Image is from your Sendspace link, so do I need to do a flash dump (if possible) rather than use the download?

The FPT is from version 10 of the Intel tools, I have the updated AFU that was kindly sent when investigating the other Acer desktop.

Editing the platform.ini seems like it may have mileage.

Here it is, I will have a look with limited brain and try to see what I can effect then reupload an edited version.

I meant your picture of the FPT process with yellow warning is bad, when I mentioned image, sorry for any confusion on that.

I think ini edit, or flash programmer is your only option due to the other lock (@28 error). I will see if I can find anything that may help in the ini file

Change this to 1, then try again >> EnableFlashSecureBIOSOverride=0

Setup_Var 0x4AB 0x00 first?

Yes, that will help! Once you change that it stays until you flash BIOS again, so if you've already done it then it done for now.

The flash tool (H20FFT-Wx64.exe) was happy to proceed from within Windows but when dropping out of the GUI before the flash was executed the 'Invalid Flash Image' error was present and 'Press any key to restart'.

You'll need to get flash programmer then, or find H20FFT alternative that people say works for modified BIOS.

FYI or anyone following, tried the WIN & B BIOS recovery restart with BDW.fd (modified) on a flash drive, did not work, tried all 3 USB ports.

I have a flash programmer and software v1.30 in English, no idea what the next step is.

Next step is to download this package, so you have many versions of the software, not all work with all boards or BIOS roms
https://www.sendspace.com/file/gtcmvd

Then you want to connect the clip cable into the programmer with red wire going to middle of socket on the lever side. By middle I mean, there is 2 sets of 4/4 slots for BIOS, farther edge towards back of programmer is for 24xx BIOS, not yours. Middle slots of 4/4 is for 25xx BIOS, this is what we want to use. Red wire is pin 1, this goes on lever side of the programmer in the middle BIOS slot. Then red wire to clip on motherboard end goes to pin one on the motherboard BIOS. This is usually noticeable by a dot or paint or marker, or a indentation on the BIOS itself, and usually there is a white triangle or 1 by that same BIOS pin, that is pin one, Red wire there.

Then install driver in above package. Then open software of your choosing to try first, I already try newest version first. Hit detect and if it detects your chip by ID OK, then select that one. Sometimes you might need to choose less than full ID, or different than ID too, like BIOS ends in FV sometimes BV works better, but you'll figure that out later if it comes to that. Once you've done that, hit read and when it's done hit verify. If it verified good, then you hit save BIOS. Verify after reading it should tell you chip and buffer or memory match, then that is possibly a good verified file (not always). Open that file in hex editor and make sure it's not all FF"s. Then repeat that a time or two and compare those two verified files, if they're always good files and match then probably OK. Save this BIOS somewhere safe as backup. Make sure it opens properly and looks correct in any BIOS editing tools you are familiar with too, then you'll know it's OK.

Once all that is done, you can safely write to the chip. My way of doing that is to use partial auto. On the top you'll see auto with everything checked, I un-check the first two and do those manually (Erase and blank check), leaving write/verify on auto.
To write a BIOS I always close the program to be sure buffer is clear, open it again and detect chip or select ID etc. Then erase chip, then blank check, then open BIOS file and hit auto. If that verifies correctly when it's done, time to test the board.

Upload your dump here and I will check it for you, and redo the mod + unlock the BIOS Lock and see if I can undo the PRR lock for you too (possibly not on that, so you may need to program any mod BIOS in the future)

I'm fine with programming any update after this one as I don't think the vendor (Acer) will ever shift their position. Removing the locks if possible would be excellent as you've told me the steps I would need to study to achieve any future updates.

I'll need to strip the laptop down to the board and only have a desktop machine to use as a programmer, but thank you and I will be sure to report back once I've done all you ask.

OK the 131 tool detects but does not set the flash chip. It leaves the setting on 1MB/8Mbit

The 130 tool detects and offers Winbond W25Q64BV/FV. I took a picture of the chip and it is FV.

[[File:flash chip.png|none|auto]]

There is a privileged instruction warning when I select FV but went ahead and read. I verified the file as the same in memory. I've attached the dump from 130 CH341A tool.

[[File:flashdump130.zip]]

Had a look at the dumped image in UBU, it identifies as InsydeH20 and goes through EFI modules and OROM detection, I get the menu so I had a look at uCode and it flashed up about unknown AMD uCodes!

[[File:AMD uCodes.png|none|auto]]

The only thing that concerns me is that the modified image is over 9MB, so I have done a 16MB dump with the 131 CH341A tool.

I can't upload as it is over 6MB so I will put it on Dropbox

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rqqol65j2lc1o2...ump131.zip?dl=0

Edited to remove all files.

So what is attached 1.30 dump, it's only 8MB? Privilege instruction warning or access violation usually means connection was lost or incorrect connections, could be version error etc though?

I don't know what you mean about 9MB mod image? Nothing from before matters or applies now that your going to dump the board, so toss all that and forget about it.

What you do need to sort out is why one dump is 8MB and one is 16MB? Dumping with programmer should be full chip always, if not there is a problem, toss the file and try again doing something different.
From what I can see the 16MB BIOS is a proper BIOS, with a second BIOS under main BIOS region, duplicated? Maybe that is how this system is setup fro recovery, seems like a terrible way to do that and very unusual.
Probably invalid dump or something.

Choose BV if you picked FV initially, and try the reverse too, see if both files match. And on 131 no detecting, you can leave like that, or select a chip ID yourself.
See my comment here, same chip I think, if that is your chip (W25Q64FVSIG) Asus X550LB shutting down every 30min (5)

Please read the chip with magnifying glass if you need to, and give me the exact model name. I cannot see anything in that image you posted, it's just as small enlarged as it is here on the forum page
Then I can test this exact chip on my end and let you know which version works OK (I will start with latest and stop there if it's OK). Do you have black/gold programmer or green/blue one, so I can know which one to test with.

Thanks it’s definitely W25Q64FVSIQ will try W25Q64BV setting

It is the black programmer. Yes I think the issue with 131 Is versioning.

Will post back shortly.

All files are identical; BV, FV and 131 detects as EF401716. (I used HxD to compare).