Intel ME Firmware

[FuryUs]

Hello all.

Just a quick question.
I have z68 pro3 gen3 and I was wondering if there is a way for me to check what Intel ME firmware my motherboard currently have.

Thanks in advance

[Acebmxer]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

yes... should works on ASRock boards. See here http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte...tml#post440777

Download is here

[parsec]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Good question.

The best I can say is, found on my Z77 mother board, start Device Manager and expand System devices. I have an entry for Intel 82802 Firmware Hub Device. Open its properties, and click the Details tab. Scroll through the entries and find Driver assembly version (although their is no driver listed in the Driver tab.)

I have 6.1.7601.17514.

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Thank you to both of you!

I feel ignorant that I couldn't figure out parsec 's way of doing it.
I also tried to use cmd line, "MEInfoWin64" as Acebmxer have directed me to but it somehow doesn't work on my machine.
Is it like plugin or whatever it is called that I need to download?
Anyways Thanks a lot

By the way, I have exact same spec as yours parsec, are you using Sandy Bridge on your system? cos I thought you need version 8 to use Ivy Bridge.

[Acebmxer]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Everything is in download I posted. Just copy MEInfowin64 and the 2 dll files along with FWUpdLcl64 and the bin file to your root directory of C:\. Run a command prompt with admin privilege.

[parsec]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

I'm using an Ivy Bridge i5-3570K on the PC that I took that version number from, although I can tell you it works fine with a i7-2600K.

IMO, there are a couple of confusing uses of terminology here, and in what you actually want to know, instead of what Acebmxer and I are telling you so far.

Back to IME. Is it firmware, or a driver, or software, or what? All of those things combined into one bundle, for multiple purposes. Individual parts are not available, if one is firmware, IME is a package deal to the PC user.

But don't you just want to know which version of IME you currently have, and need for your hardware? If so, be prepared to feel ignorant again, check Programs and Features in Control Panel, and look for Intel Management Engine Components. I have 8.1.0.1252.

IME is more chipset oriented than CPU oriented, since multiple CPUs work with a specific chipset. For your Z68, Intel lists 8.1.0.1248 for their own Z68 chipset boards.

Your boards download page has IME 8.0.2.1410, for Ivy Bridge CPUs.

Or have I completely misunderstood you.

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Thanks for the reply again

Acebmxer, so those files were under Tools -> System Tools -> MEInfo -> Windows64. Thank you so much. Now I can get the proper info. I should have looked into folders more thoroughly or at least I should have used search function.

parsec, what I wanted to know was the actual firmware because when I was updating my BIOS firmware from 1.20 to 2.30, I accidentally pulled out my USB without knowing there was second one and I suppose IME firmware did not get overwritten properly because at that time I had trouble booting into the PC (it took more than 2 minutes to get past POST). I have tried to update the firmware again but this did not help. Hence, even though Asrock told us not to downgrade the firmware, I gave it a try, and it somehow worked (partially) with the error saying missing firmware and HECI pointer mispatch. This bothered me so much, so I did the 2.30 update again but same story, POST took more than 2 minutes, so I reverted back to 1.20 and I have been using broken 1.20 for like 6 months? and the day I made this thread I was bored so I just did 2.30 update again (for fun) and now I get no such problem whatsoever, computer gets past POST flawlessly - this sure surprised me. If you know what could have fixed my problem, please enlighten me. Or who knows if the problem still persists :( but so far so good.

By the way, MEInfoWin64 tells me that my IME firmware version is 8.0.2.1410, so I guess IME firmware did get overwritten properly this time (hopefully).

Once again, thank you very much, you guys are awesome

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Hello all.

I got few more questions regarding Intel ME firmware.

Even though, I have mentioned that Intel ME firmware has been overwritten properly, is there a way for me to verify this?
I know that it is reporting 8.0.2.1410 but it seems like I am still stuck with version 7 because I am having POST problem again.
So, I was wondering if there is a way for me to flash Intel ME firmware only.
Do Intel ME firmware update has to be bound to the BIOS update? If so, why is that?.

