BIOS update. Recommendations for updating the BIOS What does it mean to reprogram at the BIOS level

Depending on whether you're dealing with at-home computer repair, small office servicing, or even fixing your own machine, you'll sooner or later have to tinker with low-level functions in order to fix or optimize something.
Today we will discuss the essence of BIOS, its main functions, which vary depending on the manufacturer or model, problems that often arise with it and ways to solve them.

The ability to use and update both BIOS and other firmware is mainly necessary for optimization, but can also help you cope with basic hardware problems.

Life in a silicon box

BIOS or Basic Input-Output System is the lowest level of interaction with hardware available to the user through a program.
Despite the fact that most often, when talking about BIOS, we mean only the software part (a utility for changing system settings), in this article we will mean both the program and the device in which it is stored.
Physically, the BIOS is a small chip, usually located in one of the corners of the motherboard.

The program itself is stored in PROM, EEPROM or Flash ROM.
The key difference between the three possible types of memory is their storage life and programmability.

PROM(Programmable Read-Only Memory - programmable read-only memory) - the oldest type, created with a one-time write in mind, found on older computers (1990s).

EEPROM(Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory - electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) - the same average among memory, not so often found on modern machines.

Flash ROM(flash memory) has already become a de facto standard and inherited the reprogrammability of EEPROM.

The memory storing the program is accompanied by a smaller CMOS module, which stores the BIOS settings.
Some boards have a second BIOS chip for this, but more on that later.
From a software perspective, the BIOS contains basic instructions that allow the computer to function as a whole by preparing its various components, first by performing a POST (Power-On Self Test) and later by allowing the OS access to the hardware.

In the past, the BIOS functioned as the main interface through which all computer components interacted.
Nowadays, this is no longer the case, but the BIOS still works with important instructions and allows the user to change settings in order to achieve maximum system performance and stability.

Fiddling with settings

Even though BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, the Greek word for Life is also pronounced the same way - a very appropriate name because... it is the BIOS that determines what the computer does after it is turned on.
There are several major BIOS manufacturers, such as American Megatrends, Phoenix Technologies and Award International, however, most of the interfaces are similar to each other, if you do not take into account the graphic design.
The BIOS can usually be accessed by pressing DEL, F2 or another button during the boot process - this depends on the motherboard.

For example, here are some of the most common BIOS sections:

Standard settings(Standard BIOS settings) - this section usually contains settings for the system time, date and basic tools for setting up IDE or SATA drives.
The latter are most often in the AUTO position so that the system can automatically detect installed hard drives or DVD-ROMs when the system boots.

Advanced Settings(Advanced BIOS settings) - This section contains settings such as boot sequence of disks, general boot sequence (for starting completely new machines) and latency settings for RAM (on good motherboards).

Integrated Devices(Integrated peripherals) - this section allows you to control the operation of all kinds of built-in hardware, such as integrated audio, network cards, parallel and serial ports.

Power management(Power Management) - here you can change how the computer turns on and off.
For example: either pressing the button will immediately turn off the machine, or you will need to hold the button pressed for 4 seconds.
There are also special options here, such as Wake-on-Ring and Wake-on-LAN.

Computer status(PC Health) is a relatively recently appeared section in the BIOS.
It can be useful if you need to check voltages, temperatures, or set an alarm in case the processor temperature exceeds a certain level.

The number of available settings varies widely depending on the motherboard, because... different boards have different capabilities.

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Sooner or later, most PC users encounter problems that can only be solved by upgrading the system BIOS. In addition, many trained users update the BIOS of their motherboard every time a new version is released, preventing the very possibility of such problems occurring. We will take a closer look at a universal and convenient tool - the AMIFlash utility, suitable for updating BIOS from all manufacturers and with rich fine-tuning capabilities.

There is no alternative

There are a sufficient number of programs designed to update the BIOS. Among them there are universal ones (such as AwardFlash, UniFlash, ECSFlash, AMIFlash) and special ones - for example, PhoenixPhlash, which can only be used in conjunction with a configuration file for certain motherboards. However, it is AMIFlash from American Megatrends that is the best universal tool for upgrading most system BIOSes. The utility has several undeniable advantages that distinguish it from other similar programs and make it a unique product of its kind.

So what's good about it?

Firstly, this utility is written using DOS/4G technology from Tenberry Software, which allows you to remove many of the restrictions imposed on programs in the DOS operating system environment, namely:

• overcome the 640 KB limit of main memory and provide access to almost all memory using the protected mode of the central processor;
• minimize the use of those same 640 KB - the program takes up from 5 to 20 KB of main memory;
• Gain full and direct access to any hardware device, such as a PCI-to-ISA Bridge or Firmware HUB.

The last point is especially important. DOS/4G technology opens 32-bit access to memory and I/O port space, which allows direct addressing of all chipset registers. Control of these registers, in turn, allows operations in the address space of the Flash chip. In practice, this means that it becomes possible to read the manufacturer's code and chip type from the FlashROM in order to select the correct algorithm for writing/reading data.

Note that such a seemingly simple solution as using DOS/4G is not used by other manufacturers of BIOS update utilities, for example Award Software. In the recent past, an attempt by all means to reduce the size of a flash utility, even at the expense of quality and capabilities, seemed logical. After all, the file size is limited by the capacity of the FDD drive, which in the “old days” was 360 KB. However, now, when the FDD capacity of 1.44 MB has long been common, such a “traditional” approach looks somewhat strange.

Secondly, AMIFlash can be used to upgrade not only AMI BIOS, but also any other manufacturer (although this possibility, of course, is not stated anywhere). This is achieved thanks to the presence of modules that support the corresponding chipsets and FlashROM chips. Apparently, American Megatrends focuses on distributing this utility among its partners, who deliver the software product to end users. This is confirmed by the fact that the utility itself appeared on the AMI website quite recently, and its description is not there at all (there is only a small readme file included with the program itself). In addition, the latest version is not always available on the utility manufacturer’s website, so you can find it at http://ic.doma.kiev.ua/inside/ami/flash.htm. Please note that despite its overall versatility, AMIFlash does not currently support Award BIOS updates on motherboards equipped with Intel i810 and i815 chipsets.

And finally, thirdly, the program has a modular structure that allows you to quickly and painlessly add support for new types of microcircuits and chipsets. The value of this approach is becoming increasingly obvious with the rapid increase in the number of types of Flash chips used in motherboards. Thus, the latest version of the utility includes 92 chipset support modules, including such exotic ones as SMSC VictoryBX-66 and Transmeta TM3200/TM5400, and 59 FlashROM chip support modules.

Keys to Success

Now let's look at the rules for using this powerful BIOS upgrade tool. As you know, before you start updating the BIOS, you need to perform a number of simple manipulations, which are the key to a successful update. Therefore, we will briefly describe the procedure prior to launching the utility itself. This assumes that we already have the necessary BIOS update file and the utility itself.

So, first you need to prepare your computer for the upgrade process. To do this you need to do the following.

1. Be sure to switch the system to normal mode if it is overclocked.

2. In BIOS Setup, disable all functions designed to protect the BIOS from reprogramming. As a rule, this feature is provided to prevent unauthorized writing to the BIOS FlashROM, and is used to protect against viruses such as CIH.

3. Set the BIOS write control jumper, if available on the motherboard, to the enabling position.

Naturally, after a successful BIOS upgrade, all settings changed in this way must be returned to their original state.

Then you can proceed directly to updating the BIOS. To do this, you need to boot from the system floppy disk, on which, in addition to the system files, the utility itself must be present ( amiflash.exe) and a BIOS update file ( newbios.bin). An important note should be made here: if you plan to use AMIFlash to upgrade a BIOS 4 Mb (524288 bytes), then saving the previous BIOS version on a 1.44 MB floppy disk will be impossible, since the program itself takes up a little more than 500 KB, and free space on the boot there will be no floppy disk left.

The AMIFlash utility can work both in dialog mode and in command line mode. Unlike AwardFlash, the dialog mode provides the same wide configuration options as the command line, so both modes of launching the program will be considered below in parallel (using version 8.26.14 as an example).

The main screen of the program consists of four parts (Fig. 1).

• Main Menu— available menu items.
• Go ahead— options available for the current menu item.
• Information— information about system components important for upgrading the BIOS (chipset, FlashROM type and size). If the message appears in any of the items in this window Unknown, then programming should not be performed as this may destroy the BIOS firmware. Typically, this situation occurs if this version of AMIFlash does not contain the necessary chipset or FlashROM components installed on the motherboard, or the preparatory steps described above have not been completed. In addition, do not forget that the board or FlashROM may simply be faulty.
• Help/Message— a small hint on the current menu item.
  Since almost all information entered in dialog mode can also be transmitted using launch parameters, we will immediately describe the command line syntax of the utility and in the future, along with dialog capabilities, we will provide descriptions of the corresponding keys.

