Cannot start Intel Extreme Tuning Utility despite Undervolt protection being enabled

[MazerRakham]

I am unable to start Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility in either Windows 10, 11 or Server 2022. When I do try to run it, I get an error message stating that "XTU is incompatible with Windows VBS;
Your CPU/BIOS does not have Undervolt Protection support as a mitigation, so you should check the status of services that can enable VBS".

I have an Asus ROG Z690-E motherboard with an i7-12700K 3.60 GHz (12th generation) processor

I would prefer to keep VBS on and per this thread from intel:

Intel® XTU is incompatible with Windows VBS if Undervolt Protection is not enabled in BIOS. Undervolt Protection is only available for 12th Generation and newer.

which, unless I'm reading it wrong, means that I can run XTU with VBS if I have undervolt protection enabled in my bios, which I do in my case.

Is there any other config change I can make on my PC/bios to get XTU to work (aside from disabling VBS?) One of my ideas is that the bios is reporting the wrong info regarding undervolt protection being disabled or there might be a registry key I can set that will make XTU happy, if anyone knows that.

Thanks.

 

[pendragon1]

bios is up to date?

 

[Comixbooks]

It's a buggy program I thought I had the latest version but just downloaded the latest that worked.

 

[MazerRakham]

bios is up to date?

Yes. The latest bios was released earlier this month.

A different question is, how does XTU know that undervolt protection is not enabled? How is this information exposed to the OS/Windows?

 

[pendragon1]

Yes. The latest bios was released earlier this month.

A different question is, how does XTU know that undervolt protection is not enabled? How is this information exposed to the OS/Windows?

idk, magic? ryzen master can access a ton of bios stuff too. its probably to do with uefi, because iirc it allows the os to talk to the bios