So can you share or point to the "internet" where it shows how this protection is removed? I’ve spent way too many hours today going through each post I can find and cannot get it disabled.
Early Bump for this so it doesn’t disappear.
I’m about to order a new BIOS chip from ASUS eStore as everything I’ve tried has ended in failure. CodeRush provided some input but did not hint on any way to be able to use FTK as implied here… so if you’re there my possible saviour of few $$ (let alone sanity), hopefully you’ll see this post and explain how you got around the lock.
The source of Error 25 and 26 you have is Intel Descriptor Lock on ME region.
You can temporarily disable this lock by HDA pinmod I linked in that hardforum topic, then reflash your ME region with FTK’s merefl.bat, using factory BIOS image named bios.bin as source of normal ME region. You can then run poweroff.bat to start new ME and to enable the lock again.
For complete removal of this lock you must remove it by pinmod, make full dump by using backup.bat, rename resulting file to bios.bin, modify values at offset 0x60 to the following values and flash modified values back using descrefl.bat. Reboot the system and have unlocked access to any region, except BIOS (which can be later unlocked by using SCE or modifying PchInitDxe driver).
@error-id10t
You need to reflash your entire BIOS. There are 3 ways offered by Asus: EZ flash (from BIOS), BUpdater and BIOS updater (from Asus support -> Bios utilities). I doubt that any of them will touch ME, but you can try them to be on the safe side. The solution comes from amiflash. Download, unpack and wait. Make a backup with FTK9 0.10 from here (CodeRush is the author) using backup.bat or biosbck.bat, to have the serials saved. Go to amiflash -> Aptio -> afuwin -> 32/64 -> afuwin32/64 -> start afuwingui. Hit Save to have another backup of BIOS. Go to Setup tab, check all in “Block Options”, check all in “ME Firmware block”, type the letter A in “Preserve SMBIOS”, leaver or check in “Non critical block” and “ROM HOLE”. Important is to have “Program All Blocks” and “ME Firmware Block” + Preserve SMBIOS. Download latest BIOS from Asus, remove capsule and offer this as the file for “Open” in AfuwinGUI.
Read carefully the pdf inside amiflash and decide if you want to go on. It is not risk free! But you really don’t have any other solutions than those offered.
Thanks guys.
@CodeRush
The pinmod is little above my pay-grade, I’ll see if I can figure it out… at the end of the day, if it blows the chip up the plan was to get a new one anyway. edit: actually I can’t even tell what that chip is (Nuvoton going by pin count), but doesn’t look like the BIOS one so if I do it wrong, there goes the mobo, I’ll stay away from that. The BIOS itself appears to match the hex values you showed.
@lordkag
I tried your method, both the “biosbck.bat” and afuwin can create the backups. I then removed the header and went to open the file - it cannot touch the ME and stops the process there. The other 3 methods I had already tried, they don’t touch ME.
[[File:AFU.png|none|auto]]
I’ll keep playing around, will do until I get my new chip or somehow this is solved, so I’ll continue updating the below. Few interesting things for now:
Update1:
- This is what I’m basing my hope on at the moment: “Send the HMRFPO ENABLE command to ME”. This is mentioned few times and appears to be a SW level control independent from the pinmod, but nobody appears to know how it’s done. This is quoted also: “PCH Intel ® ME BIOS writer’s guide”, but bugger it if I can find it.
- When I dump the DESC field with FPT, it creates a 4K file. When I put this into FITC it complains about VSCC and forces it to default. SKU then shows up as QM87 - Mobile. That’s is a bit of curiosity. It does show the ME region is locked under the Master Access Section. Even if I changed this, it won’t help as it’s still locked, can’t write it back in.
Update2:
Found this interesting PDF written by someone who appears to want to put a rootkit in there, so in the process is trying to get around the security of course. Now, it’s over my head right now but it’s mainly about trying to get the “HMRFPO” working before EOP. File name if you want to search for it is: Breakpoint 2012 Skochinsky.pdf
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j…DaYyvV1fd-AqkIg
@error-id10t , there are nothing to blow up there, this pinmod is simple as hell.
1. Find your HDA (High-Definition Audio) chip.
2. Use tweezers or paper clip to short together pins 1 and 5.
3. Power the PC on and wait for POST screen to show up.
4. Remove shorting.
5. Boot Windows and run backup.bat from FTK as administrator. If it can make full BIOS backup - pinmod was successful.
Thanks again.
