[Problem] ME+NVMe of Acer Aspire 3 A325-53 not working

BIOS/UEFI Modding BIOS Modding Guides and Problems
1

Hello everyone,

I have two identical laptops Acer Aspire 3 A325-53 with the same specifications:

  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1305U (Alder Lake-P)

  • Board: TU141AL R2.1A

  • BIOS Flash: Winbond/FM25W128 (16 MB)

  • Boot storage: NVMe M.2 2280, PCIe Gen3 x4 (ADATA OEM – Model KN.512S0.00D)

:pushpin: Problem description

One of the laptops had a corrupted BIOS.
I successfully restored boot by flashing a full dump (16 MB) taken from the working identical machine using an external EEPROM programmer.

The system turns on and has video, but now:

  • NVMe is not detected at all unless a USB drive is connected

  • ME Firmware Version shows 0.0.0.0 in BIOS

  • ME is “Temporarily Disabled” and cannot be enabled

  • PCIe root port for NVMe seems inactive without any external device connected

The second machine (the source) works perfectly with NVMe + ME enabled, so it’s not a hardware issue.

:test_tube: What has been tested

  • NVMe SSD tested in the working laptop → works normally

  • Full flash with verified write/verify → system boots fine

  • FPT cannot reflash ME due to locked descriptor (Error 37)

  • Enabling ME in the BIOS setup has no effect

  • NVMe only shows up when another storage device is connected through USB

This strongly suggests a corrupted / mismatched ME + NVMe PCIe policy / straps in the flashed image.

:wrench: Files available for repair

I can provide for analysis:

:paperclip: full_atual.bin → dump of the currently working but broken laptop (16 MB, ME disabled, NVMe not detected)
:paperclip: ME Clean file (16.1.27.2225) which matches the working system
:paperclip: Photos of BIOS screens from both machines (ME version and NVMe detection)

(Just tell me what else to dump or provide)

:folded_hands: Request

I need help rebuilding the BIOS:

  • Re-enable ME region properly (matching Alder Lake-P SKU)

  • Correct/restore PCIe/NVMe PCH strap configuration

  • Disable BootGuard key mismatch (if needed)

  • Preserve DMI data (SN, SNID, UUID, OEM key)

  • Keep EC compatibility (battery/keyboard issues are known on Acer if mismatched)

Any guidance, clean ME region rebuild, FIT settings, or rebuilt image would be greatly appreciated.

:speech_balloon: Tagging users who might help

@plutomaniac @Lost_N_BIOS @Pacman @chinobino

Thank you in advance for your help!


Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened and customized

2

The guidance is here…your task only on your side.
[Guide] Clean Dumped Intel Engine (CS)ME/(CS)TXE Regions with Data Initialization - Special Topics / Intel Management Engine - Win-Raid Forum

[Guide] Unlock Intel Flash Descriptor Read/Write Access Permissions for SPI Servicing - Special Topics / Intel Management Engine - Win-Raid Forum

3

Hello MeatWar, thanks for the reply.

I’ve read both guides carefully and I understand the standard ME cleaning procedure using FIT.

However, in my specific case I’m currently blocked by one limitation:

  • This platform is Alder Lake-P (CSME 16.1)

  • Intel FIT for this SKU is not publicly available

  • I do not have OEM FIT access

  • Descriptor is locked, so I cannot reflash ME via FPT

  • External programmer flashing works, but without FIT I cannot rebuild a valid ME region

At the moment I have:

  • A working donor full dump from an identical A325-53

  • A non-working full dump where ME shows 0.0.0.0 and NVMe is not detected unless USB is present

Given the lack of FIT, I’d like to ask:

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Is ME region transplant + data initialization from the donor image a valid approach here?
:backhand_index_pointing_right: Or is there a known Alder Lake NVMe / PCIe policy dependency on ME state that could explain NVMe only enumerating when USB is attached?

I’m not asking for a ready-made BIOS, only guidance on the correct method without FIT for this platform.

Thanks in advance.

4

Not the best option… you can try, results unpredictable, your call.

mFIT v16 is around some where in this thread... did you even bothered to look for it…

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