Thanks guys … obviously keep us all informed. @pcfr33k just to confirm, you are using AFUWINx64 to flash? What version? That way, I can test another path (e.g. AFUDOS). Also, what command line options are you using to flash it with? I think the default options tries to flash everything?
@Lost_N_BIOS do you know if there is a AFU linux version out that supports APTIO V5 and /GAN? I thought I saw one floating around somewhere but link was dead.
EDIT: From what I remember, with all the mods I’ve been testing using FPT with, I could not even flash the stock BIOS using AFU (same secure policy error). I guess it checks what’s currently flashed and if it’s properly signed? So maybe we should try to establish a baseline that works with the stock BIOS and AFU before we proceed further. I was trying to do this before I dumped the BIOS (for a pure “factory” backup) but I could not so I just flashed the stock BIOS with FPT -bios.
Using the one that Lost_N_BIOS provides with the package, same one you downloaded. I was going to try AFUDOS but not sure if that will work with Aptio5 Bios? I am sticking with AFUWIN64 GUI or the F.Bat file. DOn’t want to test outside of that as most users would not want to either who aren’t prepared to create a Rufus Caldera DOS flash boot etc etc.
Question for you about the changes you made to try to boot PEG only, were you still able to boot and boot only to black screen? If so I am working on automating a quick fix without having to re-flash with programmer so I can do multiple tests with changes in bios that will not brick bios and still boot even to black screen and not have to use the programmer every time.
F.bat meaning the same options that are in stock BIOS package? Maybe these parameters need to be changed to flash a modded BIOS, especially since we don’t need to touch EC and other stuff.
IIRC, if you force it to use internal display only (and turn off dGFX, you can have it skip even checking for an external card), it works fine. When I run tlp-stat -b in Linux, it pulls < 1A on battery, which means it is, indeed, off. So this way works. What does not work is forcing dGFX only and turning iGFX completely off. I got a black screen immediately. Optimus by default works by booting using the primary GFX as far as I’m aware. Since it’s muxless, you can’t really force it otherwise. Whether it’s actually booting behind a black screen I am not sure.
L0st_N_Bios made the settings in F.Bat he included /capsule. One more thing I am seeing GbE warning that region does not exist if I use DOS FPT or WINw64 same message. Do you see this when you flashed the unhidden menu bios? I did not notice really until recently.
@nimaim - you may be onto something, since you can’t even reflash stock dump. Can you dump with AFU, the one included in stock package, GUI or command line version, and then flash it back (instead of FTP dump)?
/P would be the only thing necessary to flash back in the mod, it’s main “BIOS” region, and that is all we are modding here. So yes, you can/should try only that since it’s all that’s required here.
Flashing stock package, and then immediately flashing mod package may help, similar to what you see in this guide outlined at end in flashing method - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/592…r-motherboards/
May also be worth a shot to download that guides exact AFU and try that method exactly as outlined but with these stock and mod BIOS (not the ones I sent you guys for “Security” checks, the original mod BIOS from this menu mod only)
But, reading that guide, I think it may only be getting around “BIOS Lock” not the AFU Security, however I am not certain about that.
@pcfr33k - I did not include /capsule, only mentioned that as a test method for you to try if you wanted to see if it would work (anyone trying, be ready to recover!) And the switches in the batch files I sent to you both, are the ones from stock package, I didn’t edit any of that.
As mentioned GbE warning can be ignored, it’s informational letting you know GbE region is not included (Normal for FPT in certain situations) The only time you wont see it is if you are flashing entire BIOS (FPTw f -bios.bin) that includes GbE region (16MB BIOS flash/file - complete dump/reflash)
@nimaim ,
One thing good to know I was able to use the DOS Flash drive created with Rufus with a autoexec,bat command to automatically flash a good rom after black screen. This is a very convenient thing to have to avoid using the programmer especially if you change a setting in Bios that really doen’t brick in our case changing SG to PEG boots to black screen. Just put in flash drive walk away and it auto flashes the good rom boots fine. Just make sure you have CSM enabled in Bios before doing anything else and the order of boot has flash set first which I believe it is automatically setup that way since I did not touch to boot order.
What I did:
edited autoexec.bat on flash drive added:
call auto.bat
in the auto.bat file just added one line
FPT.EXE -bios -f OPBIOSUM.bin
Make sure FPT.exe and fparts.ext are in the root of the flash drive. I am trying to figure out what I need to set path if its all in C:\FPT. I used set path but it still complained it could not find fparts.txt. Maybe I should have set path in original autoexec.bat and not auto.bat?
