by loading BIOS defaults.

To clear the AMT settings, either perform a full manual settings clear or using the dedicated MEBX (Management Engine BIOS Extension) Reset Jumper.

Using the MEBX Reset Jumper (the recommended method)

• Locate the MEBX Reset Header (see diagrams below).
• Shut the system down and disconnect the AC mains.
• Short pins 1 and 2 of the header together for 5 seconds.
• Reconnect the AC mains.
• Test that the password has been cleared.

Location of the header - DQ77MK:

Location of the header - DQ77CP:

Location of the header - DQ77KB:

Location of the header - DB75EN:

Location of the header - DQ67SW:

Location of the header - DQ67OW:

Location of the header - DQ67EP:

Main Full Settings Clear (alternative method)

• Disconnect the AC mains.
• Remove the CMOS battery.
• Short the battery terminals on the motherboard together for at least 10 seconds.
• Reinstall the CMOS battery, observing the correct polarity.
• Reconnect the AC mains.
• Test the system.

After clearing the settings using either method, the AMT default password of admin should be restored.

Applies to:

• Intel Q67 Series desktop motherboards (DQ67SW, DQ67OW, DQ67EP)
• Intel Q77 Series desktop motherboards (DQ77MK, DQ77CP, DQ77KB)
• Intel B75 Series desktop motherboard (DB75EN)

If your Stone Computers system uses an Intel DQ77MK Desktop board, you will find that it is equipped with two gigabit LAN ports. We recommend that customers use the RED LAN port to take advantage of management features and for the most efficent operation. However either port will be adequate for all day to day use on your network.

Network Card Models

Red Network Port: Management and Data - Intel 82579LM (PCI ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1502)
Black Network Port: Data only - Intel 82574L (PCI ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_10D3)

Applies to:

• Stone PCs that incorporate the Intel DQ77MK system board.

Intel SA-00391 - Management Engine Security Updates for Asus Q170M-C, Asus Q270M-C and Asus Q370M-C

Intel Security Advisory SA-00391 recommends that the Management Engine Firmware Updates are applied to products running ME 11.x (Q170/Q270) and ME 12.x (Q370).

Availability of a Management Engine Update

A management engine update is available below.

Recommendations:

• Always test your deployment against a small number of machines first
• As part of this, ensure that any considered VPRO settings are maintained
• Always ensure you flash the right update to the right model of system
• Some of the exploits in SA-00391 may require other system configuration changes or software updates in addition to the management engine firmware update

Requirements to Perform the Update:

• You must install the Intel Management Engine Driver before attempting to install the update
• Local Administrator privileges are required

Download links:

• Asus Q170M-C - here
• Asus Q270M-C - here
• Asus Q370M-C - here

Applies to:

• Q170M-C (BOAMOT-482)
• Q2170M-C (BOAMOT-489)
• Q370M-C (BOAMOT-494)

All current Stone PC systems (with exception of some netbook and tablet products) are 64-bit Windows capable. 64-bit capable systems allow a 64-bit version of Windows to address more memory, whereas traditional 32-bit systems were limited to 4GB of memory. If your system has more than 4GB of memory you will need to be running 64-bit Windows to take advantage of this increased capacity.

Applies to:

• All desktop, laptop, netbook and tablet products. 

We recommend you use the standard 32-bit version of Internet Explorer for the best experience.

• For most purposes the standard (32-bit) version of Internet Explorer will perform perfectly.
• While the 64-bit version of Internet Explorer can potentially use more system memory, you may find that some web page add-ons do not load or install using 64-bit Internet Explorer.

 Applies to:

• Desktop and Laptop Products
• Microsoft Windows
• Internet Explorer

USB Wake from Sleep

By default, systems that include the MSI H81M-P33 motherboard and were produced before 16/1/2014 will not wake from sleep using a USB or PS/2 keyboard or mouse. To wake the system from the S3 Sleep State (STR), you need to use the system's power button.

Systems produced on 16/1/2014 or later have this functionality enabled in the factory.

If you want to configure the system to wake using USB or PS/2 devices, BIOS settings must be changed and jumpers on the motherboard must be moved.

Instructions

Motherboard Jumpers

• Shut down the PC and disconnect the AC mains
• Remove the PC lid
• Locate the JUSB_PW1 and JUSB_PW2 jumpers.

• Move the jumpers from the "disabled" position (pins 1-2) to the "enabled" position (pins 2-3) on JUSB_PW1 and JUSB_PW2.

• This means that JUSB_PW1 (behind the CPU, near the VGA port) jumper should be in the right hand position when looked at from the main ATX power connector side of the board.
• JUSB_PW2 (near the PCI Express x1 slot) jumper should be in the front position, when looked at from the main ATX power connector side of the board.

