Bios Scare (more of a fyi post)

[Brainonska511]

This is more of an information post for anyone on the web that may encounter a similar problem flashing an MSI board, particularly this one: MSI H67MA-E45 (B3), going from BIOS v1.D to v3.1.

I stupidly decided to update my motherboard's bios in the off chance I'd pick up an Ivy Bridge processor... I almost regretted that decision.

I followed the MSI instructions - unzipped the application and ran it off a USB drive in Windows, allowed it to do its thing - reboot and finish flashing. Upon saying "Update Complete", the reboot ends up in an infinite loop of not POSTing. I try pulling the USB drive out and putting it back in and this time it boots into the BIOS recovery utility.

From there, I tried to reflash the BIOS, but it kept freezing. After going mano a mano a few times with the reflashing utility, I tried another route: I reseated the CMOS battery and was able to get into the full setup. Reflashed the BIOS using the motherboard's built-in utility. This time, it worked.

Spent a good half-hour to an hour trying to figure out how to fix it or figure out if I just bricked my board.

Everything is a-okay now though.

 

[Kenmitch]

Reflashed the BIOS using the motherboard's built-in utility. This time, it worked.

One of the best features on modern MB's was the addition of this feature....Glad it saved your arse!

 

[Brainonska511]

One of the best features on modern MB's was the addition of this feature....Glad it saved your arse!

Yeah. It was annoying though because it would boot into that first and tell me I needed to reflash, but then freeze once I chose a BIOS file.

Only after reseating the CMOS battery could I get into the full clickable BIOS and then go to the flashing portion and get it to work.

 

[bankster55]

Dunno about MSI but all Z77 bios that are jumping from ME bios Oprom vers 7 (SB) to vers 8 (IB) in ASUS need a 30 second PSU unplugged cmos reset. Then one should always go to Dev Man system devices/Intel MEI and immediately update it from vers 7.XXXX to vers 8.XXXX drivers

It was the cmos reset that "dropped the ME" that did it for you
methinks. I am guessing the bios didnt want you to pick a bios, just reflash again as is, but am not familiar with MSI

Z68 need a double flash, once for bios program partitions, then ME partition needs flash again

P67 need triple flash when crossing the ME line
Ist = 55 seconds
2nd = 55 seconds
3rd = 45 seconds
~3 min total

 

[VirtualLarry]

Z68 need a double flash, once for bios program partitions, then ME partition needs flash again

P67 need triple flash when crossing the ME line
Ist = 55 seconds
2nd = 55 seconds
3rd = 45 seconds
~3 min total

Where is this documented?

 

[bankster55]

Where is it documented?
In my little brain during 214 SB IB ASUS mobo builds since Jan 2011
You dont have to believe it
You can just take it for what its worth - if anything - lol
I guess you could go to HF/Intel mobo/Z68 and basic P67 threads and start reading
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1578865 1.3 million hits
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1609704 212,000 hits

 

[Brainonska511]

Dunno about MSI but all Z77 bios that are jumping from ME bios Oprom vers 7 (SB) to vers 8 (IB) in ASUS need a 30 second PSU unplugged cmos reset. Then one should always go to Dev Man system devices/Intel MEI and immediately update it from vers 7.XXXX to vers 8.XXXX drivers

It was the cmos reset that "dropped the ME" that did it for you
methinks. I am guessing the bios didnt want you to pick a bios, just reflash again as is, but am not familiar with MSI

Z68 need a double flash, once for bios program partitions, then ME partition needs flash again

P67 need triple flash when crossing the ME line
Ist = 55 seconds
2nd = 55 seconds
3rd = 45 seconds
~3 min total

Yeah, it updated the ME code too and worked fine with that. The problem was, even after resetting the CMOS battery, it was still bugging me about a bad flash. But resetting the battery did allow me to enter the full BIOS instead of just the recovery portion and re-flashing from the full BIOS worked fine.

 

[Tsavo]

I love MSI's BIOS updater that's firmly 1950's technology.

 

[Brainonska511]

I love MSI's BIOS updater that's firmly 1950's technology.

At least it wasn't relying on a floppy drive. The only recovery option on MSI's webpage (besides the built-in one, which I didn't seem to find on the web): connect a non-USB floppy drive. Great solution for modern boards with no FDD connectors