u/Candid_Television_71

Hello, I tried installing Mint on my Asus B9450FA laptop (BIOS 319). I followed the instructions from Claude and Deepseek, but we weren't able to switch to RST. Additionally, I confirmed that BIOS v319 doesn't offer the option to switch to AHCI and that the vmd module isn't compatible with this hardware. I’m specifically looking for other users of the same model who have successfully installed Linux natively to learn their method.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hardware:

Laptop: ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA

BIOS: version 319 (InsydeH2O) – latest available

CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U (Ice Lake)

Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD (internal) – Windows 11 installed

Goal: Install Linux Mint 22.3 in dual boot (NVMe invisible under RST)

https://www.asus.com/us/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-b9-b9450/techspec/

Problem in short:

The BIOS does not expose an option to switch SATA mode from Intel RST (RAID) to AHCI. Without AHCI, Linux cannot detect the internal NVMe drive. We have tried to modify the UEFI variable PchSetup directly, but the change does not persist – the firmware reverts it on every reboot.

What we did (detailed):

Preparation:

BitLocker fully decrypted on all partitions.

Fast Boot disabled in BIOS.

Secure Boot enabled (did not block UEFI Shell access).

storahci driver prepared in Windows registry (Start = 0x0).

Identified the correct byte:

Dumped PchSetup from /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ in Linux Mint live.

The RAID/AHCI control byte is at offset 0x08 in the efivars dump (9th byte of the first line).

In the pch.bin file exported by dmpstore, the equivalent offset is 0x32 (due to a 0x30-byte EFI header).

Current value = 0x03 (RAID), target = 0x00 (AHCI).

No checksum or interdependency found in the full dump.

Attempted modification:

Used dmpstore in UEFI Shell (Ventoy USB) to export PchSetup to pch.bin.

Edited pch.bin with PowerShell (also tried HxD) – changed byte at offset 0x32 from 0x03 to 0x00.

Used a second script (startup2.nsh) to re-import the modified pch.bin into NVRAM (dmpstore -l).

Verified after reboot: the byte in efivars is still 0x03 – the change did not persist.

What we ruled out:

No hidden SATA mode option in BIOS (confirmed by ASUS support docs and binary analysis).

No vmd module needed (Ice Lake does not use Intel VMD; that is for Tiger Lake+).

No obvious checksum or write protection error message – dmpstore -l succeeded without errors, but the firmware silently overrides the value.

Collaboration:

Two AI assistants (DeepSeek and Claude) worked together on this. DeepSeek guided the step-by-step procedure, Claude acted as quality control and cross‑checked each technical decision. Both confirmed that the firmware actively rejects writes to this variable – likely a deliberate lock by ASUS.

Current status:

Windows 11 still works normally (RST mode).

Linux Mint live still cannot see the NVMe.

No data loss or hardware damage.

Questions for the community:

Has anyone successfully switched an ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA (or similar InsydeH2O laptop) from RST to AHCI? If so, how?

Is there any known hidden EFI variable or alternative method (e.g., setup_var, ru.efi, or a specific BIOS key combination) that works on this model?

Could a BIOS mod (like unlocking hidden menus) be a feasible last resort?

Thank you very much in advance. Any insight is appreciated.

Hello, I tried installing Mint on my Asus B9450FA laptop (BIOS 319). I followed the instructions from Claude and Deepseek, but we weren't able to switch to RST. Additionally, I confirmed that BIOS v319 doesn't offer the option to switch to AHCI and that the vmd module isn't compatible with this hardware. I’m specifically looking for other users of the same model who have successfully installed Linux natively to learn their method.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hardware:

Laptop: ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA

BIOS: version 319 (InsydeH2O) – latest available

CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U (Ice Lake)

Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD (internal) – Windows 11 installed

Goal: Install Linux Mint 22.3 in dual boot (NVMe invisible under RST)

https://www.asus.com/us/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-b9-b9450/techspec/

Problem in short:

The BIOS does not expose an option to switch SATA mode from Intel RST (RAID) to AHCI. Without AHCI, Linux cannot detect the internal NVMe drive. We have tried to modify the UEFI variable PchSetup directly, but the change does not persist – the firmware reverts it on every reboot.

What we did (detailed):

Preparation:

BitLocker fully decrypted on all partitions.

