I gave you command line to make backup before, isn't that how you did it? Yes, there is command line version, maybe not compatible with your system but that is where I got the commands from (the PDF for H2OFFT, inside this folder H20FFT\H20FFT-W >> H20FFT_UserGuide_Windows_V5.31.PDF, CMD stuff starts on page 37)
The guide makes it look like any of the versions, even windows versions, can also run from command line too.

As for same version error, edit this line, or add/create it (This is on page 21 of the PDF), this goes underneath [Others] and this should be the default already >> AllowVersion=000

@Lost_N_BIOS Hi,
I've managed to install a spare M.2 drive replacing the main disk and installed Windows 10. My ME FW version according to MEInfoWin64.exe is 11.8.50.3434 .
Can I procede with the bios update using the command you gave me before ?

P.S. Out of curiosity I also check dxdiag and other tools. All of them indicate DVMT 128MB even if we know it's impossible. That's why I think you can't check DVMT allocated in Windows. It is not realiable.

P.P.S. Inside Flash Programming Tool folder there is also a Win64 folder (together with a DOS,Win32 and EFI64). Why I can't flash the bios using the Win64 tool ?

EDIT : I wasn't able to create a UEFI bootable Dos usb key and there isn't an option to disable uefi boot in my bios so I tried the ftpw64.exe command from Windows 10. It worked.


Intel (R) Flash Programming Tool. Version: 11.8.60.3561
Copyright (c) 2007 - 2018, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Reading HSFSTS register... Flash Descriptor: Valid

--- Flash Devices Found ---
W25Q64FW ID:0xEF6017 Size: 8192KB (65536Kb)


- Reading Flash [0x0800000] 6144KB of 6144KB - 100 percent complete.
Writing flash contents to file "biosreg.bin"...

Memory Dump Complete
FPT Operation Successful.

Is this ok ?
here is the file :
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=12320350334263742525

Wow, BIOS is intricate and risky to flash, even a stock BIOS, why do people rush and the ask to change directions from what they are given? I'll never understand
Yes, you could use Win64 from FPT, but I've ever advised or mentioned it.
Yes, you can try the BIOS update using the modified 8MB BIOS I sent in post #12 you only with H20FFT, you can do that from command line as mentioned, or add/edit in the allowsame variable in the platform.ini and use the GUI if it will let you

Please show me images of all that in windows, dxdiag, GPU-z and HWINFO64 video memory, I believe you but would like to see it all myself, especially HWINFo64 and GPU-z.
I know actual windows (microcosoft) tools often mess this up, due to shared memory and whatever it thinks the OS can set aside too, especially Win7-10, but other tools shouldn't and I've never seen them do so but I rarely have looked when testing with onboard GFX

UEFI bootable and DOS bootable are two different things, and cannot be one in the same, unsure what your goal was there, so can't advise on that one.

Here is mod BIOS region, flash using FPTw.exe -bios -d biosregm.bin

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fil...769467257353264

@Lost_N_BIOS Good morning and sorry yesterday I was in a rush and wrote a quite confusing answer.
First of all i'm attaching here the images from the tools (gpuz,dxdiag and hwinfo64 as you asked) :

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=52581935513984646299

About the H2OFFT I will try again today to flash using the bios you sent me on post #12. I will read more carefully the manual and try to find out which command use to bypass the secure bios error (the version error I know how to bypass).

Just in case i'm not able to do that I tried to dump the bios using FPT as per your instruction. You said to use the DOS version I understand but I think I can't that' s why I used the Win64 version to dump the bios (I thought that reading a bios was not so risky. I would have waited for your instruction before flashing using a tool you didn't mention).
My problem is this :
I can create a bootable USB drive with FreeDos in it, copy the files I need (FPT.exe, the bios.bin etc). I've done that a million time using for example Rufus. I use a drive like that for HDAT2.exe which is a software for analyze hard drive sectors and repair them BUT to boot the drive in the bios I've to disable Secure Boot AND enable Legacy (CSM) boot. In my bios there is NOT this option so the usb drive I've created doesn't work at boot. I can use it in any other laptop I have but not on this one because there is not Legacy boot option. On this one I can boot only if the usb drive has an EFI partition and I don't know who to create a USB with DOS and UEFI togheter.
I hope it's more clear now …

Thanks
Mattia

Thanks for the images! No worries about being in a rush or anything Sorry, I didn't know you were getting a security error, or forgot, I thought the main issue was the "Can't flash same version" stuff. no need to worry about any of that.