Thanks in advance.

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

I have been digging some stuff out, and I just found out that it is possible to do standalone Intel me firmware update.
I have new question. Is it possible to downgrade intel me firmware?
I could only find one post on the internet that it's one way procedure such that you can't downgrade intel firmware.
However, the post is 3 years old and I am wondering if this is still the case.

Once again, thanks a lot and I look forward to reply

[parsec]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

I've never tried changing to an earlier version of IME, but if you can find an earlier installation program, try running it. You can change to an earlier version of IRST, for example, which detects the earlier version and asks you if you want to change.

What POST problem do you have related to IME? The only IME updates that are related to a BIOS update are for the Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge CPU compatibility updates.

[Cyras]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

ASRock Extreme9 L2.81 is locked!

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

What POST problem do you have related to IME? The only IME updates that are related to a BIOS update are for the Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge CPU compatibility updates.

Hello there.
This exactly is the problem I am having.

I have already mentioned that I have Z68 Pro3 Gen3 motherboard with 2.30 BIOS. Currently it is installed with Sandy Bridge, and my original intention was to get Ivy Bridge in the near future. However it is not working fine with the Sandy Bridge installed.

Here is the problem and I have divided it into 3 phases that I perceive when I turn on the PC

Phase 1
The PC gets stuck here for 40 seconds.

Phase 2
The PC does not get stuck, and it takes less than one seconds to leave this phase.
Please notice that B4 changed to A2

Phase 3
The PC gets stuck here for 15 seconds until I see Windows logo.

I seriously do not know what's wrong with it and it is quite questionable if installing ivy bridge would fix my problem (which I don't believe). It seems like there is problem with my motherboard not BIOS or Intel ME Firmware because I manually updated my ME Firmware again with the flag -ALLOWSV to overwrite the existing one.

I will attach MEInfoWin64.exe screenshot too.


Once again, thank you very much and any kind of reply is appreciated

[parsec]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Sorry, but I can't agree with your conclusion about the Ivy Bridge BIOS, IME version, and using an Ivy Bridge CPU. Also, you've had at least one failed or interrupted attempt at changing the IME firmware, so who knows what condition it is in now. Do you know that IME has an automated update, that is run with at least two entries in the Windows scheduled tasks feature?

There is one major difference between your PC and mine. I have an Ivy Bridge Z77 board, you have a Sandy Bridge Z68 board. I can use both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs on this board, and have just fine. I can use the IB BIOS on my board with a SB CPU. But when I changed CPUs, I did a fresh installation of Windows. I then run the IME installer for the first time, and IMO it sets things up for the hardware it finds.

Still, there is a problem with the combination of SB chipset board, SB CPU, IB BIOS and IB IME versions. That is what you currently have, plus a questionable situation about your IME installation. I had my SB CPU in a P67 board, a SB board. When the IB BIOS versions appeared, I thought, these are not for me. I was right, as I later saw issues posted in that boards forum about users that DID change to the IB BIOS, on an all SB platform.

You might, MIGHT, MAYBE will do better with your IB BIOS on an all SB platform if you reinstall Windows. Otherwise, the level of debugging the problems, if even possible, is beyond me now, and not something I want to spend time on, sorry to say.

[FuryUs]

Re: Intel ME Firmware

Hey ya.
Thanks for the reply.

Apparently, I was able to identify the problem, and did the first-aid.
I have been thinking that if my PC get stuck on B4 for that long time then B4 must be the keyword.
Hence, I googled and found out that B4 denote USB Hotplug issues.
So, I have removed all my USB devices, and wow no more hang up whatsoever.
As next step, I plugged in usb device into every port one by one to isolate the problem.
It comes out that USB3.0 ports are fine but all other USB2.0 ports are causing B4 at boot up.

Also, the information where I got B4 is from some person who is having exact same problem as me, and he is using P67 motherboard by EVGA but by looking at the date he posted, it concludes that the problem cannot be from Intel ME firmware update because the post is too old.

Anyways, thank you very much for your support and giving me advices and sharing thoughts were great help.
I hope you are well, and take care