Fast Boot disabled in BIOS.

Secure Boot enabled (did not block UEFI Shell access).

storahci driver prepared in Windows registry (Start = 0x0).

Identified the correct byte:

Dumped PchSetup from /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ in Linux Mint live.

The RAID/AHCI control byte is at offset 0x08 in the efivars dump (9th byte of the first line).

In the pch.bin file exported by dmpstore, the equivalent offset is 0x32 (due to a 0x30-byte EFI header).

Current value = 0x03 (RAID), target = 0x00 (AHCI).

No checksum or interdependency found in the full dump.

Attempted modification:

Used dmpstore in UEFI Shell (Ventoy USB) to export PchSetup to pch.bin.

Edited pch.bin with PowerShell (also tried HxD) – changed byte at offset 0x32 from 0x03 to 0x00.

Used a second script (startup2.nsh) to re-import the modified pch.bin into NVRAM (dmpstore -l).

Verified after reboot: the byte in efivars is still 0x03 – the change did not persist.

What we ruled out:

No hidden SATA mode option in BIOS (confirmed by ASUS support docs and binary analysis).

No vmd module needed (Ice Lake does not use Intel VMD; that is for Tiger Lake+).

No obvious checksum or write protection error message – dmpstore -l succeeded without errors, but the firmware silently overrides the value.

Collaboration:

Two AI assistants (DeepSeek and Claude) worked together on this. DeepSeek guided the step-by-step procedure, Claude acted as quality control and cross‑checked each technical decision. Both confirmed that the firmware actively rejects writes to this variable – likely a deliberate lock by ASUS.

Current status:

Windows 11 still works normally (RST mode).

Linux Mint live still cannot see the NVMe.

No data loss or hardware damage.

Questions for the community:

Has anyone successfully switched an ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA (or similar InsydeH2O laptop) from RST to AHCI? If so, how?

Is there any known hidden EFI variable or alternative method (e.g., setup_var, ru.efi, or a specific BIOS key combination) that works on this model?

Could a BIOS mod (like unlocking hidden menus) be a feasible last resort?

Thank you very much in advance. Any insight is appreciated.

Hola, intenté instalar Mint en mi portátil Asus B9450FA (BIOS 319). Usé la ayuda de Claude y Deepseek en conjunto, pero no logramos cambiar RST.Además, confirmé que la BIOS v319 no expone la opción de cambio a AHCI y que el módulo vmd no es compatible con este hardware. Busco específicamente a otros usuarios del mismo modelo, que hayan logrado instalar Linux de forma nativa para conocer su método.

Desde ya agradezco la ayuda.

Hardware:

· Portátil: ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA

· BIOS: versión 319 (InsydeH2O) – última disponible

· CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U (Ice Lake)

· Almacenamiento: SSD NVMe 1 TB interno – Windows 11 instalado

· Objetivo: Instalar Linux Mint 22.3 en dual boot (el NVMe es invisible bajo RST)

· https://www.asus.com/us/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-b9-b9450/techspec/

Problema en resumen:

La BIOS no expone ninguna opción para cambiar el modo SATA de Intel RST (RAID) a AHCI. Sin AHCI, Linux no puede detectar la unidad NVMe interna. Hemos intentado modificar directamente la variable UEFI PchSetup, pero el cambio no persiste – el firmware lo revierte en cada reinicio.

Qué hemos hecho (detallado):

1. Preparación:

o BitLocker descifrado completamente en todas las particiones.

o Fast Boot desactivado en la BIOS.

o Secure Boot activado (no bloqueó el acceso a la UEFI Shell).

o Driver storahci preparado en el registro de Windows (Start = 0x0).

2. Identificación del byte correcto:

o Obtuvimos el volcado de PchSetup desde /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ en Linux Mint live.

o El byte de control RAID/AHCI está en el offset 0x08 del volcado efivars (9º byte de la primera línea).

o En el archivo pch.bin exportado por dmpstore, el offset equivalente es 0x32 (debido a una cabecera EFI de 0x30 bytes).

o Valor actual = 0x03 (RAID), objetivo = 0x00 (AHCI).

o No se detectó checksum ni interdependencia en el volcado completo.

