Since recent AGESA (1.2.0.0) update apparently “protected” BIOS/UEFI flash memory. One cannot use trusty flashrom anymore to backup/update BIOS on AM4 motherboards that have recent firmware.
Is there any software solutions that work?
I tested AMI (Aptio) Firmware Update Utility v5.16.01.0109 on ASRock B550M-ITX/ac motherboard. While it seems to “successfully” save a backup of current firmware, it is only doing partial dump. Board has 32Mb flash chip (Winbond W25Q256JWEIQ), but AMI tool only saves 16Mb image (“TOP16M” it would seem).
I was testing with latest AfuEfix64.efi (downloaded directly from AMI).
Backup seems to work without any errors:
FS0:\> AfuEfix64.efi backup.rom /O
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AMI Firmware Update Utility v5.16.01.0109 |
| Copyright (c) 1985-2023, American Megatrends International LLC. |
| All rights reserved. Subject to AMI licensing agreement. |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- System ACAU Support .............. Enabled
- ACAU Version = 101.
Saving current BIOS into file: backup.rom
Reading flash ............... done
Process completed.
But results only a 16Mb file, not full 32Mb dump of the flash. Saved file seems to only contain the “top” 16Mb portion (ATR : D) part of the flash…
Reading ROM ID from the ASRock bios update file shows two (16Mb) blocks:
FS0:\> AfuEfix64.efi B55MITA2.62 /U
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AMI Firmware Update Utility v5.16.01.0109 |
| Copyright (c) 1985-2023, American Megatrends International LLC. |
| All rights reserved. Subject to AMI licensing agreement. |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- System ACAU Support .............. Enabled
- ACAU Version = 101.
- ATR : U
- ROM File ROM ID = 1AWQH262
- ROM File ROM GUID = abfa34a6-267f-788d-d26accd71b33ec90
- ATR : D
- ROM File ROM ID = 1AWQG262
- ROM File ROM GUID = eaa86116-35d6-1bb1-448d3b1085ee1f41
Process completed.
While reading ROM ID from the backup created earlier only shows the “ATR : D” section:
FS0:\> AfuEfix64.efi backup.rom /U
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AMI Firmware Update Utility v5.16.01.0109 |
| Copyright (c) 1985-2023, American Megatrends International LLC. |
| All rights reserved. Subject to AMI licensing agreement. |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- System ACAU Support .............. Enabled
- ACAU Version = 101.
- ROM File ROM ID = 1AWQG262
- ROM File ROM GUID = eaa86116-35d6-1bb1-448d3b1085ee1f41
Process completed.
I did try following options, but looks like when using “/O” no other command line options have any effect (?)
AFU offers command /ATR: U, /ATR:D to be chosen by users for which ROM region should be flashed. BIOS offers command /CMD:{TOP16M}, /CMD:{BOTTOM16M} to be chosen by users for which ROM region should be flashed.