Hello guys and gals.

I have decided to flash the BIOS of my Laptop. Ofcourse, it's an official BIOS.

My laptop: http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GT70-0NC.html

Problem is, I am terrified! What if it all goes wrong? My PC is very expensive, so i don't want to fuck it up.

To be honest, i don't think flashing the BIOS is gonna be a problem for me at all! Through the years, i have installed new OS'es, accidentally removed a bootloader and then restored it and other things. I have much experience.

I have read everything i need to know to flash the bios.

As i understand, i need to do following:

Put FreeDOS on a USB Disk (unetbootin).

Once that is done, i copy the files to flash the BIOS to the USB Disk. There is a 30U file and a flash.bat file.

I restart my PC and boot from the USB Disk.

I choose FreeDOS Safe Mode.

I then switch to the USB Disk's letter (i think it's gonna be b:)

Then i just run flash.bat.

After it's done, i turn off the PC and take the battery out for 30 seconds, put it in again and VOILA!

Please correct me if i am wrong. I really don't want to mess this up.

I have a 16 GB USB Flash Drive. Could the size of my USB Flash Drive make any problems? Should is use a USB Flash Drive under 1 GB?

Help encourage me to do this. Because i am still terrified just thinking about it! :(

10 years ago*

Comment has been collapsed.

Do you have a reason to flash it, like fixing a problem or something? If not, there's no need to do it.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Yes, i actually have. :)

I am trying to run a Virtual Machine in VMware.

It's says i have Intel VT-x (a technology used to run 64bit virtual machines), but it is not enabled in the BIOS.
There is no option in my BIOS to enable it. The only way i can enable it is to flash the newest BIOS. It has Intel VT-x enabled by default. :)

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You have to be very careful when flashing a bios, you should know what motherboard you have built it in case something goes wrong, the problem with branded mb is that it's very hard to figure out which one you have exactly and which manufacturer made it.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

VT-x in older BIOs-es always was disabled and not show in BIOS, so you could'n even enable it. Often newer BIOS also improve performance/compatibility.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Try Virtualbox instead?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Doesn't make any difference, It has to be enabled in the BIOS.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

What processor are you actually using? The spec sheet you linked is the general page for the model.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I know what i am doing. It is an Intel Core I7.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Clearly not if you're scared to flash a BIOS.

Cheers!

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

on my previous machine i was attempting to get a graphics card working to replace the mediocre onboard and in the process i flashed the bios, at every second of the flashing process i was concerned id brick the machine, it flashed fine though didnt fix my problem, the point is being worried is nothing to do with ability its being educated to know how badly it could go wrong

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

+1

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

The OP is scared to flash the BIOS, his link doesn't show the specific CPU so I asked to see if his CPU even supported the feature he wanted. If it didn't, that would have saved him a lot of effort right now. Judging by his reply and lack of a model number, I'm assuming he probably had no clue what I was getting at which doesn't mean anything, but could make you wonder how much he actually knows.

Let's not forget the fact that more people than not, have an Android or iPhone and guess what? Every update runs the risk of bricking it and I doubt either of you were worried then. Chances are the phone would have cost more than a new motherboard too.

I must say though, asking for help and then being ignorant when someone offers help is surely the best way to go.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Some bios don't need FreeDos - flash is able to do by bios themselves, just load another in option, others can be upgraded in Windows (requires restart after that). So it is 1 of most unfriendly.

If you have battery at least at 30% do it. Driver size is any problem - it is saved at special bank memory in mainborad (it have mostly 1-2 MB). BIOS is not big. With official BIOS you shouldn't have any problems.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I have a Samsung tablet windows 8 hybrid, and it flashes the BIOS automatically for me, although it doesn't really do it often. I have no idea about the process but it looks live you've done a lot of research into it which is good, although personally I wouldn't flash my BIOS unless there is something wrong.

I think the most important parts if you're doing it is to make sure you have the full complete file usually I use an MD5 check to make sure and that your power doesn't go off part way through :P.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

make sure 100% battery and you are plugged. Use the windows based bios for simplicity.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

This...
Worked for me on lot of laptops and a swarm of motherboards.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Well, there is no tool to do it from Windows.. :(

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

It's MSI, doesn't it have Live Update?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

They have Live Update 5, but actually they recommend people NOT to use it. Sounds crazy to me, but if they say it, then im not gonna use. Don't wanna risk anythin'.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Try not to worry too much. The chances of a bad flash (if you do everything correctly and it looks like you will) is very small.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

As long as you follow instructions its f-up proof these days. It used to be scarey back in the day but most mobos these days have backup bios or other things to prevent bricking your board.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

THIS +10000000000

Backup the original rom file.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

CHILL!

