[Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 17:14:59

I've tried just about anything I can think of, but no matter what, when doing the EZ-flash thing, it just hangs at "reading file 1015PE.ROM" (or something similar).

The steps that should me necessary is fairly simple.

1. format a USB stick to fat16 (mkdosfs -F 16 /dev/sdb1 should do it right?)
2. copy the ROM to the USB stick.
3. restart and initiate asus ez-flash.

Of course this doesn't work, so that's it.

One thought is that there's something wrong with the usb stick, so therefor I'd like to ask how to make sure to completely nuke it and start from scratch, to ensure that there are no odd flags, corrupted tables and such. I rather doubt it will make a difference, but it's worth trying never the less.

Of course I've been reading up on alternative methods of flashing the bios, but either they are extremely complicated or there are other reasons that I'm not ready to give them a try. Lag of documentation for example.

In short, I'm more or less out of options here, so please, should you have any ideas, do let me know.

Best regards.

zacariaz wrote:

I can't say for sure what the problem was, but logging in to windows, re-partitioning and formatting the USB did the trick. Of course it could be due to the fact that I chose the smallest possible partition size of just 8mb, but I doubt it.

Last edited by zacariaz (2012-06-20 19:15:55)

Inxsible · 2012-06-20 17:22:03

Questions ::

Does your manufacturer provide bios updates as regular binaries or a windows-only kind of executable? If the latter, you will need Windows installed on the machine
Have you seen the wiki page: Flashing BIOS from linux?

zacariaz wrote:

Of course I've been reading up on alternative methods of flashing the bios, but either they are extremely complicated or there are other reasons that I'm not ready to give them a try. Lag of documentation for example.

Then you are not ready for flashing bios. You shouldn't do it at all.

Inxsible · 2012-06-20 17:28:20

zacariaz wrote:

1. Yes, Asus provide binary ROMs.
2. Yes, I have read the wiki, however there are no method described that I'm comfortable with. I don't want to end up with a dead device after all. (suppose I'll have to eventually though)
And thanks for the quick reply.

First understand the difference between 'Report' and 'Post Reply'
Like I mentioned in my previous post, if you are not comfortable, you shouldn't do it. Period.

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 17:34:48

Inxsible wrote:

zacariaz wrote:
1. Yes, Asus provide binary ROMs.
2. Yes, I have read the wiki, however there are no method described that I'm comfortable with. I don't want to end up with a dead device after all. (suppose I'll have to eventually though)
And thanks for the quick reply.
First understand the difference between 'Report' and 'Post Reply'
Like I mentioned in my previous post, if you are not comfortable, you shouldn't do it. Period.

I am sorry that (apparently) I clicked the wrong link.

headkase · 2012-06-20 17:36:09

Even if you know what you're doing a bad BIOS update can render your computer a brick. Even if you do it all correctly the power could go off. Since you have an ASUS board it may have a feature called "Dual-BIOS" or similar. That is a backup BIOS for the case where an update goes bad. If your mainboard has this, some do some don't, then you could fall back to that. But, as mentioned, you shouldn't do it unless you totally understand everything. Concerning ASUS EZ-Flash, consult your mainboard manual for exactly how that is supposed to operate. Quote it liberally if you'd like to continue here?

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 17:38:21

headkase wrote:

Quote it liberally if you'd like to continue here?

Could you please explain what you mean?

headkase · 2012-06-20 17:39:20

zacariaz wrote:

headkase wrote:
Quote it liberally if you'd like to continue here?
Could you please explain what you mean?

Read the instructions for your mainboard. Type them up here. That way potential helpers can see the reference instructions.

Last edited by headkase (2012-06-20 17:39:35)

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 17:45:10

headkase wrote:

zacariaz wrote:
headkase wrote:
Quote it liberally if you'd like to continue here?
Could you please explain what you mean?
Read the instructions for your mainboard. Type them up here. That way potential helpers can see the reference instructions.

Ah I see.

well as far as I have interpreted the limited information I have been able to obtain, there really isn't any more to it than what I described in the first post. In fact, I have not been able to find any mention of the necessity of utilizing fat16 rather than fat32, though that is still the case.

I think Asus simply assume that everyone is happy with the original setup (involving windows and such), thus people don't really need to know such things.

Anyway, I'm trying a thing or two right now. I'll let you all know if I succeed.

headkase · 2012-06-20 17:49:00

You should be aware of the >Microcode< module as well. If you have an AMD or an Intel processor that will update the microcode of the CPU. Often to a later version than is available from the manufacturer. It is for the CPU only, so if a BIOS update also covers other parts of the system then the Microcode update would not patch that.

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 18:27:17

from the wiki:

You should format a pendrive with FAT16 and flag it as "boot" (you may do this through a GUI with gparted, qtparted or partitionmanager). Then, after mounting the flash drive, select under distribution FreeDOS and your mounted stick. The app will automatically download the image for you and copy it to the drive. Finally, you may copy everything you want to flash there (BIOS, firmwares, etc).