Sorry though, I forgot to mention above, to reflash BIOS via FPT you need to change BIOS lock setting, here is my guide on doing that - [GUIDE] Grub Fix Intel FPT Error 368 - BIOS Lock Asus/Other Mod BIOS Flash
You can start at step #6, because I have done what step #1-5 give you below (This already done inside this BIOS, so next time you wont need to unlock, but if not done again then following that it will be locked once more)
BIOS Lock variable to change >> 0x17

Since I don't think you have exit to shell on your exit page, you will need to follow what I've outlined in this post to be able to boot to grub, be sure to look at the images and make yours look exact same
Alt boot to grub when no boot to EFI on exit page - [Help needed] Hidden Advanced menu Bios HP Z1 J52_0274.BIN (2)

So once at grub prompt you will type in following >> setup_var 0x17 0x0

You can use DOS FPT, don't use FreeDos or Rufus, use Win98 SE - here use this method >>https://www.win-raid.com/t3756f16-lt-Request-gt-Flagship-X-Gaming-Wifi-Motherboard-BIOS-Fix.html#msg53541
^^ This, has to either be separate USB from your grub setup USB, or do grub stuff, then redo stick for this

No worries about the x64 FPT, I was talking to whoever was listening, and laughing. You are correct, reading a BIOS is not risky, but still no one said to use x64 anything, that was my point is all.
On the Boot to DOS/USB etc, you should have option in your BIOS on the Boot page called "Boot Type" and there is dual, legacy or UEFI (If not, we need to unhide for you later, or now with grub)
Variable for that is >> 0x79 So, in grub (using that is UEFI, so you can boot to grub as outline above), to change this to dual >> setup_var 0x79 0x0
Then you will be able to boot to normal DOS USB. But, if you don't want to do that, you can also use EFI FPT instead of DOS one, if there is EFI version in your ME System Tools FPT folder (I didn't check, but assume it's there)

@Lost_N_BIOS i think i've followed your instruction but i still have the same error when using setup_var command : can't set variable using efi(err = 0x00000008)

So to make a recap :
I can't flash using H2OTTF because i get an error about secure bios protection
I don't have Legacy boot mode in bios (the bios page is made by a single page where i can modify very few things like enable or disable wifi or fingerprint sensor)
I can't enable legacy boot using setup_var
I can't modify 0x17 which anyway seems to be already set to 0x0 (at least if reading that value using setup_var is ok)

There is an EFI folder inside my ME System Tools FPT folder but inside there is only a .EFI file. How can i use it ?

@tmbt - If 0x17 is already set to 0x0, which it shouldn't be, but if it is then no need to change this, boot to however you can use FPT and flash BIOS region.

EFI file is used in the same manner I mentioned above for "boot to grub when no boot to EFI on exit page" Format FAT32, Put that file (The FPT one and fparts.txt) in all the folders, ways shown on the link posted above (But don't rename, that's only for the grub thing).
Along with this file, and then boot to USB - https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/raw/ma...l/X64/Shell.efi << This, you make copies of, some renamed Bootx64.efi, and put like I showed in the images linked here >> [Help needed] Hidden Advanced menu Bios HP Z1 J52_0274.BIN (2)
Go ahead and copy the FPT.efi and fparts.txt to all the same directories too, to save hassle from having to switch folders or reboot to copy to another folder and try again. Then follow this general example of how to get to correct folder within shell to run FPT - https://justpaste.it/FlashBiosViaUEFI

None of that is necessary though, since you've already ran FPT before, run it same way now and flash BIOS as mentioned >> FPTw.exe -bios -d biosregm.bin
This should be no problem since BIOS lock is disabled, if it really is, if not you'll get error 368

Back to H2OFFT - you get this error using command line as mentioned? If so, try again with the GUI and edit platform.ini >> EnableFlashSecureBIOSOverride=1 (Add this, or change it to 1 if already present, default is zero)

Never mind on this, what was here (about vars), we've already been this route

May have to give in and order a CH341A flash programmer and SOIC8 test clip cable and wait for delivery. BUT, I think it should be possible via FPT though (Same way you ran it before), if BIOS lock is indeed disabled already, so there is hope!