Need to add reboot when done so I don’t have to sit there or watch a timer and guess when its done, is there a reboot switch for FPT, looking through the intel PDF I don’t see one. How to setup a reboot command after it done flashing might be hard thing to do?
Nice. For testing graphics options, it is definitely useful. However, most of the time you flash a BIOS it doesn’t like (like all the testing I’ve been doing), the system won’t even POST so it won’t do anything and must use a programmer. This is a nice thing to have, but will not work in most situations.
As for the reboot command, if you are using FreeDOS (I assume you are because you mentioned Rufus), they have a replacement MSDOS tool for it called fdapm (http://help.fdos.org/en/hhstndrd/base/fdapm.htm) that will do a reboot or poweroff if you wish. You can get it here: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuf…html/fdapm.html. You are looking for the fdapm coldboot option.
@Lost_N_BIOS I know we are in a waiting game now until we report some results. I’ll play with some AFU flashing this week and see if I can get it to flash with something.
@pcfr33k - you can use second command for FPT, on next line after first >> FPT.exe -greset
@nimaim - it’s OK, I need to get caught up on some posts here anyway, and I need to dig into that AFU exe and see if I can bypass the signature check too.
Will it complete the flash before executing the 2nd line of FPT, do I need some kind of delay or timer in autoexec before the second FTP command is executed?
That worked perfectly, thanks! I don’t know why I did it but I preferred a second bat file to modify and leave the original one alone except for one modification added the \FPT to the path not even sure if I needed that since I have cd in the auto.bat
contents of autoexec.bat
@echo off
set PATH=.;;\LOCALE;\FPT
call auto.bat
auto.bat contents
CD C:\FPT
FPT.EXE -bios -f OPBIOSUM.BIN
FPT.EXE -greset
I assume flash will complete then next command line will run. If that doesn’t work, make a second batch file and call that at end of first FPT command batch file.
Wait, so you got it, and it works now? Great if so! 
@Lost_N_BIOS
@nimaim
Thank you for your effort. Now I need your help.
I successfully flash the BIOS and play with it for some hours. However, When I play with the Windows-Push Button Reset option in the Save and Exit (I’m not sure if this option will save the changes,maybe some changes are wrong). It seems boot to the windows recovery. However it stuck at windows boot, shows waiting and the circle runs. I force close the computer and restart it. But then show nothing on the screen, the screen remian black while the keyboard backlight and fan works.
I try to clear cmos by unplug adapter, battery and cmos battery for 1 minutes. But it still shows black on the screen. I think I need programmer to flash the bios. But I did’t make bios full backup. I only have the fpt dump.
Could you please share the full rom of flash, or if I can merge full rom of flash by someway?
Thank you very much.
@brz - I don’t know anything about the “Push Button Reset” and actually asked @niamaim what was inside that (If it was submenu or setting). I’m not surprised it doesn’t work.
But I can tell you it doesn’t have anything to do with saving BIOS changes, it’s simply a power reset feature. As for what happened when you tried, it could be unrelated glitch, or could happen any time someone uses that, we need more testing by someone else to confirm.
If it always causes this, we’ll have to hide the setting.
Still waiting on @nimaim to send me a full programmer dump, once he does I can make new complete BIOS for you to use with your dumped BIOS region. Please upload your FPT backup, and once I have a full dump for this model I can make you new complete BIOS
In meantime, do the CMOS Clear longer with all power/batteries removed, try 10 minutes and at end of 10 minutes press and hold the power on button for 1 minute before you put it all back together to try and start. If still fails, remove one memory stick and try again (Sometimes this resets things)
It seems no luck with CMOS clear. I do as what you say and screen remains black. Original I have 2 memory stick. No matter I remove either one or remove all memory. The phenomenon are the same.
The push button reset entered into windows boot without reboot.(Seems windows recovery boot with a circle and “waiting”, The stuck on it may because my windows install). I’m not sure if this reset will also preform an bios reset or something else. What’s more, Does the unlocked bios has correct default value for unlocked setting?
PS: I flash the unlock bios directly with fptw64 in windows, but I think may not related. (I verify the bios are the same by dump the bios again after flash)
I will read current full bios flash soon. And there are two chip look like flash on motherboard. One is near PCH 25q128jvsq, I think this is 16MB main flash. Another is near memory, labeled HH1802 25Q20, I’m not sure if this is another flash store EC or NVRAM or something else.