So, AMIFlash is launched from the command line as follows:

Most options can be either enabled or disabled by placing a “-” (minus sign, without quotes) immediately before the key (i.e., immediately after the slash). This feature is necessary because the program can remember the current state of each key and write it to the internal configuration file. Accordingly, if the option is enabled by default, it can always be disabled from the command line. Help for all available keys can be obtained in the traditional way by running the utility with the /? or /H.

Now let's briefly look at each of the program menu items and their corresponding keys.

Go ahead— starting the BIOS update procedure. However, you must first specify the file name for the upgrade and, if necessary, the file name for saving the current BIOS version. The following menu item serves for these purposes.

File - specifying file names for the new BIOS and for saving the old version. Note that pressing Enter This screen starts the BIOS update. Therefore, if there is a need to pre-set some upgrade parameters, you just need to enter the file names in the appropriate fields and press the key Escape. Using the command line, you can only specify a name for the new BIOS file. To do this, you need to launch AMIFlash as follows: amiflash.exe newbios.bin. Passing a file name to the program to save is not supported, but you can save the current BIOS to a file using the /S switch: amiflash.exe /Soldbios.bin. When using this key, the dialog mode is not activated, i.e., immediately after saving the file, the program is exited and returned to the command line.

Switch - used to set BIOS update parameters (Fig. 2). Each parameter has a corresponding command line switch (see box for more details).

The next two menu items are Part List And Chipset List - allow you to manually specify the types of system components necessary for correct BIOS upgrade: the FlashROM chip and the chipset on which the motherboard is based. The practical need to use these two menu items may arise only if these components are not detected automatically or are detected incorrectly. Needless to say, you should set the type of microcircuits manually only if you are absolutely sure of the correctness of the actions being performed. To re-initiate automatic detection of the FlashROM chip and chipset, use a separate item Auto Detect.

Module - As already mentioned, the program has a modular structure. Each supported chipset (ID = 0) or FlashROM chip (ID = 1) is represented by a separate module with which you can perform a number of operations: delete, save to a separate file, or add a new module from an external file. The last operation can also be performed using the command line switch /U, Where file— the name of the file containing the added module. Unfortunately, the description of the module format is classified information, so it is not possible for the user to add new modules.

Additional features

In addition to those listed above, AMIFlash also has a number of features that are only available when using the command line.

Key /A[+] initiates BIOS update automatically without any user intervention. The chipset and installed FlashROM chip are detected automatically. Using the "+" postfix allows the windowed interface, otherwise the update occurs in command line mode. Using this key requires that you specify the name of the BIOS update file on the command line. All settings in this case should be carried out only using command line parameters, since the dialog mode becomes unavailable.

Key /T[n] can only be used in combination with the /A switch and sets the number of attempts to reprogram the BIOS if the first attempt did not lead to the desired result. The value of the n parameter varies within the range 0—65535.

Key /Q disables the display of any messages during a BIOS update.

Key /X sets a mode in which the default automatic detection of the FlashROM type and system logic set is prohibited.

Key /P opens a "secret" menu item Security(Fig. 3), allowing:

• set a password to enter this menu item the next time you start the program;
• remove this password if it was previously set;
• indicate which menu items will be available the next time the program is launched;
• Change the message that appears at the bottom of the screen (by default it displays "For PCI system board only").

Obviously, motherboard manufacturers who distribute AMIFlash with their products can benefit the most from this feature.

After a detailed description of the capabilities of AMIFlash, we will present the optimal configuration of the utility for upgrading the BIOS - mainly for those readers who do not feel quite confident among the numerous keys, options and parameters.

So, to update the system BIOS, you should follow the previously described preparatory steps 1-3 and create a .bat file (for example, ami.bat) with the following content:

The effect of the parameters in both cases is transparent: the Boot Block will not be reprogrammed, the set passwords will remain active, before programming the integrity of the file with the new BIOS and its compliance with the given motherboard will be checked, and after flashing the BIOS, the CMOS Setup settings will take on the default values ​​and run automatically reboot the system. We can only hope that if you follow the above recommendations, this last point will be completed successfully, already with the new BIOS version. Happy modernization!..

P.S. When the article was almost finished, AMIFlash version 8.27.0A was released. Despite the fact that the number of possible command line parameters has been reduced to four (according to the /? switch), the parameters described in this article have become undocumented and continue to work the same as in version 8.26.14. In addition, the "BIOS functions are called by ROM file" option has been removed and "Check Feature ID/Check BIOS ID" has been added.

Today I want to talk to you about how to flash the BIOS on a computer motherboard. To be fair, it is worth noting that the question of flashing the BIOS does not arise very often, but believe me, sometimes this is the only way to restore a completely inoperable computer.

But let's remind ourselves a little, what is BIOS and what is its role in the operation of a computer? In order not to repeat myself twice, I recommend that you refer to the article "". It discusses these issues in some detail. Here we will simply limit ourselves to the following photo:

What do we see here? The “AMI” (American Megatrends Incorporated) BIOS chip, which is removed from its seat - the “pad”. The "cushion" serves to additionally protect the chip and makes it more comfortable to remove from the board.

By the way, it is better to remove the microcircuit using a special device called an “extractor”:

Let's talk a little more about in what cases it is necessary to reflash the motherboard bios and what this can give us?

In general, on modern motherboards the process of flashing the BIOS boils down to the fact that the BIOS firmware image is written to the CMOS chip on the board. " CMOS" - the name of the technology itself by which this microcircuit is produced: " Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor» - complementary metal oxide semiconductor or " CMOS" CMOS, as a rule, is a flash memory in which microcode is written and where all settings are stored.

There are also situations when it is necessary to reflash the motherboard BIOS not because the computer is not working, but for another reason. For example: the board comes to the market with “raw” microcode (the manufacturer is in a hurry to release a new batch of products). As a result, difficulties arise with various integrated devices, or it turns out that the motherboard does not work with some models of RAM; sometimes, in order to install a new CPU (processor), it is also necessary to update (reflash) the BIOS.

We have several options for flashing the BIOS. Reflash the BIOS from Windows, from DOS, or directly from the BIOS itself.

Attention! During the process of updating (flashing) the BIOS, be very careful and careful. If the data in the CMOS chip is damaged during the update process or is recorded incorrectly (the power supply is cut off), the BIOS can only be restored in a service center using a special device - a “programmer”.

Although, if we are considering all possible options, then on some modern boards two BIOS chips are installed at once. Such products are usually marked “ Dual BIOS" In this case, if the firmware fails, the BIOS will recover on its own. An error message and a request for recovery will appear on the screen. After confirmation of the restoration, the known working firmware will be copied from the second microcircuit.

We are done with the necessary minimum of theory. Now let's turn directly to the practical aspect of our topic today.

I will talk about how to reflash the motherboard bios yourself based on a real example that took place not long ago in our IT department.

So, they brought us a system unit from a remote office. To the question "What happened?" We get the answer: “After turning on, something incomprehensible is written on the screen.” Okay, we are accustomed to such “meaningful” explanations :) Turn it on and see the following picture:

Here, don’t go to a fortune teller, there is a problem with the motherboard BIOS. In such cases, the computer “talks” about bios errors (and they can be different), tries to detect the drive (drive A), “asks” to boot from the system floppy disk and press “Enter” in order to “upload” the new firmware.

Note: Do not confuse the situation when the BIOS firmware has crashed (the operating system does not start) and the case when we have a discharged battery of the CMOS chip.

In the second case, we can see approximately the following inscription when loading: “ cmos battery low" and in the lower left corner of the screen - a proposal to press the "F1" key to continue loading with the current parameters.

With a low battery, we simply have a situation where any settings we make in the bios will be reset to default settings after rebooting the computer, but the computer itself will boot and work properly (after pressing the “F1” key). Everything is simple here - we change the battery to three volts marked “ CR2032"near our microcircuit and forget about this incident for another 5-6 years. Such a battery can be bought at any store that sells batteries or electronic watches :)

Now, in order to reflash the BIOS, we will need a system floppy disk. You can create it either in Windows 98 (if you still have it at hand) :), in Windows XP in the disk formatting window (check the appropriate box) or download from our website a small program that contains its boot image. The principle here is this: unzip, run the program, insert a blank floppy disk into the drive and press the “Create” or “Write image to floppy” button. After the process is completed, you have a boot floppy disk with Ms Dos :)

I foresee a tricky question: “And if there is no disk drive, what should I do?” :) Use its USB analogue. For example, like this:

By the way, that’s exactly what we did in our case! In order to flash the BIOS, we only need two files, which we must add to the files contained on the boot floppy disk. This is the BIOS firmware image itself (usually it has the extension “bin”) and a flasher (a small program with the extension “exe”).

