(UEFI) Dell XPS 15z L511z modded BIOS - and HOWTO

[TimeWalker]

ugh I'm not sure what was my FITC version back then, I believe I just googled and got the first thing I had found.
I'm kind of far from a windows machine right now and I don't recall from the top of my head how I managed to build it in the end ... sorry.

[kasar]

well, I will google FITC and will check if I can get something easy from the first pages, that will be probably your version.

well, I will try with my own, anyway, cant you tell me if you remember doing something complex or hard? or just modfy that option with default settings?

I remember you got it so easly while my version keep asking for that stupid missmatch error

[jkbuha]

Hey guys - what happened to this mod?
@kasar - did you manage to mod the ME dump - let us know if you need any help!

IIRC, I had similar problems using different versions of the windows-based fitc program - it sometimes had problems processing the files. Not sure if it's been corrected in a later build.

[kasar]

nope, I still getting that error.
currently waiting input from timewalker, I remember he managed to mod it some time ago.

however I am pretty sure that modding the ME firmware with FITC and manually reintegrating it into BIOS rom file later is the correct way.

just need a little help with this step.

[jkbuha]

@kasar - did you try my mod suggestion from page 59:

1) Dump your Desc table via fptw.exe -DESC -D DESC.BIN
2) Open FITC and load up DESC.BIN
3) Go to Master Access Section, and select Manageability Engine.
4) Change Read/Write Access...

And then - because you have the HW programming tool:

5) Flash DESC.BIN via programmer

or

5) Integrate DESC.BIN back into firmware
6) Flash firmware via programmer

What do you think?

[kasar]

but, that is for unlocking descriptor settings, right?

I already unlocked the descriptor by doing thos

looked at the whole chip dump

00 00 0B 0A 00 00 0D 0C 18 01 08

to

00 00 FF FF 00 00 FF FF 18 01 08

then I flashed it and my descriptor settings was unlocked, I am currently running a unlocked descriptor backup with my laptop.

however what I am trying now is to mod the ME region

[jkbuha]

No it also allows you to modify ME region by selecting read/write in step 4. In theory you should then be able to flash ME via fptw command line.

[kasar]

this is how my descriptor looks, I didnt had to modify anything because I did before like doing what TW said to the whole chip dump at the descriptor part



I already modded the ME region access bits, I just let the GBE unmodded since TW said there was no GBE region at all on my machine.


the problem is that I cant edit the ME firmware itself, not the flash access (read/write) to the ME ^^

now I want to mod my ME image to support overclocking, and be able to rebuild the image and reintegrate it back at the ROM image by paste the hex part ^^

[jkbuha]

Yes - but can you do the following:

1. Dump ME from fptw
2. Open ME using FITC
3. Change CPU type from CPU menu as per method described on rog forum (I don't have access to proper Internet/laptop ATM) as this will enable overclocking/undervolt
4. Save modded ME
5. Flash ME using fptw

I had described how to I think around page 58...

[kasar]

yeah, that was exactly was I was trying ^^

however, I got stuck at the step 4 (Save modded ME), because FITC cant save my current ME, ,I keep getting errors.

that is why I was waiting input from TW, he seemed able to reasembly my ME version changes.

I remember I also flashed the modded ME from TW long time ago via fptw, but it caused a big brick, I suspect fptw messed up some regions and made the system unbotable. (glad I had a whole chip backup ^^)

thats why I want to try to reintegrate manually the ME firmware into the chip image at this time.

but first, I have to be able to mod and save the ME with FITC ^^