BIOS Upgrade success failure

2013-09-15T10:09:27Z

TomGoBravo: /* Successful tests */

Lot's of people reported success/failure with [[BIOS_Upgrade#Booting_from_a_CD]]. If you managed, please, tell us about success, if failed, please, document the problems you've encountered, so people could avoid your same troubles.

= Booting from CD =

Here document your progress with [[BIOS_Upgrade#Booting_from_a_CD]] method.

== Successful tests ==

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size:80%; vertical-align:top;"
! Model
! Tested by, and comments
|-
| {{600E}} 2645-4AU ||
* George Tellalov <gtellalov_dontspamme@bigfoot.com>. BIOS 1.16 from spsdin36.exe worked perfectly with the method bootable cd from floppy image. I highly recommend this upgrade because it made my ibm-acpi module load (it wouldn't load before) and fixed some suspend to ram problems. Here's the [http://george.tellalov.info/bios_upgrade_600e_spsdin36.iso cd image] I used. Use at your own risk. You can send me a chocolate if it works for you ;)
|-
| {{600E}} 2645-5bU ||
* Mike Vincent<matchstc-putobvioushere.com>. Bios 1.16 from spsdin36.exe and then to the boot cd worked great for me. Thought I had bricked it three separate times using a "real" floppy! Each from different diskettes .The updater would start, give me the "going to take30 seconds" speech...and then access the HD for 10 minutes. Each time it would reboot fine. Did the cd as described above...worked great first time. Perhaps 10 year old seldom used floppy disc drives have some challenges?
|-
| {{600X}} 2645 ||
* Jonathan Byrne <jonathan@RemoveThisToMailMe.yamame.org>. BIOS 1.11 from spsuit55.exe worked perfectly using cabextract/CD method.
|-
| {{600X}} 2645 ||
* Andy Barnes <andy@RemoveThisToMailMe.itchypaws.co.uk>. As per Jonathan above, extracted BIOS 1.11 from spsuit55.exe using cabextract, created a CD boot image and burnt to CD. Worked flawlessly - thanks to everyone who contributed to this article!
|-
| {{A20p}} 2629-6VU ||
* Chris Pickett http://www.sable.mcgill.ca/~cpicke/. BIOS 1.11 flashed fine with cabextract/CD method.
|-
| {{A21e}} 2628-JXU ||
* Amit Gurdasani <gurdasani at yahoo dot com>. BIOS 1.13 flashed fine with cabextract/CD method. Alarmingly, after the BIOS update, the laptop beeped but did not shut down as was indicated onscreen -- that was frozen on the "do not shut down the laptop" screen. On power down and up again, the BIOS setup showed the newer BIOS image running, and Linux booted up fine. Linux ACPI didn't complain about the BIOS being too old either.
|-
| {{A31p}} 2653 ||
* Matthias Meinke largeeddy@gmx.at, BIOS 1.09 1NET15WW flashed fine with cabextract/CD method.
|-
| {{A31}} 2652 ||
* [[User:Wnoise|Aaron Denney]], BIOS 1.13 flashed fine with cabextract/CD method. The cabextract/CD method also worked for BIOS 1.10.
|-
| {{R30}} ||
* Jarrod, 30 August 2007, Thinkpad R30 Type 2656-E0M. BIOS updated to 1.40 (1CETF0WW) using floppy disk/mkisofs/cdrecord. Worked fine, no problems.
|-
| {{R31}} ||
* [http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/pipermail/linux-thinkpad/1998-January/009743.html Mathias Dalheimer]
* Sebastian Sauer (with cabextract/CD method)
|-
| {{R40}} ||
* Matthew Lambie, http://lambie.org
* Antti S. Lankila, update to 1.27 via direct use of phlash16.exe against a BIOS image. Normal method did not work because the battery is dead.
|-
| {{R50}} 1836-3SU ||
* jlbartos <jlbartos at hotmail dot com>
|-
| {{R50e}} 1834-PTG ||