The flasher is specifically engaged in “uploading” the bin file of the new bios into the cmos chip. Each microcode version has its own flasher (it is usually downloaded in the same archive with the firmware itself) or from the manufacturer’s website. For example, you can take the latest version of the flasher for DOS for Award Bios.

So, having copied these two files to our system floppy disk, we must insert it into the drive and reboot. In case of a planned (not caused by a breakdown) flashing of the BIOS, it would be very appropriate to first save the old firmware version. It will be of great use to us if something goes wrong and we have to “roll back” the system to its original state.

The backup window might look like this:

But in our situation, as you understand, flashing the BIOS was caused precisely by a breakdown and was a forced measure. So there was no talk of any backup at that moment. The task was to “revive” the computer itself. Motherboard " DFI NS35-TL” completely refused to start, displaying a “BIOS” error message and an invitation to insert the system disk into drive “A”.

Our task was to boot from the system floppy disk and launch our flasher program from it. After launching it, in the corresponding field of the window that appears (approximately the same as in the photo above), you must indicate the full name of the firmware file along with the extension. It may look like this: ami8d10007.bin (depending on your downloaded image). After this, press the “Enter” key to confirm the bios flashing.

This is exactly what we did in our case. After the message from a successful rewrite, we reboot the computer and see how the system successfully passes the POST test, initializes devices on the “IDE” channels and finally loads the Windows XP operating system! :)

But we already wanted to take this motherboard to a warehouse or use it for spare parts. It has been working flawlessly for two months now.

Question: How to flash motherboard bios occurs at regular intervals. Therefore, let's take a quick look at other options for flashing the bios.

On relatively old motherboards, this feature was implemented at the level of the bios itself. Here's what that option might look like:

Now the “Q-Flash” utility has become “fashionable”, which is integrated by the manufacturer into the BIOS itself and can be launched from there.

In this case, you yourself can indicate the device where the firmware is located (CD-Rom or USB drive - “flash drive”). The principle here is the same: select the “reflash BIOS” function in the graphical interface, make a backup copy of your BIOS to a floppy disk (or disk), specify the new (pre-downloaded) firmware and press “Enter”. The procedure itself takes literally a few seconds (the main thing is not to do anything with the computer during this time and under no circumstances reboot it!).

Flashing the BIOS from Windows is even easier. In this case, the bios itself and the flasher are “packed” into one file with the “exe” extension and all you have to do is run it directly in Windows. Here's what it might look like:

Click “Ok”, confirming your intention, you see a running bar (flashing indicator) and after a couple of seconds you have a new BIOS. You can reboot, enter it and check whether its version has changed (its numerical designation is usually indicated in the upper right corner).

Another thing is that flashing the BIOS from Windows has its own pitfalls. For example: there was a case when, after updating the firmware in this way and rebooting the operating system, all USB ports stopped working. I had to flash the BIOS again (with the same firmware), but in Dos mode (from a floppy disk). After that everything worked fine! Be sure to keep this point in mind when you perform a similar procedure in Windows.

Now a few words about where to get new microcode for our needs? I advise, if possible, to always download it from the motherboard manufacturer's website (this is not a procedure that can be taken lightly). Firmware is usually located in the same section as the drivers for the motherboard and can be loaded from there.

Advice! Often manufacturers on their websites instead of the word “ Bios" write " Firmware" This is essentially the same thing. So, keep this in mind.

Remember, at the beginning of the article we mentioned that if the bios is flashed incorrectly, only “ Programmer"? Now is the time to dwell on this point in more detail.

A programmer is a device that connects to a computer via standard ports (COM, LPT, USB) or can be made in the form of a separate PCI or ISA expansion card.

Here, for example, is what a device of this class “USB Willem EPROM Programmer BIOS” looks like:

The BIOS chip removed from our motherboard is placed in such a programmer, the device is connected to the computer and, using specific software, the BIOS is flashed (the updated microcode is written to it).

At the dawn of time, programmers were autonomous - they had a special keyboard for typing firmware. But with the spread of PCs, they were replaced by devices connected to them. The operation scheme looks like this: a special program (also called a programmer) transfers the firmware from the computer, and the programmer writes it into the chip’s memory. Using this device, flashing the BIOS is very easy! What am I telling you? We have told you in detail! :)

Important: after flashing, be sure to set the bios to factory settings. I recently had a case where after updating the BIOS on an Asus K50L laptop, the touchpad stopped working. Due to the routine, I forgot about it and then racked my brain for a long time, why doesn’t it work? Remembering that after the update I did not “reset” the BIOS to factory settings, I did this and after rebooting the touchpad worked! So - remember this moment!

If anyone needs it, we have decoding of BIOS sound codes (a specialized program is included in the kit).

We reviewed the new UEFI technology, which replaced the traditional Bios, on our website.

This review prompted us to write the fact that many service center clients, when submitting their motherboard for repair, ask not to “repair the board,” but to “just restore or rewrite the BIOS,” not fully understanding the essence of the problem, although the problem with the BIOS itself is quite multifaceted and this is not always the case. In order to save your money and time, we will try to clarify this issue by breaking down both the main and some related information point by point.

It is always possible to reprogram the contents of the Flash memory chip, where the start code, i.e. the BIOS (hereinafter referred to as the BIOS chip), is stored, and the cost of this procedure is really cheaper (sometimes several times) than “electronic” or “hardware” board repair. To resolve such issues, our service center uses professional foreign-made equipment (Slovakia). To reprogram the BIOS chip, it is removed from the board. We do not practice the ISP programming method (In System Programming, that is, “in-system” or “in-circuit”) due to the lower level of reliability and stability. We, of course, have adapters for popular types of microcircuit housings, sometimes called “sockets” or “pads” in slang, but if the required adapter is not there, theoretically, it can be soldered directly to the microcircuit, depending on the profitability of this undertaking. The following adapters are available: SOIC-8, PLCC-32, PLCC-44 (ZIF), TSOP-40, TSOP-48. The list of supported chips is quite extensive and can be downloaded as a text file - sometimes this can be useful to see if we can help you with programming. However, do not forget one subtlety: if the required brand of microcircuit is not on the list, this does not mean that our equipment cannot cope with it (in this case, it will not be superfluous to consult by phone). Working with many types of memory is carried out using unified algorithms, of which there are relatively few, and there is a possibility that knowing this algorithm, we can select an analogue for work. As a rule, in addition to the algorithm, you need to select a chip with the same address and data bus organization, the same volume and, preferably, a brand. Checking for strict compliance with the identifier, of course, must be disabled in the programmer software settings. It is necessary to understand that this “trick” will not work in the case of non-standard memory chips or devices for specific applications, such as microcontrollers.

There are only two factors that slightly complicate this procedure (in the sense of complicating it both in terms of time and cost). This is the absence of the firmware itself, especially if the board model is rare (i.e. the absence of a file with the BIOS contents in binary format on any media provided by the customer, which is why we will have to additionally search for it on the Internet; moreover, it is very it is also important not to make a mistake in the revision of the device, which may have different and incompatible BIOS code even for the same model), and the second factor is the absence of a “socket” for the Flash chip on the board (or, in common parlance, a “bed” or just an adapter; this is true mainly for cases of the PLCC-32 type with J-shaped leads, if the board is relatively old, on modern ones there is an adapter for DIP-8 cases), as a result of which, before the programming procedure, it is necessary to carry out soldering work to desolder the microcircuit, and then also by sealing it back after programming. However, the total cost of this procedure, taking into account all the “complications”, still remains lower than the cost of “hardware” repair of the board. Note that all of the above is true only for those cases when the Flash memory chip itself is working, and only its contents are “faulty”, see below.

