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Change mac address

2025-10-30
change, mac, address, restore

The following explains how to change a PC’s MAC address using the FPTW64 utility, as well as how to restore or modify the MAC address on Intel-based motherboards.

  • After BIOS flashing or ME cleanup, the GbE (NVM) region that stores the MAC address of Intel LAN controllers (I219, I217, I211, I210, etc.) can be erased.
    BIOS then shows 88:88:88:88:87:88, and Windows fails to detect the network adapter.
    This guide explains how to rebuild the GbE region and assign a new MAC address.

  1. Required Tools: Intel CSME System Tools (matching your chipset)
  2. Path: Flash Programming Tool\WIN64\fptw64.exe
    •        Command Prompt (Run as Administrator)
    •        PowerShell (for creating GbE image)
    •        HxD (hex editor for verification or donor editing)
    •        Intel PROWinx64.exe (LAN driver)

  1. Extract Intel CSME System Tools and go to C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\CSME System Tools\Flash Programming Tool\WIN64, then open CMD as Administrator, change directory with
    cd "C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\CSME System Tools\Flash Programming Tool\WIN64"
     and verify with dir. You should see fptw64.exe and fparts.txt.
  2. Backup BIOS using fptw64 -d full_backup.bin. If you get Error 26, enable ME FW Re-Flash or Service Mode in BIOS and retry.
  3. Dump the existing GbE region with fptw64 -gbe -d gbe_dump.bin. If the file is empty, it’s normal — the region is erased.
  4. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
    $mac = [byte[]](0xD8,0x5E,0xD3,0x17,0xE2,0x01)
    $rest = [byte[]](0xFF) * (8192 - 6)
    [IO.File]::WriteAllBytes("C:\gbe_region_full.bin", $mac + $rest)
  1. Go back to CMD and flash the GbE region with fptw64 -gbe -f C:\gbe_region_full.bin. If successful, you’ll see FPT Operation Passed.
  2. Reboot the PC. The BIOS should show D8:5E:D3:17:E2:01, the PXE-E05 (NVM corrupted) error should disappear, then install the Intel Ethernet driver (PROWinx64.exe) and check the MAC address via Win + R → ncpa.cpl.
  3. Alternatively, if you have a donor board, dump the GbE region from it with fptw64 -gbe -d donor_gbe.bin,
    open it in HxD, replace both MAC entries with your new one (    D8 5E D3 17 E2 01), save as C:\donor_gbe_mod.bin, then flash it with fptw64 -gbe -f C:\donor_gbe_mod.bin and reboot to confirm the PXE-E05 error is gone.
  4. On OEM boards (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu, etc.), the MAC may be stored in BIOS OEM blocks or DMI tables, and changing it can break PXE or OEM Windows activation, or revert after BIOS updates. Always back up full_backup.bin before flashing.
  5. After reboot, BIOS should show the correct MAC, the Intel LAN adapter should appear in Windows, and the PXE-E05 error should be resolved.

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