@ bicalov:
I remember that last time I checked you had the correct BIOS variant applied. I had given some advise and tests for you to run but they were never done. This could be an HP BIOS issue, a corrupted ME Region, a corrupted BIOS Region, wrong NVRAM settings, the fact that the motherboard is in a bad state etc. Too many variables. Without an unlocked flash descriptor we cannot exclude the ME Region as the issue, although as I said earlier I believe it’s not ME-related. If your chip is removable I suggest you buy a cheap programmer to flash it freely or a least unlock the flash descriptor with the “pinmod”. Go for the pinmod first and test if it works by trying command fpt -d spi.bin (no error 26 should be shown this time, a full 8MB dump is the resulting file).
Maybe @CodeRush can think of something else. To not waste his time searching, this is the beginning of the conversation.
Guys, I tried updating the ME firmware with 11.0.etc.1173 on my new Asus Z170 Deluxe, but I get a generic Error 1 (unknown error). I have the full MEI drivers package and I’m using the correct (x64) version of fwupd
@ gpvecchi:
Yes, we have been having this issue since Skylake launched. There is a bug either at Intel’s side (FWUpdate tool) or the OEM’s side (BIOS). I don’t understand how BIOS engineers or Intel do not see this issue.
Based on previous tests and experiments not even an UPD image works. It will show another unexplained error. Still, do try it. I have attached the latest Consumer PCH-H 11.0.0.1173 UPD image.
11.0.0.1173_CON_H_PRD_UPD.rar (1.15 MB)
Thanks! This is not the same posted by Pacman @ Stationdrivers, size is very different, but it gives me another error. Pacman said that he updated it’s Z170…
@ gpvecchi
Does it give "Invalid restore Point" error?
The image i posted on SD is the extracted region, this is an update image,
i unlocked my flash descriptor and so i update by using FPT to flash an image i made with FIT.
As Pacman said and I mentioned twice, that is an Update (UPD) and not the Full Region (RGN) image I provide at the first post for any post-ME8 system. Thus the size is smaller. UPD images is what FWUpdLcl -save command creates.
Now, based on Pacman’s tests on different Skylake systems, UPD images generate another error that “does not make sense”. Is it “Restore Point is Invalid” as he mentioned?
Hello
First of all, I want to thank you all the work it supposses to maintain this post and all the information you have recopiled here.
I want to ask you some questions about IME.
My machine is a laptop, an Alienware M17x R3 (Sandy Bridge system).
The chipset is an Intel HM67.
Reading the B section,
I suppose I have a 1.5MB/Consumer system (chipset HM67)… AND that I have a 6-Series system.
Is this all right?
So, running MEA_Info.exe throught a CMD administrator windows…
and MEInfoWin64
Can I update the MEI Firmware?
What FW version is the best for my system?
The one listed on biostar website can also be used on windows 7. Its not strictly windows 10 dependent to install.
I’m interested in the performance gains of 1157 driver compared to 1144.
Update#
Ok i’m doing some more testing, this is looking interesting, re-installing 1144 to test.
I can confirm that i am getting a higher score in anvill, but 1144 performs better overall along with the 14.5.0.1081.
I’ll remain on 1144.
I couldn’t get the v1144 extracted from biostar installed. I asked Fernando a copy but saw his lastest benchmarks and went through directly to v1157, which installed properly. Indeed, that is interesting results, though i’m using Raid0 instead of Ahci!
PS: I have extracted mine v1157 from the Intel MEI Driver & Software v11.0.0.1159 grabbed at St.Drivers, might try again with the Fernando’s one attached.
I couldn’t get the v1144 extracted from biostar installed. I asked Fernando a copy but saw his lastest benchmarks and went through directly to v1157, which installed properly. Indeed, that is interesting results, though i’m using Raid0 instead of Ahci!
PS: I have extracted mine v1157 from the Intel MEI Driver & Software v11.0.0.1159 grabbed at St.Drivers, might try again with the Fernando’s one attached.
Use winrar and extract it.
The "pure" Intel MEI drivers, which are within the v11.0.0.1159 Set, are identical with the v11.0.0.1157 WHQL ones, which I had attached.
v1157 from St-Drivers extracted fine and got it installed, it’s just the Biostar v1144 that wouldn’t install. Unfortunately I do not have Anvil’s Storage Utility to bench my raid0 so i have to rely on others tests.
The "pure" Intel MEI drivers, which are within the v11.0.0.1159 Set, are identical with the v11.0.0.1157 WHQL ones, which I had attached.
Thanks, i just checked the dates of files and are the same.
@ Sekmeth:
Yes, you have ME7 1.5MB firmware so the latest you can update to is 7.1.80.1214. Thank you for reading the first post and for using MEA.
@ bicalov:
Yes it seems you answered but I didn’t understand it at the time due to the small reply. Do try the pinmod to maybe narrow it down a little bit.
You need to find your Audio chip and sort the required pins (probably 1st and 5th) while the system boots up. If that’s successful, you will be able to use command fpt -d spi.bin afterwards. The lock will reset once you restart your system but you can reflash the flash descriptor while it’s unlocked to unlock it permanently and not have to do this again. One step at a time though, first find the audio chip at the motherboard. It’s a laptop so this whole procedure might be more difficult (to have it open and operational at the same time).
Note: There is no need to use @myusername for me as I check the replies in this thread either way.
[quote="plutomaniac, post:1626, topic:30719"] As Pacman said and I mentioned twice, that is an Update (UPD) and not the Full Region (RGN) image I provide at the first post for any post-ME8 system. Thus the size is smaller. UPD images is what FWUpdLcl -save command creates.
Now, based on Pacman's tests on different Skylake systems, UPD images generate another error that "does not make sense". Is it "Restore Point is Invalid" as he mentioned? [/quote]
I'm much more noob than this... :-) I can say that full segion in UEFI Tool is something like 2.4 Mb, so much different from the RGN of the first post, while flashing the UPD version gives a generic error 1...
The full ME Region is usually 2MB for Consumer systems. The ME Regions we upload here and to SD are identical with some useless padding cut so the size tends to be around 1.7MB or so. The Update images are smaller (1.3MB or so) and only for FWUpdate.
Anyway, the error you got is the usual crap everyone else is experiencing. Until the OEMs or Intel fix that, we can only rely on the OEMs to keep the ME updated via newer BIOS releases. Otherwise, for more advanced users with systems with an unlocked descriptor or programmer-owners, changing ME settings via FIT/FITC and flashing of the new ME Region manually is the only way.
@ bicalov:
I said that it’s probably pins 1 and 5. At least that applies to Realtek and VIA Audio chips that I have checked in the past. That’s an IDT chip. You need to check the chip pinout diagram to verify which pins you need to sort (DVDD & SDATA_OUT). I couldn’t find your exact chip but I did found IDT92HD88 and this is how the pinout looks exactly:
Assuming that it’s the same for IDT92HD80, you need to sort pins 1 and 4 (not 1 and 5).
The procedure is easy. Make sure the system is off. Sort these pins and start the system. Once you see that the system has booted (for example bios got initialized or os started loading) you can unsort them. In theory you have now booted with an unlocked flash descriptor. Test this via fptw -d spi.bin command. It should dump a full 8MB SPI image and not show error 26.
So you checked that yourself, good. Then pin 1 and 5 are the ones you need.
If you know the shorting worked I suggest Windows with a command prompt as are a lot more flexible within windows.