Fix Missing or Nonfunctional Intel(R) Ethernet Controller After AMI BIOS Recovery
After carrying out the AMIBOOT.ROM AMI BIOS Recovery on an AMIBIOS8 system, you may experience the Intel(R) Ethernet Controller no longer being detected or becoming nonfunctional (with message "This device cannot start. (Code 10)" being shown for the controller's device status in Device Manager).
In this case, this is due to the ethernet controller's firmware configuration being erased as part of BIOS recovery. You can check to see if this was the case by going to the Details tab for the device, and then selecting "Hardware Ids" from the dropdown menu. If the part after "SUBSYS_" is all zeros, then this means the adapter's firmware is likely not initialized.
If this is the case, you now need to check what the controller's original hardware ID was. To check it, open Registry Editor, then go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\.
Expand each of the keys within this key that start with "VEN_8086" (indicating manufacturer is Intel(R)), and click on the key underneath each one, until you find an entry with the "FriendlyName" value being the name of the Intel(R) ethernet controller.
Note down the value stored in "HardwareID".
Now, you will need to find a computer that has the same ethernet controller. For example, the Sony VAIO VGC-JS290J computer has the same model ethernet controller as the Sony VAIO VPC-L148FG computer. The computer does not necessarily need to have the same SUBSYS ID, it only needs to have the correct DEV ID. However, it will result in your target computer having an ethernet controller with the same SUBSYS ID as that of the computer from which you saved the firmware configuration (this still makes it functional). If you want it to have the original SUBSYS ID, you may be able to modify the file using a hex editor (WARNING: This may brick the adapter if there is a checksum enforced within the file), or follow the alternative method below (WARNING: I did not test this alternative procedure).
If you are able to find such a computer, download the Intel(R) Flash Programming Tool (part of the Intel(R) ME/CSME System Tools) at the following location: https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-Management-Engine-Drivers-Firmware-amp-System-Tools.html. You will need to read the instructions on the page to determine the Intel(R) ME version on your computer (which is based on your computer's chipset).
WARNING: Intel(R) Flash Programming Tool (Intel(R) FPT) is a very powerful tool that can brick your computer's BIOS if you flash the wrong file or a file with the incorrect size! Make sure you specify "-GBE" at the end of the command or otherwise you will accidentally flash the ethernet controller configuration file to the wrong region of the BIOS chip and brick your computer!
On the computer with the functional ethernet controller, run "FPTW64 -d EthernetROM.bin -GBE" (use FPTW if your computer is 32-bit). This will dump the functional ethernet controller configuration to the same directory as the Flash Programming Tool. Copy this file, along with the correct version of the Flash Programming Tool, to the computer with the broken ethernet controller.
On the target computer, run "FPTW64 -f EthernetROM.bin -GBE" (use FPTW if your computer is 32-bit). This will flash the ethernet controller configuration with that of the other computer.
Restart your computer. If the configuration was suitable for your target computer, your ethernet controller should now be functional.
Alternative Method: If your computer manufacturer has a BIOS upgrade available on the support website:
WARNING: I have not tested this method to see if it works since the previous method worked for me.
Download the AMI BIOS ROM Utilities Collection from http://bit.ly/BIOSUtils. Also download the BIOS ROM file from your computer manufacturer and extract its contents until you get the raw .ROM file (you may need to run the executable file and go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\ to find the most recent folder, which will probably contain the BIOS file).
Open the BIOS ROM file in the newest version of MMTool (see within MMTool folder in the collection) that suits your BIOS version (for legacy AMIBIOS8 systems, use MMTool 3.26). Select the "RomHole" tab. Extract each of the RomHoles that has "YES" indicating something is stored inside that location. Using a hex editor, open each file, until you see one with hex values "86 80" (representing 8086 for Intel(R)) and then the hardware ID of the ethernet controller (reversed by each pair of digits).
Download the Intel(R) Flash Programming Tool (part of the Intel(R) ME/CSME System Tools) at the following location: https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-Management-Engine-Drivers-Firmware-amp-System-Tools.html. You will need to read the instructions on the page to determine the Intel(R) ME version on your computer (which is based on your computer's chipset).
Copy the saved RomHole file with the hardware ID of your ethernet controller to the Flash Programming Tool directory as EthernetROM.bin.
Run "FPTW64 -f EthernetROM.bin -GBE" (use FPTW if your computer is 32-bit). This will flash the ethernet controller configuration with that from the BIOS ROM.
Restart your computer. If the configuration was suitable for your computer, your ethernet controller should now be functional.
If the ethernet controller still does not work, try using AFUWIN to flash the corresponding RomHole on your computer (use /? and consult the PDF within the suitable AFUWIN folder of the collection to see the suitable parameter for doing so).
DISCLAIMER:
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE ABOVE PROCEDURE (THE "PROCEDURE") IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, INDEMNITIES AND GUARANTEES WITH RESPECT TO THE PROCEDURE, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARISING BY LAW, CUSTOM, PRIOR ORAL OR WRITTEN STATEMENTS BY HHSOFT OR OTHERWISE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT) ARE HEREBY OVERRIDDEN, EXCLUDED AND DISCLAIMED.
