Frequently asked.

All changes are reversible via CMOS reset.

setup_var.efi is a UEFI shell tool that reads and writes individual bytes in NVRAM:

The risk rating is a recommendation — the higher the level, the more likely a wrong change can cause boot problems.

Boot Guard (hardware-fused) blocks ROM patches, but not NVRAM changes.

• 1. CMOS reset — remove motherboard battery for 30 seconds or use the Clear CMOS button.
• 2. BIOS recovery — ASRock Instant Flash, ASUS FlashBack, MSI Flash BIOS Button, Gigabyte Q-Flash Plus.
• 3. Dual BIOS — Gigabyte boards have two BIOS chips as automatic fallback.

A modern BIOS ROM contains 10+ different firmware components:

The Firmware Dashboard compares AMD and Intel firmware versions with a toggle between the platforms: AGESA / CSME timeline, changelog, vendor matrix and settings diff between versions.

The CSME (Converged Security and Management Engine) is a standalone processor in the chipset that handles Secure Boot, Boot Guard, TPM and hardware initialization.

The CSME version is security-relevant — older versions have known vulnerabilities (e.g. SA-00086).

The Dashboard is the home page for logged-in users. For each uploaded BIOS:

• Donut chart — visible vs. hidden settings
• AI analysis — on-demand forensics report (Claude API)
• NSH workshop — OC unlock script or simulator
• Badge center — forum signature (dark / light / compact)
• Version comparison — settings between BIOS versions

The AI analysis uses the Claude API to forensically assess the analyzed BIOS:

• Overview — security rating (1–5), platform type, summary
• Findings — up to 8 findings sorted by relevance with evidence references
• Recommendations — up to 5 concrete recommendations with setup_var.efi commands
• Deep dive — topic buttons (OC, security, memory, power, virt, boot)

OC Unlock identifies hidden overclocking settings and generates an unlock script:

Hardware verification ensures the IFR analysis is correct:

• 1. On upload a verify.nsh is generated that reads 6–20 probe settings
• 2. The script is run on hardware in the UEFI shell
• 3. The report.txt is uploaded. With > 50 % match the BIOS is considered verified

The Database shows all community-analyzed BIOSes by manufacturer. Each BIOS shows settings count, firmware versions, verification status and community mods.

For each BIOS a dynamic SVG badge is generated for forum signatures.

Available in Dark, Light and Compact.

Registered users will be able to share mods in the future — tested setting changes for specific use cases (e.g. „CFG Lock disabled for Linux undervolting“).

Mods can be created via NSH upload or manually and rated by the community.

• ROM file — Stored in a protected directory (not publicly accessible) and can be deleted by the administrator.
• IFR data — The extracted setting structures are stored in the database and publicly accessible through it.
• No personal data — No serial numbers, OEM keys, MAC addresses or other identifying information.
• No tracking — No third-party cookies, no Google Analytics. All data exclusively on servers in Germany.

• AMI Aptio V — standard for desktop boards. Full support including setup_var.efi modding.
• Insyde H2O — common in laptops. IFR analysis works, but setup_var.efi is not compatible.
• PFAT — ASRock-specific with BIOS Guard blocks, automatically detected.
• DualBIOS — Gigabyte 48–64 MB ROMs, primary region is automatically analyzed.
• ZIP files — ROM files inside ZIPs are automatically extracted.

Traditional tools only find 500–1000 settings in the primary setup module. Our analyzer scans all 500+ FFS modules in the decompressed firmware volumes for IFR data and deduplicates by VarStore + offset + size.

Result: ASRock X870E Taichi rises from 500 to 3,208 settings, MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi to 9,460 settings.