Intel MEI Device Manager exclamation mark

[imacken]

First post guys!

So, for the last few weeks, I have been having issues with the Intel MEI drivers and entry in DM. It usually shows an exclamation mark and error code 43.

I have tried several drivers and am currently using the ones from the ASUS site, i.e. 2047.100.0.1039. Doesn't seem to make any difference what drivers I try.

Sometimes there is no exclamation mark - maybe after uninstall driver/reboot - but, it soon comes back after a while, usually minutes.

However, if there is no exclamation mark, I have stability issues with BSOD DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error. When the exclamation mark is there, my system is stable, BUT, I have sleep issues and sometimes a few seconds at boot up when everything freezes.

If anyone can help with this, I would really appreciate it. My hardware hopefully shows in my signature.

Windows 10 20H2 19042.804

[MoKiChU]

Hi,

Follow this process :

- Uninstall Intel Management Engine Components from your apps installed (Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC
- Launch Driver Store Explorer > Check the boxes of all versions of these drivers .inf (if you find them) : heci.inf | dal.inf | dal_wc.inf | iclsclient.inf | lms.inf | wiman_wlan_extension.inf | wiman.inf | mesrl.inf
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC
- Download the Intel MEI drivers package from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx)
- Follow the Install/Update Process

Note : Once your Intel MEI drivers are up to date, you can update your Intel ME firmware : [FIRMWARE] Intel ME (Z490).

[imacken]

OK, thanks. So I did your steps 1-5 (everything except the firmware update), and now the MEI doesn't show in DM at all. (See attached) Is that normal?

[imacken]

So, the MEI entry came back, I ran the check.cmd from the firmware update, and I got this! See attached.

Could this be my issue?

[MoKiChU]

OK, thanks. So I did your steps 1-5 (everything except the firmware update), and now the MEI doesn't show in DM at all. (See attached) Is that normal?

Because you did not perform these steps correctly :

- Download the Intel MEI drivers package from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx)
- Follow the Install/Update Process

Retry these steps (try to move the drivers package folder to your Desktop or elsewhere before launch "Install.cmd" by right-click Run as admin), if you still did not manage to launch the Install.cmd script correctly, install the drivers manually then restart your PC :

- MEI : Right click on "heci.inf" > Install > Wait for the message "The operation completed successfully" or for restart request
- SWC\DAL : Right click on "DAL.inf" > Install > Wait for the message "The operation completed successfully" or for restart request
- SWC\ICLS : Right click on "iclsClient.inf" > Install > Wait for the message "The operation completed successfully" or for restart request
- SWC\LMS : Right click on "LMS.inf" > Install > Wait for the message "The operation completed successfully" or for restart request

So, the MEI entry came back, I ran the check.cmd from the firmware update, and I got this! See attached.

Could this be my issue?

If Intel MEI drivers are not installed, no communication can be done with the Intel ME, hence the error message. Do this again once your Intel MEI drivers are correctly installed.

[imacken]

Thank you.
Yes, I have done all the steps correctly. I'm probably not explaining very well.
This is what happens:
1) I follow your steps in your first post
2) the MEI entry in DM looks OK after a restart. A few minutes later, the exclamation mark returns with the code 43 error I posted above.
3) I run the check.cmd from a folder on my desktop, and I just get the error I posted above, i.e. in my post #4 above.
I will try the manual install approach you suggested and report back.

[imacken]

OK, so I tried the manual install. Steps 2-4 were OK, and I received the 'installed OK' type message. However, the MEI heci.inf install did not show that message.

[MoKiChU]

OK, so I tried the manual install. Steps 2-4 were OK, and I received the 'installed OK' type message. However, the MEI heci.inf install did not show that message.

- Launch Driver Store Explorer > Check the boxes of all versions of "heci.inf"
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button (don't restart your PC)
- In drivers package MEI folder : Right click on "heci.inf" > Install > Wait for the message "The operation completed successfully" or for restart request

[imacken]

Thanks again.
The driver install worked OK, but the problem is the same. I've attached all the relevant images from latest attempt.
I've been trying to resolve this issue for a couple of weeks now and am getting nowhere. I'm beginning to suspect a hardware issue on the motherboard.
I should also add, that I tried a different BIOS and I have reinstalled Windows at least twice. No change.

[MoKiChU]

Thanks again.
The driver install worked OK, but the problem is the same. I've attached all the relevant images from latest attempt.
I've been trying to resolve this issue for a couple of weeks now and am getting nowhere. I'm beginning to suspect a hardware issue on the motherboard.
I should also add, that I tried a different BIOS and I have reinstalled Windows at least twice. No change.

Indeed all this is weird and abnormal, please open an ASUS support ticket (if you have juggled BIOS with Intel ME 14.0.xx.xxxx branch embed and BIOS with Intel ME 14.1.xx.xxxx branch embed, it is likely that something got corrupted in these back and forth).