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UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL HHSOFT, ITS LICENSORS OR ITS OR THEIR RELATED COMPANIES BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE PROCEDURE AS SPECIFIED ABOVE, WHETHER FORESEEABLE OR UNFORESEEABLE, BASED ON YOUR CLAIMS OR THE CLAIMS OF ANY THIRD PARTY, WHETHER BASED ON THIS AGREEMENT, ANY COMMITMENT PERFORMED OR UNDERTAKEN UNDER ON OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Friday, April 10, 2020
BIOS / UEFI Flashing Utilties Collection for AMI, Award, Phoenix, Insyde, Dell
BIOS / UEFI Flashing Utilities Collection:
The collection below contains the following utilities (various versions for American Megatrends [AMI], Award, Phoenix, Dell, Insyde BIOS and EFI platforms):
AFUWIN
AFUDOS
AFUEFI
AMIBCP
AMIMM
AMIDEWIN
AMIDEDOS
AMISCE (SCEWIN, SCEDOS, AMISCEW)
DMIEDIT
DMI16
AFUMFGWIN
SAFUWIN (HP)
MMTOOL
CBROM
AwardTool
AMIFLASH
AWDFLASH
CBROM32
MODBIN6
WinFlash
PhoenixTool (AndyP)
XSearch
BFlash
WinPhlash
PhoenixBIOSEditor
SYNCMOS
WinCrisis
Download: Google Drive.
The collection below contains the following utilities (various versions for American Megatrends [AMI], Award, Phoenix, Dell, Insyde BIOS and EFI platforms):
AFUWIN
AFUDOS
AFUEFI
AMIBCP
AMIMM
AMIDEWIN
AMIDEDOS
AMISCE (SCEWIN, SCEDOS, AMISCEW)
DMIEDIT
DMI16
AFUMFGWIN
SAFUWIN (HP)
MMTOOL
CBROM
AwardTool
AMIFLASH
AWDFLASH
CBROM32
MODBIN6
WinFlash
PhoenixTool (AndyP)
XSearch
BFlash
WinPhlash
PhoenixBIOSEditor
SYNCMOS
WinCrisis
Download: Google Drive.
American Megatrends (AMI) UEFI BIOS [Aptio] Recovery: Recover Bricked PC With No Floppy Disk Drive Showing Nothing On Screen While Powered On
American Megatrends (AMI) UEFI BIOS [Aptio] Recovery: Recover Bricked PC With No Floppy Disk Drive Showing Nothing On Screen While Powered On:
NOTE: This guide is for UEFI AMI Aptio BIOS only. For UEFI BIOS (AMI Aptio), the recovery BIOS file name is not necessarily AMIBOOT.ROM. You will need to use the steps below to determine the correct filename for your system.
Another version of this guide is available for non-UEFI AMI BIOS here.
You will need:
1. USB flash drive (preferably an older one with <= 4 GB capacity and with access indicator light)
2. BIOS ROM file from your device manufacturer
3. Working computer to prepare recovery flash drive
4. AndyP's PhoenixTool - This tool requires you to install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7 or newer beforehand. You can download a copy of Version 2.73 at DataFileHost | Mega.nz. (SHA1 hash: 203FDE92728B501BDAFA19D26EDBED57E3ED7B4C). Find more details regarding this tool here: http://bit.ly/PhoenixTool.
Important Note: Please back up all files on the USB flash drive you will be using to recover the BIOS. All files will be erased when you format the flash drive.
There are multiple guides on the internet that step you through recovering the BIOS on an AMI-based PC. However, most of them only have detailed steps for recovering from a floppy disk or CD, and are mostly outdated. For instance, bricked all-in-one PCs typically will not issue any beep codes or beep during BIOS recovery.
There are several important things you should be aware of when using a USB flash drive for BIOS recovery:
1. This may not work at all on your bricked PC if its BIOS does not contain a boot block or it is corrupted/overwritten, or if it does not support USB flash drive recovery.
2. Your USB drive must be connected to one of the ports on the PC, not via a USB hub. Some PCs require you to connect the USB drive to a specific USB port - you may have to try each one and find out.
3. A USB flash drive with an access indicator light is recommended. Often, a bricked computer will not show anything on screen while the BIOS recovery is happening. The light on the USB will tell you whether the BIOS recovery is occurring.
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare the USB flash drive. First, format the drive as FAT16 (as FAT32 will not always work) using this guide (if your drive capacity is 4 GB or less, you don't have to resize the partition and can proceed straight to formatting as FAT16 - this is a different option from FAT32). All data on the USB drive will be erased.
2. Extract and copy the BIOS ROM file to the root of the USB flash drive from the device manufacturer's support page.
3. Download and run AndyP's PhoenixTool (run PhoenixTool.exe). Open the BIOS ROM file in the tool. Then, wait for the tool to process the file. Eventually, it will tell you the recovery filename. Rename the file to the name given by the tool (you may have to show all file extensions in Folder Options). (Note: If the tool gave you multiple filenames, make several copies of the BIOS ROM file and rename each copy to each of the filenames).
