Before ME12 one could use a configured ME region for an update. But you can’t be sure that an update is configured properly for this machine since the update process doesn’t worry anout any configuration data but updates just the code partitions of an ME region. So the udate file might ot might not be configured correctly for your machine.
So you have to check the update file in FIT if it has the correct configuration, if so you might use it as a region. But what’s all this about?
The link you gave is a procedure to update older workstations from ME7 to ME8 and the MEBLAST folder contains a complete firmware image, not just the ME. So there’s no ‘earlier’, this is a single special case for the upgrade from ME 7 to ME 8.
That’s different models, the one you asked for first is Z1 G2, Z228, Z230, Z440, Z640 and Z840 Workstations, the ones you mentioned later are for Z420, Z620, Z820, Z1 G1, Z210 CMT, and Z210.
What kinda machine do you want to update from which version to which version?
Of course, you are correct, these are 2 different workstation series!
I want a clean ME image for Z440 (exactly sized to the flash chip ME region), but using that early meblast-like procedure from Z420. So would be doing this on Z440 with clean ME 9.1:
fpt.exe -ME -f me91_clean_image.bin
Probably all data regions in the clean image will be filled with FF, except for byte 0x400 which would be “01” to initialize the ME.
Hi, I followed the instructions to clean ME region, but after flashing with fptw command, ME Firmware Version in BIOS still shows 0.0.0.0. My laptop has a replaced PCH so I need to clean ME region.
The original BIOS I extracted from another laptop of the same model: GF63_8RD_BIOS_Stock.bin - Google Drive
And the BIOS I cleaned myself: GF63_8RD_BIOS_Stock_Clean.bin - Google Drive
I tried to extract the BIOS back to the flashed version and the File System State was Initialized. Once I entered the BIOS I saw that the ME Firmware Version was there and displayed the correct version, but after a few restarts, it returned to 0.0.0.0.
Sorry my English is not good, I hope everyone can help me check if my file is wrong, thank you!
MSI provides complete firmware images (at least for the two types mentioned). Use the ME region from a stock MSI bios corresponding to your machine type. The ME region has a state of ‘configured’ = ‘cleaned’.
I managed to follow the steps for CSME 11 (section D4) all the way to Step 14. Unfortunately even though I have read access to the FD, I don’t have write access at all. I have my cleaned image ready to flash and everything. My HP EliteDesk G3 800 SFF’s motherboard has an FDO jumper pin that I can utilize, but when I attempt to boot the machine with those pins shorted, all it did was power on the system for like maybe 10 seconds, then it just suddenly powers back off (the BIOS logo never shows in that time).
I’ve also tried treating the jumper pins like the pinmod method - power on with the pins shorted, then removing the jumper after it powers up. Unfortunately that didn’t do anything either.
Does anyone know how the FDO pins on these boards are supposed to be used?
The user was able to run MEInfo on a firmware with a cleaned ME and and his own still working firmware.
The firmware with the cleaned ME had an identical bios region and identical flash descriptor, so settings in FD and bios region (NVRAM) can’t be relevant here. Still the cleaned ME didn’t have touch and the output of MEInfo was different:
I searched here, closest was this thread, but these are FD bits as far as I could find out and FD is unchanged.
I unpacked ME regions of the working (old118.bin) and cleaned (031024e.bin) firmware (MEA -unp86) but couldn’t find any hint where this settings could be stored in MFS.
Tried several FIT versions down to 11.0.0.1202 - the version the Surface firmware originally was composed with. But these settings aren’t covered by FIT and accordingly don’t show in the xml- files.
Read the bringup- guides as far as available, but there’s only information on Flash Descriptor Records.
@lfb6 It has been a couple of years since I dealt with ME, and I’m already forgetting, but I think this kind of thing can be changed via Flash Programming Tool, by modifying NVAR configuration (-cfggen etc). Check the FPT NVAR chapter of the System Tools User Guide.
I also found this, when searching the forum, in case it helps (no idea if these apply to CSME 11, but the year might indicate that it does):
OK, Thank you, I’ll have a look into the fpt commands!
Tried already, but don’t have a ME 11 machine at hand, unfortunately. ME 14 already has a FIT section for precise touch, so there wasn’t anything to find there.
Edit:
Of course youwere right! I could read the variable for ME 14, too:
