Maximus X Hero BIOS 1013 - does it fix hardware encryption? Asus support useless

[KeksimusMaximus]

DEAR ASUS Ive been trying for over a week to start up Hardware Encryption on Maximus X Hero Mobo with Samsung Evo 960 NVMe.

I followed every guide out there, i would initialise my disk, i would secure wipe it then do clean windows install in UEFI mode with secure boot and Compatibility Module off. And each time the hardware encryption with bitlocker would not start (would default to software).

Inb4 "you need TPM module", no you do not, you set a registry flag and you change authorisation method to password/USB key. The only missing bit is this requirement"

"BIOS needs to have a EFI_STORAGE_SECURITY_COMMAND_PROTOCOL enabled".

So the question is ASUS, does Maximus X Hero BIOS 1013 has EFI_STORAGE_SECURITY_COMMAND_PROTOCOL enabled? Apparently it DOES NOT as Samsung admints to "issue on BIOS level" https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Memory-Storage/HOW-TO-MANAGE-ENCRYPTION-OF-960-PRO/td-p/66475

I already tried contacting support using www.asus.com contact form, but instead of reaching REAL support it directed me to local EMEA support that is clueless about anything that cant be solved by "turn it off and on again" and when they "forwarded it to central" after 14 days they replied that "they dont know".................

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?101157-Hardware-Encryption-(eDrive)-on-Maximus-X-Hero-1003...

READ THIS ASUS (if anybody even comes here)

https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Memory-Storage/HOW-TO-MANAGE-ENCRYPTION-OF-960-PRO/td-p/66475

When you will implement this BIOS fix in your own firmwares?

[Outontheporch]

I'd like to know as well as I am also trying to do the same. I direct messaged Raja@Asus over a week ago as well as posted in the other thread about this issue and no response.

Pretty disappointed in the response actually. I'd even take a response of: "I don't know, but I'll find out, stay tuned" or something like that.

[ixxxion]

I have an 850PRO with hardware encryption enabled on the MAXIMUS X HERO with BIOS 1301 and it works fine. But I do not have secure boot enabled. I just hardware encryption without secure boot. It sounds like you are doing that, so I'm surprised it's not working.

[Outontheporch]

ixxxion wrote:
I have an 850PRO with hardware encryption enabled on the MAXIMUS X HERO with BIOS 1301 and it works fine. But I do not have secure boot enabled. I just hardware encryption without secure boot. It sounds like you are doing that, so I'm surprised it's not working.

Yup, no issues with SATA drives and bitlocker/hardware encryption. I've had 850's working on hardware encryption on my old z97 rig.

The issue here has to do with the 960 Pro and Evo being NVME drives on the M.2 slot. Samsung just recently enabled the e-drive functionality with the 960 and then discovered that boot drives don't work (data drives do) due to an issue with the BIOS. Samsung supposedly has tested a fix with many of the BIOS manufacturers, and its unclear when that will get pushed to OEMs such as Asus. Since I'm using software encryption right now, I'd like to make sure its fixed before i disable software encryption only to find out that I have to re-encrypt my entire drive using software encryption again.

[ixxxion]

Outontheporch wrote:
Yup, no issues with SATA drives and bitlocker/hardware encryption. I've had 850's working on hardware encryption on my old z97 rig.

The issue here has to do with the 960 Pro and Evo being NVME drives on the M.2 slot. Samsung just recently enabled the e-drive functionality with the 960 and then discovered that boot drives don't work (data drives do) due to an issue with the BIOS. Samsung supposedly has tested a fix with many of the BIOS manufacturers, and its unclear when that will get pushed to OEMs such as Asus. Since I'm using software encryption right now, I'd like to make sure its fixed before i disable software encryption only to find out that I have to re-encrypt my entire drive using software encryption again.

Got it, thanks for the info. I have a 960PRO as my boot drive and 850PRO for data. I won't try enabling this on my 960 until things are resolved. Then again, I'm not feeling a big need to move to HW encryption. What is your motivation? Performance? (just curious)

[saddameu]

Outontheporch wrote:
Yup, no issues with SATA drives and bitlocker/hardware encryption. I've had 850's working on hardware encryption on my old z97 rig.

The issue here has to do with the 960 Pro and Evo being NVME drives on the M.2 slot. Samsung just recently enabled the e-drive functionality with the 960 and then discovered that boot drives don't work (data drives do) due to an issue with the BIOS. Samsung supposedly has tested a fix with many of the BIOS manufacturers, and its unclear when that will get pushed to OEMs such as Asus. Since I'm using software encryption right now, I'd like to make sure its fixed before i disable software encryption only to find out that I have to re-encrypt my entire drive using software encryption again.

i can confirm that 970 series can't enable hardware encryption no matter if is a boot drive or secondary drive.I am on the latest z390 series and pretty angry to discover this after i bought the motherboard.