According to statistics on motherboard repairs, problems with the BIOS are extremely rare and amount to approximately no more than 5% (and this cannot be called a repair in the literal sense). The remaining 95% of repairs involve either finding a faulty electronic component and replacing it using soldering equipment (sometimes requiring the selection of an analogue of the component), or finding and restoring a damaged soldering joint (rarely). Keep this in mind if you independently make assumptions about the BIOS problems of your board, if the malfunction itself arose “out of the blue, out of nowhere” (or “it worked yesterday, turned it off, turned it on today - it doesn’t work... I remember it was, like, “surge” of power... probably the BIOS has crashed..."). According to our statistics, most clients “sin” for problems with the BIOS only on the grounds that “everything on the board itself is clean, the fans are spinning, there are no burnt or melted elements or mechanical damage, not a single chip is overheating above normal, and we are with the board They didn’t do anything at all.” Believe me, from a technical point of view, such a diagnosis, if not absurd, is clearly insufficient - the range of malfunctions of motherboards, like any other complex electronic equipment, is too wide to be assessed only “by eye”. Probability is mentioned above - these are real facts that we have recorded during our long practice.

If a board malfunction occurs immediately after obvious impacts that increase the likelihood of a BIOS failure tens of times compared to normal operation, then the diagnosis “you need to reflash the BIOS” is most justified, i.e., it gives maximum effectiveness during repairs and minimal risk of obtaining a negative final result. By influences we mean mainly the human factor, i.e. an attempt by the user to independently reprogram (update) the BIOS using special utilities from board manufacturers (AWDFLASH, AMIFLASH, UNIFLASH), or manipulate the chip itself in general. The following problems may arise:

Electrical (or, if you prefer, “electronic”) failure in the board itself;
- power failure (interference) during the programming process;
- “the lights were turned off” during the programming process (there was a power outage);
- the wrong BIOS version was programmed by mistake or for the wrong board revision;
- the service software did not work correctly (frozen during programming or erasing the MS BIOS);
- the service software did not work correctly (incorrectly determined the type of Flash memory chip);
- a discharge of static electricity, which can damage both the BIOS MS itself and its contents (this is possible if for some reason the chip was removed from the socket or carelessly transported, etc.);
- manifested degradation of the microcircuit itself, see below (it will need to be replaced).

In such cases, we recommend not to repair the board, but to program the BIOS contents into the Flash memory chip, since this is faster and cheaper, and the probability of a positive final result (i.e., that the board will work after the reprogramming procedure) is almost 100% , judging by the repair statistics.

Let us separately dwell on the point “Service software did not work correctly.” According to our statistics, quite a lot of problems arise precisely when the user updates the BIOS using utilities for Windows. For the greatest guarantee of success during the update, we strongly recommend, if possible, using utilities that run in the MS-DOS environment (using an appropriate boot disk or flash drive), or utilities built directly into the BIOS program itself.

Flash memory chips used to store the startup code, i.e. BIOS firmware, are prone to various types of degradation. However, degradation is extremely rare and practically never occurs during normal operation. The degradations themselves can be very different, and their final manifestation is the actual malfunction of the microcircuit (incorrect chip_ID response, inability to program, erase, read certain memory cells, etc.). Separately, it is worth mentioning a situation where up to a certain point the computer was working perfectly, but it was after an attempt to update the BIOS that the latter turned out to be faulty, i.e. the board could no longer be started, although there were no hardware failures (let’s assume), the software worked without errors, the version of the BIOS itself is selected correctly, etc. The reason is a partially degraded Flash memory chip, or more precisely, certain of its cells. The bottom line is that the main area of ​​the memory cells of the microcircuit during normal operation works only for reading when the power is turned on (before POST) and the “wear” of the cells cannot be noticed - everything works. But during the first write of the entire address space (i.e., updating the BIOS), a certain cell “could not stand it” (more precisely, certain bits at certain addresses in the memory array lost their ability to store information, and this fact “came to light” - before programming the microcircuit is erased ). We have also noticed failures that are widespread and are a consequence of the failure of the internal controller in the MS BIOS and the distortion of information transmitted via both external and internal data buses - for example, after reading a “freshly written” microcircuit, you can see how the read dump is reset to zero every fourth byte out of eight. Such “surprises” during repairs can only be identified during programming with preliminary erasing and nothing else (any programming on professional equipment necessarily includes full software and hardware control of the process with display of the results of the procedures).

The main causes of degradation and malfunction of Flash memory chips are banal aging, hidden defects of the chip, surges (exceedings) of the supply voltage due to a low-quality power supply, and increased “write wear” of certain cells. The fact is that the BIOS chip is written not only when updating the version, but also whenever the registry of PnP devices, or the so-called. DMI pool or ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data). This is a block of memory, usually 1024 bytes long, where current system settings are stored, in particular those relating to the configuration of devices on the PCI bus and the interrupt distribution scheme. The registry area is updated whenever any expansion cards, controllers, video cards, sound cards are removed from the slots or, conversely, connected, or the CPU or clock frequency and CPU multiplier are changed (regardless of the method of monitoring and setting these parameters, i.e. i.e. jumpers or programmatically). The immediate moment of writing to the above area of ​​the chip is usually accompanied by messages like “Building DMI pool”, “Updating DMI information”, “Updating ESCD”. We emphasize that the above can also cause a failure under unfavorable conditions. Based on the above, we can summarize the following - if the configuration of your PC is not updated, then writing to the BIOS chip is never performed during normal operation- only its reading is performed, the “wear” from which is extremely small. The number of erase-write-read cycles is always limited for any memory chip, and it is far from a fact that degradation will not occur within the MTBF period declared by the manufacturer or the specifications for a specific chip. In conclusion, we note that this situation does not apply to all motherboards. In some boards you can find a small chip (usually next to the South Bridge chip), which has 8 pins (case type - SOIC-8). This is the so-called Serial EEPROM is small in size, and all registry write operations go there. In our opinion, this is the most competent solution, since the number of cycles and resistance to degradation of such microcircuits is several times higher than that of Flash memory used to store BIOS code. Therefore, on the so-called “test computers” we recommend installing just such boards, with a separate external Serial-EEPROM, usually something like 93C66 from Atmel, etc. (not to be confused with the same or similar EEPROM for storing integrated audio and “network” settings ( LAN) chipsets and located, as a rule, in close proximity to the latter!). Also note that in some boards, in a certain area of ​​the BIOS chip, the settings of the motherboard parameters (BIOS Settings) are also saved each time during “Save setup and exit” (or are reserved under certain conditions - for example, this is what Asus O.S. Profile technology does). Thus, it turns out that even in the absence of external damage to the microcircuit, there is no absolute guarantee that it is in good working order and not “worn out”, and that additional costs will not be required to purchase it (or purchase an analogue) after an attempt to rewrite the contents of the microcircuit, even if on professional equipment.

You should always remember that even if the contents of the BIOS chip turned out to be truly damaged without the influence of the human factor, this may not always be a one-time failure (the fact of which the user most wants to believe). This may also be a consequence of any problems, for example, a defective motherboard itself, a defective BIOS chip or its wear (precisely the kind of wear that may not appear during subsequent programming), poor-quality power supply, etc. However, according to repair statistics, in the case of hardware serviceability of the Flash chip and only a malfunction of the contents of the BIOS itself - after rewriting the correct version of the BIOS, the computer, in most cases, works without failures for a very long time (that is, we generally did not observe cases of relapse). However, we nevertheless noticed serial failures and regular relapses of arbitrary destruction of the contents of the BIOS chip on certain models of Socket-478 boards (the duration of normal operation after rewriting is about 6-12 months), but the reasons for such symptoms are not possible to find out due to spontaneous manifestations of a malfunction (the same applies to any electronic malfunctions, the conditions for the manifestation of which, for technical reasons, are impossible or extremely difficult to simulate artificially). In addition, as we mentioned, there are a great many reasons, and the percentage of such relapses is extremely low, which is good news.

If the BIOS chip has physical or thermal damage (opening or burning of the case, darkening of the paper sticker, melting of the holographic sticker, swelling) - it is useless not only to program it (which goes without saying), but also to look for a replacement chip, since, in the vast majority of cases , with similar symptoms, the South Bridge on the motherboard turns out to be faulty (the official name is South Bridge), replacing which in many cases is unprofitable due to various reasons (the main one of which is the lack of a serviceable YuM microcircuit at the repairer’s disposal at an adequate input price). The main reason for such symptoms is an excess of supply voltage, a malfunction of the power supply, a defect in the UM itself, or a breakdown at the USB input. In the case of microcircuits with a DIP-type package (pins on both sides and directed downwards, mainly used in boards of a class no higher than Pentimum-3, i.e. chipset no later than Intel BX, or some old Socket-462 boards), another reason is added , associated with installing the microcircuit into the socket in reverse, i.e., not in accordance with the key, since it is simply impossible to insert a microcircuit in the PLCC case in reverse - purely mechanical limitations of the socket interfere (one of the corners seems to be cut at 45 degrees, i.e. e. is, in fact, the key). In this case, the probability of getting a working board only by replacing the chip and reprogramming the BIOS is approximately 50-60%, but at the moment boards with a Flash memory chip in a DIP package are not available, only the PLCC-32 version is available. In modern boards (for example, the Intel P35 chipset), BIOS chips are made in a SOIC-8 type housing, sealed onto the board. As a rule, the microcircuit has 8 pins, programming is carried out via the I2C serial bus (IIC, Inter Integrated Circuit), algorithm (protocol type) - SPI Write (Serial Peripheral Interface from Motorola). In some cases, similar MSs are also available in a DIP-8 package (and installed in a socket).

