WTF can't update motherboard BIOS?

[Locut0s]

This is strange. I've tried updating the BIOS numerous different ways and tried numerous different BIOS files. I'm not a newb at this.

So my Mobo is the Gigabyte X58AUD3R Rev 2.0. Currently I'm running BIOS version FC. I've tried to update to FF, FG and even FH. I've tried doing so both using the @BIOS utility AND booting from a USB flash drive and using the command line utility provided with the BIOSs. Each time it just says I have a bad BIOS file. Here is what @BIOS gives me:

The command line utility just says it's a bad BIOS.

And yes I've tried downloading the BIOS from several different servers.

System specs are in my sig.

 

[Locut0s]

Okayy... this is odd, the BIOS BIN file should be 1MB (as that's the size of the flash mem onboard the mobo) but it's 2MB in all these BIOS downloads. WTF?

 

[discerning]

The newer BIOS are 2MB in size, so if your current BIOS is 1MB, QFlash won't work (I know you didn't say you tried that, but don't do it that way). @Bios and FlashSPI are supposed to work. Try uninstalling @Bios and install again, making sure you have the latest version. Also try resetting CMOS to defaults prior to flashing.

 

[Locut0s]

The newer BIOS are 2MB in size, so if your current BIOS is 1MB, QFlash won't work (I know you didn't say you tried that, but don't do it that way). @Bios and FlashSPI are supposed to work. Try uninstalling @Bios and install again, making sure you have the latest version. Also try resetting CMOS to defaults prior to flashing.

I have the latest version of @Bios B11.0519.1. Both it and the command line utility are saying that the BIOS file(s) are bad or of incorrect size. I could try resetting my CMOS to defaults but I don't see how this would affect anything as both tools never get to that stage, they reject the files out of hand before even attempting the flash.

 

[pcgeek11]

If I'm not having issues that the BIOS Flash will fix I wouldn't do it. It could go badly. That being said I looked at the BIOS Files from Gigabyte and they range from 1.2 MB to slightly less than 1 MB. The only time I have seen this kind of problem is with the wrong BIOS File...

If it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

[Locut0s]

If I'm not having issues that the BIOS Flash will fix I wouldn't do it. It could go badly. That being said I looked at the BIOS Files from Gigabyte and they range from 1.2 MB to slightly less than 1 MB. The only time I have seen this kind of problem is with the wrong BIOS File...

If it isn't broke don't fix it.

True. Actually the reason I'm trying to update the motherboard BIOS is that I'm having issues updating my SSD firmware. The firmware util from Intel refuses to update my SSD firmware so I though perhaps updating the mobo BIOS "might" fix things as I thought perhaps there might be an issue with the SATA controller and SSD.

Yes I know leave well enough alone

 

[Locut0s]

Ok problem solved! Took a while but I got it. So the problem was that when upgrading to the FG BIOS version you are dealing with a jump from a 1mb to a 2mb BIOS. The only flash utility that will handle this properly is their windows based @BIOS utility and only the latest version of it. Thing was I though I was running the latest version, it's the latest version according to gigbytes web site, and even the latest version according to the automatic update tool built into the @BIOS tool. However if you see here:

http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3449&dl=1#bios

It says:

* Please use the latest @BIOS or FLASHSPI.EXE to reflash BIOS

Where @BIOS is a link. Well it seems THAT link links to a slightly different version of the tool than any of the others on their site and THAT version works.

PS: Yes I know running BETA versions of a BIOS is not smart. But meh I've always lived on the edge

 

[dawp]

I'm kinda anal about flashing my bios, always have to have the latest even if I don't need it and never had a bad flash. I've killed more boards doing stupid stuff than anything else.

glad you got it all sorted out Locut0s.

 

[Locut0s]

I'm kinda anal about flashing my bios, always have to have the latest even if I don't need it and never had a bad flash. I've killed more boards doing stupid stuff than anything else.

glad you got it all sorted out Locut0s.

Actually I'm not running the latest version. I'm running version FG1 which I'm not entirely sure IS a beta version any more despite what they say there as it's been out for a long time and other places on the net seem to say it's a final version. But the Gigabyte site still says it is.

 

[discerning]

Huh, well I'm certainly glad you flashed it successfully, I'm puzzled that the @BIOS version that worked you linked here and the version I linked in post #3 here the checksums are the same, yet you said you already had that version in post #4.

Edit: I see in post #7 you explain that. Seems Giga has issues with what is the latest version of @BIOS.

 

[videopho]

Few weeks ago I had this same reflashing issue but its cause is somewhat unknown.
My mobo which is a GB Z68 one that I tried to reflash to a newer bios unsuccessfully after few attempts, from windows or from bios, don't matter. It always came back unsuccessful.
After pulling a few hair on my own (ouch!) but right after when I reloaded my cmos to default setting, then everything went ok. WTH but it worked. If I had to make an educated guess, my 2500k was overclocked at the time but that's a guess on my part.