@breakpoint :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Flashing a modded BIOS is never absolutely safe, but the method you are going to use is very safe, if you follow our guides.
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
Thank you Fernando for your quick answer.
I have another question related to my BIOS.
I have SLICed the original BIOS with the program made by Andyp from MyDigitalLife. Do you know any existing conflict with that kind of BIOSes and the UBU+MMtool method?
@breakpoint :
As long as you present a correctly pre-modded BIOS file (with the exact size of the original BIOS), the UBU tool will do its work properly.
Hello Fernando:
Thank you for the Guide(s).
It worked for me as expected.
My PC
ASUS P8P67 LE
CPU- Intel i5-2500 Sandy Bridge
BIOS 3801
OS Windows 7
As a result of this, now I have an Slower computer
Could be the time of a replacement
@Fernando :
I had no luck. I got to an error "18 Error Unable to start a Secure Flash Session"
I think I may have not renamed the file to match the original. I can’t always have the time to see these mistakes when there is a time pressure. I will update when I am successful.
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded fully quoted post replaced by directly addressing (to save space)
THX its has also worked on my P8Q77-M2, everything else failed.
@Fernando For newer Gigabyte motherboards with an EFIFlash.exe date modified of 24/01/2017 in the BIOS zip file, use this efiflash from @Mov_AX_0xDEAD : Flashing Gigabyte while avoiding “Invalid BIOS image” (2) I’ve personally tested it on my Z370 board and it works perfectly to flash modded BIOS.
I failed at the point of a failed security check repeatedly. Trying to flash it via the ASUS Flashback Utility on my P8Z77-V DELUXE the blue LED-button blinked a few times, then remained constant but no flashing happened. Does anyone have an idea what I could do to make it work or how I’d be able to circumvent this security check?
@Starhowl
i have also a ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe mboard. Do use Flashback button method using a small USB2.0 key properly FAT32, MBR structure formatted. It does work 100% sure !
@Fernando ,
Is there somewhere a Guide Line on how to flash a modded AMI UEFI BIOS Aptio 5 for MSI machines ?
Who can help me ?
I have modded (via UBU tool, UEFITool) original BIOS for a MSI portable PC without ‘flash back button’.
The current interface offered by MSI is thru UEFI, but does seem accept [“Secure Flash check” error message] only official MSI BIOS version and not the modded ones I have to test.
@100PIER :
>This< guide has been written by our BIOS Guru CodeRush.
You should better ask him. I am not an an expert regarding your problem.
Thanks Fernando, I do contact CodeRush.
@100PIER - AFU and Intel FPT both should be able to flash MSI Aptio V BIOS, be sure to use -savemac when flashing with Intel FTP
And always create a backup and verify it is in tact and OK before you do any flashing, so you have copy of your mac and serials etc.
Commands to backup BIOS
fptw -d backup.bin
afuwin.exe backupBIOSname.bin /0
@Lost_N_BIOS
Thank you for your reply.
As I am very new on AFU and Intel FPT tools I am discovering I will need your help and experience.
The current offered interface to update the MSI portable PC BIOS is thru the UEFI BIOS menu. I don’t see any ‘flash back button’ on MS GS63 Stealth 8RE W10 PC.
When submitting, under the MSI UEFI BIOS menu, the modded BIOS produced via UBU tool I get a ‘secure error’ message, and the modded BIOS can’t be flashed.
1) So, do you think that modding properly via AFU tool the already modded BIOS file, the MSI BIOS menu should accept the modded-modded BIOS file ? or do I have to use another procedure ?
2) If I assume the modded-modded BIOS file flash is possible, but does not start or is not working, how can I re-install the original BIOS if the BIOS menu is no longer offered ?
I am lost.
Sorry for my ignorance, but at the moment I don’t understand the procedure/concept for flashing MSI BIOS and would like avoid to brick this recent machine.
I am familiar with ASUS BIOS flashing procedur (very easy via the flash back button), but I discover that for MSI it is not the same simplicity…
Flash back is Asus. AFU does not modify any BIOS, only flashes BIOS. Yes, if you modify the BIOS you have to use another method besides BIOS built in flashing method or you get security issue.
For MSI, if you have a bad flash, you need CH341A flash programmer to recover, and either jumper cables with that or a PCB adapter like this one (MSI JSPI External Flashrom module)
It’s available from this seller on ebay, send him message and ask for MSI JSPI External Flashrom module set - https://www.ebay.com/itm/271313593344
You can either use this with CH341A programmer, or the one linked above from ebay (Better, but more $$)
There is also this guide for MSI recovery
https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=174985.0
https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=116721.0
You should be able to flash modified BIOS with AFU from DOS, but you may need to use /GAN switch (and older ES versions AFU) as outlined in the guide Fernando linked above.
If you are unsure if your BIOS mod is OK, upload your BIOS here and we can check to see if it looks OK. What all mods did you do to the BIOS?
@Lost_N_BIOS
Thanks for your clear reply. About the CH341A flash programmer method I don’t see how I can use it.