YOU'VE GOT THIS!

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

+1

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I flashed a Bios once, a kitten exploded... I'll never flash a bios again...

Na it went fine for me and my system was a much older one where if you did screw it up you're system is pretty much toast. Todays ones are much better and easier at being flashed. Just double and triple check the instructions on the website, heck even print them out if you want to have them around while flashing and make sure you have the right flash for your motherboard/system and you will be fine.

Except for having windows 8, nice laptop. :) (I'm not a windows 8 fan) hehe

The size of the thumb drive shouldn't make a difference, but if you are worried about that, go with a smaller one.

As for taking the battery out afterward, I don't know about that cause all I have ever done is flashed desktop based systems so all I needed to do was reboot after I was done flashing the biso.

Good luck, and try not to worry too much. First time I did it, it took me 3 days to work up the courage.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

My MSI motherboard has a load BIOS from USB function in case of failure, many Gigabyte motherboards have a dual BIOS... No protection feature in your notebook?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Immediately after starting the flashing process, throw your laptop into a swimming pool. If all goes well, you'll be able to get free HBO on it.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Wasn't that how you charge an I-Phone?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

No. You charge an iphone by putting it in the microwave. It absorbs the electromagnetic waves into itself and stores their energy in the battery.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

And if that fails, dip it in water and put in in a bowl of rice. That will attract Asians and those guys can repair virtually anything.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

well its a laptop so just make sure battery is 100% in case power goes off which is the only thing that could go wrong when you know what you are doing. but again np with a laptop.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Thank God Gigabyte has @BIOS.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Oh... I'm really on the fence about this... 9th grade exams coming soon... If this fail and brick my PC, then I'm gonna be fucked... :/

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Yeah, because nothing is more terrifying than learning from actual books.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

...what? We make our homework on PC's all the time. We don't use paper sheets anymore because it is faster and easier to do it on a PC. If i brick my PC, i'm gonna be fucked, because we are gonna make many of the exam tasks on PC.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Of course it's faster and easier. It also doesn't require an actual knowledge of a subject.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Either way, you still have to read something in order to advance on the subject. I don't understand what you're trying to get at.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

It trivializes math, physics, chemistry to the point where you don't have to remember any constants, or laws, or calculation methods.

Also a computer during exams is a glorified crib sheet. And don't tell me that all the exams he takes are computer science related.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

If it covers the same material as the source books, it trivializes nothing. And did the OP say he was going to use his laptop during the actual exams? (hint: "exam tasks" are not the same thing as "exams")

You're jumping to a lot of conclusions.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Should he just read stuff on it, he wouldn't be, as he put it, fucked without it.

Trivialization comes in software he uses to do his homework, because it looks like his laptop is more than a glorified typewriter.

And yes, it appears as he is going to use his personal laptop during actual exams, unless you explain me the difference between exams and exam tasks.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You can do an exam completely by hand, but one mistake or hand slip could mean starting over again. If the exam is timed, better that the student's knowledge is tested and not the student's coordination or the student's hand endurance.

It makes things easier on the teacher as well, or whoever is grading these exams. Imagine if we still taught and tested using only oral methods. These days, who has time to hear each of 30 students recite their exam answers in a soundproof location so that no other students can overhear?


An exam task can be representing a complex formula in graph form. You can create the visuals faster and more accurately on a computer, without even pulling out a compass and ruler.

An exam task can be an essay. You can write an essay by hand, but you cannot rearrange things once written. You cannot correct mistakes very much. You take a lot longer to write the essay, especially if you need to rewrite the entire thing.

An exam task can be identifying a car part represented by a 3D model. You can rely on 2D drawings, but they are not as accurate as a 3D model that can be rotated along three axis in real time. You -never- identify objects you're holding in your hand by making a drawing, then staring at that until you figure out what the object is.

I would like for the OP to return and explain.


As far as your fear of students having laptops in class, I suspect that you believe it may turn the test into an open-book test. I shared this concern while I was in school when it came to calculators, since I didn't have one.

You do say that a computer trivializes the act of reading or typing, but those acts themselves trivialize lecture attendance and monastic calligraphy. Civilization advances, often in ways that us older gents get lost in.

