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    ASUS N550JK laptop reboots after 30 minute, BIOS extracted invalid...

    Hi all,

    as subject line says, I have a laptop that reboots after 30 minutes. Investigation leads me to believe that is due to intel ME as it happens everytime after 30 minute from boot, it just turns off, no overheating, nothing weird.
    I found a lot of information about cleaning ME like this https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/gu...lization/31277 and this https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner
    Anyway, first step is to dump the bios. I found the Winbond W25Q64FV chip on the motherboard, dumped it with flashrom over SPI bus from a raspberrypi by removing the laptop battery and hooking up the SPI with a soic8 clip probe.

    Flashrom identifies the chip correctly, so I know the communication is ok. I can read the chip content, multiple times and it's the same file content. (procedure like explained here https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/...ernal-flashing)

    However, I tried to verify the extracted BIOS image with ifdtool (from coreboot) and this reports it's not a valid image.
    I tried with MEAnalyzer from here https://github.com/platomav/MEAnalyzer and that too reports it's not a valid image.

    I am rather at a loss and do not really want to go ahead and flash another BIOS file when apparently I can not extract a vaild image (who says I can write another one then...)

    I guess my next step is to desolder the chip and try to extract off-board.
    And order a new chip to try and program with new bios, so I can always resolder the original chip with original BIOS
    Note that the laptop boots and works fine, just after 30 minutes it shuts down.

    Any advice, hints welcome !
    Thanks

    PS: if someone has working bios image for this laptop, I would gladly appreciate and try those.
    also, I found various asus N550 bios files on the forum, I guess I will try those.
    Last edited by bschwand; 05-22-2024, 02:55 AM.

    #2
    https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...before-posting


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    Comment


      #3
      ok... thanks for the links

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by bschwand View Post
        I guess my next step is to desolder the chip and try to extract off-board
        Yes,desolder it,make a backup then post that backup here, don`t erase the chip or do anything else yet.If there are any long white or green barcode stickers on the motherboard post pictures of those as well.
        All donations to badcaps are welcome, click on this link to donate. Thanks to all supporters

        Comment


          #5
          alright, desoldered the chip, dumped and lo and behold the image is different from when dumped in-situ.
          MEAnalyzer recognizes the image
          ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
          β•‘ ME Analyzer v1.307.0 r346 β•‘
          β•šβ•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•

          ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
          β•‘ original_dump3.bin (1/1) β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”¬β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Family β”‚ ME β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Version β”‚ 9.0.30.1482 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Release β”‚ Production β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Type β”‚ Extracted β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ SKU β”‚ 1.5MB β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ TCB Security Version Number β”‚ 1 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Version Control Number β”‚ 3 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Production Ready β”‚ Yes β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Date β”‚ 2013-10-10 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Size β”‚ 0x17D000 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Flash Image Tool β”‚ 9.0.22.1467 β•‘
          β•Ÿβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”Όβ”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β”€β•’
          β•‘ Chipset Support β”‚ LPT β•‘
          β•šβ•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•§β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•

          Now that I have a valid image, on to figure what to do to it and how...
          Attached Files

          Comment


            #6
            hmm following the instructions from https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/gu...lization/31277
            and when hitting the "Build Image..." in fitc I get the following error message
            Click image for larger version

Name:	image.png
Views:	117
Size:	8.3 KB
ID:	3276594

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by bschwand View Post
              hmm following the instructions from https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/gu...lization/31277
              and when hitting the "Build Image..." in fitc I get the following error message
              Click image for larger version

Name:	image.png
Views:	117
Size:	8.3 KB
ID:	3276594
              https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...22#post1622422


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              All donations to Badcaps are welcome.
              Become a Badcaps supporter
              >>>>> click on this link to donate <<<<<
              Thanks to all supporters.
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              Comment


                #8
                thanks for the link, I get it. As I mentioned, I am following the instructions there to the letter https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/gu...lization/31277
                after replacing the appropriate ME Region, I hit build and it showed that error.

                What allowed me to make it through is to NOT replace the ME region while keeping fitc open, but to instead quit ftic, hit save in an .xml, then replace the ME Region file, restart fitc, open the saved xml file, hit build again. That time it did not complain and effectively generated the outimage.bin.

                The step to restart fitc is mentioned here effectively https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...-guide?t=88533

                I guess the fitc restart is an important step not mentioned in the first guide. Actually it tells you to do the opposite. So I leave this here to document that point :-)

                Let's see if I can now successfully reprogram and resolder that chip !


                Comment


                  #9
                  reflashed the chip, resoldered and success !
                  been running the unigine benchmark for 45 minutes, no reboot in sight.
                  thanks to the forum and detailed guides here and elsewhere :-)
                  cheers !

                  Comment


                    #10
                    If you would like to provide the complete tutorial video, I would be very grateful.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I do not have the time or inclination to make a video, sorry...
                      all the information is there, just read.
                      this is the step by step instructions https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...-guide?t=88533
                      and for background and understanding what you are doing read this https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/gu...lization/31277

                      Comment

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