Contrary to popular belief among inexperienced or novice users, we emphasize that any faults of Flash-memory chips are, in the full sense of the word, hardware faults (from the point of view of external manifestations) and cannot be repaired by any software. That is, for example, if a certain chip from a certain manufacturer produces an incorrect ID on the programmer (or special software), i.e., a unique identifier of the chip type, then it is impossible to rewrite this ID on any “super-programmer”: the hardware organization of the MS is such does not provide opportunities. In addition, even if you forcibly disable ID checking in the programmer software and still try to “flash” the microcircuit, this will not be successful - the programmer software will report an error, as a rule, already at the stage of erasing the microcircuit, not to mention programming or correct verification of recorded content. Also, not a single standard EEPROM or so-called. Firmware HUB does not support the mode of “hiding defects”, i.e. certain bad memory cells, similar to hard drives. Such “advanced innovations” are present, as a rule, only in microcircuits for more serious applications, for example DOC (DiskOnChip). These devices are used as mobile “electronic” storage devices in the so-called. single-board computers (about them -) and embedded systems for industrial applications, see, for example, information about the M-Systems brand on the English version of Wikipedia). In general, DOC can be called the progenitor of modern solid-state drives - SSDs.

If the user’s diagnosis of problems with the BIOS is based on obvious symptoms (for example, at startup the computer explicitly or indirectly writes on the screen in English text about problems with the BIOS), then the guarantee of obtaining a positive final result after programming the BIOS chip is extremely high, but, again, not one hundred percent, regardless of the origin of the malfunction (human factor, or “of course”), since such a symptom can be met with “tricky” ones, i.e. non-standard hardware malfunctions of the motherboard (but very rarely). To summarize, the percentage of obtaining a positive result from programming the BIOS chip when receiving messages on the screen like “Bios ROM Checksum error” or “Detecting floppy drive A: media” tends to 100%. However, before reprogramming the MS BIOS, we recommend that you make sure that your PC’s RAM is in full working order by temporarily replacing it with known-good compatible memory modules (SIMM, DIMM, RIMM, DDR, etc. - in this case this is completely unimportant - degradation and failures any modules are affected). The principle is that the initial operations, namely, unpacking and calculating the checksum of the BIOS contents, are, of course, performed directly in the RAM and, if it is faulty, we risk receiving a message about an incorrect BIOS checksum even though the chip and its contents are completely normal. And all this without even starting POST (PowerOnSelfTest). We also note that the presence of any messages when starting the PC related to damage to the contents of the BIOS indicates that the so-called. boot block (boot block is a small program code that performs the initial initialization and unpacking of the main code block), and, in some cases, it is possible to reprogram the contents of the MS BIOS without removing the MS from the motherboard (by loading the BIOS file through, for example, a 3.5 drive " or USB-Flash), but such procedures require compliance with certain rules and sequence of actions, depending on the board model and other factors, and this is not always possible.

Summarizing the above, we can draw the following conclusion: board repair and BIOS recovery are different procedures and should not be confused, since in the case of board repair you do not risk anything and, accordingly, do not pay for repair work if an unsuccessful result is obtained (or you only pay preliminary diagnosis). In the case of a BIOS recovery procedure, you pay only directly for this procedure, and the risk of an unsuccessful result lies only with you, i.e. the Customer. The service engineer has nothing to do with it in this case - he honestly did everything you asked him to do (by the way, in the vast majority of cases - in your presence, i.e. under your control of the process). So, whether to flash it or not is up to you.

BIOS is an abbreviation familiar to everyone, the meaning of which is not familiar even to many sophisticated and experienced users of personal computers. Most of them associate it with a gray-blue interface in the style of MS DOS or Windows 3.1, but many may not tell you about its functionality. Most of the average user's knowledge, at best, is limited to the fact that BIOS is the computer's system settings or something like that, because it is quite difficult to give an exact answer. This complexity is quite justified - a personal computer is not easy for the average person to understand when it comes to fast and productive work in any industry, and understanding the basic mechanisms of its functioning and, moreover, each of its components seems almost impossible - in practice, this knowledge borders on erudition and are not useful in most situations.

So, BIOS is an input/output system that stands between hardware and software (together with the user) and allows you to use computer resources for their intended purpose. It has a permanent memory module, which contains a number of data about the equipment configuration, including time - all owners of old computers have encountered replacing the battery and could hear that it powers this particular component. An important feature of the BIOS is that the capabilities of other equipment located on the motherboard directly depend on its capabilities.

But for most PC users, all these technical issues are unimportant, but there is a practical need for those actions that they may also encounter. These include, for example, replacing an outdated processor with a newer and more productive model: support by the motherboard at the software level directly depends on whether the BIOS is “friendly” with it. Compatibility may not be added immediately: if the processor slot (Socket) can no longer be changed, then it is possible to create the necessary conditions for the functioning of a suitable hardware model, and the majority of motherboard creators take care of ensuring compatibility.

Why flash the BIOS?

As it became clear from the above, the BIOS ensures the joint operation of all components located on the motherboard. We are particularly interested in the processor and RAM: their capabilities are developing at the fastest pace and require the release of motherboard models at the appropriate speed. But this practice is not very profitable and the creators decided to leave a reserve for the future, leaving the user the opportunity, within certain limits, to improve the compatibility of the motherboard with hardware independently. This was the reason for the emergence of the BIOS firmware procedure on personal computers, which allows you to get rid of many problems with it.

It is worth noting that the procedure is quite dangerous compared to other actions with a PC: if the light is turned off at the time of overwriting (rarely, but it happens), everything will not be restored in any way and the motherboard can be put somewhere far away or simply thrown away. But in frequent cases, such a procedure is still necessary, it brings support not only for new components, but also tools for working with new equipment - older models of motherboards that do not support flashing via USB devices received this opportunity thanks to the compatibility package included in the firmware for such equipment. The computer's flexibility in capabilities is invaluable, and in cases where firmware is still necessary, do not be intimidated by the high complexity of this process - if all procedures are performed correctly, the risk of harming the computer is minimal, and the process can often take only a few minutes, but this is worth talking about in more detail.

Often the manufacturer himself may recommend reflashing - this may be due to a number of shortcomings that were not noticed and/or eliminated during the production phase. For many PC owners who have one of the new series of motherboards, this practice is not something unfamiliar - for objective reasons this happens very often.

Which motherboards require flashing their BIOS?

An important feature of this whole story is the fact that there are still only three companies in the world that produce the software part of any I/O system. It will become intuitively clear to many that this increases the chances of each individual model for flashing, and in fact this is how it turns out: no matter what the manufacturer of your motherboard, with a high degree of probability (which tends to a hundred percent) this procedure is possible for you. But it is worth adding that the same company is engaged in supplying updates and it is not in its commercial interests to invest heavily in improving the performance and capabilities of old models - then there is simply no need to buy new ones.

The theoretical possibility of replacing the firmware is included in any BIOS - at the heart of the device there is a memory module designed for approximately 1000 rewrite cycles. But the release of firmware will now be entirely the responsibility of the motherboard manufacturer.

Checking this possibility is quite simple: you just need to know the manufacturer and model of your device and its model (if not, then welcome to the next section of the article). We go to its official website (both ASUS, MSI, ASRock and others have their Russian-language versions) and follow the page dedicated to your version of the device. There, in one of the tabs, a category with all released firmware for this component will be available, as shown in the example of the official ASUS website below.

On the websites of other companies, the procedure is approximately the same - in the corresponding section all possible options for updating the BIOS will be offered, since in models from different manufacturers they differ in process almost completely and the skill of flashing one component cannot guarantee knowledge of the intricacies of another - here it is worth carefully studying the proposed online step-by-step guides or, ideally, documentation from the manufacturer itself. There are also many videos of flashings on the network: there are relatively few motherboard models, but out of those hundreds or thousands of users who encountered the problem, at least one decided to record a video - just search on video hosting sites. Viewing the process from the outside will remove the subconscious fear of “breaking something” and will help you understand the essence of a particular stage.