I do fear a day when citizens rely on instant reference materials (smart phones) rather than knowing the basics and combining those mental tools to solve complex problems, but that was a fear that my grandfather had for me, and his fear was not justified. I suspect my fear will be less justified than I now feel that it is.

Unless that fear is white-washed TV news. Totally justified. Proven, in fact.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

What you call an exam task is known under its moniker, an exam. And while you can do it on a computer faster and more effectively, the point of making it by hand is to prove that you know how to do it and in fact actually did it yourself, instead of just downloading it from somewhere.

It does not trivialize the act of reading and typing, what it trivializes is, for instance, calculation of a differential equation, or a chemical reaction, or optics problem. On a paper you show the process of calculation which requires the knowledge of methods, rules, laws, axioms, constants, exceptions.

And for an essay there is a spellchecker.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

In that case, unless something with your computer is fundamentally Donald Ducked, and the only way of fixing is via a BIOS update, why would you even bother taking the risk.

Do it once your exams are over. Unless it is fundamental to these exams, the opportunity to dick around with virtual machines doesn't strike me as a great reason to take the sort of risk which could potentially leave you "fucked".

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Derp, it's a standard procedure. Get over it. Risk of bricking is incredibly low so long as you follow the manufacturers procedure. If you built your own box, then follow the instructions created by the motherboard manufacturer. Unless you are flashing pre-release code or skipping multiple BIOS release versions, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Again, follow the fucking instructions.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Obviously, if you're scared, you shouldn't be touching it.

I recommend using AMD board BIOS on your Intel based board, it's the only way to get top FPS.. trust me

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

+1

Just did it, worked perfectly... herp a derp :P

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I would not be too worried. If the worst happens, it is a laptop. You will be able to open the case and and flip some jumper for 10 seconds while holding down a button.

You cannot completely brick a computer.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Oh yes you can. There are tons of failsafes but there are plenty of ways to do it. Flashing a BIOS or firmware is one of the biggest risk areas when it comes to a normal user and software. Even with a backup BIOS it is possible for it to be corrupted. Overheating, overvoltage, a bad/corrupt/wrong file being flashed, malicious software, viruii, trojans, and the list can go on.

Some of these are more or less likely with a laptop but all can happen. It takes a special kind of evil but a person can write a modified BIOS designed to destroy hardware and once that damage is done there is no going back. It is pretty much a zero possibility if you get your files to flash from the company that made the hardware but you wouldn't believe how many people will grab files from the first place that pops up in a search no matter how shady that place looks.

I've gotta say. I am somewhat bemused that a piece of hardware that new is not only apparently using a BIOS instead of EFI but also relying on FreeDos for flashing instead of an onboard ROM. It is even funnier with all the completely meaningless charts and graphs with percentages and no real numbers or data.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Only a dual BIOS motherboard can recover from a corrupted BIOS, unless you're lucky and the BIOS somehow works just enough to allow re-flashing.

Laptop or desktop, the same rules apply. A laptop is still using PC tech, even if the parts are shaped differently. The people making laptops and desktops went to the same school.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

What is the point of flashing the BIOS, if everything seems to be working well, and you're so terrified?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

had to do this to get many modern games to be playable, hope it works

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

As someone not entirely used to messing with BIOS, what is flashing it?

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

BIOS flashing means writing an update to what can be considered your motherboard's CPU, which would be different from the installed CPU.

It tells the motherboard important things such as how much power to send to the CPU, GPU, RAM, how fast to run those parts while booting, what drives the computer is allowed to load an operating system from, and other important things.

BIOS updating is very rarely done, likely because of how dangerous it can potentially be. If you lose power or interrupt the process for any reason, that BIOS is toasted. At that point you PC doesn't even know what a hard drive is, where it is, or what it's supposed to do with one.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I wouldn't worry too much about the MSI gaming laptops, I have the GE60 and GE70, I have flashed in custom made BIOS for overclocking and whatnot. I highly doubt that the official one will have any issues.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

If your system has dual BIOS, don't worry. If you mess something up and corrupt the primary bios, the backup bios will overwrite it and you'll be back to square one.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Eh? Isn't flashing BIOS a matter of double-clicking an exe file? I know I flashed from A07 to A12 weeks ago, and then to A13 version a week ago.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

A BIOS update is not like a driver update. Don't do it unless you are having problems.

10 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Closed 10 years ago by MartDrummer.