[Solved!] Bricked ASUS ROG Z490 Board after USB BIOS-Flashback

Win-Raid Forum (Drivers - Firmware - Modding) � Special Topics � Intel Management Engine � [Solved!] Bricked ASUS ROG Z490 Board after USB BIOS-Flashback

Topic settings

Print view

Jump to forum

General & Forum related Topics News / Announcements Forum-related Questions & Suggestions Off Topic Important Drivers (AHCI/RAID, NVMe, USB etc.) General: Storage Drivers (AHCI/RAID, NVMe and USB) Specific: Intel AHCI/RAID Drivers Specific: NVIDIA nForce Chipset Drivers (incl. AHCI/RAID) Specific: NVMe Drivers Other Drivers System Performance RAID Performance AHCI/NVMe Performance Solid State Drives BIOS Modding BIOS Modding Guides and Problems BIOS modules (PCI ROM, EFI and others) BIOS Modding Requests Reports: BIOS Modding Results Offers: Already modded special BIOSes Special Topics Intel Management Engine CPU Microcodes NVMe Support for old Systems Other Tools (not BIOS modding related) Interesting PC Hardware & Software OS related Topics Windows 11 Windows 8-10/Server 2012-2019 Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008 Windows XP/2000/Server 2003 DOS/Windows 3.X/9X/ME - Retro Gaming Other Operating Systems

#1 | [Solved!] Bricked ASUS ROG Z490 Board after USB BIOS-Flashback datum

Sat Nov 06, 2021 5:22 pm (Last edited: Sun Nov 07, 2021 5:32 pm)

Hey, i have encountered the infamous issue with the USB-BiosFlashback that bricks the MB. After a whole bunch of digging, i ended up on this forum and followed the guides, there is only one issue..

I have made a SPI Dump of the ME chip, and have checked it with ME Analyzer and have confirmed that there is infact an issue with it, however the files are too corrupt to be loaded into FIT. I figured that my only option is to get my hands on a SPI Dump from a healthy ROG Z490 board.

Any help would be greatly appriciated!

(Im also open to other solutions if anyone has any) I Will attach my ME-File if anyone want to poke around in it.

Edit: This case was solved by lfb6 in post #11.

McTeddy has attached files to this post

ME File.rar

reply

#2 | RE: [Request] ME for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sat Nov 06, 2021 10:45 pm (Last edited: Sat Nov 06, 2021 10:46 pm)

So u didnt made an SPI dump... u made an ME FW image dump witch is part of the whole SPI (16Mb)...8Mb...not one or other... How about the Intel image bios image data?
ME FW image is part independent from bios image, so have u tried to get it cleaned
[Guide] Clean Dumped Intel Engine (CS)ME/(CS)TXE Regions with Data Initialization

Donations via PAYPAL / REVOLUT, if u think the guy deserves it, else to the Win-Raid community on the bottom of the page, as it deserves for all the gathered information.

reply

#3 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:23 pm

Not a complete spi, add a bios region (ASUS update) and FIT will work. Problem is that MEA mentions a PHY but 14.0 normally doesn't have one...

reply

#4 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:49 pm

Okay, so if i understand correctly, i must combine the BIOS dump and the ME dump? (They are on two separate chips) I will try my hand at that.

reply

#5 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 12:51 am (Last edited: Sun Nov 07, 2021 1:00 am)

Correct. And the first 8 MB isn't just ME, it's Flash Descriptor, too.

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ME Analyzer v1.253.0 r262 ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ asus-Corrupted.bin (1/1) ║
╟──────────────────────────────┬───────────────╢
║ Family │ CSE ME ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version │ 14.0.33.1125 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Release │ Production ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Type │ Extracted ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ SKU │ Consumer H ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset │ CNP/CMP-H A ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 1 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 7 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 3 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ OEM Configuration │ No ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ FWUpdate Support │ No ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Date │ 2020-03-01 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ File System State │ Initialized ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x321000 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Flash Image Tool │ 14.0.33.1125 ║
╟──────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Latest │ No ║
╚══════════════════════════════╧═══════════════╝
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Power Management Controller ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬───────────────╢
║ Family │ PMC ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version │ 140.2.01.1010 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Release │ Production ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset SKU │ H ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset Stepping │ A ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 3 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 3 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Date │ 2020-02-04 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x14000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Latest │ No ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧═══════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Platform Controller Hub Configuration ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────╢
║ Family │ PCHC ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Version │ 14.0.0.7001 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Release │ Production, Engineering ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Date │ 2019-05-01 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x1000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Latest │ No ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧══════════════════════════╝
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ USB Type C Physical ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬────────────────╢
║ Family │ PHY ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Version │ 0.0.0.0000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Release │ Pre-Production ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ SKU │ P ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Date │ 2019-09-09 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x7000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧════════════════╝