* item <item at freemail dot hu> : successfully finished with cabextract/CD method for "1wuj25us.exe" (BIOS version 1WET90WW (2.10), Release Date: 2006/12/22)
* Christos Nouskas <nouskas at gmail dot com>: upgraded to BIOS version 1WET90WW (2.10) and EC version 1VHT28WW (1.04) using GRUB (BIOS first / EC second)
|-
| {{R51}} 1829 ||
* Robert Uhl <rob dot uhl at gmx dot de>, Jellby <jellby at yahoo dot com>
|-
| {{R51}} 1830-RM7 ||
* Will Parker <stardotstar at sourcepoint dot com dot au> successfully flashed 3.20 using existing 3.04 ECP and retained custom boot splash.
|-
| {{R51}} 2887 ||
* Ingo van Lil <inguin at gmx dot de>
|-
| {{R52}} 1858 ||
* Stuart McCord <stuart dot mccord at gmail dot com> flashed both BIOS and ECP using cabextract, BIOS flashed first as on IBM website
|-
| {{T20}} ||
* Franz Hassels <fhassel at suse dot com>
|-
| {{T22}} ||
* Daniel Maier <nusse teamidiot de>
* Mathias Behrle (with cabextract/CD method, Version 1.07 => 1.12) --[[User:Mathiasb|Mathiasb]] 11:58, 14 December 2006 (CET)
* Bob Skaroff (cabextract/CD), 1.06 => 1.12
* Leo Butler (cabextract/CD), 1.11 => 1.12
|-
| {{T23}} ||
* Bart Snapp <snapp at uiuc dot edu> Note: I followed IBM's instructions to flash the BIOS '''first''' and the Embedded Controller '''second'''.
* Moy Easwaran: BIOS 1.18 / EC 1.06a via cabextract and CD-boot. The BIOS-update exe generated errors in Windows 2000.
* Joe Renes: BIOS 1.18 / EC 1.06a on 2006-03-20 via cabextract and CD-boot. Piece of cake.
* Raphael Errani: BIOS 1.20 / EC 1.06a on 2006-11-06 via cabextract and CD-boot (using mkisofs). Worked without errors. 1st Bios, 2nd EC
* Myron Getman: BIOS 1.20 / EC 1.06a on 9/10/08 via cabextract --> k3b --> CD-boot. Worked like a charm. First BIOS update with Linux!
* Leo Butler: BIOS 1.13 / EC 1.04 to 1.20/1.06a via cabextract and syslinux/memdisk boot through grub. Worked like a charm and no wasted CD.
|-
| {{T30}} ||
* Martin GÃ¼hring <guehring at gmail.com> BIOS 2.10 via cabextract the Non-Diskette BIOS -> mkisofs '''in the directory the exe was extracted''' to generate the iso -> burn the iso -> boot the CD
|-
| {{T40}} ||
* Sean Dague, http://dague.net
* Justin Mason, http://jmason.org
* Ivanhoe (Bios 3.19)
* Alessandro Raulino (roger_2) EC 3.04 & BIOS 3.23 flashed with cabextract/CD method
* Nick Jenkins, using BIOS 3.23 with the '''Non-diskette updater + cabextract method''', then [[#Creating_a_Bootable_CD_from_a_Floppy_Image|created a bootable CD from the cabextracted .IMG file]], then boot that ISO, and it worked great!
* xyz: BIOS 3.23 & EC 3.04 flashed with cabextract/CD method. No problem.
|-
| {{T40p}} ||
* Lukas KrÃ¤henbÃ¼hl, ismo at pop dot agri dot ch
* Thomas Achtemichuk, tom at tomchuk dot com. BIOS 3.15 flashed fine with cabextract/CD method
* paper, BIOS 3.23 (1RETDRWW) flashed fine with cabextract/genisoimage method.
|-
| {{T41}} ||
* Lev Givon (Bios 3.15 / EC 3.04) <lev at columbia dot edu>
* Ernesto HernÃ¡ndez-Novich (Bios 3.19 / CP 3.04) < emhn at usb dot ve >
* [http://maebmij.org James Ballantine] (Bios 3.21 / CP 3.04) using nondisk/cabextract/CDRW
* Vladimir Pycha (to Bios 3.23 / EC 3.04, from Bios 3.20 / EC 3.04) using nondisk/cabextract/CDRW. Booted with external USB optical drive (I have internal drive broken) - at the beginning of the boot sequence press PAUSE, then wait several seconds, then ENTER, then F12 and select the drive. Without pressing PAUSE I am not able to boot from USB optical/hard drive as the drive does not show in the F12 boot list menu.
|-
| {{T41p}} ||
