@cuongvfc - What is the actual motherboard? And what is the stock flashing tool included in the download? If it’s an EXE and you are not sure, link me to the exe.
In general though, the answer will probably be no, you may need to get a flash programmer (Like CH341A) and SOIC8 test clip cable if it’s a soldered on BIOS.
If it’s “Intel” branded motherboard, you must get the programmer and cable, dump the BIOS and then modify that and program it back, that’s the only way for Intel
Unless you can pinmod the board to unlock the FD, dump the entire BIOS with FPT, then mod that and unlock the FD, then write it back with FPT. I
Pinmod method is here in section E - [Guide] Unlock Intel Flash Descriptor Read/Write Access Permissions for SPI Servicing
See also the info about jumpers, if you have a “Service mode or ME/FD” etc jumper then you may be able to dump BIOS like that too.
this is my BIOS link https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/…-15-5570-laptop
so there is no way to mod the bios without involve touching some hardware ?
I will check it for you, since it’s Dell not Intel, you may be able to flash through some non-Dell/OEM method (Like AFU or Intel FPT)
Please Download this V11 Intel System Tools package - https://mega.nz/#!OM9hGaab!W6NFxLZl5fQjr…0mYs4r9etKn_dys
In Flash Programming Tools folder, go to the win32 folder and select that folder, then hold shift and press right click, select open command window here.
Then run following command, if error show me image of the error where I can see your typed input command and the error all in same image
FPTw -bios -d biosregdump.bin
If you get error 368, or similar, do the steps in this guide on page one, starting at step #6, here is your “BIOS Lock” variable from steps 1-5 >> 0x8A6
So at grub prompt you will enter >> setup_var 0x8A6 0x0
Once you change that in grub, do the above FPT command again, if you get new error please show image.
If you get no error now, you can then modify that file, and reflash using this command >> FPTw -bios -f biosregdump.bin
well actually I get Dump from FPT moded it and get error 368, I’m here because I don’t know what my BIOS LOCK variable is. I’ll try step #6 now
OK, thanks, I gave you BIOS Lock variable above (Here’s what you type at grub >> setup_var 0x8A6 0x0), so follow guide as then rest as I mentioned above.
This is not possible if grub stuff goes OK, you are missing something, or getting something in steps wrong. Please show me image of you in grub before and after you type the command out.
If there is yellow text in grub, this is wrong EFI Shell, use method and manner with files, outlined in guide
Also, are you doing step #16 after entering grub commands? >> 16. Hit Control+ALT+Del to reboot, let windows load.
oh this is not the EFI shell you linked in this post I got it somewhere else, so should I download EFI shell from this post and try again?
here the picture
and do you sure variable on my bios is 0x8A6 ?
I did ctrl+alt+del and let it reboot to window
Thanks, it’s OK, that is correct grub. Looks unlocked now too, 0x00. exit out of there and try FPT again, if still no luck, yes go ahead and try with the file in this guide, in case it’s updated or different version of grub
While we’re wrestling this, check the board over and make sure you aren’t missing any two-pin jumpers you could enable, usually labeled FD, FDO, ME, Service, something like that. If you find, put jumper on and try again.
Also try Setup_var 0x0 0x0
Maybe error for that, but it’s adding default ID (0x0) for the variable too.
* edit @cuongvfc - Please download this package, run only the read commands for 32 and 64 (Nothing from text file “After edit”, don’t run those commands, only two at top). Maybe you have lock also enabled in NVRAM, if so we can disable from here if you can get output
Run this from within each version folder and upload any NVRAM.txt files it outputs
https://www.sendspace.com/file/19pj47
Also, go ahead and test a full power down reboot, boot back to grun and type setup_var with the ID only (no 0x0 following ID) and see if it says 0x0, if yes then exit to windows and try FPT again
And, one final thing to test, put the system to sleep (S3), wait a few minutes, wake it up and then try FPT command again.