4. Make sure the bricked PC is plugged in and powered off. Insert the USB flash drive into one of the USB ports.
5. Attach a USB or PS/2 keyboard to the PC. PS/2 keyboard is preferred as it will be recognized sooner by the BIOS.
6. Press and hold the CTRL and HOME keys on the keyboard as you press the power button on the PC.
7. Keep holding down these keys until the USB drive indicator light has started flashing for several seconds (or for at least 5 seconds if your USB drive has no indicator light).
8. Wait up to 3 minutes. The computer will program the BIOS chip and automatically restart once recovery is complete. You may hear beeps while the BIOS is being recovered, but this is not always the case. For larger BIOS ROM images, the recovery process will take longer. Note: Your computer may not necessarily restart automatically at the end of the recovery process. If so, wait 15 minutes before restarting the computer yourself.
9. The computer will restart automatically and start up if recovery is successful.
Troubleshooting:
- Did you format the USB drive as FAT16?
- Did you try different ports on the computer?
- Did you try older USB drives?
- Is your USB drive USB 2.0 and older?
- Did you clear the CMOS on the computer by unplugging the computer, removing the CMOS battery and pressing power button for 5 seconds?
- Did you disconnect all other peripherals and drives?
- Is your monitor working properly?
- Did you download the correct version BIOS from your manufacturer?
- Did you extract the BIOS ROM file only and rename it correctly (showed all file extensions to be sure)?
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Sources (for ISO-9660 CD/Floppy Disk BIOS recovery methods and methods for recovering other brand BIOSes):
https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/support/faq_content.php?S_ID=392
https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/how-to-recover-the-bios
https://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f15/bad-bios-checksum-need-hpbios-rom-62613.html
NOTE: This guide is for UEFI AMI Aptio BIOS only. For UEFI BIOS (AMI Aptio), the recovery BIOS file name is not necessarily AMIBOOT.ROM. You will need to use the steps below to determine the correct filename for your system.
Another version of this guide is available for non-UEFI AMI BIOS here.
You will need:
1. USB flash drive (preferably an older one with <= 4 GB capacity and with access indicator light)
2. BIOS ROM file from your device manufacturer
3. Working computer to prepare recovery flash drive
4. AndyP's PhoenixTool - This tool requires you to install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7 or newer beforehand. You can download a copy of Version 2.73 at DataFileHost | Mega.nz. (SHA1 hash: 203FDE92728B501BDAFA19D26EDBED57E3ED7B4C). Find more details regarding this tool here: http://bit.ly/PhoenixTool.
Important Note: Please back up all files on the USB flash drive you will be using to recover the BIOS. All files will be erased when you format the flash drive.
There are multiple guides on the internet that step you through recovering the BIOS on an AMI-based PC. However, most of them only have detailed steps for recovering from a floppy disk or CD, and are mostly outdated. For instance, bricked all-in-one PCs typically will not issue any beep codes or beep during BIOS recovery.
There are several important things you should be aware of when using a USB flash drive for BIOS recovery:
1. This may not work at all on your bricked PC if its BIOS does not contain a boot block or it is corrupted/overwritten, or if it does not support USB flash drive recovery.
2. Your USB drive must be connected to one of the ports on the PC, not via a USB hub. Some PCs require you to connect the USB drive to a specific USB port - you may have to try each one and find out.
3. A USB flash drive with an access indicator light is recommended. Often, a bricked computer will not show anything on screen while the BIOS recovery is happening. The light on the USB will tell you whether the BIOS recovery is occurring.
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare the USB flash drive. First, format the drive as FAT16 (as FAT32 will not always work) using this guide (if your drive capacity is 4 GB or less, you don't have to resize the partition and can proceed straight to formatting as FAT16 - this is a different option from FAT32). All data on the USB drive will be erased.
2. Extract and copy the BIOS ROM file to the root of the USB flash drive from the device manufacturer's support page.
3. Download and run AndyP's PhoenixTool (run PhoenixTool.exe). Open the BIOS ROM file in the tool. Then, wait for the tool to process the file. Eventually, it will tell you the recovery filename. Rename the file to the name given by the tool (you may have to show all file extensions in Folder Options). (Note: If the tool gave you multiple filenames, make several copies of the BIOS ROM file and rename each copy to each of the filenames).
4. Make sure the bricked PC is plugged in and powered off. Insert the USB flash drive into one of the USB ports.
5. Attach a USB or PS/2 keyboard to the PC. PS/2 keyboard is preferred as it will be recognized sooner by the BIOS.
6. Press and hold the CTRL and HOME keys on the keyboard as you press the power button on the PC.
7. Keep holding down these keys until the USB drive indicator light has started flashing for several seconds (or for at least 5 seconds if your USB drive has no indicator light).
8. Wait up to 3 minutes. The computer will program the BIOS chip and automatically restart once recovery is complete. You may hear beeps while the BIOS is being recovered, but this is not always the case. For larger BIOS ROM images, the recovery process will take longer. Note: Your computer may not necessarily restart automatically at the end of the recovery process. If so, wait 15 minutes before restarting the computer yourself.
9. The computer will restart automatically and start up if recovery is successful.
Troubleshooting:
- Did you format the USB drive as FAT16?