Warning: Incompatible PHY P (CMP) firmware detected!

EDIT Read Intel (Converged Security) Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware and Tools (355) and Intel (Converged Security) Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware and Tools (352) - here Plutomainacs comments about Asus boards.
Seems that ASUS used a placeholder for PHY firmware which has to be inserted manually.... The ME firmware update to 14.1 for this board does indeed contain a valid PHY firmware, but that doesn't help until you have cleaned the ME region.

reply

#6 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 1:49 am

I keep getting "error 9: Failed to Decompose Image" and "Error 42:Failed to open with processed commands " with FIT, so im unable to proceed with the cleaning process. I did an experimental read of the chip containing the ME (the chip number wasnt supported, but i found one with identical specs the first time) but this time i set the storage parameter to 16MB and now it show Descriptor Region, ME region, and BIOS region. I do however get the same errors when attempting to run it in FIT, so im guessing that i would still have to combine the original 8MB file with the 16MB BIOS file, but im at a loss of how to do this.

I have attached the file if you want tot check it out. ALL the datasheets of the Chip in question (25Q64JVSIQ) indicate that it is a 8MB chip... Again, im confused.

McTeddy has attached files to this post

ME-Dump-16MB.rar

reply

#7 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 2:17 am (Last edited: Sun Nov 07, 2021 2:18 am)

Your ME-Dump-16MB.rar ist the first file you posted x2? That won't help much.

Open the 8MB file in HxD, open the 16 MB file in HxD, select the complete 16 MB file and copy it at the end of the 8MB file, save with new name. Should be exactly 24 MB. If you don't have the dump og the bios region and just need the ME region (and not your own bios regiosn) take the bios region of an asus update file. Structure should look like:

This file will open fine in FIT. (You could even fill 16 MByte wirh FF, put it at the end of the 8MB file and call it a Bios region- would work, too) FIT doesn't care if there's meaningful content in the bios region, it's FD (PCH straps) and ME here, otherwise it's just the file size.

reply

#8 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 2:38 am

Wow, that solved it! Thank you lfb6 for awesome help, this made my day!

reply

#9 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 12:30 pm (Last edited: Sun Nov 07, 2021 12:48 pm)

You're welcome! But that solved only opening the file in FIT, and cleaning it according to [Guide] Clean Dumped Intel Engine (CS)ME/(CS)TXE Regions with Data Initialization

BUT that doesn't solve the problem of the dummy volumes in the first ME Boot partition. See "unknown 41" and "unknown 42" (SAMF and PPHY) in the original ME to the left, cleaned ME to the right:

They'll be needed when updating the ME to version 14.1 at least.

@plutomaniac I tried to add "41" and "42", edited IFWI header and BPDT partition table, but that's first time. Would you mind having a look into the result? Would there be an easier solution?

corrupt.rar = First 8MB (FD and ME) of #1
FD_ME_edited.zip = First 8MB (FD and ME) of #1 cleaned and edited
Latest stock bios https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BI...G-ASUS-2301.ZIP

Text files = Output of MEA -dfpt -unp86 for the corresponding files

And there's a complete updated ME in the bios region?! Do they update the ME via bios now??

