Reflashing advice - Brick after toggling secure boot and Intel ME

Support General Device Support
1

System Details

  • Device: Boten
  • OS: N/A
  • Firmware Type: UEFI Full ROM
  • Firmware Version: 2610
  • Internal storage type: eMMC

Summary of the Issue

My Boten is bricked after toggling off secure boot and intel management engine in the UEFI settings. It does not boot at all and remains at a black screen. I have done this before without a brick, so I am going to re-flash the firmware using a CH314A programmer and see if I can reproduce it.

I’d like to verify I am flashing the right chip. There is no winbond chip, but there is a gigadevice 25Q127CY16

2

that’s correct

3

Unfortunately due to the chip being very flat, and a capacitor being right next to it, my SOIC8 clip couldn’t get a connection to it. I think I would have to desolder the chip which is beyond my abilities and equipment.

1000010589
10000105891920×2560 1.28 MB

4

use a WSON 8x6 (or 5x6, depending on the size) pogo-pin probe, you can’t use a chip-clip on these. Or a SuzyQ

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5

Ok thanks. It measures 8x6 so I’ll order one of those and try it.

6

It worked. My boten is resurrected. I’ll try to recreate the conditions under which it bricked.

I had a linux usb flash drive plugged in, entered the UEFI setup, turned Intel ME and secure boot off, then selected default boot from the main menu.

7

Doing the above resulted in another brick the very first time I tried it

8

obviously SB isn’t going to brick the device.

disabling the ME shouldn’t, but who knows, I don’t do it and I don’t test it. but I guess I can since I have a JSL device and a SuzYQ

9

this is a weird one. There’s no issue if you disable the ME (or re-enable it) with serial output enabled. but with serial disabled, there seems to be a timing issue that causes a reset when the ME firmware is being changed/written that corrupts it. I’ve so far not been able to work around it with status checks and delays.

10

two separate ME/CSE related bugs caused this:

https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/96378
https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/96379

To recover, you’ll need to use either a SuzyQ or external programmer, and erase the SMMSTORE region, then re-flash the ME region (since it got corrupted).

after that, you can update with this new build, which will allow you to enable/disable the ME properly

coreboot_edk2-boten-mrchromebox_20261016.zip (4.4 MB)

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11

I’ve flipped ME on and off a few times with the new build and it seems good to me.

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12

This has caused an issue for me too on hp chromebook 11 g6 ee (SNAPPY)

I had just flashed the firmware (a couple of hours ago) and was playing around in the bios settings and saw the intel management option and disabled it, after a restart it bricked itself and now briefly turns the backlight on before shutting off again.

I’m waiting on a suzyq to arrive which will be a while

13

Got the same issue after reflashing EVE with the latest firmware an hour ago and then turning off Intel ME.

14

I got the same issue when turning off Intel ME and Secure Boot on snappy. (I suspect an ME issue, as ME is part of the chip intiliasation system, and it doesn’t boot to the logo).

Is there any way to fix it without buying something? I really don’t want to spend money on this.

15

no, you’ll need a SuzyQ to fix.

not sure why it would brick though, try a hard reset. on Snappy here, it simply tries to disable 3x then gives up after failing

1 Like
16

I did hard-reset multiple times to no avail, it just simply spends all of its time rebooting until the battery is dead

17

then you’ll need to clear the NVRAM with a SuzyQ