Intel Management Engine Updates
Machine is a Dell Inspiron 3668 desktop running Windows 10 Home Premium,
1803 build 17134.765. Looks like this machine is two builds behind (.766 and .799) before even getting to 1809. I'm set to get updates automatically, and I keep hitting Check for Updates, but that's for another post. Within the last few days this machine's Windows Update got an "Intel- System-1/21/2019 12:00:00 AM-1904.12.0.1209". (There's a button to "Install Now". or, as it says, "We'll automatically install updates when you aren't using your device..." Well, this machine is on 24x7 and 'active hours' are 8am to 9am, so there's plenty of time to install, but this has never happened. I always have to hit Install or Restart to install an update. Again, this is for another post.} Also, Dell, through their Support Assist, keeps telling me of an Urgent Chipset update for the "Intel Management Engine Components Installer 1914-12-0-1255". So, Windows wants to install an Intel System update, and Dell wants to install an Intel something or other: https://postimg.cc/gallery/lokw0sjs/ Anyone install this particular Dell update? Problems? I guess the Windows Intel-System will eventually get installed, since I can't prevent that. Anyone familiar with that one? |
Intel Management Engine Updates
On 05/06/2019 00:39, Boris wrote:
Anyone install this particular Dell update? Problems? Is there any particular reasons why you always ask stupid questions about updates? Updates are updates; You can either install them or simply ignore them until they install themselves. Why do you guys have to ask here when silly things like what yo are asking can easily be answered by using your own common sense. Have you always been as stupid as you seem to appear here or are you taking a micky of people who are silly like you to answer your questions. Can you just go and **** off and if you don't have any brains then go and hire an Indian Technician who can solve most of your IT problems. -- With over 950 million devices now running Windows 10, customer satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows. |
Intel Management Engine Updates
Boris wrote:
Machine is a Dell Inspiron 3668 desktop running Windows 10 Home Premium, 1803 build 17134.765. Looks like this machine is two builds behind (.766 and .799) before even getting to 1809. I'm set to get updates automatically, and I keep hitting Check for Updates, but that's for another post. Within the last few days this machine's Windows Update got an "Intel- System-1/21/2019 12:00:00 AM-1904.12.0.1209". (There's a button to "Install Now". or, as it says, "We'll automatically install updates when you aren't using your device..." Well, this machine is on 24x7 and 'active hours' are 8am to 9am, so there's plenty of time to install, but this has never happened. I always have to hit Install or Restart to install an update. Again, this is for another post.} Also, Dell, through their Support Assist, keeps telling me of an Urgent Chipset update for the "Intel Management Engine Components Installer 1914-12-0-1255". So, Windows wants to install an Intel System update, and Dell wants to install an Intel something or other: https://postimg.cc/gallery/lokw0sjs/ Anyone install this particular Dell update? Problems? I guess the Windows Intel-System will eventually get installed, since I can't prevent that. Anyone familiar with that one? This is your "1904" one. 196KB. https://www.catalog.update.microsoft...0 4.12.0.1208 ; File Name: heci.inf ; Install information file for TeeDriver Driver [TEE_DDI_W10.Services] AddService = MEI, %FLG_ADDREG_NOCLOBBER%, TEE_Service_W10, win10_32.EventLog ServiceBinary = TeeDriverW8x64.sys # [Covers Win8 and Win10] # 2019-02-07 01:11 TEE_DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Management Engine Interface " TEE_SvcDesc = "Intel(R) Management Engine Interface " ******* As for what it might potentially do, it's probably already installed, and this is just an update. About all I can find right away, is a bilge article like this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_E...ller_Interface The Management Engine is largely uncontrollable by the user. I want to see a jumper on the motherboard, that could be used to disable it, and prevent shenanigans. Instead, you just get bull**** from Intel, such as a tray readout claiming "well, it might be disabled, but it's software so who really knows". The Management Engine is a microcontroller (could be in the PCH aka Southbridge), that provides a means for operations to "burrow into" a computer from the network. It relies on the motherboard having an Intel NIC with a special property - the NIC is "dual head", and packets can be defined, such that they go to the Management Engine without the OS knowing. It's because of this, you can remotely boot a Management Engine computing product, even if it's crashed. A typical scenario, is a Dell Business laptop is plugged into the network, and the power is off (the laptop is in S5). All of a sudden, the business laptop "spring to life" and the IT department pushes out a software update. The laptop promptly goes to sleep later. At one time, Intel had promised to add this tech into the Wifi path as well, so in some year, the products would have the additional function of over-the-air Wifi updates when the computer was otherwise shutdown. On a mobile system such as a laptop, the WOL has to be enabled (NIC has core power or Wifi has core power and MAC processing is operational), and then the management engine can do its thing. Researchers have determined the embedded controller runs Minux. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MINIX The BIOS chip has multiple code images inside. On a Management Engine product, such as a Dell Business laptop, maybe there's a 4MB flash module in the BIOS chip, which the Management Engine loads and that's where the Minux comes in. And in all of that, there's no "guaranteed OFF button", as there's some mechanism where the Management Engine could be used as an anti-theft solution. There have been exploits for this interface, which is why this is just so much "trailing slime" in terms of unnecessary featuritis. My newest computer has all the infrastructure for this, but the BIOS module is missing. (I.e. There *is* a BIOS module, but it's a null one of some sort. Or at least we think it's null and cannot harm anyone, but who can be sure when your hardware has an "attack surface" sitting there 24 hours a day?) ******* Now, the Dell package is different, as it's 90MB in size. That's more than just a 196KB TEEdriver, that's the whole package of stuff you might not necessarily want. It's likely related to the Windows Update one, but the Dell one contains the higher level packages. I got a similar one, which was 50MB, for my newest system. But it contained *three* pieces of software, of which *two* of them *did not belong on the computer*. I promptly uninstalled the little ****er, because Intel had the nerve to *break Firefox* with their nonsense. Such is the paternal Father Intel, looking out for my wellbeing, by breaking my browser (if you were downloading a file, the download would mysteriously fail as the last byte came in - clever...). So if any fat-assed 50MB+ updates come in, I won't be taking them, because I've "been there and bought the Tshirt". And there won't be any repeat performances. You see, at the time, the jumbo package was "recommended as a way to solve the Device Manager HECI blemish". Now, instead, we have the Windows Update one, which will put in that TEE driver and remove the Device Manager blemish. You don't need to install that Dell one necessarily. Or, if you do decide you "love Dell", take your sweet time analysing the package, to see if Intel has learned any lessons. I see no reason to suspect Intel has learned a damn thing since the last time :-( Intel has made it harder to get to their forum, to read discussion threads about some of this stuff. So one lead I wanted to pursue, was thwarted by Intel with their crafty "we'll just redirect you to a random meaningless web page" shtick. Intel is going out of their way to make friends. Paul |
Intel Management Engine Updates
Paul wrote:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_E...ller_Interface The Management Engine is largely uncontrollable by the user. I want to see a jumper on the motherboard, that could be used to disable it, and prevent shenanigans. Instead, you just get bull**** from Intel, such as a tray readout claiming "well, it might be disabled, but it's software so who really knows". System76 was reverse engineering IME in order to disable it, saw a Lunduke video a while back where in an interview with System76 they discussed there plans. Looks like the did it: https://liliputing.com/2017/11/system76-will-disable-intel-management-engine-linux-laptops.html -- Take care, Jonathan ------------------- LITTLE WORKS STUDIO http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com |
Intel Management Engine Updates
Two points to make.
First, I suspect that the updates from Dell and Windows are one and the same. Second, you can download 1903 from Microsoft and install it directly. No need to make the half-step to 1809... Ben Myers On Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 7:39:21 PM UTC-4, Boris wrote: Machine is a Dell Inspiron 3668 desktop running Windows 10 Home Premium, 1803 build 17134.765. Looks like this machine is two builds behind (.766 and .799) before even getting to 1809. I'm set to get updates automatically, and I keep hitting Check for Updates, but that's for another post. Within the last few days this machine's Windows Update got an "Intel- System-1/21/2019 12:00:00 AM-1904.12.0.1209". (There's a button to "Install Now". or, as it says, "We'll automatically install updates when you aren't using your device..." Well, this machine is on 24x7 and 'active hours' are 8am to 9am, so there's plenty of time to install, but this has never happened. I always have to hit Install or Restart to install an update. Again, this is for another post.} Also, Dell, through their Support Assist, keeps telling me of an Urgent Chipset update for the "Intel Management Engine Components Installer 1914-12-0-1255". So, Windows wants to install an Intel System update, and Dell wants to install an Intel something or other: https://postimg.cc/gallery/lokw0sjs/ Anyone install this particular Dell update? Problems? I guess the Windows Intel-System will eventually get installed, since I can't prevent that. Anyone familiar with that one? |
Intel Management Engine Updates
Boris wrote:
I looked at both your and Jonathan N. Little's links. Thank you, both. My system already had IMEI installed, so with "Intel-System-1/21/2019 12:00:00 AM-1904.12.0.1209" on deck waiting to be installed with a restart, and not being able to get any new updates until I flushed this one out of its pending install mode, I restarted. The "Intel-System..." was installed. I hit the check for updates button and another Windows update was found, which I installed. I hit the check for updates button again, and another update came down, which I installed. One more check for updates and down came feature update 1903, skipping over 1809. It's like something stuck in the pipes ("Intel-System...") that had to be flushed down before any more updates could come down. Sort of like what Monty said in this post: On another identical Dell (I don't love Dell) machine that I administer, I did the same thing. That is, keep hitting check for updates, and install whatever comes down. Eventually, that machine also updated from 1803 to 1903, skipping over 1809. So much for updating automatically. Still needs human intervention, at least in my case(s). Clicking the "Check For Updates" button makes you a "Seeker". This changes the behavior of updating, and "gets them faster" in certain cases. So it actually does make a difference. The OS is more "laid back" if you never punch that button. This is different than older versions of Windows, where punching the button did not "give the OS an attitude". Paul |
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