Need help unbricking Asus Z170m-plus

I need you to program in stock 3606, run it, and then dump region for me though (So NVRAM gets populated), then I can fix and send you full file again. I thought you programmer before already with your raspberry Pi?

I can just edit this dump I have of 3606, but it’s got someone elses data in it, and I’d rather have clean NVRAM sections from your system and stock BIOS ran on it, but if it’s a lot of hassle to do all this for you I can just edit this file (or the stock one)
Or, send you only the fixed GbE to correct your LAN. All up to you. Seeing 3606 stock now, I don’t know how you got this partial 3805 BIOS on there, unless 3805 from Asus is partial and 3606 is not, I’ll check now. Nope, 3805 is complete too, all volumes, pad file etc, not sure how your dumped region looks the way it does?

Seeing this now, and since you already flashed in a stock package once. Just wait, I will edit stock 3805 for you that you’re using now, and you can program it in.

Please unlock BIOS Lock via grub using my guide above, you can start on step #6, because here >> your variable is >> 0x8A7
Rename the .efi file to >> Shell.efi

Maybe that being locked only allowed you to partially dump the BIOS region before?

To be honest, I have no idea how anything happened in this case, and you said that the Pi method did not always write to the chip, so I can’t be sure that I already programmed with the PI :slight_smile:

I’d prefer for everything to be sorte out, honestly. I’ll just do an fpt flash of 3606 bios region, hope that it works and then I’ll send you a dump of that.

See my edits above. And since it was bricked, and you recovered with Pi, it at least wrote in something good!

No need to 3606 stuff now, see my edited in thoughts above about 3805. We’ll just do that, since I see it’s complete too and you already blanked everything out anyway, no need to not do it that way. The only difference will be the second NVRAM volume will be missing, but it will be created on your end once you start the board
I have to run for now, but will work on 3805 full BIOS for you, please unlock your BIOS region for now as mentioned above. That way it’s out of the way, and you can program in BIOS region in full via FPT, then program in GbE via FPT, and there wont be any need for programming via raspberry or flash programmer until/unless you want to program in the complete BIOS later for updated ME region and fully unlocked FD (That I’ll put in the BIOS)

* Edit >> @MathiasMM - Here is fixed 3805 files, new system details are in the package, program both files with commands below

FPTw.exe -gbe -rewrite -f gbe.bin
FPTw.exe -bios -rewrite -f biosregion.bin

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fil…199240554452303

Then when programmer arrives, if you want, you can program in entire BIOS (Fixed.bin) to have the unlocked FD. That way, next time you want to update modified BIOS, or ME, you wont have any issues.
BIOS Lock is already disabled in this BIOS region, so that’s done as soon as you flash it in



That seems to work - at least my MAC is back. Thanks so much for the help!

You’re welcome, and it’s great all is working properly still @MathiasMM - You flashed the BIOS region using above command too correct? If yes, and you don’t mind, can you dump that region for me now, so I can see if it’s only partial like before, or if entire contents were written in this time (For my reference/peace of mind)
If you’re done messing around now, it’s OK



No problem messing around. It’s here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o0l24i672qlyef…terFix.rar?dl=0

Thanks @MathiasMM - that one is now complete BIOS region with all volumes as it should be! I don’t know how it worked before with only half the regions in there??



I don’t know much about the bios as such, but my experience is that there’s not usually a lot of stuff / work done that’s not needed at all. I guess it’s more likely that the dump was the problem, maybe because i hadn’t unlocked the write protection, as you suggested.
In any case, glad that it’s working now, and in some ways I’m better off now - at least I have a flash programmer and a BIOS that will work if I ever need to reflash the board.

Yes, I guess it must be a lot of fluff in there if it can run with only half the volumes it should have. And for sure, now you have programmer so you can recovery any time you run into issues again.

But, be sure next time, to make some backups first and try to have someone check them before you write anything, that way if system details are still there on the BIOS they can be recovered and put back into a new file before you write it

Sure, if the chip on my nex motherboard is removable, I’ll probably just read it from the programmer before doing any upgrade or anything :slight_smile:

If next board BIOS you have issue with is not removable, you can order a SOIC8 test clip cable now for $2.50 and it will arrive long before you need to use it for recovery.
Let me know if you need a link to an example of those on ebay.