* Nils Newman, work great. (Version: Bios 3.14 / Embedded Controller 3.04)
|-
| {{T42}} 2373-JXG ||
* magarzo <mdr.magarzo at gmail.com> (BIOS v.3.23 / Embedded Controller v.3.04 / both with cabextract to non-diskette v. plus Bootable CD)
|-
| {{T42}} ||
* Dan (BIOS 3.20 / EC 3.04, cabextract/CD method) <tronic171 at evilphb.org>
* Hirosh Dabui <hirosh@dabui.de>
|-
| {{T42p}} ||
* Robert Schiele <rschiele@uni-mannheim.de>, Joern Heissler <joern@heissler.de>, Hirosh Dabui <hirosh@dabui.de>
|-
| {{T43}} 1871-W34 ||
* Florian Boucault <florian at boucault dot ath dot cx> (Version: Bios 1.23 / Embedded Controller 1.03)
|-
| {{T43}} 1871-4AG ||
* [http://blog.martinmcdowell.com/about/contact Martin McDowell] 28-Feb-2010
* BIOS 70ET62WW (1.22) to 70ET69WW (1.29),
* ECP 70HT26WW (1.03) to 70HT28WW (1.05)
Both successfully upgraded from CD Image made from the instructions on this website.
|-
| {{T43}} 2687-D4U ||
* Charles (BIOS 1.05 to 1.29, Embedded Controller 1.03 to 1.06)
|-
| {{T43}} 2886 ||
* Till Heikamp <t dot heikamp at geniusbytes dot com> (Bios 1.22 to 1.29, Embedded Controller 1.03 to 1.06)
|-
| {{T43}} ||
* Conrad Rentsch <Conrad dot Rentsch at t-online dot de> (Version: Bios 1.29 / Embedded Controller 1.06)
* Tom Heady <tom-thinkwiki.org@punch.net>
|-
| {{T60}} ||
* 1951 Roman Komkov <roman at komkov dot org dot ru> (Bios 1.07 to 2.13) Successfully upgraded from CD Image
* 8744-HCG Konstantin Khorenko <horenko at mail dot ru> (Bios 1.06 to 1.18) Successfully upgraded from CD Image
* 1951 Juan Miguel Jiménez <bodypheo (at) gmail dot com> (Bios 1.07 to 2.14) Copy CD content into Dos usb bootable and run lcreflsh.bat. After updating I got error of PXE corrupted: [http://stephenchow.es/2012/02/error-after-updating-bios-on-ibm-thinkpad-t60/|Fix here]
|-
| {{T61}} ||
* Kai Weber <kai.weber at glorybox dot org> (Bios 1.06 to 1.26) Successfully upgraded from CD Image
|-
| {{T410}} ||
* Pablo Zometa (BIOS 1.35)
|-
| {{X20}} ||
* Neil Caunt <retardis at gmail dot com>
|-
| {{X21}} ||
* Patrick Leickner <ranma at web dot de>, (BIOS 2.21->2.25 / EC 1.31->1.36) via non-disk/cabextract/mkisofs/cdrecord
|-
| {{X22}} ||
* David Emery <dave at skiddlydee dot com>, (EC 1.30, BIOS 1.32 using non-disk/cabextract/CD method)
|-
| {{X23}} ||
* Nils Faerber <nils dot faerber at kernelconcepts dot de> (Embedded Controller 1.30, BIOS 1.32 with cabextract/CD method)
|-
| {{X30}} ||
* Hella Breitkopf, [http://www.unixwitch.de/ www] (Embedded Controller 1.04, BIOS 1.07 with cabextract/CD method)
* William Roe <willroe at gmail dot com> (Embedded Controller 1.06, BIOS 1.09 - cabextract/mkisofs/wodim)
|-
| {{X31}} ||
* Grzegorz KuÅ›nierz <koniu at sheket dot org> (Embedded Controller 1.08, BIOS 3.01 with cabextract/CD method)
|-
| {{X31}} ||
* Paul Litwack <paullitwack at gmail dot com> (Embedded Controller 1.08, BIOS 3.02 with cabextract/unetbootin method)
cabextract & unetbootin are staight foward(toggle floppy image instead of iso image in unetbootin dialog)
No problems with update software.
x31 has to be cajoled into booting from usb. Boot hangs when pendrive is present. Hit the key to bring up the boot menu.
Unplug the pendrive. Let the boot menu come up. Plug in the pendrive. Select the pendrive in the boot menu and it boots.
|-
| {{X40}} ||
* Robbie Stone <robbie@serendipity.cx>
* Andy Shevchenko <andy.shevchenko@gmail.com> (Fine by cabextract/CD method)
|-
| {{Z60m}} ||
* [[User:Morle|Morle]] 01:09, 17 Nov 2007 (CEST), (Embedded Controller 1.18 and Bios 1.24 with cabextract/CD method)
|}