- Did you try different ports on the computer?
- Did you try older USB drives?
- Is your USB drive USB 2.0 and older?
- Did you clear the CMOS on the computer by unplugging the computer, removing the CMOS battery and pressing power button for 5 seconds?
- Did you disconnect all other peripherals and drives?
- Is your monitor working properly?
- Did you download the correct version BIOS from your manufacturer?
- Did you extract the BIOS ROM file only and rename it correctly (showed all file extensions to be sure)?
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Sources (for ISO-9660 CD/Floppy Disk BIOS recovery methods and methods for recovering other brand BIOSes):
https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/support/faq_content.php?S_ID=392
https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/how-to-recover-the-bios
https://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f15/bad-bios-checksum-need-hpbios-rom-62613.html
Fix Windows Update Standalone Installer getting stuck at "Searching for updates on this computer"
How to fix Windows Update Standalone Installer getting stuck at "Searching for updates on this computer" when you try to install a .MSU update:
While installing a standalone .MSU update for Windows Vista or newer, you may encounter Windows Update Standalone Installer seemingly get stuck at "Searching for updates on this computer". This can go on for 15 to 45 minutes, taking even longer in some circumstances e.g. your computer is not fully up-to-date.
To fix this, follow the steps below:
1. First, open Windows Update and see whether it is currently downloading and/or installing updates, or you have updates available for installation.
2. Once you are sure that neither of the above are true, disconnect your computer from the internet.
3. Then, open a Command Prompt window as administrator and enter the following commands:
- taskkill /im wusa.exe /f
- net stop wuauserv
4. Go back and try to install the .MSU file again. The "Searching for updates on this computer" step should now complete in less than 5 minutes.
The above procedure worked on Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7 SP1.
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
While installing a standalone .MSU update for Windows Vista or newer, you may encounter Windows Update Standalone Installer seemingly get stuck at "Searching for updates on this computer". This can go on for 15 to 45 minutes, taking even longer in some circumstances e.g. your computer is not fully up-to-date.
To fix this, follow the steps below:
1. First, open Windows Update and see whether it is currently downloading and/or installing updates, or you have updates available for installation.
2. Once you are sure that neither of the above are true, disconnect your computer from the internet.
3. Then, open a Command Prompt window as administrator and enter the following commands:
- taskkill /im wusa.exe /f
- net stop wuauserv
4. Go back and try to install the .MSU file again. The "Searching for updates on this computer" step should now complete in less than 5 minutes.
The above procedure worked on Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7 SP1.
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS [AMIBIOS8] Recovery: Recover Bricked PC With No Floppy Disk Drive Showing Nothing On Screen While Powered On
American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS [AMIBIOS8] Recovery: Recover Bricked PC With No Floppy Disk Drive Showing Nothing On Screen While Powered On:
NOTE: This guide is for legacy non-UEFI AMI BIOS. UEFI BIOS (AMI Aptio) has a different recovery procedure as the file name is not necessarily AMIBOOT.ROM.
Another version of this guide is available for UEFI AMI BIOS (AMI Aptio) here.
You will need:
1. USB flash drive (preferably an older one with <= 4 GB capacity and with access indicator light)
2. BIOS ROM file from your device manufacturer
3. Working computer to prepare recovery flash drive
Important Note: Please back up all files on the USB flash drive you will be using to recover the BIOS. All files will be erased when you format the flash drive.
There are multiple guides on the internet that step you through recovering the BIOS on an AMIBIOS-based PC. However, most of them only have detailed steps for recovering from a floppy disk or CD, and are mostly outdated. For instance, bricked all-in-one PCs typically will not issue any beep codes or beep during BIOS recovery.
There are several important things you should be aware of when using a USB flash drive for BIOS recovery:
1. This may not work at all on your bricked PC if its BIOS does not contain a boot block or it is corrupted/overwritten, or if it does not support USB flash drive recovery.
2. Your USB drive must be connected to one of the ports on the PC, not via a USB hub. Some PCs require you to connect the USB drive to a specific USB port - you may have to try each one and find out.
3. A USB flash drive with an access indicator light is recommended. Often, a bricked computer will not show anything on screen while the BIOS recovery is happening. The light on the USB will tell you whether the BIOS recovery is occurring.
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare the USB flash drive. First, format the drive as FAT16 (as FAT32 will not always work) using this guide (if your drive capacity is 4 GB or less, you don't have to resize the partition and can proceed straight to formatting as FAT16 - this is a different option from FAT32). All data on the USB drive will be erased.
2. Extract and copy the BIOS ROM file to the root of the USB flash drive from the device manufacturer's support page.
3. Rename the file to AMIBOOT.ROM (you may have to show all file extensions in Folder Options).
- (For HP computers only: Make a copy of this file in the same directory. Rename it as HPBIOS.ROM).
4. Make sure the bricked PC is plugged in and powered off. Insert the USB flash drive into one of the USB ports.
5. Attach a USB or PS/2 keyboard to the PC. PS/2 keyboard is preferred as it will be recognized sooner by the BIOS.
6. Press and hold the CTRL and HOME keys on the keyboard as you press the power button on the PC.
7. Keep holding down these keys until the USB drive indicator light has started flashing for several seconds (or for at least 5 seconds if your USB drive has no indicator light).
