Intel (Converged Security) Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware and Tools (2-15)

Fernando · February 10, 2020, 8:22am

@sahafdeen :
Somewhere within this thread plutomaniac has explained it.
Short summary: Users with a "normal" consumer PC/notebook will not really benefit from the installation of the complete installer Set.

lfb6 · February 10, 2020, 11:09pm

Wow, there’s really an update for old SPS 3 Denlow!!! (Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1320 M2 / TX1330 M2)

SPS_3_0_7_60.zip (1.43 MB)

Mickeytang · February 11, 2020, 7:45am

I screwed up and bricked my Asus p9x79 pro while trying to update my ME firmware using fptw64. I don’t know what I was thinking as I have successfully updated ME using fwupl64 opposed to fptw64 which I have never used .

After the first flash and subsequent reboot using fptw64, the network card came up with yellow exclamation so I rushed and tried flashing an old ME firmware with FPT resulting in the PC turning on for one second then immediately off after the first reboot.

I cannot use bios flashback to flash my last successful bios update since this does not write to the ME region.

I am at the road now where I’m trying to figure out where to go next.
I ordered a ch341 bios programmer and am looking for some direction now that it’s in my possession.

— attached is the BIOS I was running prior to bricking along with a back up I made prior to updating ME successfully months/year before this latest incident occurred.

Any advice is greatly appreciated

Sorry for the multiple uploads I was having issues with the uploader.

P9X79PRO-PatchedwithUBU2019andStock.rar (8.58 MB)

backup.zip (5.12 MB)

P9X79PRO-PatchedwithUBU2019andStock_2.rar (8.58 MB)

Fernando · February 11, 2020, 9:31am

@Mickeytang :
Since I am not an expert regarding your problem, I am not able to help you to reanimate your ASUS P9X79.
What I cannot understand is, that you didn’t choose the normal way to update the Intel ME Firmware by running the matching FWUpdate tool, which is part of the related Intel (CS)ME System Tool version (see the start post of this thread).

plutomaniac · February 11, 2020, 11:49am

Latest BIOS from ASUS > Remove AMI Capsule via UEFITool > CH341A > Boot > FWUpdate > Reboot

Mickeytang · February 11, 2020, 2:18pm

Can you elaborate "boot -> fwupdate"

From what I gather Is I need to inject the me region into the BIOS.

@Fernando yes this was a senseless mistake. Very stupid I don’t no what I was thinking as I have updated the me successfully in the past using the apporiote tool.

Fernando · February 11, 2020, 3:03pm

@Mickeytang :
BIOS region and Intel ME region are different things.
You will have to dump the complete SPI, which is within the BIOS chip of your mainboard and contains even more than just the mentioned regions (BIOS and Management Engine Firmware), and then replace the bricked Intel ME Firmware by a proper new one.

influenza026 · February 11, 2020, 3:11pm

I have also Intel ME firmware problems Asus Maximus ranger vii showing Intel me version n/a. using the USB flashback tool it Will be working again and shows up in uefi but its Just a matter of time and the procedure must be redone, with a raid0 config this is really annoying because it corrupts

Mickeytang · February 11, 2020, 3:48pm

@fernando

@Lost_N_Bios

Here is my spi dump from ch341 programmer

x79-bios-spi-dump.rar (4.29 MB)

LiLCruz · February 12, 2020, 3:30pm

Hello my ME firmware in my bios is 11.8.50.3425 which version on first post should I use? It’s very confusing

Ataemonus · February 12, 2020, 8:15pm

If it is so confusing, use none, you do not need any update.

LiLCruz · February 12, 2020, 8:45pm

@Ataemonus :
I have use one since I have exclamation mark in PCI simple communications Controller don’t know which version I should use I’m not trying update bios version.

Ataemonus · February 12, 2020, 8:47pm

And how do you know it’s a ME device ? lol

LiLCruz · February 12, 2020, 8:48pm

Hardware ID?

Ataemonus · February 12, 2020, 8:50pm

OK then, so try windows update, should install the proper driver. Otherwise, any will do since you have to use one and don’t really care if it’s the latest one or not.