3. Intento de modificación:

o Usamos dmpstore en la UEFI Shell (USB con Ventoy) para exportar PchSetup a pch.bin.

o Editamos pch.bin con PowerShell (también probamos HxD) – cambiamos el byte en offset 0x32 de 0x03 a 0x00.

o Usamos un segundo script (startup2.nsh) para reimportar el pch.bin modificado a la NVRAM (dmpstore -l).

o Verificamos tras reiniciar: el byte en efivars sigue siendo 0x03 – el cambio no persistió.

4. Qué descartamos:

o No hay opción oculta en la BIOS para cambiar el modo SATA (confirmado por documentos de ASUS y análisis del binario).

o El módulo vmd de Linux no aplica (Ice Lake no usa Intel VMD, eso es para Tiger Lake+).

o No hay un checksum evidente ni un mensaje de error de escritura – dmpstore -l se ejecutó sin errores, pero el firmware sobrescribe el valor silenciosamente.

Colaboración:

Dos asistentes de IA (DeepSeek y Claude) trabajaron juntos en esto. DeepSeek guió el procedimiento paso a paso, Claude actuó como control de calidad y revisó cada decisión técnica. Ambos confirmaron que el firmware rechaza activamente la escritura a esta variable – probablemente un bloqueo deliberado por parte de ASUS.

Estado actual:

· Windows 11 sigue funcionando con normalidad (modo RST).

· Linux Mint live sigue sin ver el NVMe.

· No hay pérdida de datos ni daño al hardware.

Preguntas para la comunidad:

1. ¿Alguien ha conseguido cambiar con éxito un ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA (o un portátil similar con InsydeH2O) de RST a AHCI? Si es así, ¿cómo?

2. ¿Existe alguna variable EFI oculta conocida o un método alternativo (ej. setup_var, ru.efi, o alguna combinación de teclas en la BIOS) que funcione en este modelo?

3. ¿Sería viable una modificación de la BIOS (como desbloquear menús ocultos) como último recurso?

4. Si no, ¿qué alternativa recomendarían:

Muchas gracias de antemano. Cualquier ayuda es bienvenida.

Hello, I tried installing Mint on my Asus B9450FA laptop (BIOS 319). I followed the instructions from Claude and Deepseek, but we weren't able to switch to RST. Additionally, I confirmed that BIOS v319 doesn't offer the option to switch to AHCI and that the vmd module isn't compatible with this hardware. I’m specifically looking for other users of the same model who have successfully installed Linux natively to learn their method.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hardware:

Laptop: ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA

BIOS: version 319 (InsydeH2O) – latest available

CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U (Ice Lake)

Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD (internal) – Windows 11 installed

Goal: Install Linux Mint 22.3 in dual boot (NVMe invisible under RST)

https://www.asus.com/us/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-b9-b9450/techspec/

Problem in short:

The BIOS does not expose an option to switch SATA mode from Intel RST (RAID) to AHCI. Without AHCI, Linux cannot detect the internal NVMe drive. We have tried to modify the UEFI variable PchSetup directly, but the change does not persist – the firmware reverts it on every reboot.

What we did (detailed):

Preparation:

BitLocker fully decrypted on all partitions.

Fast Boot disabled in BIOS.

Secure Boot enabled (did not block UEFI Shell access).

storahci driver prepared in Windows registry (Start = 0x0).

Identified the correct byte:

Dumped PchSetup from /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ in Linux Mint live.

The RAID/AHCI control byte is at offset 0x08 in the efivars dump (9th byte of the first line).

In the pch.bin file exported by dmpstore, the equivalent offset is 0x32 (due to a 0x30-byte EFI header).

Current value = 0x03 (RAID), target = 0x00 (AHCI).

No checksum or interdependency found in the full dump.

Attempted modification:

Used dmpstore in UEFI Shell (Ventoy USB) to export PchSetup to pch.bin.

Edited pch.bin with PowerShell (also tried HxD) – changed byte at offset 0x32 from 0x03 to 0x00.

Used a second script (startup2.nsh) to re-import the modified pch.bin into NVRAM (dmpstore -l).

Verified after reboot: the byte in efivars is still 0x03 – the change did not persist.

What we ruled out:

No hidden SATA mode option in BIOS (confirmed by ASUS support docs and binary analysis).