Determining the motherboard model

Many find it difficult to determine the model of their motherboard - as with other knowledge of a similar nature, there is the same problem: there is no urgent need to memorize or remember an intricate set of letters and numbers and this does not help in everyday tasks. Turning to documentation or looking for a box is also not an option - many people tend to lose such things when moving, take them somewhere for storage, or simply forget about them. This problem may also arise for those who bought a PC secondhand, although in stores when selling an assembled system unit, boxes from some devices also have a habit of not being given, and buyers are reluctant to take them with them.

There are four ways to figure out what model of motherboard you have. Of these, three involve the use of utilities, and one requires direct access to the board. The latter will not work if you have a laptop: it is not recommended for a non-professional to disassemble them, and even pros can’t always cope – the maintainability of modern solutions is mediocre. The same applies to All-in-One PC and any other solutions that are not mounted in a standard system unit. You should also not do this if your PC is under warranty: all screws will be covered with seals, which will easily show whether the device has been opened. There is no need to perform any manipulations - the very presence of damage is already a sufficient reason for refusal of warranty service, which is clearly stated in the terms and conditions of any such company.

If nothing prevents you from opening the system unit, unscrew two/three/four, or, more simply, all the existing bolts and remove the cover from the side. We will see a motherboard, on the surface of which a sticker will be waiting for you.

That's all: remember or rewrite the model, perform all the completed manipulations with the lid in reverse order.

In the case of checking programmatically, the command line, which is available in any version of the operating system of the company from Redmond, can also help. After opening it, you will need to type two commands, activating each by pressing Enter.

The first will provide information on the component manufacturer, and the second - by model. If you don’t want to deal with the command line and disassembling the system unit, then the AIDA64 (formerly Eevrest) and msinfo32 utilities can be a quick alternative. It’s worth downloading their free versions from official websites - you most likely won’t need the full functionality, but there’s always a chance of catching a virus. In AIDA64 you just need to go to the “Motherboard” section from the start window, and in msinfo32 – to the System Information tab and read the data opposite the Motherboard item.

For Linux-based systems (including Ubuntu, Linux Mint and the like), you need to activate the command dmidecode.

There, among all the data, you need to select the Manufacturer and Product Name items.

Is it necessary to perform a BIOS backup?

You need to understand that BIOS firmware is created by people, and the array of information for coordinated interaction must be clearly calculated, and all aspects must be clearly planned. And if in theory this is possible, in practice this does not always happen: there is a high probability that flashing this system along with a number of improvements can introduce a number of problems with your PC into your life, so it’s still worth protecting yourself in case of such a possibility.

Manufacturers themselves do not provide such an opportunity, only allowing more than one firmware version to be recorded onto a medium and their subsequent use. But this does not always happen, since no one expects an unfavorable outcome when undertaking such an operation.

Similar capabilities are provided by a third-party program called Universal BIOS Backup ToolKit. This product was made by an enthusiastic programmer from China back in 2008 and works excellently on operating systems of the Windows family with versions from XP to 8.1 inclusive. An important feature of this program is its well-coordinated operation: backup copies are correct, the likelihood of damage to the final file is close to zero, and the software works surprisingly efficiently, as if it were made by an enthusiast. You should only launch it by right-clicking and calling up the “Run as Administrator” sub-item - otherwise errors in operation simply cannot be avoided.

The only pitfall that may occur to those unfamiliar with the issue: most antivirus programs recognize it as malware, which is not true. Of course, they can infect the source file, but even a utility downloaded from the official website will not pass the test of most programs of this class from the first echelon. The reason for this is a specific driver, thanks to which the software has such unique functionality. In fact, it does not cause any harm, it is only important to download it from a trusted source. The program interface is in English, but very simple. The small window contains only a few buttons, the meaning of which will be clear not only to an experienced user, but even to an inexperienced user in this matter. In addition to the exit button and the key that causes reading the documentation, the program window has buttons to start copying. After completing the process, which takes from one to two to three minutes, an archive in .rom format will be available in the program folder (or any other folder specified by the user), which is a complete copy of your firmware. The memory size, which is indicated on the left, is determined automatically, but it is better to double-check it for your motherboard model - if there is a failure, there will be problems and you will not be able to use an incorrectly made copy due to inevitable errors in the future. The likelihood of its success on BIOS UEFI is doubtful, but further updates to the program should correct all the shortcomings, and may have already been fixed by the time you read this article.

General information about firmware via DOS

Firmware via DOS is one of the safest options for reinstalling software for a given computer node, since all problems associated with the incorrect operation of your operating system are simply eliminated. There are slightly different variations of the process for different models of laptops and motherboards on computers, although most of them have many similar features and the guide to flashing this way can be boiled down to a universal series of steps that need to be taken.

Prepare media for flashing. This could be a floppy disk or flash drive.

In direct comparison, they are in no way inferior to each other when it comes to this process, but it is recommended to take out a floppy disk only if the motherboard (or BIOS) does not support booting from a flash drive. If you still decide to use a more outdated option, then you should check the integrity of the floppy disk by inserting it into the computer, going to “My Computer” and calling the disk check in the properties of the media that appears in the list (in our case, this is a floppy disk). If any errors occur, you should not expect a miracle from a faulty floppy disk - there is a high probability of malfunctions during the process of “uploading” files and incorrect operation of the PC, up to a breakdown and the need to take it for repairs.

Read the official recommendations given by the manufacturer on the official website. Also, similar manuals can be found in the instructions for the motherboard, but the data tends to become outdated and it is quite possible that the same happened in your case.

Also, during the flashing process, you will be asked to download the files necessary for this, which include, at a minimum, a utility for formatting the media and a firmware file from the list.

Make a backup copy of the data on the media.

Everything is simple here: if there is any important data left on a flash drive or floppy disk (which is unlikely), then you need to save it on the computer’s hard drive: during the process of changing the firmware, they will not be lost, but the removable disk will need to be formatted.

Formatting the disk.

A special utility that runs as Administrator will help here. Perhaps this is not in the recommendations, but launching any program of this kind must be done exactly this way, otherwise you can get a large number of “complex” problems and the firmware process will stop. You can also format it using built-in tools by clicking on the disk icon in “My Computer” and selecting the item of the same name. All values ​​should be left as default, nothing needs to be changed. Is it worth doing a full format? It will take a lot of time, so it’s better not to simply uncheck the “fast” box - the effect will be about the same.

Copying the firmware file.

This stage can be carried out either using a utility or done using a regular Explorer, with the help of which we usually perform all operations with files on our computer. An important feature is that there should be no extraneous files on the media - formatting (point 4) is mandatory; deleting files is not enough.

It is worth pressing the reboot button (no matter on the case or in the system menu) and when loading the initial screen, press the BIOS entry button - Delete. After this we see a menu where you need to select the boot partition: it will be called Boot. In this tab, you need to change the boot priority from media and put the one on which the firmware file is written first. After completing all the preparations, press the F10 key (save all changes and reboot) and follow the instructions given for your specific motherboard model - here the process may differ significantly.

Updating BIOS via Windows

Almost every motherboard manufacturer provides the option of updating the BIOS firmware through the operating system: each of them has its own utility that does everything almost automatically. However, you should carefully study all the instructions so as not to be confused at the most inopportune moment.

As described in the previous paragraphs of this article, you need to go to the manufacturer’s website and select your motherboard model. In the accompanying tabs, the corresponding utilities will be available for download along with the firmware files - in most cases, the process is identical even for products from different companies. Next, you need to run the utility (with Administrator rights, of course) and select the firmware method (the “From file” item or something similar). Next, look in the file manager for the place where you saved the archive and click the “Run” button - the program does the rest automatically. The advantage of this method is its simplicity - even a beginner in PC development can cope with it. Another thing is whether a beginner needs to flash the BIOS, because, as mentioned earlier, the procedure can damage components and negatively affect the operation of the computer. It is worth noting that the already small probability of a system failure or power outage is superimposed by a considerable chance of a failure in the operating system itself - despite all their stability, these software products are extremely complex: even on slightly different configurations they can lead to themselves in completely different ways, because the number of factors that can influence this is extremely large. It is also necessary to warn users who nevertheless decide to take such a step: running any programs or leaving a browser, torrent client or office document running is not recommended - any combination can affect the operation of the built-in utility and then a call to the service center cannot be avoided. The problem is in the OS itself, which has a lot of components and thousands of possible bugs, an array of which even companies like Microsoft take years to fix.