I tried on every version, I already run cmd by admin, error 4 give me nvram.txt with basically nothing inside, other than that is
"Checking Driver “amifldrv” …:
Old driver v3.1 found - get version 2.00 or above."
or
AMISCE is not supported on this system.
and error 1 in ver 5.03.111 even know I’m open it with administrator
Here is what showed in CMD window
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2011 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 2.01.1029 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
G:\1111>
G:\1111>SCEWIN_64 /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2011 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 2.01.1029 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERROR:4 - Retrieving HII Database
ERROR:4 - Dumping HII Database to File
G:\1111>
G:\1111>SCEWIN /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2013 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.00.1048 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERROR:4 - Retrieving HII Database
ERROR:4 - Dumping HII Database to File
G:\1111>SCEWIN_64 /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2013 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.00.1048 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERROR:4 - Retrieving HII Database
ERROR:4 - Dumping HII Database to File
G:\1111>SCEWIN /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2017 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.03.1107 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checking Driver “amifldrv” …:
Old driver v3.1 found - get version 2.00 or above.
G:\1111>SCEWIN_64 /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2017 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.03.1109 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMISCE is not supported on this system.
G:\1111>SCEWIN /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2017 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.03.1111 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LoadDeviceDriver returned false
ERROR:1 Unable to load Driver
G:\1111>
G:\1111>SCEWIN_64 /o /s nvram.txt /h Hii.db /v /q
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Copyright (c)2017 American Megatrends, Inc. |
| AMISCE Utility. Ver 5.03.1111 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMISCE is not supported on this system.
nvram1.txt (152 Bytes)
nvram2.txt (152 Bytes)
Thanks for checking, it’s not compatible with all systems, just something we can check. I’ve never seen this grub setup_var fix not unlock the BIOS Lock, and your output image shows it’s unlocked, so that’s why I was thinking maybe still locked via NVRAM.
Usually, if it’s not going to help, the lock is still unlocked and error 368 goes away in FPT but presents with a new error (Other lock, usually error 25-28 I think, PRR = Protected Range Registers)
Try this modified grub to boot from instead, rename it to match your current grub.efi file
They are used with same variable, but Setup_Var2 instead
http://brains.by/posts/bootx64.7z
First run this by itself, and see if output variable it finds is 0x1, if so do next >> setup_var2 0x8A6
If above = 0x1, then run this >> setup_var2 0x8A6 0x0
thanks for your reply, I think it has something to do with "ME FW image Re-flash" variable because this variable always set back to 0x0 after the 2nd reset. I tried to set it to 0x1 then Ctrl+alt+del and it will reset 1 more time before actually boot into windows ( normally it boot into windows right after ctrl+alt+del) so that makes it unchanged no matter what. Any ideas why it behaves this way?
Oh, wait a minute what do you mean "rename it to match your current grub.efi file" I just leave it as "bootx64.efi" and put it on my USB in this directory "I:\EFI\BOOT" what do I suppose to change it name to any did I put it in USB right?
Please see above edit, I was editing while you replied 
No, not related at all, this setting has nothing to do with ME Reflash variable behavior, that always resets back to default value after full reboot, that is it’s designed behavior to temporarily allow the reflash to happen.
This setting, BIOS Lock, stays however you set it until you reflash the BIOS again with BIOS that contains a different setting than the one you apply
If you can’t get it, get on ebay and order CH341A flash programmer ($2.50) and SOIC8 Test clip cable ($3.50), or a kit like EZP2010 or EZP2013.
Have you already modified this BIOS? If yes, what did you modify, and with what tools, curious because someone asked me to mod a while back and I couldn’t find anything that dealt with it in a way I liked.
*Edit, for the rename, I meant rename that file if it didn’t match your current files name. Yes, replace your bootx64.efi file with this one (Or whatever the file name is that you’ve been using, and then if necessary change this new files name to same as your old one)
Place in USB wherever the one you’ve been using was, remove the original one so only this one is there for now (Only for this test)
Then try again with info I posted above.
