Is it possible to manually flash a firmware patch, just like windows update does ?

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by walou213, Jul 21, 2018.

  1. walou213

    walou213 MDL Novice

    Sep 20, 2017
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    No need to make a long post for that :

    1. I was retarded enough to try insider on my surface pro
    2. I received a beta firmware udpate in the process, which is broken
    3. since it's firmware, wiping windows and installing it back had no impact whatsoever on it.

    These firmware updates are pushed through windows update, it is a combination of 3 files :
    one *.inf file (driver)
    one *.cat file (driver related again)
    one *.bin file (firmware update).

    i can manually install the *.inf file, but it won't install the firmware update in the process (probably because the one i try to install is older that the recent insider firmware in place).

    I thought of using freedos, but the surface pro are UEFI only.

    Any advise?
     
  2. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
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    The Firmware from what (module?, SSD?, or whatsoever?)?

    Normally it's possible to start the Tablet from within an external USB-Flash drive or so. All you need is get into the BIOS and allow to boot from within a bootable USB Device. I needed to do that several times on my Windows Tablets (not Microsoft Surface!) and that works very well for me. I need to have a USB Keyboard (best with Mouse) connected come into the BIOS and for the following operations. A Bluetooth device (Keyboard & Mouse) could not be used for that, it must be USB!
     
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  3. walou213

    walou213 MDL Novice

    Sep 20, 2017
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    firmware of motherboard i believe.

    when going into uefi, it says
    Firmware:
    uefi : 234.1.1.2
    Intel management engine: 55.4.5.6
    surface touch: 55.6.7.8
    etc..

    there are 5 of them, which all received an insider update.

    i know how to boot from usb already but my issue is more about what should i put inside the usb key.

    as far as i know, when the other manufacturer have a firmware update to download on their website, the file always contain a software used to make a bootable usb key and it automatically put the firmware update on the usb.

    but with Microsoft, there is no such thing, all i have is a bin file. i miss the way to say to the computer "take this update and install it".
     
  4. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    #5 pisthai, Jul 22, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2018
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  5. walou213

    walou213 MDL Novice

    Sep 20, 2017
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  6. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
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    You're not talking about the MS Firmware, you talking about the Intel Firmware!!

    My Tablets having a completely different BIOS as the Surface, so it differs quite a lot.

    OK, back to the Firmware:
    If the Intel Management Engine is for the Insider Version of Windows 10, that may cause a problem and not run well with the older Windows releases. What you could try is:
    1. Get the older Intel Management Engine 11.6.20.1221
    2. Open the Device Manager
    3. uninstall the Intel Management Engine 11.8.50.3448
    4. do NOT restart of even close the Device manager
    5. install the old 11.6.20.1221 from within the Device Manager
    6. Restart the Tablet
    7. Check everything is working!
    Besides of all that, if you use an MS Account which you had already used with an Insider Preview, firstly create a new MS Account. Do a full and clean install of the 1803 and use that new MS Account for that.

    I had to do such on one of my Computers because I was facing problems similar with Updates too. I ended up with mixed drivers for Release and Insider. That was stopped after I changed the MS Account, even the HWID, Product Key and so still was the same!

    Anyway, firstly I would contact Microsoft Support, given them all the required info and special: SCREENSHOTS, so they know what you're talking about and wait for their Reply. Don't forget, my experiences are different from yours because my Tablets are NOT MS Surface's, I use 2 different Brands. What works for me, may not works for you!
     
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  7. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    As I wrote already: My Tablets are not Microsoft Surfaces! Beside of that, even if I would spend that much money for that over-priced Tablets, the didn't have one of the required feature: a SIM Card Socket for mobile use! My Tablets just costing a fraction of what a Surface is costing, with a SIM Card Socket and 3G working!

    Maybe you'll have success if you didn't use an MS Account at all while doing a clean install of 1803. One setting you should always use on any Mobile Device using Windows as OS: do NOT enable automatic Updates! The first step after install is finished: disable automatic Updates!

    If the SSD of your Surface has a Hidden Recovery Partition for OS and Drivers/Firmware ( a few GB in size), maybe that should be deleted, after you created an external Image of that Hidden Partition.

    Regarding that MS Support:
    you'll need to ask them very specific questions and ask them for to specific answering that question (and nothing else)! I may also ask them to use Remote Control, so they are could 'see' with them own eye's what the problems are.

    Personally, if using Remote Control, I wouldn't use Remote Desktop because you could not follow up what they are doing. I would use RAdmin which let me see any of there doing. Besides that, I would even install a Key Logger App which records everything that is done.

    Overall, such problems seem to be a discrepancy between two different OS Versions, which are not downward compatible. Such could special happen between a BETA (1803) and an Alpha Version, what the Insider Preview still is!
     
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  8. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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  9. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    @Tito

    Are you own both devices? I would hardly believe that and therefore your comment (regarding my comment) isn't applicable here too.

    Beside of that, my 3 Windows Tablets are all with Intel CPU's (Quad-Core), NOT ARM!!
     
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  10. GOD666

    GOD666 MDL Expert

    Aug 1, 2015
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    There are some Microsoft tablets that are x86 based that can be flashed with a ROM. ;) -- Since the OP kept talking about firmware, I assumed that was her/his issue.
     
  11. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    And to clear something :
    In my post regarding the problems described in the OP, I pointed several times out that I didn't own a Surface Tablet, just own 3 other branded Tablet running on MS Windows.

    I also stated that I talk about my own experiences with my own Tablets and as well how I solved my own problems, which are in more or less similar on the Surface. If I pointed to something that I would do to solve such problems, was also pointed several times to the fact that I done that on my own Tablets and not an MS Surface.

    Therefore I've to admit, that all I could talk about, is about my own experiences with a machine I either own or I could use for such work. I mainly at all times point to those facts in my posts.
     
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  12. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    True! But that's about the Surface RT, AFAIK.

    The x86 based Tablets are handled like a PC/Laptop.
     
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  13. GOD666

    GOD666 MDL Expert

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    I would invite you to XDA where they do have ROMS for basic x86 tablets too. ;)

    But I digress, as I am not a Surface Tablet user and I'm sure there are different models for different needs.
     
  14. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

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    Er....!

    Some 'experts' talk about bootable ISO to be the same as a kind Firmware and call those ROM's. They are also talking about the used Storage Space on Tablets as ROM, which is in reality just (mostly) an SSD! Even ROM means Read Only Memory, that didn't mean that those are readable only, it could still be written on it. Their real name is PROM or EEPROM. EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. The IC-Chip which contains the BOIS of a Computer is an EEPROM. There many different kinds of EEPROMs.

    That means that, if we're talking about a ROM, it's just not really clear what we're really talking about. On an Android Device, ROM has a different meaning than on a PC Device. On Android, the Main OS is always part of the Mainboard and placed into w (EEP)ROM-IC and Android till today mainly use ARM CPUs.

    Overall, there many ways to reach Rome!
     
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  15. lewcass

    lewcass MDL Senior Member

    Mar 10, 2018
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    Not a patch on Yakov Smirnoff :D
     
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  16. walou213

    walou213 MDL Novice

    Sep 20, 2017
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