Installing new ME Firmware without an asIO.sys error

[WoodyLZ]

Sorry peeps, I just noticed Ashley in the thread "New BIOS Version out today (11-09-17) MH VIII Hero?" https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?97312-New-BIOS-Version-out-today-(11-09-17)-MH-VIII-Hero&p... around page 10 posted the method here using a command line interface or a command prompt. That was posted the end of November, I don't know how I missed not seeing it!
So props to Ashley for beating me to the punch!

Hello All,

I suffered from the "Can't open AsIO.sys!! ( 2 )" error. I suspect that is has something to do with it needing software components from the AI Suite (I try to avoid any 3rd stuff like that as it bogs down the system). It would appear that you don't actually need to run the "MEUpdateTool.exe" to update the firmware this is just a GUI that automates the process of the actual intel ME updater tool.

This is how I finally fixed it.


1. Download "MEUpdateTool_UI_20171103_TP.zip" from the support website and extract.
2. Navigate into the "FW" folder
3. Drag and drop the following file into an elevated (run as administrator) command prompt.

64-bit OS EXE:
Code:

FWUpdLcl64.exe

32-bit OS EXE:
Code:

FWUpdLcl.exe


Note:

If UAC is on you may need to change directory first as drag and drop won't be available. For example if you have extracted the zip to desktop it be the following command. Replace YOURUSERNAME with your user accounts actual username. P.S don't get rid of the quotes they are needed if the path has spaces in it, but will still work if there aren't any.

Code:

CD "C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Desktop\MEUpdateTool_UI_20171103_TP\FW"

Then go ahead and type the EXE file for either the 32-bit/64-bit OS as stated above in step 3 into the command line.



4. Now Enter the following into the command prompt after the applicable 32/64-bit exe (ensure there is a space before the -F).

Code:

-F ME.bin

(The -F command tells the tool the firmware file used for updating)

So when all is done your command line should like this

32-bit OS:
Code:

C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Desktop\MEUpdateTool_UI_20171103_TP\FW\FWUpdLcl.exe -F ME.Bin

64-bit OS:
Code:

C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Desktop\MEUpdateTool_UI_20171103_TP\FW\FWUpdLcl64.exe -F ME.Bin

5. Press enter it will begin to flash. It will let you know when it's done. Reboot and don't forget to also update the ME driver.


Hope this helps everyone struggling with this.







Hi Guys,

I was struggling for the last month or so unable to install the new ME firmware patch without getting a asIO.sys and a PEUpdater.exe error message (Error 8716: Invalid usage) on my Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO but after digging and searching I've finally been able to install the firmware.
HWiNFO showed i had "Intel ME Version: 11.6 BUILD 1196 HOTFIX 10" and i couldn't get it to update.
Installing the drivers was never a problem, I tried down-flashing my bios to an earlier version, tried running the software from a thumb drive with anti-virus turned off, and tried different version of ME firmware but couldn't get the firmware to install. This morning I found a thread on win-raid.com that made me think for a moment...

https://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-Management-Engine-Drivers-Firmware-amp-System-Tools-45.html

Thank you user plutomaniac for the Idea, you are a genius!

The way I got the firmware to install was I downloaded the MEUpdateTool from the ASUS Drivers website. Unzip it then went into the folder named "FW". Make sure you have the files "ME.bin" and "FWUpdLcl64" together in that folder. I then opened up a Windows Powershell window as an Administrator. (I would imagine a command prompt would have worked as well)
Then using the info I found on win-raid typed in:

.\\FWUpdLcl64 -f ME.bin -allowsv

I tried it a couple of different ways at first and received error messages, but tweaked the commands until it became the commands above that worked for me. HWiNFO now shows i have "Intel ME Version: 11.8, Build 3399, Hot Fix 50"
I can't guarantee this will work for everybody (worked for me with the Error 8716: Invalid usage error) and please don't hold me liable if it borks your machine, but like I said it worked for me and shows it's patched in Intel's verification software. I'm also not at all a power-shell guru but I thought I'd chime in and let you guys know how I got my firmware installed and hopefully help others out who were having the same problem as I. If anyone has any helpful tips or info to add who are more knowledgeable than I, or if you need clarification or have questions about how to do any of this, please feel free to post... I'll be happy to try to help.

Thanks all for a great community,

-Chris

[Marcello_S]

If I understood correctly, I think this is a problem related the Microsoft engine interface upgrade from another post am I right? Based on that the right procedure should be install MEI > then run MEupdatetool > then update the BIOS, is it correct?

Update: I update the MEI at latest version then run the MEupdatetool, reboot the system and everything looks fine. Now I need to update the BIOS as well, as I am currently running version 3101.

[WoodyLZ]

If running the MEUpdateTool from ASUS works fine and installs without the asIO.sys error (Error 8716: Invalid usage) for you on your Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO, then disregard this post and enjoy your patched system.

I couldn't tell you the order you need to install the Intel Management Engine updates as I've been rocking the 3504 bios since it was released. Yesterday i did try the bios downgrade to try a firmware installation but it didn't work so I just reinstalled 3504, then tried the powershell install which did work.
So in my case it was... install new ME drivers (about a month or so back) -> upgrade the bios (well, I downgraded then reinstalled 3504 yesterday) -> update the firmware (yesterday)

Thanks to the other posters in the other threads for the this information, sorry I don't have the time to go back and look you all up...:
Intel released a tool to check to see if you've been patched at: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27150?v=t
and you can get HWiNFO that shows your ME info at: https://www.hwinfo.com/
or just go into your bios setup, it will give you the version # there.

Good Luck!

[Marcello_S]

WoodyLZ wrote:
If running the MEUpdateTool from ASUS works fine and installs without the asIO.sys error (Error 8716: Invalid usage) for you on your Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO, then disregard this post and enjoy your patched system.

I couldn't tell you the order you need to install the Intel Management Engine updates as I've been rocking the 3504 bios since it was released. Yesterday i did try the bios downgrade to try a firmware installation but it didn't work so I just reinstalled 3504, then tried the powershell install which did work.
So in my case it was... install new ME drivers (about a month or so back) -> upgrade the bios (well, I downgraded then reinstalled 3504 yesterday) -> update the firmware (yesterday)

Thanks to the other posters in the other threads for the this information, sorry I don't have the time to go back and look you all up...:
Intel released a tool to check to see if you've been patched at: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27150?v=t
and you can get HWiNFO that shows your ME info at: https://www.hwinfo.com/
or just go into your bios setup, it will give you the version # there.

Good Luck!

I appreciate your answer, and running the detection tool result in positive check as my system resulting already been patched. So it's not vulnerable anymore.

Now I hope that updating the BIOS won't give me the same troubles as it did back in june, as I had infinite reboot loop for my system forcing me to downgrade the BIOS to 3101.

Thank you again for your reply.

Best Regards