*Edit 2 - what is your current BIOS version? Maybe the variable is not the same in all the versions? Can you dump BIOS region via FPT -bios -d biosreg.bin? Or dump with AFU? If yes, upload that file for me to check.
well I’m trying to mod my bios, but since I ended up can’t flash it in then I don’t even know if it gonna work or not.
on this particular Bios I’m trying to mod the vBIOS inside it because the vBIOS on this device didn’t support reading so I can get it out like what people used to do with GPU-z.
So I used a program named Phoenix to get the DUMP folder, tried to find vBIOS inside that mess, mod the vBIOS and put it back in ( there no vBIOS reader which can read this vBIOS so one of my friends help me mod it with hex editor )
as for moding other stuff, I really have no ideas, I only got to this because my laptop is super overheated and now I’m here. googling really got me on a long way
*Edit: I dump this bios earlier today to see the bios lock variable my self and it was just like the one you gave me
One Of: BIOS Lock, VarStoreInfo (VarOffset/VarName): 0x8A6, VarStore: 0x1, QuestionId: 0xAD6, Size: 1, Min: 0x0, Max 0x1, Step: 0x0 {05 91 1D 08 1E 08 D6 0A 01 00 A6 08 10 10 00 01 00}
0x4D295 Default: DefaultId: 0x0, Value (8 bit): 0x1 {5B 06 00 00 00 01}
0x4D29B One Of Option: Disabled, Value (8 bit): 0x0 (default MFG) {09 07 04 00 20 00 00}
0x4D2A2 One Of Option: Enabled, Value (8 bit): 0x1 {09 07 03 00 00 00 01}
0x4D2A9 End One Of {29 02}
*Edit2: this is my laptop, does it have anything to do with laptop or pc ? or it just the same ?
Sorry I didn’t read the rest of your edit
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xu1DIWC…iew?usp=sharing
I just dumped my bios please take a look
I know phoenix tool, and method like you mentioned, that should be OK if done correctly. I asked thinking maybe you had found different version of EZH2O that worked for this BIOS or something.
If you checked dumped BIOS, and found same variable, then I don’t need to check, but thank you for checking to confirm whatever version you have has same variable as ones I checked (116 and 118)
Sorry, I don’t understand what you are asking about laptop or PC?
You’re going to have to get a programmer to get this sorted out, then it will be easy, but you will have to open up the laptop bottom (maybe not fully)
thanks for reply.
about take the bottom apart, I opened it up before to change my ssd and when I put it back together my backplate has 2 type of screw 1 is longer and I loss track where they all went, so I just YOLO it, now 1 long screw stuck in the one meant for the short one, heard a crack and now it just spins forever LOL, I want to upgrade my ram soon but didn’t really know what to do
Oh and how can I flash FPT in EFI shell ? I saw someone said he can do it in windows but work in EFI
Pry apart with a little force while also unscrewing, if that spinning screw is holding together then this method should allow you to get it apart again.
FPT via EFI is not going to work, that will only work if it also works for your in DOS and windows, so no point in that you will receive same error. But if you want to do it, you setup a EFI Shell boot like DOS, and put FPT EFI file in there
one last question, is there any variable to unlock vBIOS reading in this bios ? can you help me find it ? all I want is to modify this actually GPU bios not the bios itself
@cuongvfc Send me the vBIOS file and I’ll see if I can find tool that works for you. I can probably get the file myself, but quicker for you to send to me since you already extracted and all that, so I don’t have to dig through all files to try and find which is the vBIOS.
If you need me to extract and find I will, let me know. But same applies, you wont be able to flash modified BIOS into there anyway without all we discussed above, so modifying vBIOS isn’t going to help until you can actually flash or program in a modified BIOS.
No I mean is there any variable that I can be changed in EFI shell to enable vBios to read or flash, not moding the vBios, I need you to help me find if there are any related to vBIOS in the TXT file including all the variable I got after doing step 1 to 5 in your Guide. or is there any way to unlock only the vBios could also help a lot
this is the bios I dumped: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xu1DIWC…iew?usp=sharing
this is the TXT including all the variable I got after I did as your instruction
And I really appreciate the time you spend to help me with this