8. Wait up to 3 minutes. The computer will program the BIOS chip and automatically restart once recovery is complete. You may hear beeps while the BIOS is being recovered, but this is not always the case.
9. The computer will restart automatically and start up if recovery is successful.
Troubleshooting:
- Did you format the USB drive as FAT16?
- Did you try different ports on the computer?
- Did you try older USB drives?
- Is your USB drive USB 2.0 and older?
- Did you clear the CMOS on the computer by unplugging the computer, removing the CMOS battery and pressing power button for 5 seconds?
- Did you disconnect all other peripherals and drives?
- Is your monitor working properly?
- Did you download the correct version BIOS from your manufacturer?
- Did you extract the BIOS ROM file only and rename it correctly (showed all file extensions to be sure)?
The above procedure worked correctly on Sony VGC-JS290J and HP TouchSmart 610-1020a all-in-one PCs.
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Sources (for ISO-9660 CD/Floppy Disk BIOS recovery methods and methods for recovering other brand BIOSes):
https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/support/faq_content.php?S_ID=392
https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/how-to-recover-the-bios
https://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f15/bad-bios-checksum-need-hpbios-rom-62613.html
NOTE: This guide is for legacy non-UEFI AMI BIOS. UEFI BIOS (AMI Aptio) has a different recovery procedure as the file name is not necessarily AMIBOOT.ROM.
Another version of this guide is available for UEFI AMI BIOS (AMI Aptio) here.
You will need:
1. USB flash drive (preferably an older one with <= 4 GB capacity and with access indicator light)
2. BIOS ROM file from your device manufacturer
3. Working computer to prepare recovery flash drive
Important Note: Please back up all files on the USB flash drive you will be using to recover the BIOS. All files will be erased when you format the flash drive.
There are multiple guides on the internet that step you through recovering the BIOS on an AMIBIOS-based PC. However, most of them only have detailed steps for recovering from a floppy disk or CD, and are mostly outdated. For instance, bricked all-in-one PCs typically will not issue any beep codes or beep during BIOS recovery.
There are several important things you should be aware of when using a USB flash drive for BIOS recovery:
1. This may not work at all on your bricked PC if its BIOS does not contain a boot block or it is corrupted/overwritten, or if it does not support USB flash drive recovery.
2. Your USB drive must be connected to one of the ports on the PC, not via a USB hub. Some PCs require you to connect the USB drive to a specific USB port - you may have to try each one and find out.
3. A USB flash drive with an access indicator light is recommended. Often, a bricked computer will not show anything on screen while the BIOS recovery is happening. The light on the USB will tell you whether the BIOS recovery is occurring.
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare the USB flash drive. First, format the drive as FAT16 (as FAT32 will not always work) using this guide (if your drive capacity is 4 GB or less, you don't have to resize the partition and can proceed straight to formatting as FAT16 - this is a different option from FAT32). All data on the USB drive will be erased.
2. Extract and copy the BIOS ROM file to the root of the USB flash drive from the device manufacturer's support page.
3. Rename the file to AMIBOOT.ROM (you may have to show all file extensions in Folder Options).
- (For HP computers only: Make a copy of this file in the same directory. Rename it as HPBIOS.ROM).
4. Make sure the bricked PC is plugged in and powered off. Insert the USB flash drive into one of the USB ports.
5. Attach a USB or PS/2 keyboard to the PC. PS/2 keyboard is preferred as it will be recognized sooner by the BIOS.
6. Press and hold the CTRL and HOME keys on the keyboard as you press the power button on the PC.
7. Keep holding down these keys until the USB drive indicator light has started flashing for several seconds (or for at least 5 seconds if your USB drive has no indicator light).
8. Wait up to 3 minutes. The computer will program the BIOS chip and automatically restart once recovery is complete. You may hear beeps while the BIOS is being recovered, but this is not always the case.
9. The computer will restart automatically and start up if recovery is successful.
Troubleshooting:
- Did you format the USB drive as FAT16?
- Did you try different ports on the computer?
- Did you try older USB drives?
- Is your USB drive USB 2.0 and older?
- Did you clear the CMOS on the computer by unplugging the computer, removing the CMOS battery and pressing power button for 5 seconds?
- Did you disconnect all other peripherals and drives?
- Is your monitor working properly?
- Did you download the correct version BIOS from your manufacturer?
- Did you extract the BIOS ROM file only and rename it correctly (showed all file extensions to be sure)?
The above procedure worked correctly on Sony VGC-JS290J and HP TouchSmart 610-1020a all-in-one PCs.
Did you find the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Sources (for ISO-9660 CD/Floppy Disk BIOS recovery methods and methods for recovering other brand BIOSes):
https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/support/faq_content.php?S_ID=392
https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/how-to-recover-the-bios
https://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f15/bad-bios-checksum-need-hpbios-rom-62613.html
Format Large USB Drive As FAT16 In Windows
Format Large USB Drive As FAT16:
Maximum Volume and File Sizes for FAT16/FAT32/exFAT:
FAT16: Max volume size: 4 GB, Max file size: 2 GB.