Fernando · February 12, 2020, 10:25pm

@LiLCruz :
The Intel MEI Driver and the Intel ME Firmware are different things. They work together, but the driver has to be installed from within the OS, whereas the Firmware has to be flashed into the Intel ME Region, which is within the BIOS Chip of the mainboard.

LiLCruz · February 12, 2020, 10:42pm

@Fernando :
Thanks for info which version you recommend me to install in first post? or doesn’t matter?I want to use the Intel MEI Driver Only.

Fernando · February 12, 2020, 11:21pm

@LiLCruz :
If your currently in-use Intel ME Firmware is a v11.8 series one, I recommend to install the "pure" Intel MEI driver v1914.12.0.1256. You can find the download link within the chapter A2 of the start post.

saltinbank · February 13, 2020, 1:15pm

Guys i made the full image aka cse_image_FWU_Full.bin …

Could a good soul give me the right parameters to flash it with FWPT.exe i dont want to make a mistake thanks in advance !

saltinbank · February 13, 2020, 2:33pm

ok so i used FWupdate aka FWupdlcl.exe (win32):

C:\Users\SaltinBank\Desktop\Applications\Intel CSME System Tools v12 r19\FWUpdate\WIN32>FWUpdLcl.exe -fwver
Intel (R) Firmware Update Utility Version: 12.0.47.1524
Copyright (C) 2005 - 2019, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

FW Version 12.0.40.1433

C:\Users\SaltinBank\Desktop\Applications\Intel CSME System Tools v12 r19\FWUpdate\WIN32>FWUpdLcl.exe
Intel (R) Firmware Update Utility Version: 12.0.47.1524
Copyright (C) 2005 - 2019, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

FWUpdLcl.exe [-H|?] [-VER] [-EXP] [-VERBOSE] [-F] [-Y] [-SAVE]
[-FWVER] [-PARTID] [-INSTID] [-ALLOWSV] [-FORCERESET]
[-SILENT] [-OEMID] [-PARTVER] [-PARTVENDOR]

-H|? Display help screen
-VER Displays version information.
-EXP Displays example usage of this tool.
-VERBOSE <file> Display the debug information of the tool.
-F <file> File used for updating the FW.
-Y Automatically answer Yes to prompts.
-SAVE <file> Save the current FW to an update image.
-FWVER <file> Display the FW Version of current FW or update image.
-PARTID <Partition ID> Provide specific Partition ID to perform partial update.
-INSTID <Instance ID> Provide specific Instance ID of a partition to perform partial update.
-ALLOWSV Allows same version firmware updates.
-FORCERESET Automatically Reboots system after update (if needed).
-SILENT Update without display and without user prompts.
-OEMID <UUID> OEM ID needed to perform firmware update.
-PARTVER <Partition ID> Display the Version of specific partition.
-PARTVENDOR <Partition ID> Display the Vendor ID of specific partition.

Error 37: Invalid command line option(s).

C:\Users\SaltinBank\Desktop\Applications\Intel CSME System Tools v12 r19\FWUpdate\WIN32>FWUpdLcl.exe -F cse_image_FWU_Full.bin
Intel (R) Firmware Update Utility Version: 12.0.47.1524
Copyright (C) 2005 - 2019, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Checking firmware parameters…

Warning: Do not exit the process or power off the machine before the firmware update process ends.
Sending the update image to FW for verification: [ COMPLETE ]

FW Update: [ 100% ()] Do not Interrupt
FW Update completed successfully and a reboot will run the new FW.

C:\Users\SaltinBank\Desktop\Applications\Intel CSME System Tools v12 r19\FWUpdate\WIN32>FWUpdLcl.exe -fwver
Intel (R) Firmware Update Utility Version: 12.0.47.1524
Copyright (C) 2005 - 2019, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

FW Version 12.0.49.1534 !!!
omg finnally

rebooting if iam gone …
I totally xxxxed up the operation

EDIT by Fernando: To save space I have put the update details into a “spoiler”.