Recent content by CodeRush

error-id10t, you can try pinmod of HDA chip to remove lock, but I don't know if it works on 8 series systems. Or you can by any cheap SPI programmer form Ebay and don't bother about any locks anymore.

New versions uploaded, sorry for temporary absence.

I will update the guide in a pair weeks, because it's got a bit old and a pair of new things must be added for sure.

This is freakin' interesting. Don't know if it's about CPU support module, or just marketing for making people buy "K" processors.

Faulty chip is a very rare case. It was NTFS who broke it, so bying a programmer is the best option. For pinmod, search for this AudigyHD chip, I'm not 100% sure, but it must be similar to other HD Audio chips, and you will find HDA_SDO line there.

1 - Yes, this is a right tool, but you must use a bit different commands, because this BIOS has no data structures to preserve and normal commands will fail. 2 - Yes, you need to pinmod your HDA chip, as described here. Or you can use external SPI programmer to do that. More to say, BIOS file...

I didn't tried it myself, because I have no access to a board with locked BIOS, but I think it's OK to flash modified BIOS image without capsule header with AFU. If not - add it manually with hex editor (0x800 bytes from original BIOS file), because FD44Editor will strip it out anyway.

That block is probably a descriptor region in the beginning of SPI chip. There is no user data there, so you can try using FD44Editor to prepare a BIOS file for flashing, and then flash it with AFUWIN. If AFU can flash BIOS with protection regardless of it - that is really great.

ASUS locked all other regions on their new boards, so no disasters this time, but, if anything goes wrong with ME - you must unlock it first with pinmod, or reflash with SPI programmer. If you are not experienced to do both - you are f*cked up.

cisco_guy, flashrom doesn't work on locked BIOSes, I have tried it already. But it can first erase all unprotected regions (Descriptor and ME in this case) and then exits with error, making BIOS unbootable after the reboot. I don't recommend trying it now.

I tried using that 10$ programmers - they are utter crap. One of the cheapest normal USB SPI programmer is this one. I'm working on my own cheap SPI programmer with some new features (first revision is already sold out), but it will take about a month before it goes to the market, I think.

Seller flashes you anything you want. But I think that SPI programmer is much better option. It's like giving fish and teaching how to fish. :)

Valky, actually, UPS can be a problem too. For ME firmware to reset, you must unplug your computer for about 30 seconds after ME reflash (or use dedicated poweroff command, it makes special art of reset capable of resetting ME, that is why I included it).

Valky, I think that all Turbo-related problems can be solved by reflashing ME region with merefl command. Have no fear for warnings like "Could not communicate with HECI", they are totally normal on system with corrupted ME. And merefl must be working on that locked BIOSes. Can you please try...

From 19xx and later - no. Only SPI programmer or hotswap on different unlocked board.