No vmd module needed (Ice Lake does not use Intel VMD; that is for Tiger Lake+).

No obvious checksum or write protection error message – dmpstore -l succeeded without errors, but the firmware silently overrides the value.

Collaboration:

Two AI assistants (DeepSeek and Claude) worked together on this. DeepSeek guided the step-by-step procedure, Claude acted as quality control and cross‑checked each technical decision. Both confirmed that the firmware actively rejects writes to this variable – likely a deliberate lock by ASUS.

Current status:

Windows 11 still works normally (RST mode).

Linux Mint live still cannot see the NVMe.

No data loss or hardware damage.

Questions for the community:

Has anyone successfully switched an ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA (or similar InsydeH2O laptop) from RST to AHCI? If so, how?

Is there any known hidden EFI variable or alternative method (e.g., setup_var, ru.efi, or a specific BIOS key combination) that works on this model?

Could a BIOS mod (like unlocking hidden menus) be a feasible last resort?

Thank you very much in advance. Any insight is appreciated.

Hello, I tried installing Mint on my Asus B9450FA laptop (BIOS 319). I followed the instructions from Claude and Deepseek, but we weren't able to switch to RST. Additionally, I confirmed that BIOS v319 doesn't offer the option to switch to AHCI and that the vmd module isn't compatible with this hardware. I’m specifically looking for other users of the same model who have successfully installed Linux natively to learn their method.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hardware:

Laptop: ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA

BIOS: version 319 (InsydeH2O) – latest available

CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U (Ice Lake)

Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD (internal) – Windows 11 installed

Goal: Install Linux Mint 22.3 in dual boot (NVMe invisible under RST)

https://www.asus.com/us/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-b9-b9450/techspec/

Problem in short:

The BIOS does not expose an option to switch SATA mode from Intel RST (RAID) to AHCI. Without AHCI, Linux cannot detect the internal NVMe drive. We have tried to modify the UEFI variable PchSetup directly, but the change does not persist – the firmware reverts it on every reboot.

What we did (detailed):

Preparation:

BitLocker fully decrypted on all partitions.

Fast Boot disabled in BIOS.

Secure Boot enabled (did not block UEFI Shell access).

storahci driver prepared in Windows registry (Start = 0x0).

Identified the correct byte:

Dumped PchSetup from /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ in Linux Mint live.

The RAID/AHCI control byte is at offset 0x08 in the efivars dump (9th byte of the first line).

In the pch.bin file exported by dmpstore, the equivalent offset is 0x32 (due to a 0x30-byte EFI header).

Current value = 0x03 (RAID), target = 0x00 (AHCI).

No checksum or interdependency found in the full dump.

Attempted modification:

Used dmpstore in UEFI Shell (Ventoy USB) to export PchSetup to pch.bin.

Edited pch.bin with PowerShell (also tried HxD) – changed byte at offset 0x32 from 0x03 to 0x00.

Used a second script (startup2.nsh) to re-import the modified pch.bin into NVRAM (dmpstore -l).

Verified after reboot: the byte in efivars is still 0x03 – the change did not persist.

What we ruled out:

No hidden SATA mode option in BIOS (confirmed by ASUS support docs and binary analysis).

No vmd module needed (Ice Lake does not use Intel VMD; that is for Tiger Lake+).

No obvious checksum or write protection error message – dmpstore -l succeeded without errors, but the firmware silently overrides the value.

Collaboration:

Two AI assistants (DeepSeek and Claude) worked together on this. DeepSeek guided the step-by-step procedure, Claude acted as quality control and cross‑checked each technical decision. Both confirmed that the firmware actively rejects writes to this variable – likely a deliberate lock by ASUS.

Current status:

Windows 11 still works normally (RST mode).

Linux Mint live still cannot see the NVMe.

No data loss or hardware damage.

Questions for the community:

Has anyone successfully switched an ASUS ExpertBook B9450FA (or similar InsydeH2O laptop) from RST to AHCI? If so, how?

Is there any known hidden EFI variable or alternative method (e.g., setup_var, ru.efi, or a specific BIOS key combination) that works on this model?

Could a BIOS mod (like unlocking hidden menus) be a feasible last resort?

Thank you very much in advance. Any insight is appreciated.