In truth, flashing firmware using utilities is far from the best idea, and if such an opportunity exists, it is better to use more reliable options: flashing via DOS or through the built-in BIOS tools. Such solutions may be less simple and time-saving, but they give a much more predictable effect, which cannot be said about the option described above. In cases of firmware using other methods, the number of factors that can negatively affect the process is minimal, and with the inclusion of the operating system with all its shortcomings in the equation, the likelihood of failures increases by an order of magnitude.

MSI

Unlike even larger market players, this company provides the ability to flash the BIOS using any available method described above. This is convenient, since many people cannot handle the BIOS system menu, and some are worried about safety and are ready to play it safe, not wanting to use a utility launched from under the operating system. There is also the option of flashing firmware via loading into DOS, which is also safe and relatively simple - here the choice must be made by the user based on an objective assessment of their capabilities and willingness to minimize or accept risks.

Whatever the process and whatever method is used, you need to start by determining the model of your motherboard, which can be done in several ways, described above in this article. On the manufacturer's official website, look for your model and download the necessary files, following the instructions. But since there are even three paths themselves, users will clearly not be satisfied with such a simple explanation and will ask to describe the process in detail.

Live Update

Live Update is a utility produced by the company for flashing the BIOS and some other similar manipulations. It is worth noting that MSI motherboards are also installed on laptops, tablets and other devices - it will not help here and you will have to use other methods. This is due to the fact that during the firmware process, unexpected errors may occur that will become critical to the performance and functioning of the device.

So, download the utility from the official website and install it (running the installer with Administrator rights). This will solve the problem of unexpected failures that so often occur in work after a conflict between programs and permissions. Next, launch the program and go to the appropriate item (tab). It is also necessary to simultaneously download the archive with the firmware, because the automated option, according to reviews, does not always work correctly and it is better to refrain from using it.

Then, following the menu, we will have to face a warning that calls for closing all open programs (which was already mentioned here earlier) and wait for the end of all actions that the program performs. Then, of course, the PC will reboot and using the same program you can find out about the overall success of the operation.

There is another option for the program, which offers automated installation of firmware updates via DOS, which was described in earlier sections of the article. It is worth noting that it retains all the advantages of this method and allows for easy and safe installation of a software upgrade. Technically, the program only downloads the archive with the firmware, so the further process is no different from the “manual” installation, but you no longer need to search for the required version of the motherboard and download the archive - the utility is responsible for all this. The downside is that you may not need the newest version, but the software will download it, and the highest numbers in the version column do not guarantee better performance, as we have seen in many cases.

MFLASH is a utility from MSI that is built into the BIOS and allows you to install updates directly using the system's tools. In order to operate it, no additional tricks are needed: just an empty (or better yet, formatted) USB flash drive and a file with BIOS software downloaded onto it. Here the sequence of actions is slightly different: the first of them should be downloading the file mentioned above for your model. Then you will need to clear the space - the presence of other files is undesirable, although some users speak positively about the success of such an installation.

After the reboot, you will need to enter the BIOS using the Delete button and find the tab with the same name as the utility. Next, you will need to specify the path to the file (disk) and click on the button to start the process. The length of the entire procedure after entering the BIOS is only a couple of minutes maximum, and after rebooting you will receive a system that is most likely to work correctly - there is no chance that it could be affected by any software failures.

From under DOS

It is also a reliable method that does not involve the system at all and works perfectly when updating software. In order to find it, you will need to look among the files on the official one for exactly the one that is needed for installation under this OS - there will be a corresponding note in the name at the end, as in the screenshot. Next, you need to get a floppy disk, check it for errors using the utility built into Windows and format it there. If there are no errors when checking the disk, then you can write a file to it - it will become the installation file.

Next, reboot and enter the BIOS using the Delete button. After this has happened, look for the Boot Device Priority item and put our media (Floppy Drive) in first place. Next, press F10, agree to save all changes and wait for the reboot.

After loading the operating system, we will see a black background with fonts of bright colors (or white) - that means we are logged in. We will be asked to press Y to continue and N to exit this mode. We press the first button, wait a minute and a half and see a message about the successful completion of the firmware upload. We remove the floppy disk and reboot the computer, simultaneously going into the BIOS and changing the boot priority back to the hard drive, although if the floppy disk is removed and there is no boot disk in the drive, it will do this anyway.

Gigabyte

Gigabyte is the world's third-largest motherboard manufacturer, with its main facilities and headquarters located in China. The company previously did not have similar technologies and was just a contractor for large market “sharks” such as Asus or Intel, but having “spied” some of their developments and opened research departments, it quickly turned from an apprentice into a full-fledged competitor.

Gigabyte specialists working on BIOS software did not reinvent the wheel: all methods of reinstalling software for this system are as similar as possible and are clearly borrowed from other market players. It is not known for certain whether patent wars are taking place between corporations, but one thing is certain: the user remains a winner from such solutions, because all the actions and methods of changing the firmware that Asus and MSI work on also work on the motherboards of the Chinese company - only the appearance differs (purely formally) and names of utilities. The company did not come up with anything fundamentally new, which had a positive effect on the convenience of carrying out such operations.

A positive point is that the company makes every effort to make its documentation easy to find, which is not hidden in the depths of the official website, but is easily accessible within the search results of any system on the first page in several copies.

The company, or rather its specialists, strongly do not recommend carrying out such a procedure if you have not identified any malfunctions or malfunctions in the operation of the equipment: processor, RAM and other components. In many cases, according to the company's own research, performance does not improve and worsens, so it is worth carefully considering the feasibility of flashing the BIOS.

Also in the manuals, much attention is paid to accurately determining the motherboard model, taking into account the revision. Since the Gigabyte lineup contains models that are designated the same, but one of them is a re-release of the second, the firmware (and all other manipulations) may differ, and the use of the wrong archive can have the most detrimental effect.

It is also worth noting that in the event of a breakdown or any other malfunction that may occur in the event of a flashing, the device is not subject to warranty, since this action is entirely qualified as a repair. This is also worth considering and it’s good that the manufacturer is not silent about it.

Q-Flash is the most reliable way to flash BIOS: this utility is built into the system itself and performs its functions perfectly, with minimal susceptibility to incorrect firmware. Its operation does not depend on the operation of the operating system, which is a definite plus. The only problem is that not all solutions support this technology - in other situations, a much simpler solution would be firmware via DOS.

Before using the Q-Flash utility, you must download the most current version of BIOS microcode that matches your motherboard model from the GIGABYTE official website. The file with the BIOS microcode must be written to a medium (floppy disk, flash drive or hard drive; FAT32/16/12 file system).

Since updating the BIOS microcode carries potential risks, it is not recommended to update the BIOS if the current BIOS version does not cause any problems. Updating the BIOS should be done extremely carefully. Incorrect BIOS update may result in system inoperability.

This solution allows you to update the firmware of the input/output system from under the good old operating system such as DOS. It is worth noting that the flashing operation must be performed on a system operating in normal mode. Overclocking, low memory timings, non-standard system bus frequency can lead to the fact that our event will end with a trip to the service center (or calling familiar gurus). The easiest way is to load the default settings into the BIOS SETUP (main menu item Load Fail-Safe Defaults or similar).

The flashing operation must be performed only from DOS. To boot from a floppy disk, it is enough to have only two system files on it: io.sys and command.com. In any case, neither autoexec.bat nor config.sys should be loaded. In addition, the floppy disk should contain files with the flash driver and the firmware itself.

Run the flashing program with the parameter “/?” and you will receive detailed instructions for working with it.

Please note that updated firmware does not always meet the user's expectations. Be sure to save the file with the old BIOS version on a floppy disk (!) so that you can reverse your actions in the future. For AWARD BIOS, the flasher call can be as follows: “awdflash.exe newflash.bin /py /sy”. Where “newflash.bin” is the real name of the file with the firmware, “py” and “sy” are the flags for reprogramming and saving the old BIOS version, respectively. And lastly: under no circumstances reboot or turn off the computer until the flasher has finished working. This will inevitably damage the BIOS.

Live Update

Live Update is perhaps the simplest solution to problems with the I/O system, because it searches for the necessary microcodes and does almost all the manipulations instead of the user - to use it you do not need to be any kind of specialist in this field. To get started, you need to go to the official website and download the Live Update 5 utility, which will scan your computer and provide a list of necessary updates, with the ability to download them. Click “Click here” and click “Open”.