FAT32: Max volume size: 2 TB, Max file size: 4 GB.
exFAT: Max volume size: 128 PB, Max file size: 16 EB.
If your USB flash drive partition size is larger than 4 GB, you need to resize it to 4 GB to format it as FAT16.
Steps to follow:
We will use DiskPart to Resize USB partition to 4 GB.
Warning: Back up ALL data on the USB as it will be completely erased by the formatting tool!
For each of the following commands, press ENTER on your keyboard after typing the command (denoted in this font).
1. Insert the USB to be formatted as FAT16.
2. Open a Command Prompt window as administrator.
- On Windows XP: Log in as administrator. Press Windows key + R to open Run. Type cmd to open.
- On Windows Vista and newer: Press the Windows key. Type cmd and wait for the option to appear. Right-click and select Run as Administrator. Click Yes when prompted by UAC.
3. Type DISKPART in this window to launch Microsoft DiskPart tool.
4. In the window, type: list disk
5. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 238 GB 1024 KB *
Disk 1 Online 7538 MB 0 B
6. In the above example, the USB drive is Disk 1 (7538 MB). This may NOT be in your case! Identify the disk # by the size. If you are unsure, select one of the disks with the following command (substitute # with the disk number): SELECT DISK # then type DETAIL DISK to see the disk name and assigned drive letters.
7. Select the correct disk by typing SELECT DISK # to select it. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> select disk 1
Disk 1 is now the selected disk.
8. Type LIST PARTITION to double-check that you have selected the right disk. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> list partition
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 7538 MB 1024 KB
9. Once you are sure you have selected the right disk, type CLEAN to delete all existing partition information from the selected disk. WARNING: THIS IMMEDIATELY DELETES ALL PARTITIONS ON THAT DISK!
DISKPART> clean
DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.
10. To create a 4000 MB (4 GB) partition on the now-erased USB, type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=4000 to create it.
DISKPART> create partition primary size=4000
DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.
11. Then, we will make this partition active by typing ACTIVE.
DISKPART> active
DiskPart marked the current partition as active.
12. Type ASSIGN to assign a drive letter to the drive.
DISKPART> assign
DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.
13. Type EXIT to close DiskPart. The Command Prompt window should remain open.
14. If a window pops up asking you to format the disk, you can follow the prompts to format the drive via the GUI (remember to select "FAT", NOT "FAT32" under "File system"!) and skip the remaining steps of this tutorial (you may type EXIT to close the Command Prompt window). Otherwise, continue below.
15. Now, we will format this newly-created partition as FAT16. First, open My Computer/Computer to see the drive letter of the USB drive.
16. Go back to the Command Prompt window. Type FORMAT X: /FS:FAT /Q where X is the drive letter of your USB, then type Y to confirm. This may take several minutes to complete.
17. The USB drive is now formatted as FAT16. Type EXIT to close the Command Prompt window.
If you would now like to return your USB drive partition back to FAT32 (or NTFS) to allow you to use the USB drive's full capacity again, just repeat the steps above, except at Step 10, where you will now type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY (without the SIZE parameter) to create a single partition spanning the entire disk.
Did you found the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Improved and extended steps from https://www.instructables.com/id/Format-USB-Flash-Drive-to-FATFAT16-not-FAT32/.
Maximum Volume and File Sizes for FAT16/FAT32/exFAT:
FAT16: Max volume size: 4 GB, Max file size: 2 GB.
FAT32: Max volume size: 2 TB, Max file size: 4 GB.
exFAT: Max volume size: 128 PB, Max file size: 16 EB.
If your USB flash drive partition size is larger than 4 GB, you need to resize it to 4 GB to format it as FAT16.
Steps to follow:
We will use DiskPart to Resize USB partition to 4 GB.
Warning: Back up ALL data on the USB as it will be completely erased by the formatting tool!
For each of the following commands, press ENTER on your keyboard after typing the command (denoted in this font).
1. Insert the USB to be formatted as FAT16.
2. Open a Command Prompt window as administrator.
- On Windows XP: Log in as administrator. Press Windows key + R to open Run. Type cmd to open.
- On Windows Vista and newer: Press the Windows key. Type cmd and wait for the option to appear. Right-click and select Run as Administrator. Click Yes when prompted by UAC.
3. Type DISKPART in this window to launch Microsoft DiskPart tool.
4. In the window, type: list disk
5. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 238 GB 1024 KB *
Disk 1 Online 7538 MB 0 B
6. In the above example, the USB drive is Disk 1 (7538 MB). This may NOT be in your case! Identify the disk # by the size. If you are unsure, select one of the disks with the following command (substitute # with the disk number): SELECT DISK # then type DETAIL DISK to see the disk name and assigned drive letters.
7. Select the correct disk by typing SELECT DISK # to select it. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> select disk 1
Disk 1 is now the selected disk.
8. Type LIST PARTITION to double-check that you have selected the right disk. An example output is shown below:
DISKPART> list partition
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 7538 MB 1024 KB
9. Once you are sure you have selected the right disk, type CLEAN to delete all existing partition information from the selected disk. WARNING: THIS IMMEDIATELY DELETES ALL PARTITIONS ON THAT DISK!