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ME Analyzer v1.253.0 r262 ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝

╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Section_Raw_63F23E9D-5FDA-415E-9C2A-64C4E2A6E (1/1) ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────╢
║ Family │ CSE ME ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Version │ 14.1.51.1528 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Release │ Production ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Type │ Extracted ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ SKU │ Consumer H ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Chipset │ CNP/CMP-H A ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 1 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 8 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 9 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ OEM Configuration │ No ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ FWUpdate Support │ No ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Date │ 2020-11-24 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ File System State │ Configured ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x321000 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Flash Image Tool │ 14.0.51.1528 ║
╟──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────╢
║ Latest │ No ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╧══════════════════════╝
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Power Management Controller ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬───────────────╢
║ Family │ PMC ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version │ 140.2.01.1018 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Release │ Production ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset SKU │ H ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset Stepping │ A ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 3 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 3 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Date │ 2021-02-22 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x14000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼───────────────╢
║ Latest │ Yes ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧═══════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Platform Controller Hub Configuration ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────╢
║ Family │ PCHC ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Version │ 14.0.0.7002 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Release │ Production, Engineering ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Date │ 2020-06-12 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x1000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────╢
║ Latest │ Yes ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧══════════════════════════╝
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ USB Type C Physical ║
╟─────────────────────────────┬────────────────╢
║ Family │ PHY ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Version │ 12.14.210.2008 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Release │ Production ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Type │ Independent ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ SKU │ P ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ TCB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ ARB Security Version Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Version Control Number │ 0 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Production Ready │ Yes ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Date │ 2020-11-30 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Size │ 0x7000 ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Chipset Support │ CMP ║
╟─────────────────────────────┼────────────────╢
║ Latest │ No ║
╚═════════════════════════════╧════════════════╝

Error: Firmware is incomplete/corrupted, expected 0x1800000 not 0x800000!

Warning: Firmware size exceeds Engine/Graphics region, possible data loss!

Note: Adjusted buffer to Flash Descriptor 0x0 - 0x1800000!

Press enter to exit

lfb6 has attached files to this post

reply

#10 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 1:59 pm

Yes, they do indeed update the ME through the BIOS update, thats how i ended up with a bricked board. The USB-Biosflashback has a bug when updating from 10th-Gen support BIOS to 11th-Gen Support BIOS, causing it to crash when flashing the ME. (Wish i had known that :P )

Do you think the updated ME from the bios may be viable, considering that its most likely supposed to be flashed over in the update process?

I have attempted to flash and test a couple of my own and the edited from your last post, but no sauce yet it seems. The board is still not reacting to Power button presses and are just displaying Standby power.

I will keep poking around, and keep you posted if i figure something out!

reply

#11 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:27 pm

Zitat von McTeddy im Beitrag #10
......Do you think the updated ME from the bios may be viable, considering that its most likely supposed to be flashed over in the update process? .....

Yep, that's not only a ME region, it contains a FD, too. Open the bios region in UEFIToolNE, go to 63F23E9D-5FDA-415E-9C2A-64C4E2A6ECE8, select RAW section, choose "extract body"! This will give you the exact content of the 8MB chip, should be precisely 8MB.

What bios version were you on before the update? Do you have a backup/ dump of your bios region (= the second chip with 16MB)?

There are some additional settings and some of the settings configured in FIT will be stored in Flash Descriptor so you should flash the complete 8MB- not just the ME region. And there might be a connection between these settings/ ME revision and bios version.

It's unclear to me if this update process began with bios or with FC/ME, but you can actually see where the update process stopped- FD and ME are identical to the updated region in bios up to a certain block, then there's an empty block:

Theoretically the board should work with a combination of latest bios and this FD/ME region stored in bios. But don't overwrite the 16MB bios chip without having/ making a valid backup! There's your machne specific data like UUID/S/N...

reply

#12 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 5:27 pm

Viable indeed! The board fired up with latest bios and the FD/ME extracted from bios files! You sir, are a genius!
The issue is officially solved!

I will change the title to something fitting, so people with the same issue can find it.

reply

#13 | RE: [Request] ME-Dump for ROG STRIX z490-H datum

Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:34 pm

Thanks a lot! Good to hear that you got it working again

(As written before: If you flashed an Asus stock bios, you have probably lost S/N, UUID, maybe MAC... If that's of interest you you'd have to lock into your backup, most often these are recoverable.)

reply

Dell Precision 7540 - Enable Intel AMT � � [Guide] Clean Dumped Intel Engine (CS)ME/(CS)TXE Regions with Data Initialization

Please enter a reason for warning.