Arch Linux

ForUmIx

Member

Registered: 2023-10-10

Posts: 14

Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

From ArchWiki for Lenovo laptops:

When performing BIOS updates do not skip intermediary versions! If you are currently on version 1.1 and there are updates to versions 1.2 and 1.4, apply first the update to 1.2 and then the one to 1.4.

Can I safely update ASUS notebook BIOS (UEFI) to the latest version at once? Or is it necessary to follow the order here too?

Are there any users of Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition 2023 (FA617NS) laptops here? What is your experience with BIOS version 415?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,755

Website

Re: Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

I have that laptop:

~$ doas dmidecode --type bios
# dmidecode 3.6
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.4.0 present.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 26 bytes
BIOS Information
	Vendor: American Megatrends International, LLC.
	Version: FA617NS.415
	Release Date: 02/20/2024
	Address: 0xF0000
	Runtime Size: 64 kB
	ROM Size: 32 MB
	Characteristics:
		PCI is supported
		BIOS is upgradeable
		BIOS shadowing is allowed
		Boot from CD is supported
		Selectable boot is supported
		BIOS ROM is socketed
		EDD is supported
		BIOS boot specification is supported
		Targeted content distribution is supported
		UEFI is supported
	BIOS Revision: 5.24

Handle 0x0034, DMI type 13, 22 bytes
BIOS Language Information
	Language Description Format: Long
	Installable Languages: 11
		en|US|iso8859-1
		fr|FR|iso8859-1
		es|ES|iso8859-1
		de|DE|iso8859-1
		ru|RU|iso8859-5
		ko|KR|unicode
		pt|PT|iso8859-1
		ja|JP|unicode
		zh|CN|unicode
		zh|TW|unicode
		<BAD INDEX>
	Currently Installed Language: en|US|iso8859-1

~$

Just upgraded it from the previous version using EZ Flash. Works fine.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

ForUmIx

Member

Registered: 2023-10-10

Posts: 14

Re: Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

Thank you very much, Head_on_a_Stick!
I have version 410 right now.  So I am wondering if I can skip 414.

ForUmIx

Member

Registered: 2023-10-10

Posts: 14

Re: Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

I have successfully updated the BIOS to version 415, skipping 414. And it's already time for updates again.

Head_on_a_Stick, have you upgraded to version 419 yet? What's your experience?

I noticed that during the upgrade, a new file (ASUSFA617NS.BIN) appeared in /efi.
It looks like it's just a renamed FA617NSAS.415 from FA617NSAS415.zip (BIOS update).

Can I just rename FA617NSAS.419 to ASUSFA617NS.BIN and update the BIOS from /efi, without using a USB flash drive?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,755

Website

Re: Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

have you upgraded to version 419 yet? What's your experience?

Yes, just now. The system came back to life with only a 40 second blank screen delay. I wasn't worried

~$ doas dmidecode --type bios
# dmidecode 3.6
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.4.0 present.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 26 bytes
BIOS Information
	Vendor: American Megatrends International, LLC.
	Version: FA617NS.419
	Release Date: 11/05/2024
	Address: 0xF0000
	Runtime Size: 64 kB
	ROM Size: 32 MB
	Characteristics:
		PCI is supported
		BIOS is upgradeable
		BIOS shadowing is allowed
		Boot from CD is supported
		Selectable boot is supported
		BIOS ROM is socketed
		EDD is supported
		BIOS boot specification is supported
		Targeted content distribution is supported
		UEFI is supported
	BIOS Revision: 5.24

Handle 0x0034, DMI type 13, 22 bytes
BIOS Language Information
	Language Description Format: Long
	Installable Languages: 11
		en|US|iso8859-1
		fr|FR|iso8859-1
		es|ES|iso8859-1
		de|DE|iso8859-1
		ru|RU|iso8859-5
		ko|KR|unicode
		pt|PT|iso8859-1
		ja|JP|unicode
		zh|CN|unicode
		zh|TW|unicode
		<BAD INDEX>
	Currently Installed Language: en|US|iso8859-1

~$

Can I just rename FA617NSAS.419 to ASUSFA617NS.BIN and update the BIOS from /efi, without using a USB flash drive?

I just copied the unzipped FA617NSAS.419 file to the ESP and ran that from EZ Flash. I never bother with USB sticks.

Remember to clean the ESP of the redundant upgrade files afterwards.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

ForUmIx

Member

Registered: 2023-10-10

Posts: 14

Re: Updating BIOS (UEFI) on an ASUS laptop

I wasn't worried

You're a very cool person. 
Thank you very much for the very quick response!