DISKPART> clean
DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.
10. To create a 4000 MB (4 GB) partition on the now-erased USB, type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=4000 to create it.
DISKPART> create partition primary size=4000
DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.
11. Then, we will make this partition active by typing ACTIVE.
DISKPART> active
DiskPart marked the current partition as active.
12. Type ASSIGN to assign a drive letter to the drive.
DISKPART> assign
DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.
13. Type EXIT to close DiskPart. The Command Prompt window should remain open.
14. If a window pops up asking you to format the disk, you can follow the prompts to format the drive via the GUI (remember to select "FAT", NOT "FAT32" under "File system"!) and skip the remaining steps of this tutorial (you may type EXIT to close the Command Prompt window). Otherwise, continue below.
15. Now, we will format this newly-created partition as FAT16. First, open My Computer/Computer to see the drive letter of the USB drive.
16. Go back to the Command Prompt window. Type FORMAT X: /FS:FAT /Q where X is the drive letter of your USB, then type Y to confirm. This may take several minutes to complete.
17. The USB drive is now formatted as FAT16. Type EXIT to close the Command Prompt window.
If you would now like to return your USB drive partition back to FAT32 (or NTFS) to allow you to use the USB drive's full capacity again, just repeat the steps above, except at Step 10, where you will now type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY (without the SIZE parameter) to create a single partition spanning the entire disk.
Did you found the above guide useful? If so, share it with your friends. Comments on how to improve the guide are welcome below.
Improved and extended steps from https://www.instructables.com/id/Format-USB-Flash-Drive-to-FATFAT16-not-FAT32/.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Dell OptiPlex 755 N Series Enable SLIC 2.1 for Windows 7 OEM Activation
Dell OptiPlex 755 N
Series – Activate Windows 7 Professional Dell OEM Image by
Enabling SLIC Table
Support in BIOS and Inserting SLIC 2.1 Table
The Dell n Series computers hide the SLIC table that is needed for
activating OEM Windows automatically. Additionally, the Dell OptiPlex 755
series BIOS (up to the latest A22 version) includes only a SLIC 2.0 table.
You will need the following items to proceed:
1.
Dell OptiPlex 755 running Windows (32-bit or
64-bit should be fine).
a.
You must remove any BIOS passwords that you have
set on the system.
2.
7-Zip File Manager.
3.
USB Drive (2 GB is enough).
a.
Note: All data on it will be erased by this
procedure. Back up your data first!
4.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool: Required to
create MS-DOS bootable USB.
5.
Windows 98 SE Boot Disk (courtesy of
AllBootDisks).
a.
If you do not have a computer with a floppy disk
drive, I have extracted the floppy image contained in the above executable,
which you may download below.
7.
Dell OptiPlex 755 A22 BIOS with SLIC 2.1 Table
Inserted: Tested on a Dell OptiPlex 755 Small Form Factor PC running Windows 7
Professional 64-bit (Dell OEM version).
a.
If you have a different model computer or you
wish to create your own custom BIOS with SLIC 2.1 inserted, please follow the
steps in the Extra Steps section below. Otherwise, you can download the
following BIOS flasher and run it in Windows (make sure you close ALL
applications and wait until the computer
restarts itself to complete the BIOS upgrade – no progress screens are shown).
8.
[OPTIONAL] AndyP’s PhoenixTool for inserting
SLIC 2.1 table into a Dell BIOS ROM.
a.
This tool is only needed if you wish to follow
the steps in the Extra Steps section. You must install Microsoft .NET Framework
4.7 or newer beforehand.
b.
If you wish to integrate the SLIC 2.1 table for
activating Windows 7 yourself, or want to try integrating a newer SLIC table
version for activating Windows 8 or newer OS, you can download PhoenixTool from
the link below.
i. SHA1:
203FDE92728B501BDAFA19D26EDBED57E3ED7B4C.
Enabling the SLIC Table in the BIOS:
STEP 1: Follow either Method
A or Method B below.
Method A: Your OptiPlex 755 does not
have a floppy drive or you don’t have a floppy disk:
1.
Insert a USB drive. Ensure you have backed up all data on this USB first.
4.
Download the Windows 98 Boot Disk from http://bit.ly/Win98SEBootDisk. Right-click the .img file, point to
7-Zip, then click the “Extract to “Windows98_SE\”” option to unzip the contents
to a folder.
5.
Open the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. This
tool requires you to be logged in as an Administrator. For Windows Vista and
newer, right-click the downloaded file (HPUSBDisk.exe) and click “Run as
administrator”. Click Run, Yes or Allow on the User Account Control dialog to
continue.
6.
Your USB drive should automatically be populated
under Device.
a. IMPORTANT:
Make sure you select the correct USB
device. Otherwise, you will accidentally format another drive!
7.
Select “FAT32” under File system if it is not
already selected. This should enable the “Create a DOS startup disk using
system files located at:” option.
8.
Click this option to create a DOS startup disk,
then click the “…” button. Browse to and select the folder to which you
extracted the Windows 98 Boot Disk contents. Then, click “OK”.
9.