I copied the files I wanted to the USB after unetbootin was done, but when I boot from the usb the files don't show up.

I really haven't got a clue and I'm in tear. I've spend so much time on such a simple problem now.

Have I misinterpreted something?

Only thing I can think of is "flag it as "boot"", which I interpret to mean "enable the boot flag".

Am I just a blithering idiot or is the wiki wrong?

headkase · 2012-06-20 18:36:27

What wiki?? If it's the Arch wiki then stop. Just stop. Read your mainboard manual: ASUS EZ-Flash is built into its BIOS. You put the BIOS file on a properly formatted device and then when your computer is starting up you press the keys to initiate EZ-Flash and, without any operating system, the EZ-Flash component of the BIOS will read the file and update the rest of the BIOS.

What you need your mainboard manual for: to know what the USB stick should be formatted as, and what to name the BIOS file when you place it on that device, and then finally: what keys to press when the BIOS of your machine is starting its POST.

>Here< is a reference. Warning: you are getting into "I broke my computer" territory without fully understanding your next steps.

Last edited by headkase (2012-06-20 18:38:45)

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 18:57:44

headkase wrote:

What wiki?? If it's the Arch wiki then stop. Just stop. Read your mainboard manual: ASUS EZ-Flash is built into its BIOS. You put the BIOS file on a properly formatted device and then when your computer is starting up you press the keys to initiate EZ-Flash and, without any operating system, the EZ-Flash component of the BIOS will read the file and update the rest of the BIOS.
What you need your mainboard manual for: to know what the USB stick should be formatted as, and what to name the BIOS file when you place it on that device, and then finally: what keys to press when the BIOS of your machine is starting its POST.
>Here< is a reference. Warning: you are getting into "I broke my computer" territory without fully understanding your next steps.

Now now, I was told to read the wiki earlier, though of course I'd already done so, but found useless at first. The I came here in the hope that I might get some pointers as to where I've went wrong and I then decided to give the wiki another chance.

In any case things are certainly acting up, as I've just tried the original approach again and it is acting differently, though still not working.

I do appreciate your efforts, but your link isn't helping any as my experience simply don't match that which is described. In any case I didn't learn anything new. It is not my first time flashing a bios. I know the dangers involved.

Only step left that I can think of, unless someone can tell me where I went wrong with the freedos approach, is to boot in to windows on my other computer (why it's still installed is only due to laziness) and partition and format the usb again using microshaft utilities. Of course that shouldn't make a difference, nut I've already seen a difference which make no sense, and I out of options.

Inxsible · 2012-06-20 19:01:53

I quote myself again :

Inxsible wrote:

Then you are not ready for flashing bios. You shouldn't do it at all.

Inxsible wrote:

Like I mentioned in my previous post, if you are not comfortable, you shouldn't do it. Period.

headkase · 2012-06-20 19:06:38

The wiki is for "general linux." You should not follow its instructions because your BIOS already contains EZ-Flash.

You've updated a BIOS before: you are absolutely sure you have the correct BIOS binary file? Burning the wrong BIOS - some flashing utilities check for that but not all - is guaranteed to brick your computer. If you are going to go the FreeDOS route then make sure you get a DOS flashing utility directly from ASUS' website and that it is for your exact model of machine.

Go here: >Manufacturer WebSite< and under the "Downloads" tab give it any operating system, and then click + to expand the "Manuals" section. Choose your language.

I'm assuming your having difficulties because of the lack of the manual. Double-check that I've given you the correct link above and then get the manual and read-up on the EZ-Flash portion of it.

Good luck, measure 5 billion times, flash once.

zacariaz · 2012-06-20 19:15:13

I can't say for sure what the problem was, but logging in to windows, re-partitioning and formatting the USB did the trick. Of course it could be due to the fact that I chose the smallest possible partition size of just 8mb, but I doubt it.

In any case it works, though things may still go wrong of course, but that is another issue for another thread.

For now, thanks and best regards.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-06-20 17:14:59

[Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#2 2012-06-20 17:22:03

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#3 2012-06-20 17:28:20

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#4 2012-06-20 17:34:48

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#5 2012-06-20 17:36:09

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#6 2012-06-20 17:38:21

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#7 2012-06-20 17:39:20

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#8 2012-06-20 17:45:10

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#9 2012-06-20 17:49:00

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#10 2012-06-20 18:27:17

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#11 2012-06-20 18:36:27

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#12 2012-06-20 18:57:44

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#13 2012-06-20 19:01:53

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#14 2012-06-20 19:06:38

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

#15 2012-06-20 19:15:13

Re: [Solved]BIOS update trouble (asus eeepc 1015pem)

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