@Lost_N_BIOS Sadly the bios is not unlocked. I got 368 error when trying to write using FPT.efi -bios -f so it seems that our last chance is the CH341A flash programmer and SOIC8 test clip cable. Am i correct?

Where can i buy them and what skill do i need ? I don't want to mess with my motherboard. Is a difficult operation ?


EDIT : I saw where to buy and how it works. Are you sure that the test clip cable is going to work on a laptop motherboard ? It seems so thin i'm not sure i can attach the clip cable to the bios chip

EDIT2 : Is this the right chip ? It would be awesome because it's quite easy to reach and there is no need to remove the motherboard from the laptop chassis.

Thanks
Mattia

Yes, as I suspected. Maybe not last chance, keep trying to get setup_var to change 0x17 to 0x0. I know it says that now, but try setup_var2 and setup_var3 method, have we discussed those yet?
They're created for these issues, here is both files, only use one at a time and each only use the var2 or var3 per the folder it's in
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fil...762783500916238

Same way >> setup_var2 0x17 0x0
>>>>>>>>> setup_var3 0x17 0x0

Then try FPTw.exe again from windows, or DOS, however you used previously

Yes, it's simple to use, and yes it works on laptop (Desktop is same BIOS chip) here is a guide with plenty of images
[GUIDE] Flash BIOS with CH341A programmer

Unsure if either of those are the BIOS, you'd have to dump them before we could confirm. Top one is more likely the BIOS, other smaller probably EC or ME

@Lost_N_BIOS
using sutup_var2 i've 5 matches for 0x17 variable and one of them has 0x01 in the variable. How can i modify that one for sure and not the other 4 ?

@tmbt - It doesn't look to be correct, unless it's just incomplete? See, here is from one of your original vars, and there is no 0x17 in this GUID, it only goes to 10/0a, but maybe it's incomplete

[02A] "Custom"
GUID: A41E9236-4D21-43B5-9379-DDD6FAFE6603
Attributes: 0x7
DataSize: 0xA
Data:
00000000: 01 01 01 00 00 FF 00 00 00 00

We can change that using vars, but first we need a complete dump of this GUID. Lets see if we dump it by itself, if we can get a complete dump of this GUID
H2OUVE -gv customnewsingle.txt -g A41E9236-4D21-43B5-9379-DDD6FAFE6603 -n Custom

@Lost_N_BIOS
Sorry for my late answer but i got a lot of work to do. Here is the copy paste of the text i got using the command line you gave me :

************************************************************************************
Insyde H2OUVE (UEFI Variable Editor) Version 100.00.16.08
Copyright (c) 2012 - 2015, Insyde Software Corp. All Rights Reserved.
 
#************************************************************************************
#  Please follow file format to modify variable information.
#
#  File Format:
#
#   [Index] Variable Name
#          GUID: XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
#          Attributes: 0xXX
#          DataSize: 0xXX
#          Data:
#                00000000: XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 
#                00000010: XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 
#                 .....                         .....
#  
#  1. Index is a number in Hex.
#  2. The number of data must be equal to datasize.(Except datasize = 0)
#  3. "X") represents a hex number.
#
#  Delete Variable:
#    Please modify datasize or Attributes value to zero.
#
#************************************************************************************
 
 [001] "Custom"
      GUID: A41E9236-4D21-43B5-9379-DDD6FAFE6603
      Attributes: 0x7
      DataSize: 0xA
      Data:
            00000000: 01 01 01 00 00 FF 00 00 00 00 
 
 

Let me know what you think about it. I can still buy the equipment to hardware dump the bios and programming it back

Mattia

I thought maybe that would be it, that's all that's in that GUID, not enough entries there for what's shown in your image. Unsure if that means the image is wrong variable, or incorrectly detecting some other variable
Will it change if you tell setup_var2 to change them all, or does it spit back same info and that one is always 0x1?

@Lost_N_BIOS I tried to update that var using setup_var but i received the usual 0x0000008 error.
I think at this point my last chance is to buy the tools you told and try that way. Do yoi think is possible ?

Thanks again for all the support!!

Mattia

@tmbt - so I checked this GUID itself, in the BIOS, and the output we're seeing is correct, it's only 10 bytes long, so whatever is shown to you by setup_var2 is either incorrect info or it's giving the wrong GUID. See image below

You're welcome. And yes, with the programming tools, we'll have no issue, we can change anything we want to anything we want!