@bzv - OK, then probably bricked, just wait for me to get dump and I’ll get that fixed for you. Then, we need someone to confirm this setting always does that, or you can re-test if you want, once you see you can recover with file I send. If it does always do we’ll have to hide it from user.
I assumed from the setting name, it meant “Reboot” like you pushed the windows power restart button in start menu (start, reboot/restart)
the mod BIOS has all defaults, only made menu’s visible. However, for now this BIOS should only be created by user sending me their BIOS dump via programmer or FPT BIOS region dump, then I edit, then you put back same way you backed up. Otherwise you loose board details because of flashing stock BIOS via FPT.
Other is EC, no need to dump that. If you want to dump your entire BIOS via programmer and send to me, I can fix it for you with the mod BIOS region again, or you can also add in any previous backups you made (Those I can re-edit properly with the mods so you keep your board details)
I successfully recover the BIOS by a programmer
The BIOS data in the flash chip is start from 0X60000H to the end of flash. I just replace it with my backup BIOS then it can boot.
This is mechrevo Z2’s backup BIOS: https://transfer.sh/gLTWX/backup.bin
This is full flash dump by programmer which cannot boot: https://transfer.sh/JFb6d/full.bin
This is full flash dump by programmer which is recovered and update again to modded bios with new microcode: https://transfer.sh/SUUIT/fullmodded.bin
The windows push reset button will boot the computer to windows advanced boot screen. If you choose restart of enter to windows, nothing will happened. But if you force close computer while boot into that screen(shows waiting and circle runs) It cannot boot forever. I don’t know why. There’s some difference in full.bin and fullmodded.bin, some of it maybe my changed setting, I’m not sure.
What’s more, If I flash the modded BIOS, my UUID would become 000020000300004…00009, and SN will be "Standard"
If you are available, could you please also modify mechrevo Z2’s backup BIOS, thank you.
The modded bios seems has something wrong with force close. My windows has a bluescreen and I force close it. After that it remains black on boot. Clear CMOS have no use for this problem.
Same method of clear CMOS can reset the change of overlock setting and can boot.
@nimaim Could you please also test if the BIOS has problem with force close? The way is to use push button reset option, and while windows boot and the circle runs, force close it. If it fail to boot, make a backup of bad bios full rom and upload it. And it need to reflash the good full rom by programmer to fix.
Is this the button to the left of the power button which does nothing for me unless it only works in windows? I am dual booting windows/MacOS.
Never mind that is the Office/Gaming mode button. I tried it on my 17 inch model OP-LP3 and it works fine for me. It goes into windows recovery and I tried the different options there and it boots back perfectly fine unless there is another series of steps you want me to follow to try an replicate your issue.
@bzv - good you got it recovered! Yes, I need to put warning on the download mod package, or remove it for now, due to FPT overwriting serial etc.
Mod needs to be done on individual basis, and I need to switch out the BIOS download for individual modules with images showing user how to modify into their FPT dump instead, then reflash
We’re working behind the scenes on getting AFU to flash mod BIOS, but no luck yet. I will repackage the mod for you and everyone tonight, so it can be used in a way that wont loose your serial, UUID etc.
This will require some modification on user end, dump BIOS region via FPT, and then replace 3 modules via UEFITool, then reflash BIOS region via FPT. I will try to make this explained in detail and with good enough images so it will be easy for everyone to understand.
I think mechrevo BIOS is not same as this one, they all are a little different. I’ll need to make a separate package for that one too.
And to alleviate this issue you’re having now I will hide that setting in all BIOS, no need for that anyway, sounds like a debug option, if user needs to get to that area they can push F8 at windows boot.
@pcfr33k
The problem happens at when you choose that button and when the windows recovery is booting(thr circle running), long press the power button to force close it. Can you give a try?
@Lost_N_BIOS
For the serial problem, when FPTW flashing the modded bios, it shows some part, I think one of the part store the SN, Maybe can bypass one part in FPTW?
For the issue of black screen, I think it may not related to that option, but related to force close. When I have a bluescreen and I force close it. It also appears the problem. Only hide the option may not solve the problem.
The dump of bios seems different even if I normally reboot, I don’t know which different cause the problem. If you need, I can have full dump to help you debug.