Click Start to format the target USB drive to a
bootable MS-DOS bootable USB. All data
on the target USB drive will be erased. Accept the warning message to
format the USB.
10.
Download the Dell BIOS Reset Tools: Download the
extracted tools from one of the three links given (Google Drive, Mega.nz, or
Microsoft OneDrive).
11.
Copy the extracted tools to the root of your USB
drive. Overwrite any files with the same name (if such warnings occur).
12.
Proceed to STEP
2.
Method B: Your OptiPlex 755 has a floppy drive and you have a floppy
disk:
1.
Insert a floppy disk into the computer’s floppy
drive.
2.
Download the Dell BIOS Reset Tools: Download the
tools from the original URL at dell.com. Then, run the executable and follow
the instructions onscreen to extract the files to create a bootable floppy
disk.
3.
Proceed to STEP
2.
STEP 2: Unhide the hidden
SLIC table in the BIOS using ASSET.COM.
1.
Insert the bootable USB drive or floppy disk
into the target computer.
2.
For the USB drive, press F12 upon turning on the
computer to show the Boot Menu. Select the USB drive to boot to MS-DOS.
3.
Once MS-DOS has loaded, type: “asset PASS:12/31”
(without the quotation marks). Then, type “y” to confirm.
4.
Once the operation returns successfully, press
CTRL + ALT + DEL to restart the computer.
5.
Immediately remove the floppy disk or USB drive
from the computer.
6.
Wait as the computer enters manufacturing mode
and re-enumerates the attached internal devices. This process resets all of the
BIOS settings and all of the flags that hid the SLIC table. After the first
automatic restart, the computer will attempt a network boot (which will fail)
and/or report that all of your drives are missing. This is expected.
7.
Once initialization completes, you are prompted
to press ALT + F to complete the reset.
8.
The computer may restart once more or start
loading the operating system.
By the end of this step, the hidden SLIC table will now be available to
the OS. However, the Dell OptiPlex 755 series BIOS ships with only a SLIC 2.0
table, which will only allow for the activation of Windows Vista (Dell OEM
version).
Now, we will flash the BIOS with our own modified version, which
incorporates a SLIC 2.1 table that will allow for the activation of Windows 7
(Dell OEM version). Note that you must remove all BIOS passwords set on the
target system.
STEP 3: Upgrade the BIOS to
a custom version incorporating a SLIC 2.1 table to activate OEM Windows 7.
1.
Download the BIOS image referenced at the start
of this page (above), or follow the Optional Steps below to create your own
custom BIOS image.
2.
Close all programs and remove all removable
disks (recommended).
3.
Double-click the downloaded executable and click
Run, Yes or Allow in the User Account Control dialog to start the BIOS upgrade.
Multiple files and folders will be extracted to the same directory as the
executable while the BIOS upgrade is running.
4.
The BIOS upgrade starts immediately. There are no prompts or windows to indicate
BIOS flash progress. Do not touch the computer while the upgrade is running.
5.
Once the BIOS upgrade completes (after about 2-5
minutes), the computer will restart automatically.
6.
After the computer restarts, you can open the
TaskResult.xml file that was created in the same folder as the BIOS flasher
executable to see whether the BIOS upgrade was successful.
Congratulations! The computer can now activate Dell OEM versions of
Windows 7.
Optional Steps:
Creating your own custom BIOS flasher executable:
1.
Download and install Dell Client Configuration
Utility (DCCU). This will allow us to create the custom BIOS flasher
executable.
2.
Download the latest BIOS for your Dell system
(go to support.dell.com).
3.
Download AndyP’s PhoenixTool (see the link
referenced at the start of this page).
4.
Run PhoenixTool. Under Original BIOS, browse for
and select the downloaded BIOS for the Dell system.
5.
Wait as the tool processes the BIOS executable
and extracts the embedded HDR file. Click OK on the dialog that appears at the
end of the extraction process.
6.
Under SLIC File, browse for and select the
DELL.BIN file that appears in the File Browse dialog.
7.
Click Go. Wait as the SLIC 2.1 certificate is
integrated into the BIOS file.
8.
Once the process completes, click OK. Note that the generated HDR file with the SLIC
2.1 table integrated
has “_SLIC” appended.
9.
You may now close PhoenixTool.
10.
Copy the generated HDR file e.g.
“O755-A22_SLIC.HDR” to a new folder.
11.
Open Dell Client Configuration Utility. This
will automatically open the internet browser on your computer. Note: If the
webpage does not work, copy the website address and open it in Internet
Explorer.
12.
Under BIOS Update, click “Browse…” and select
the HDR file generated above that contains the SLIC 2.1 table.
13.
Select “Allow version downgrades”.
14.
If your computer has a BIOS password set, enter
it in “BIOS password”.
15.
Then, click “Create BIOS Update Package”.
Download the package that is generated and save it to a designated folder.
16.
Use this generated executable in place of the
one offered for download in STEP 3.
Sources:
1. https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/how-do-oems-like-dell-license-their-machinesall-about-asset-tags.3486/.
2. https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/tool-to-insert-replace-slic-in-phoenix-insyde-dellefi-bioses.13194/.
Originally written on November 29, 2019.
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