AMD microcode load on startup

Dear Members,

I've recently set up a PC for virtualization purposes and it is based on a Gigabyte GA-970-A-UD3 rev. 3 MB and an AMD FX-6300 CPU.

This CPU has a known and already fixed errata which causes VMs to crash. This bug has already been fixed with a microcode update, provided by AMD and has not yet been implemented into the BIOS of the MB. I have this update in a bin format.

If I install Linux, the microcode gets updated automatically so I do not experience any crashes. 

The question is how I can make Windows 8 automatically load the updated Microcode on boot.

Any help appreciated, thank you.

PS. There are KBs which has microcode updates for AMD CPUs so loading a different one is definitely possible but I do not know how.
  • Edited by Vihar1 Thursday, September 26, 2013 7:41 PM
September 26th, 2013 11:39am

can you post a link to the microcode update? It should include a readme.txt what to do with the file.
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September 26th, 2013 10:23pm

Sure, here it is:

packages.debian.org/source/sid/amd64-microcode

This package is for Linux and I can successfully install it under Linux but I've got no idea what to do with it under Windows. 



  • Edited by Vihar1 Thursday, September 26, 2013 7:36 PM
September 26th, 2013 10:35pm

this file can't be used in Windows.

Microsoft needs to release an updated AMD CPU driver inside of Windows. Phone the MS support directly about the issue.

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September 26th, 2013 10:53pm

Doesn't this file (I mean the .bin file inside the package) to be uploaded into the CPU? 
September 26th, 2013 11:20pm

not that I know of. Phone the MS support about the issue and try to get a hotfix for the cpu driver which includes this microcode update.
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September 27th, 2013 8:05am

I've just had a short chat with the local support and they've told me to contact the vendor of the CPU. However the fix has been released a long time ago as you can see above. 

I do not believe that there is no fix and there is no interest to support such a widely used CPU. (To avoid misunderstandings, it has been supported by AMD as they have provided the update)

September 27th, 2013 11:46am

I've just had a short chat with the local support and they've told me to contact the vendor of the CPU. However the fix has been released a long time ago as you can see above. 

I do not believe that there is no fix and there is no interest to support such a widely used CPU. (To avoid misunderstandings, it has been supported by AMD as they have provided the update)

  • Marked as answer by Vihar1 3 hours 0 minutes ago
  • Unmarked as answer by Vihar1 3 hours 0 minutes ago
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September 27th, 2013 11:46am

again, call MS about this. MS needs to update the file mcupdate_AuthenticAMD.dll and include the fix there like here when they did this for a different issue with an AMD CPU:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2818604/en-us

September 27th, 2013 4:00pm

Why was that marked as answer?

Here is the full story:

I've contacted some blogs, Gigabyte, AMD and Microsoft. I've received answers from all the companies, and from one blog. My question was the same every time, see above.

AMD has offered me to RMA the CPU.

Gigabyte has sent me an updated BIOS within two days - and this is the answer for the issue.

I've told a MS agent about my issue and the sort of solution I've expected, namely, to create a patch/update file which can be run in Windows to load the microcode. I've also sent them the link to a previous AMD upgrade. As the agent on the chat did not understood the issue at all, however I've explained him two times I've requested to forward it to a technical person. The answer was to detail the issue in email which I've done. Within an hour, the very same agent, who told me to write an email has marked my issue to AMD related however, it has been explained that AMD has provided a patch right after the bug was discovered. And he did not understood this. This has not been an issue if he'd sent my query to the tech staff - but he did not. That is why I got disappointed in MS support again.

  • Marked as answer by Vihar1 2 hours 59 minutes ago
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October 1st, 2013 3:42am

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