Optiplex 7040 Enable AMT

There's no easy way to enable vPro if the board has it disabled -- it requires extensive BIOS hacking to accomplish.  

Systems without INTEL AMT or if the control P MEBx  has been disabled is a one way trip.  This is not reversible.

It is not possible to change the Manageability Mode when options 3 or 4 have been selected. 

* The No TLS option only applies to the following countries: China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Poland, and Russia.

This is true from the 755 and up.

Manageability Mode Options on Replacement System Boards for the OptiPlex™ 755

The OptiPlex™ 755 has one system board per chassis available for dispatch. The system board is shipped in manufacturing mode and the end user or service provider must select the manageability option upon first boot. There are four manageability options that might be seen on the customer order according to the original configuration purchased.

For information on what manageability options were configured when the system was originally shipped, refer to Table 1: 

* The No TLS option only applies to the following countries: China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Poland, and Russia.

Table 1: Manageability Mode Labels

When issuing a dispatch, leave a note in the Comments to Service Provider field with the Manageability Mode option that must be selected after the system board is replaced.

The Manageability Mode Sticker on the Chassis Cover for the OptiPlex™ 755

On the inside of the removable side cover there is a 2" x 1" label denoting the manageability mode with which the system was purchased (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1: The Manageability Mode Sticker Location on the OptiPlex 755

Figure 2: The Four Different Manageability Mode Stickers on the OptiPlex 755

Configure the Manageability Mode on a Replacement System Board

	Note:
	When the number for the manageability mode is entered and confirmed, it is unable to be changed. If the incorrect manageability mode is selected, it is possible the system board must be replaced depending on the option selected.

1. Turn the system off and remove the power cord.
   
   

2. Open the chassis cover and locate the manageability mode sticker.

3. Verify the number on the manageability mode sticker.

4. Close the chassis cover, plug the power cord back into the system, and turn the system on.

5. At the Type the number corresponding with your selection: prompt, press the key for the number obtained from the sticker (Figure 1).

   
   Figure 1: Prompt Received After Replacing the System Board

6. At the Continue with selection? (Y/N) prompt, press .

7. After the system shuts down, turn the system back on to continue with normal operation.

Change Manageability Modes 1 and 2 if Incorrectly Selected

It is not possible to change the Manageability Mode when options 3 or 4 have been selected. 

If Manageability Mode options 1 or 2 are incorrectly selected after replacing the system board, correct this by performing the following steps:

1. Restart the computer.

2. Press and hold  while tapping

   at the Dell logo screen to enter the Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension (MEBx) screens.

3. When prompted, enter the password and press .

4. Select Intel (R) ME Configuration and press .

5. At the [ Caution ] screen, press .

6. At the Intel (R) ME Configuration screen, press to select Intel (R) ME Features Control amd Press the key.

7. Press  to select  Manageability Feature Selection.

8. Use or to select either  Intel (R) AMT or  ASF, which are respectively options 1 and 2 when selecting the Manageability Mode on a replacement system board.

Ejn63 is correct. I know there's no simple, or supported, way of doing this, but I have found guides for extracting, modifying, and reflashing the management engine firmware. I guess I'll have to give that a shot.

Saying it's not possible is technically not true - this is a firmware limitation rather than something physically on the board or chip, so all it should require is a modification of that flag. I'll update with a how to if I can get some time to walk through it and document what works.

Success! I updated three Optiplex 7040's from ME disabled to enabled using the Intel Flash Programming Tool and Flash Image Tool. Actually, a very simple procedure! I'll make a new post with a writeup if anyone's interested and if it doesn't violate the site's policy - obviously, this would be completely unsupported by Dell.

"Saying it's not possible is technically not true" - this is a firmware limitation rather than something physically on the board or chip"

This is not entirely correct because the AMT firmware and Bit Locker requires the TPM chip which is not on embargoed country's motherboard. The No TLS option applies to the following countries: China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Poland, and Russia.The microsoft Certificates and SLP Product key are also not stored in the bios chip. Flashing Utilities for BIOS are not made available to the general public.  TPM chips are actually banned and illegal in china and russia etc.  This is also why there are export restrictions on encryption and TPM and other technologies.

:emotion-3:

You're correct regarding the TPM being removed from certain motherboards for export restrictions. The TPM isn't required for AMT - it's optional, and the management engine will still function without it.

I would be very interested in the answer.  I have the same problem.  

Hello, could you post an instruction.

Please do post your solution or a link to it. Thanks!

I have the same problem and would be interested in the howto. Please do help the community if you found the answer (and said you'd post it).

Dell doesn't post how to "enable" amt firmware or bios features.  This is done at the factory.

If you disable AMT you must replace the motherboard because this can only be done at the factory at the time of purchase.

Am I allowed to post external links here? I took screenshots and documented how to do it, I just don't know where to post it.

It's really not that difficult. You copy the data from flash, modify a flag, and reflash your motherboard. Literally takes less than five minutes.

I'm working on organizing my screenshots into an imgur album. I did this on three different Optiplex 7040's, so I'm confident it can be done. Keep in mind that you are modifying your system flash and doing this could render your system unbootable if there is an error. I'm not *recommending* that you do this, I'm just showing that it is possible.

Album (completely a mess) here: https://imgur.com/a/Mh9Jz

Essentially, you need to close a jumper on the motherboard marked "service mode." I used the PW reset jumper since I didn't have a spare laying around. You'll need to get a copy of Intel's Flash Image Tool kit - you're on your own, there - and using those tools, you can see the commands I ran to get the flash into a file, modify the AMT flag, and reflash the resulting file in the screenshots.