BIOS Settings

• Reconnect the AC mains and turn on the system.
• Enter the BIOS by using the DEL key immediately from power-on.
• Enter the Settings menu.

• Enter the Advanced menu.

• Then go into the Wake Up Event Setup menu.

• Enable wake on USB and/or PS/2 as required.

• Press F10 to save and exit the BIOS.

Applies to:

• BOAMOT-464 - Stone / MSI H81M-P33

Scenario

You wish to boot your Windows 8.x (or Windows 10) Stone Desktop PC or All-in-one (AiO) machine using the in-built legacy PXE option firmware so that you may connect to your existing bootable network infrastructure for the purposes of operating system deployment. 

You system has been supplied to you from Stone with Windows 8 or above and when you attempt to to use PXE boot you are unable to find the boot device in the F8 boot menu or in the boot device priority list within the system BIOS. 

Cause

Windows 8.x (and 10) based machines must be shipped from the manufacturer with a BIOS feature called 'Secure Boot' enabled. This feature is intended to ensure that only authorised software can be booted on the host system

When Secure Boot is activated on a PC, the PC checks each piece of software, including the Option ROMs and the operating system, against databases of known-good signatures maintained in the firmware. If each piece of software is valid, the firmware runs the software and the operating system. This restricts the use of the Legacy PXE option ROM.

Resolution

1. Boot the machine into the BIOS by tapping either F2 or DEL immediately after powering it on.
2. Go to the "Boot" section.
3. Go to "Secure boot" sub-menu.​​
4. Change 'OS type' from 'Windows UEFI mode' to 'Other OS'.
5. Exit the BIOS saving the changes
6. After the system restarts the Intel or Realtek (as shown in the image below) network boot agent will now be available in the F8 boot menu and boot priority list within the BIOS.

Applies to:

• Stone PCs with Asus motherboards including but not limited to: H81T (BOAMOT-471), B85M-E (BOAMOT-463), CS-B (BOAMOT-467), Q87M-E (BOAMOT-473), H81M-P-SI (BOAMOT-476) and the Q87-T (BOAMOT-470). Asus Skylake based platforms using Intel 6th generation core i processors

Using Bitlocker and TPM 2.0 on Windows 7

TPM is a method of storing the encryption key used by Bitlocker to protect the contents of the Windows drive. Typically the new Skylake platform systems and newer have moved from TPM 1.2 to TPM 2.0. This is natively supported by Windows 10.

If you want to use TPM 2.0 on Windows 7 then this is possible, but only with the following:

• You must use Windows 7 x64. 32-bit / x86 versions of Windows 7 do not support TPM 2.0
• You need to install Windows 7 in UEFI mode. This is a BIOS setting that has to be made before you partition the hard drive or install Windows. Systems installed in UEFI mode will have a GPT partitioned hard disk.
• In addition to enabling UEFI mode, you may need to disable Secure boot in the BIOS setup, to enable Windows 7 booting.
• The Windows 7 hotfix for Microsoft Knowledgebase article 2920188 must be installed. If you have all of the latest Windows updates, then this should already be included.

Stonebook Pro and Stonebook Lite

The Skylake Stonebook Pro and Stonebook Lite notebooks support Windows 7 and UEFI mode. This support was added in the 6/9/16 BIOS update. Without this BIOS, the system will not be able to operate in UEFI mode with Windows 7, meaning that TPM functionality will not be available. If you switch from non-UEFI (legacy) to UEFI modes, you may need to remove the partitioning information on the notebooks hard drive to complete your operating system deployment.

Applies to:

• All desktops and notebooks with TPM 2.0 required to run Windows 7

Problem

The webcam detects in device manager, but the end user cannot access it in some, or all apps.

Steps

1. Go to Windows settings and select Privacy. Alternatively you can start a search for camera privacy settings

2. Select the camera option in the left pane and verify that it says "Camera access for this device is on". If it's off click on change and toggle it to on.

3. Make sure the  “Allow apps to access your camera” switch is on.

4. Under "Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera" you can now toggle on the apps you want to use.

5. Make sure that the "Desktop App Web Viewer" is turned on as some desktop applications will need it.

6. Scroll down and ensure the "Allow desktop apps to access your camera" is toggled on.

7. You will also need to apply these same changes for the microphone privacy settings.

8. Restart the applications you were having issues with that required the use of the webcam & mic.

Applies to:

• Any machine that has an inbuilt webcam & microphone.

What is a Dead, or Stuck Pixel?

All modern flat panel screens are made up of tiny lit elements known as pixels. These pixels use combinations of red, blue and green light to build images on the screen.

It is a fact of the technology that even despite the highest manufacturing standards, that sometimes it is possible to receive a new screen and have a dead pixel. This could be visible as a pixel that is constantly white, constantly black, or partially stuck - for example, it might be a stuck on as red, blue or green.

What Is the Pixel Policy Standard?

Manufacturers make equipment to an international standard (called ISO 13406-2) so that users receive the experience that they expect. Most equipment that Stone supplies is known as Class II equipment as regards pixel policy. Details of what the policy is are covered below. It is only when you have a number of dead pixels over the amount specified in the table is the product deemed to have fallen short of the standard.

• W/B Clusters: How many white or black stuck pixel clusters are permitted: 0.
• R/G/B Clusters: How many Red/Green/Blue semi stuck pixel clusters are allowed: Up to 2.

​These numbers are all per million screen pixels. On a standard 15.6" laptop screen that has a 1366x768 resolution, there are just over one million pixels, so the above numbers apply exactly.

So, am I Covered by Warranty?

Stone is proud to deliver excellent products and customer service, and as such we support our partners and suppliers with this pixel policy. If you receive a product that is outside of this policy please let us know within 30 days so that we can get the unit exchanged under our dead-on-arrival (DOA) facility.

If you have a single black or white stuck pixel, then usually this is not covered. Please do not hesitate to contact our Support team if you are unsure if you are covered or not.

Applies to:

• Monitors
• All-in-one screens
• Laptops, netbooks and tablets

Secure Boot and UEFI Boot

Secure Boot and UEFI boot are two technologies that go hand in hand to enhance the security and capabilities of a modern PC system.

Secure Boot uses a signature to ensure that the operating system loader is trusted. In other words, if the operating system loader is damaged by a malicious attack, such as by a virus or malware, the system can detect this and prevent the system from booting. This gives the system administrator awareness of a problem; the system can be cleaned and then restored to normal service, protecting the users data.

UEFI boot is an alternative to the legacy method of booting an operating system, known as the "BIOS". The way the system firmware interacts with the operating system is different and more flexible. For example, bootable devices greater than 2TB in size are supported. However, the operating system has to be UEFI aware - for example, Windows XP cannot boot if UEFI is enabled in the BIOS - and the disk needs to be partitioned using a newer method known as GPT, as opposed to the older MBR (master boot record) method.

Additionally, you will usually need to reinstall or redeploy a system if you change to UEFI mode after original installation. If you are using Windows images, you may need to build a new image.

What do I need to get UEFI or Secure Boot Functionality?

Generally, most 7 or 8 series chipset based systems have BIOSes that have been developed with UEFI support and secure boot support in mind.

Some 6 series based systems have a mixture of capabilities:

• H61 based systems: Usually have Secure Boot and UEFI boot capability with a BIOS update. Some manufacturers (i.e. MSI) have release a specific version of the motherboard with Windows 8 - and thus Secure boot and UEFI support.
• H67 / Q67 based systems: Usually have UEFI capability, often available after a BIOS update. Often Secure boot functionality is missing. Customers looking to buy Windows 8 capable systems in 2012 either bought H61 (with a BIOS update) or B75/H77/Q77/Z77 motherboards; there was no need for the motherboard manufacturers to make these systems secure boot capable.

Older systems, such as those based on the 4 or 5 series chipsets do not generally have UEFI or secure boot capabilities.

What Mode Should I Be Using?

Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

Generally secure boot should be ENABLED. For secure boot to operate, UEFI boot must also be enabled.

Windows 7

Secure boot is not supported by Windows 7. UEFI boot is supported but many IT departments prefer to leave UEFI boot disabled to preserve compatibility with operating system images.

Windows 7 and Windows 8 Dual boot

As secure boot is not supported by Windows 7, this will need to be disabled. Leave UEFI boot disabled if you prefer to maintain compatibility with non-UEFI software images.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista does not support Secure boot or UEFI boot. These need to be disabled for Windows Vista.

I Have Changed the Motherboard in the System and Windows won't Start

In this situation, it is best to configure the BIOS to the recommended secure boot and UEFI settings depending on the operating system that is installed on the machine.

What If I want to Boot from a Hard Disk Larger than 2TB?

If you want to boot from a hard disk larger than 2TB, you need the following:

• UEFI to be enabled in the BIOS
• The disk must be partitioned as GPT (if you try and install Windows when UEFI only mode has been selected, this partitioning method is usually selected automatically).
• You need a UEFI compliant version of Windows - Windows 7 is capable; Windows 8.1 is recommended. Windows XP and Windows Vista are not UEFI capable.

Applies to:

• Desktop and laptop systems with 6, 7 or 8 series motherboards.

We do not recommend that you update your BIOS unless you have a specific problem that needs resolving. In this instance, please contact Stone support for assistance. We can help you diagnose any problem, and can give you all of the information you need for any BIOS update.

If you would like to try the BIOS update on your own, these are made available when necessary on the Stone driver finder - Stone Driver Finder.

Applies to:

• All Stone Desktop and Laptop systems