access to BIOS through Windows?

[Dramx]

Title says it all. I'd like to access BIOS remotely, and the vnc connections I have all work through Windows. Is there any way to do it?

 

[oscer1]

hi not that I am aware of

 

[IoNGeNeRaL]

It is impossible to access the computers BIOS within Windows, even remotely. You'll literally need to access the BIOS from the physical system. When you access the BIOS, the Operating System's boot sequence is not operational. As soon as the BIOS POST tests complete, the system will then proceed to boot from the hard disk which then starts to boot up the OS.

Conclusion: As above, it is not possible to access the system BIOS remotely.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
ASUS does have a utility called AI tweak 2 or 3 that allows bios settings changes from inside the os
Mostly for over clockers and system fan changes that I've noticed in my brief tour of it
Other manufacture may have utilities similar.

 

[Dramx]

Thanks. Oh well. I'll have a look at ASUS AI. But that's really a pretty significant demerit to the whole PC architecture, that you can't do very basic things remotely.

 

[LMiller7]

In a general sense it is not possible to access the BIOS through Windows. The reason being that the BIOS is proprietary to the manufacturer. Where and how the BIOS stores it's settings is not documented and even Windows has no way to obtain this information. Only the BIOS configuration software built into the BIOS can do this and it cannot be accessed from Windows. The only exception would be with a utility supplied by the BIOS manufacturer designed for specific versions.

It would be convenient to access the BIOS from Windows. But convenience is not always a good thing. The problem is that if Windows could access the BIOS it could also be done with other software, including malicious. That would open up a whole new world of mayhem for malicious software, one which it's authors would take full advantage of. Protection methods could be devised but they could be evaded. BIOS viruses do exist but they are rare and very BIOS specific.

 

[Dramx]

Good points. But that's not a particularly good argument for having the BIOS separate from Windows. By that metric we should divide Windows up into pieces, each controlled by a different manufacturer, and only addressable separately. That would really cut down on malware, no? It would also hugely cut down on convenience and efficiency. The fact that you can't remotely control a PC at root level is, at least from where I sit, a major disadvantage.

 

[townsbg]

Good points. But that's not a particularly good argument for having the BIOS separate from Windows. By that metric we should divide Windows up into pieces, each controlled by a different manufacturer, and only addressable separately. That would really cut down on malware, no? It would also hugely cut down on convenience and efficiency. The fact that you can't remotely control a PC at root level is, at least from where I sit, a major disadvantage.

Do you have any kind of idea as to the damage an attacker can do to a computer if it is that exposed? Files can be restored, programs and operating systems can be reinstalled but a computer damaged at the BIOS level would have to be replaced. There are good reasons why the OS is separate from the BIOS. Realistically there really isn't any other way to do it since the OS is software and the BIOS is hardware.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Indeed pretty much why I got rid of AI tweak .. it's seemed more of a issue waiting to happen than any type of needed feature to me
Why have a utility around to make it easier for the bad guy's

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm not understanding why one would want to access the bios through Windows.

Dramx please enlighten me.

If one could reach the bios using Windows 7 you still would have to reboot before the changes would take effect.

 

[LMiller7]

At first thought control of the BIOS from Windows seems like a great idea. But like many "great" ideas they fall apart when confronted by the harsh facts of reality.

In theory universal control of the BIOS from Windows could be achieved. But some very serious technical hurdles would need to be overcome. Some of these issues I understand, but I am certain there are many others I do not.

But I think this would open a Pandors box of security problems. In a time when security is already such a serious problem I think the benefits are not worth the serious problems it would bring.

 

[Dramx]

I maintain PCs at a distance, that are in locales where there is no one who is BIOS-smart. In fact, a few are in locales where there are no people! I'd like to be able to maintain low-level PC functions remotely, as well as reboot remotely. The idea that you need to have hands-on for any PC functionality really seems to be somewhat archaic in this day and age.

P.S. I don't want to start any arguments, but with Macs, low level system edits can be made cleanly and easily through the OS terminal window.