The archive will open, run the installation file LiveUpdate.exe in it and install the Live Update 5 utility in several steps. After the installation is complete, launch it and click on the “Scan” button, wait a few seconds while the utility looks for updates. The program will display a list of results. We are interested in the update called “MB BIOS”. If such an update is in the list (usually it is at the very top), then there is a BIOS update for our motherboard. Download it to your computer by clicking on the “Download” button (arrow). It’s better to click “Browse” and choose a location to save the update file yourself. For example, I saved it to my desktop. That's it, we now have the BIOS update file, now we can move on to the next stage. Run the saved file with the BIOS update and follow the instructions.

There are two options here: the first is probably to write the firmware image to a USB flash drive, and update the BIOS from the flash drive (or for the firmware, if it is impossible to update from Windows). But since I didn’t have a free flash drive, I chose the second option, which, judging by the title, means flashing the BIOS from Windows. Here we need to close running programs and click “Next”.

The further process of updating the BIOS is that we simply press any key on the keyboard, and the computer should reboot. Then everything is over - the device has received new firmware.

ASUS BIOS firmware

ASUS is one of the titans of the computer components industry, which shows itself as a market leader in both quantitative and qualitative terms. An important feature of their products is ease of maintenance: for each class of product there is a utility that searches for drivers or any other useful work - in the case of this company, the implementation of these solutions is at its best. The same thing happened with updating the BIOS: both options are very convenient and easy to learn by unskilled and inexperienced users.

USB BIOS Flashback is the easiest way to update the BIOS on ASUS motherboards. To update, you now only need a USB drive with a BIOS file written to it and a power supply. Neither the processor, nor RAM and other components are now needed.

The list of system requirements for this utility is quite prosaic:

• power unit;
• USB drive FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS (for Intel X79 only FAT16 and FAT32);
• ASUS motherboard based on the Intel X79, Z77, H77, Q77, B75 chipset (the list of ASUS motherboards that support USB BIOS Flashback technology is presented in the table).

First, you need to download and extract the BIOS ROM file from the official ASUS website. It is important to understand that receiving files from somewhere else is fraught with irreversible consequences and unexpected operation of the equipment. Next, you should rename the BIOS file as written in the table, and then save it to the USB drive in the root directory:

Then you should connect the USB drive to the USB BIOS Flashback/ROG Connect connector (for boards based on Intel X79, this is a white USB 2.0 connector; for boards on other chipsets, this is a USB 2.0 connector, marked in color and with the words USB BIOS Flasback/ROG Connect on the panel Q-Shield) and hold for three to four seconds until the light indication starts. Next, we wait for the USB BIOS Flashback/ROG Connect button to light up, which means that the update has been completed successfully.

It is important not to remove the USB drive, turn off the power to the motherboard, or press the CLR_CMOS reset button while updating the BIOS. It is also worth remembering that if the USB BIOS Flashback/ROG Connect button blinks for five seconds, then the USB BIOS Flashback is not working correctly. This may be caused by incorrect installation of the device, an error in the file name, or an incompatible file format - you should check it yourself after rebooting. It is worth noting the company’s rather loyal policy regarding problems after a firmware update: if you encounter any problems with booting after updating the BIOS, you can contact your local ASUS service representative, who, according to the authors of the documentation, is committed to helping.

AFUDOS utility

This solution is a little outdated - on motherboards released in the 2000s and 2010s, the most popular utility is EZ Flash, although the old solution is also applicable to many devices. To start flashing the firmware using this method, open the bootable USB flash drive, write the afudos program (downloaded from the website afudos.exe file) and the firmware itself (a file named p5c800b.rom) onto it. Then we reboot and when the first picture appears on the monitor, press F2 for laptops or Del for desktop PCs, go to the Boot tab and put the flash drive in first place, usually for this in the 1st Boot Device item you need to set Removable Device, then press F10 and confirm that We want to save the changes in the settings. After this, the computer will boot from the flash drive and will display an invitation to work A:\> on a black screen. To start the firmware process, write afudos /ip4c800b.rom and press the Enter key. It is worth noting that you do not need to turn off the power or reboot the system while updating the BIOS. This can cause serious damage to your system. After the BIOS update is completed, the utility will return to DOS; you should remove the floppy disk and reboot the system to enter the BIOS menu.

Intel

This method is one of the simplest, as it uses a self-extracting archive and does not require special skills from the user. After selecting the section dedicated to the motherboard, you need to download the firmware, in our case it is Express BIOS Update and launch it by double-clicking the mouse. Next, click “Next” in the invitation window, and then click “Yes” to accept the license rules. Afterwards, click “Finish”. Windows will restart to begin the BIOS update. During the update process, do not turn off the computer's power for 3 minutes. During the reboot process, you will see the BIOS update process. When the BIOS is updated, the computer will boot into Windows. When Windows restarts, a window will appear indicating that the BIOS was updated successfully.

The essence of this method is to create bootable ones (disks, flash drives, floppy disks) containing a BIOS update. In our case, download this file LF94510J.86A.0278.BI.ZIP

To work, we will need firmware files (write its name on a piece of paper, it will come in handy later) with the XXX.BIO extension and the iFlash.EXE firmware utility. These files are located in the archive with the downloaded firmware. Use the iFlash utility that comes with the firmware in the archive. The HP USB Disk Storage FormatTool 2.2.3 utility is also useful (other versions are possible), but this one is one of the most stable at the time of writing. Of course, you can't do without MS-DOS files to create a DOS boot disk. After downloading, all files will be unzipped.

Run the utility as administrator HP USB Disk Storage FormatTool 2.2.3. Check the boxes as shown in the picture. The path to the MS-DOS boot device folder is set to the place where the MS-DOS files were downloaded. (For example, this is drive C, folder Downloads\win98boot. And the Start button. When asked about deleting files, click “Yes”.

Upon completion of the process, copy 2 files from the archive with the firmware to the flash drive (example of what they look like: IFLASH2.EXE and LF0278P.BIO). And without removing the flash drive from the USB port, we reboot the computer. We go into the BIOS (F2 button at boot) and set the boot priority from a USB drive (on the Boot tab, enable boot from USB (Enable USB Boot) and exit the BIOS saving the settings - F10.

DOS will boot. At the command prompt, enter IFLASH /PF XXX.BIO (or IFLASH2 /PF XXX.BIO) to start the BIOS update process. Next, follow all instructions. In our example it will look like this: IFLASH2 /PF LF0278P.BIO

Creating a boot floppy is a viable method if the utility and firmware are small enough to fit on the floppy, as the floppy is 1.44Mb in size.

For our example, there is no way to clearly show the process of creating a boot disk. So, as an example, I’ll take another firmware file from another motherboard. Insert the floppy disk into the drive and double-click the downloaded firmware file XXX.EXE. Press "y" to extract the necessary files. The files will be extracted to a temporary directory (temp folder; Path C:\temp). You can also extract files using the usual WinRAR archiver. Double-click the RUN.BAT file and follow the instructions to create a bootable floppy disk.

After creation, restart the computer, set the BIOS to boot from a Floppy disk and exit saving the settings - F10. After booting from the floppy disk, a welcome window will appear, press any key. You will see the BIOS update status. When the process is complete, remove the floppy disk from the drive and press Enter to restart the computer.

ASRock Firmware

For motherboards from a Chinese manufacturer, the sequence of actions will also not be much different when installing the firmware: here you also need to format the media and go to the official website for the files. The following list of actions is also standard and is no different from updating from DOS from other manufacturers...

You need to download the BIOS update file (WinZip file with .zip extension) from the ASRock website, unzip it and save the ASRFLASH.EXE utility and BIOS file to a floppy disk. Next, boot the system from the floppy disk. At the A:\ prompt, type ASRFLASH, press Spacebar once and type the BIOS file name, then press Enter. For example: A:\ASRFLASH K7S41GX2.00 "Enter". After this, you will see the message "Please wait for BIOS loading ROM".

After 30 seconds, you will see the message "Flash ROM Update Completed - Pass", which means that the BIOS update is complete. After updating the BIOS, remove the floppy disk. Reboot the system and during boot press F2 to enter the BIOS setup program.

From the Exit menu, select "Load Default Settings" and press "Enter" to continue. Select "Exit Saving Changes" and press "Enter" to exit the BIOS setup utility.

Actions after flashing

There is no need to undertake any special “rituals” after flashing, unless the instructions provide for it: just remove the media that was used after flashing and test the operation of the PC with the new software. If any glitches are noticed, it makes sense to roll back to the previous version or find another one so that both support for new components and the stability of the machine are not affected.