I have no access to the BIOS component because if I open the PC portable the warranty does no longer apply.
Moreover I don’t understand on how does work the BIOS component reprogrammation.
Practically, do we have to unsolder the current component on the motherboard (if accessible) ?, install it into the programmer (if compatible) ?, program it using another PC ? (under W10 interface ?), resold the component on the original machine and then do test.
For me all these manipulations are very risky and out of my skill, and does break the MSI warranty of this recent machine. It is not doable for me.
I do prefer, if possible, a pure ‘software’ BIOS recovering solution working 100%, and if it is not possible with MSI notebook it is dommageable for me.
The 2 mods I have done on the original BIOS are minor update (via UBU tool), and a major mod (via UEFITool) to replace the original AMI NVMe BIOS module with the “NvmExpressDxe_4” NVMe BIOS module.
The purpose of the NVMe modding is to try if NvmExpressDxe_4 does fix the severe performance issue I detected with this NVMe machine equipped with a Samsung NVMe PM981 512GB.
Here is attached the zipped modded BIOS file.
E16K5IMS.zip (5.08 MB)
Yes, it only can apply if you want to respect that, and in such cases BIOS flashing can be held against you too and they not honor warranty. That tool is only to recover if you have a bad flash, last resort etc.
No, soldering is not necessary, there is cable with clip I showed or the PCB adapter I linked has a MSI specific plug on one end that connects to MSI motherboards.
Show me an image of your motherboard I can show you which pin header the PCB adapter type connects to, and I can show you the BIOS chip where you would use the clip cable type adapter as well.
The programmer is USB, run in windows or Linux you write to the failed BIOS either via cable if using the cable or to a spare rom that comes with the PCB type adapter. No soldering needed for either method.
There is no pure software recovery method for bricked BIOS, normally if that happens you cannot even boot to DOS so there is no way to recover other than above.
You have to accept these challenges when you want to modify your BIOS, any time you flash a modified BIOS you risk bricking the motherboard, there is no way around that other than trying to be 100% sure BIOS is OK before flashing.
What did you update with UBU tool? I’ll check the downloads and see if it all look OK, if it does that is till only my hope after checking all “Looks OK” there is no 100% certainty
* Never mind above question - I checked and see you updated CPU microcodes, and the NVME mod, is all I noticed but I didn’t check other roms UBU might update.
The file looks OK, no odd errors in any programs, I would feel OK flashing it if it were me.
Flash with AFU from DOS or Intel FPT (make backup with both first! and be sure to use -savemac with FPT)
Here’s how from windows with FPT - >> FPTW.exe -F E16K5IMS.10C -savemac -BIOS
You will need FPT from Intel system tools V12 - https://mega.nz/#!GZtHHQhI!EUAG9vM4wnAH_…nzh66iOSWWevrOk
This will flash the “BIOS” region only, will not flash ME or Descriptor. Go into Flash programming tool, then win folder (not win64).
Run command prompt from the “WIN” folder. Back out of the win folder, right click win while holding shift button, select open command window here.
Then copy/paste the above command (Paste with mouse only, control + V does not work here)
If it fails to flash with error, you may have to do the flash from DOS with same commands only using the DOS version from DOS folder.
Modified BIOS will not flash with regular MSI BIOS updating methods, you have to use FPT or AFU
@Lost_N_BIOS
Many thanks for your help and i have to print and digest when I get time.
At the moment I have never open the PC (not tried for warranty breaking if stucked screws are modified) ans so I can’t give you a image of the motherboard.
You said the USB programmer is for recovery and does run Windows or Linux, but if the BIOS notebook is dead how can you run Windows interface ?
I assume we have to use another W10 PC ? Is it correct ?
About mods done via UBU tool here are the screenshots:
Original status:
Final status:
You would use the flash programming tools on another computer, to get the recovery BIOS module ready, or if using cable use other computer to flash directly from that PC to your laptop. You can use any other computer, windows any version etc.
All that is only necessary if BIOS flash fails, same for opening up the system, only necessary if flash fails and you want to recover vs trying to get them to RMA/reflash the BIOS for you.
Thanks for the images. As mentioned above, I checked the BIOS already many ways, and saw your modifications, all looks good to me. As long as your CPU is not 806EA CPUID, since you removed that CPUID.
If you are unsure, tell me your CPU model, or lookup yourself on CPU-world and see the CPUID and make sure it’s not 806EA
@Lost_N_BIOS ,
My CPU is "906EA" as reported by InSpectre, CPUID, HWiNFO, Intel CPU ID, or SIV64 tools.
The severe SSD NVMe Samsung PM981 performance issue is self-explained by this screen:
The purpose of the same ATTO test run with the modded BIOS (original "AMI" NVMe BIOS module replaced with "NvmExpressDxe_4" NVMe BIOS module) is to verify if the source of the performance Read issue (only 1/3 of the Samsung specifications) is the NVMe BIOS module or not.
The expected normal ATTO test result of PM981 should be similar to this one run on X99 for a 970PRO device:
