Thank you,
I can try to do it myself if there is some guide to follow.
Having an external flasher I cannot do any catastrophic errors.
Just there is one thing I fail to understand:
If I erase and reprogram the bios chip with the programmer, why the ME portion isn’t correctly loaded?
Seems like it is on a separate chip outside of the bios.
No…not in these bios generation yet, only some modern ones 16/32Mb up and/or some OEM choices, of using multiple ICs.
Your ME FW image is a partition on the main Bios SPI IC, the SOIC8 DIP.
When its corrupted, no regular tools will fix it, only cleaning/reinitialize the image and manualy programm the (1 as whole IC in your case) present mboard SPI ICs.
EDIT: Not all Asus bios files are ready for use in programmer…most modern bios generations, even worse, yours should be ready…so yes.
All images must be extracted from the CAPSULE (signature) or won’t work in programming.
The downside of this operation is getting a bios flashed with no original data, that needs to be taken from old original dump. Plenty of info on the forum to read and learn.
Not sure I understood, if I use an external programmer like a T48 or ch341a I should be able to wipe completely the chip.
Assuming it is not damaged.
The T48 can take .cap files. I used it multiple times with ASUS motherboards.
And I can extract the .bin portion from the .cap file and flash it with afudos or the ch341a.
Done this also multiple times.
There should me more.
So basically if I use another blank eeprom and reprogram it with a bios taken from ASUS website, I would obtain the same result?
I programmed the bios with my T48.
I still have N/A on ME version I am afraid.
I am at a loss.
Not possible…you’re doing something wrong.
What did you program then, your dump, fixed with karfel the shared ME FW image or Asus bios file?
Karfel shared the Z97P.cap bios, it was complete, not only a portion.
And I flashed it with my T48. No luck
Reverted to the first bios release, with Flashback method. This time, after rebooting I saw the familiar phrase “bios updating…” on top of the screen.
It happens when other parts of the board, apart the bios chip itself, are updating.
So maybe the ME portion is somewhere else after all (I read on badcaps that it shoud be loaded into the PCH itself).
Unfortunately, after rebooting, I obtain again a big fat N/A…
Probably I should follow this instructions:
But it is way too complicated for me to be honest.
Sir…get the Asus bios file v2702, open your original dump with FD44 editor and transfer your mb data to the 2702 CAP file, now extract the Intel image with UEFI tool 0.28/0.25, save it as 2702.bin and program the IC.
Later update it to latest 3503 using USB BFB and in windows after correct ME Driver installed, manually update the ME FW to 9.1.40.1000, according the guide.
Job done and finished.
Nothing more to add as it’s the correct procedure for recovering this generation board/bios with a programmer.
Ok,
since I am not sure of anything I will do it step by step and show you.
First I dumped the bios with FPTw.exe
Is it correct?
No damm it, can’t you see that you just dumped a bios_region of 6Mb and the SPI is 8Mb…its right in front of you to READ…ON A SCREEN!!!
If the ME FW partition is part of the full SPI data, where do you want to merge a shared/fixed new ME FW image or how do you want to fix the whole SPI Bios with only a portion.
Do you even read the linked guides/threads… you don’t to read fine, you can stop right here.
Use the damm programmer to read and save sir…unbelivable…
EDIT: Oh i will for sure… you can take my word for it.
Hey,
calm down a bit do you?
Thanks for the help by the way.
Update:
I correctly saved a copy of current bios with afudos.
Using uefitool I see that the ME portion is empty.
@karfel I swapped (replaced) the ME portion with the one provided. The operation seemed to be successful.
But I flashed the modded bios both with Afudos /GAN command and with external programmer.
Same result, N/A at ME version.
I correctly saved a copy of current bios with afudos.
why don’t you use the programmer? it will fully dump your bios.
I swapped (replaced) the ME portion with the one provided. The operation seemed to be successful.
you should do clean dump (chap D3) method, not just replace it right away, the easier way has already been mentioned by MeatWar before…
the programmer should do the job in the first place if you use it correctly. I’m sorry, the file I’ve provided is just asus stock bios with updated ME, etc.
you didn’t mention what software you use with programmer. try NeoProgrammer with ch314, it has better wide support, and if you’re too busy and don’t have time to read the guide, it’s better to go to the repair shop.
edit : if there are still any problem, just send me your dump file and i will clean dump it for you
Thank you Karfel.
I fail and fail.
It is ok, I call it experience.
Your provided file is perfect, why you are sorry??
First, as mentioned, I am using a Xgecu T48 programmer and its software (Xgpro)that is far more complete and functional than any ch341a programmer and any tools.
I am reading thru the guide as I already did, but my problem is that I do not have any ME region.
It is empty.
If needed I will upload my dump.
So I have difficulties on the very beginning of the guide:
“ D3. ME 7 - 10 & TXE 1 - 2
In this section we have taken as an example a SPI/BIOS image dump of a model which comes with ME firmware version 9.1.x.xxxx and SKU 1.5MB. However, the same applies to all ME 7 - 10 and TXE 1 - 2 firmware.”……
That said, I am sure I am missing something.
When I program your provided file with external programmer, the ME region is empty again.
I am still convinced that part of the code is not stored on the EEPROM but on the PCH.
In fact with some bios versions you see two steps of update and you will see the write “bios updating…” after rebooting of the system for some seconds and then reboots again.
In that moment probably ME updates.
I will try to fail with @MeatWar method today.
No luck.
No methods work.
All bios images I use are alive and well with ME portion visible, I can check with UefiTool.
But whenever I flash the chip, the ME portion is empty again and I see N/A in bios.
I can use flashback, afudos or external programmer.
I even used an old ch341a I had with asprogrammer. Same.
Tried to edit a dump, unlocking read/write of all regions (following the guide), it went well.
Then used ftk9 guide from Coderush, apparently went ok.
Guess what?
N/A after rebooting.
I think something is wrong at hardware level.
Pretty much like what happened to this guy:
Update.
There is something new.
After unlocking the descriptor region, now the chip dump has indeed a ME region.
At least it is an improvement…
So the region is there, but bios still says N/A and of course installing drivers gives me error of non supported platform.
Dump uploaded.
dump.rar (4.9 MB)
here, after reflash, run this command with FPTw as administrator.
fptw64 -greset
edit :
I am still convinced that part of the code is not stored on the EEPROM but on the PCH.
this motherboard ME is stored in the same place as your bios region (25Q64BVAIG).
Thank you.
Unfortunately I obtain the same result.
This is what I obtain using MEinfo under DOS (booting from usb).
sorry, i couldn’t help any more. at this point, it is already beyond my capability.
Program the IC with this file
Z97P.rar (4.9 MB)
After write, read again the IC, save it and compare both files.
And what codes have the mb displayed on the Debug Led.
Will do.
Meanwhile, I ordered two eeprom chips to rule out undetected corruption of the original one.
