Spectre microcode update for Windows user
Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7353
Printed Date: 02 Aug 2025 at 8:03pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Spectre microcode update for Windows user
Posted By: singinanarchist
Subject: Spectre microcode update for Windows user
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 2:33am
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Disclaimer: Use at your own risk There's no need to wait for asrock to update their bioses. You can update the cpu microcode yourself with "VMware CPU Microcode Update Driver" and Intel Microcode. Just follow this guide : http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/how-to-update-microcode-from-windows.787152/" rel="nofollow - http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/how-to-update-microcode-from-windows.787152/ Download the latest Intel microde for your processor : https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File" rel="nofollow - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File Download VMware CPU Microcode Update Driver : http://%20labs.vmware.com/flings/vmware-cpu-microcode-update-driver" rel="nofollow - https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmware-cpu-microcode-update-driver" rel="nofollow - https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmware-cpu-microcode-update-driver You also need the AMD microcode files, the link in the guide is not working. Since they just need to be present but are not used for Intel update, I downloaded these ones from here https://github.com/OpenELEC/cpu-firmware/tree/master/firmware/amd-ucode" rel="nofollow - https://github.com/OpenELEC/cpu-firmware/tree/master/firmware/amd-ucode You can check your vulnerability status with http://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm" rel="nofollow - https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm  |
Replies:
Posted By: aldamon
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 4:42am
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EDIT: Doesn't actually work. |
Posted By: GuruNot
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 6:28am
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I carried this out on my X99-WS with i7-5930k .... it updated the microcode from 38 to 3B . ------------- Intel Core i7 5930K | ASRock X99 WS | 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX EVGA GTX 980 Ti Classified ACX 2.0+ | SM951 M2 NVMe | QPAD MK-85 DeathAdder Chroma | Phanteks Enthoo Primo | AX860i | Win 10 Pro x64 |
Posted By: Grom0X
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 6:34am
| FAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Posted By: Grom0X
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 6:40am
| We need new BIOS from AsRock for real FIX, end of story! |
Posted By: singinanarchist
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 8:07pm
" rel="nofollow -
What's your problem ???
Sure. But if it never happens or happens in 6 months, don't you want a solution ? I do.
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Grom0X wrote:Posted By: aldamon
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 9:26pm
So I was discussing your fix over at HardForum and atarione found this post over at Bleepingcomputer. Your fix appears to fool InSpectre but it isn't really doing anything: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/intel-releases-linux-cpu-microcodes-to-fix-meltdown-and-spectre-bugs/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/u/985239/lconstantin/" rel="nofollow - LConstantin - 6 days ago
The VMware Driver option doesn't work because it starts too late in the kernel initialization process (it's a kernel driver). Microcode updates need to be reapplied at every boot, because the CPU doesn't have non-volatile memory. It's normally the BIOS that applies it during boot so by the time the OS starts, the OS will see the new microcode. In this case, the WIndows kernel sees the old microcode before the VMware Driver kicks in and applies it. Because of this it disables its own software-based Spectre mitigation. The VMware driver can be used to test if the microcode update for your CPU contains the Spectre patch, but that's about it. It won't actually be used. The result from Microsoft's Speculation Control Validation PowerShell Script will look like this: PowerShell proof: http://imgur.com/a/UB6N6" rel="nofollow - https://imgur.com/a/UB6N6 |
Posted By: singinanarchist
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2018 at 9:55pm
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Thanks for the link, very interesting discussion. Seems logical, I thought Linux and Windows were doing the same thing with the code but apparently not. I tested the SpeculationControl script and get the same negative result for BTIWindowsSupportEnabled. Then the solution is to patch the BIOS with the microcode.
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Posted By: Grom0X
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2018 at 5:25am
| http:///www.asrock.com/Microsite/SA00088/" rel="nofollow - New bios for Intel SA-0008 security update |
Posted By: soulstealer
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2018 at 8:24am
there is no new bios for example for h170 fatality yet ... and btw the current patches are know to cause serious issues, like reboots etc it was said they are working on a beta patch until next wednesday i wont patch my system with a faulty cpu bios yet https://newsroom.intel.com/news/firmware-updates-and-initial-performance-data-for-data-center-systems/
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