 

[Layback Bear]

Dramx, please understand we are not arguing. We are just stating our opinions on your thread subject and our reasoning.

access to BIOS through Windows?

In my opinion the bios and it's functions is NOT a low level PC function.
Bios is the first critical function that must work properly or all else fails.

From post #12

I maintain PCs at a distance, that are in locales where there is no one who is BIOS-smart. In fact, a few are in locales where there are no people!

Once again I'm lost. I will monitor your thread to see if I can get un-lost.

Their are members on this forum that remotely access other computers but I'm not one of those members. I'm not understanding a need for remote access to a computers bios. What in the bios needs attention. I'm one of those that over clock so I do go into the bios more often than most.
The last time I went into the bios to fix a problem was to lower the over clock on the ram and that did solve the problem I was having.
Most people run the bios the way the computer was shipped to them. You are correct in my opinion most don't even know or care to know what bios is or does.

I do agree with the others; access to the bios using the operating system is a HUGE security risk.
I also have no idea what one can or can not do with a MAC computer.

Hopefully some members that do Remote Access can enlighten us on the need to do what your requesting with remote bios access.
I'm trying to understand the need and desire to do such a thing.

If you could explain your need or desire to remotely access bios it would help my 3 brain cells understand better.

Jack

 

[Dramx]

No arguments at all. I very much appreciate these thoughts about BIOS access, and I admit that if you have an OS that is malware-vulnerable, having the BIOS accessible to it is a bad idea.

I just ran into an issue the other day where a remote computer wasn't set up to automatically restart after a power failure. For a remote computer, that's a killer. My understanding is that this capability needs to be enabled BOTH in Windows and in the BIOS. Yes, that was evidently a fault that can be blamed on the tech who set it up, rather than on the PC, but it's unfortunate that I need to send a tech out to fix it properly even after I get a non-tech finger to restart it.

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you. Now I understand your desire to access the remote computer bios.

Just my opinion; I would think it's wiser to send a tech to fix the problem rather than setting up your remote computers for remote bios access. I'm not even sure remote bios access can be done. I am sure I don't know how to do such a thing.

Once again thanks for helping me understand your reasoning.

 

[townsbg]

P.S. I don't want to start any arguments, but with Macs, low level system edits can be made cleanly and easily through the OS terminal window.

These edits are done at the OS level rather than the hardware level. In fact there isn't a graphical menu for any such settings on a mac as there is on a pc. To be technical the BIOS is the system behind hardware communication. It is a common misconception to call the menu behind it the BIOS but that is technically called the CMOS. What is the difference between BIOS and CMOS? As I (and others) have stated not only is it at best unrealistic to expect Windows to be able to control CMOS settings but it is such a huge security risk that you really don't want that kind of exposure even if it does seem more convenient. If manufacturers built in that kind of functionality it would be a huge risk not only to workstations but also servers. A well planned attack at that level could permanently take out huge server farms or dns servers. That is the reason why what you are wanting hasn't been done. That is other than the logistics behind it beyond simple utilities that only provide access to limited features and not critical settings. Personally I don't ever want it done because just thinking about it sends chills down my back like watching a bad horror flick.

 

[Dramx]

As per my example, I can tell a Mac to reboot automatically in the OS. I can do that remotely. Can't do that on a PC. But that's certainly true that a PC BIOS in general allows more system adjustability than a Mac OS. I didn't mean to imply that a Mac could do all low-level system edits from the OS.

 

[townsbg]

Actually if you are remote connected to a PC using either the built in remote desktop or third party hosting then you can reboot a computer. What you can't do is shut it down and expect it to come up on it's own.

 

[Dramx]

Actually if you are remote connected to a PC using either the built in remote desktop or third party hosting then you can reboot a computer. What you can't do is shut it down and expect it to come up on it's own.

Well, sure. But that's not the point here. If the power goes out for one second, and the computer crashes, I'd like it to be smart enough to reboot. That smartness needs BIOS access in PCs.

 

[townsbg]

Oh you didn't specify. Sometimes that is an option in the bios settings.