I found the ALC1150 chip and confirmed the 1 and 5 pin positions… I just can’t get it to “unlock”. This chip is so small and the pins so tightly knit together it’s just feels impossible after all these tries for now. I’ve pretty much laid anything I can find across the whole pin line too just to try and “short” these 2 with no success. I’ll keep at it.
add: earlier you mentioned the SPI programmer from ebay. Could you link one please?
There are many of them, but I would buy MiniPro TL866A, because it supports almost all flash chips and receives software updates monthly. EZP2010 is also an option, it’s cheaper but less useful as general-purpose programmer.
So it took quite a few days but I’ve succeeded with the pinmod!! First, thanks very much for both of you on the information provided.
Second, I had a scare last night with the pinmod. Seems I was short-circuiting “something” and when I pulled it off the pins, the system shut-down. It stopped booting completely and was stuck in a black screen for a minute or so. Couldn’t figure out what was happening until I started unplugging my SSDs. Realised that when only one of them was plugged in, all was working but I couldn’t boot of course due to RAID0. Tried the other SSD, could not be found - MIA. It had panic locked itself which took few mins to sort out and afterwards all was fine… but that was a scare.
Today I figured I’ll keep trying and finally when I booted, it worked.
[[File:merefl.png|none|auto]]
[[File:ME.png|none|auto]]
So, pinmod still works on 8x-series. Good to know.
Hi, I’ve read your guide and tried to Google this elsewhere, but for some reason I can’t seem to figure something out. I must have missed it somewhere. I want to update the ME firmware of my Z77A-G43 to the latest 8.1.52.1496 from its current 8.1.50.1456 on its new 2.13 BIOS. The one thing I can’t seem to figure out is whether my motherboard has the 5m components or the 1.5m components. I know that usually, a Z77 board would have 1.5m components, but MSI can’t seem to verify this, and I don’t want to take chances in case MSI have decided to put the 5m components onto this board. Can anyone let me know how I can make 100% sure before I try updating ME?
Thanks very much
Hello everyone 
I have Asrock P67 Fatality Performance MB.
BIOS is 2.20
ME firmware is 8.0.2.1410 
And driver is Intel MEI Drivers & Software Set v10.0.0.1204 WHQL ,i found it in thic topic on first page.
I want to update ME firmware but i want to be sure that i will not brick the MB 
Do i need to flash FW 8.1.52.1496 8.1.51.1471 from this topic or i need to flash 8.1.51.1471 from this topic http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/548…e-firmware.html
Thanks.
@ Veky83:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!
You will be able to update the ME8 Firmware of your P67 mainboard by using any of both sources, but you should make sure, that you flash the Firmware for 1.5MB (and not for 5MB) systems.
Regards
Fernando
It worked 
Thank you very much
I have another question.
Now i want to update my BIOS(2.20) with “UEFI BIOS Updater”.
I wanna know if flashing 2.20 bios again will rewrite ME FW to older version,because in the 2.20 BIOS is ME FW 8.0.2.1402 and it is flashed when you flash BIOS.
It is described here http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/53784…her-boards.html
2. After updating BIOS, please press any key to restart your system. At this moment, please do not remove the USB flash until Intel ME F/W update is finished.
Should i try to downgrade ME FW manualy before flashing BIOS and is it possible?
And if i leave this ME FW 8.1.52.1496 and try to flash BIOS 2.20 could i brick the MB?
Thanks.
Although I am not an expert regarding the Intel ME Firmware, I would do the following:
1. Modify the new BIOS version according to your wishes by using the UBU tool.
2. Flash the freshly modded new BIOS version.
3. If the Intel ME Firmware version has been downgraded to an older version, update it again by using the same method as yesterday.
I just flashed my updated 2.20 BIOS,i was updated CPU Microcode and OROM IRST SATA.
All went well and ME FW remained v8.1.52.1496
@hanson
Responding to your PM, maybe someone else with the same board will need it. Attached 2 files with the same content, but one is compressed and saves you 230KB of space. I used the same logic as previous patch, so it should be safe. Use the same method of replacing and flashing.
Thank you so much mate! I’ll check it out immediately…
So @ everybody with a ASRock X79 Extreme6: this modded amitse.ffs let’s you flash any Intel ME firmware (of course it has to be compatible with the chipset)
Best regards hanson