== Unsuccessful tests ==
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size:80%; vertical-align:top;"
! Model
! Tested by, and comments
|-
|<pre> </pre> 
|
|}

= GRUB2: Booting floppy Image =

== Successful tests ==
{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size: 80%"
|-
! Model
! BIOS
! ECP
! Tested by
! Notes
|-
| {{T510}} 4349-5KG|| 6muj27uc.iso: BIOS 6MET88WW (1.48 ) || EC 6MHT46WW-1.21 || [[User:kosique|Marc Burkhardt]] || Gentoo: sys-boot/grub-1.99-r2, sys-boot/syslinux-4.05
|-
| {{R30}} 2656-64G || v.1.40 || || [[User:english.voodoo|Yuri Spirin]] ||
|-
| {{R40}} 2723 || 1OHJ11WW.IMG || 1PUJ25US.IMG || [[User:qunying|Qunying]] || memdisk from syslinux 3.70 (slackware 12.1)
|-
| {{R50e}} 1834NV1 || 1WUJ25US.IMG || || [[User:Jidanni|Jidanni]] || memdisk from syslinux-common 2:3.84+dfsg-1 (Debian), grub2 (1.96+20080724-16)
|-
| {{R51}} 2888 || || || ||
|-
| {{T23}} 2647 || 1AUJ20US.IMG || 1AHJ06US.IMG || [[User:cthon|cthon]] || memdisk from syslinux 4.02-1 (arch linux)
|-
| {{T40}} 2373 || 1RUJ37US.IMG || 1RHJ10U2.IMG || [[User:Euphoria|Euphoria]] || memdisk from syslinux 1:3.31-4 (Debian package version)
|-
| {{T40}} 2373 || 1RHJ10U2.IMG (3.04, 2004-11-15) || 1RUJ37US.IMG (3.23, 2007-07-03) || [[User:Morphics|Morphics]] || cabextract and memdisk from syslinux 3:1.36-4ubuntu5
|-
| {{T41}} 2373 || 1RUJ37US.IMG (3.23, 2007-07-03) || || [[User:Tonko|Tonko]] || Fedora 12
|-
| {{T41p}} 2373 || 1RUJ37US.IMG (3.23, 2007-07-03) || || [[User:Deggel|Deggel]] || cabextract and memdisk from syslinux 3.71 on gentoo
|-
| {{T41p}} 2373 || || || [[User:MrStaticVoid|James Lee]] ||
|-
| {{T42}} 2373 || 1RUJ37US.IMG || || [[User:Secsaba|Simon Csaba Endre]] || Ubuntu 10.04 Pre-update versions: BIOS v3.21 / ECP v3.04 After-update versions: BIOS v3.23 / ECP v3.04
|-
| {{T42p}} 2374 || 1RUJ37US.IMG || 1RHJ10U2.IMG || [[User:aderigs|Achim Derigs]] || Debian GNU/Linux sid, works with `linux16 ...' and `initrd16 ...' only
|-
| {{X31}} 2673-CBU || || || [[User:JanTopinski|Jan Topinski]] ||
|-
| {{X31}} 2672-CXU || || || [[User:TheAnarcat|TheAnarcat]] ||
|-
| {{X31}} 2672-JBU || 3.02 1QUJ19US.IMG || 1.08 1QUJ08US.IMG || [[User:twbxf4|twbxf4]] || worked flawlessly
|-
| {{X31}} 2673-58G || || || [[User:FaUl|FaUl]] ||
|-
| {{X31}} 2672-PG9 || || || [[User:Starox|Starox]] || a big moment between starting update and the updating window
|-
| {{X31}} 2672-PG9 || v3.02 1QUJ19US.IMG || v1.08 1QHJ08US.IMG || [[User:TeeLittle|TeeLittle]] || Apr 10, 2010: Using Debian 5.0 "Lenny" + package syslinux-common (Version: 2:3.71+dfsg-5). Pre-update versions: BIOS v2.11 / ECP v1.03
|-
| {{X40}} 2371 || 2.07 1uuj21us.exe || 1.62 1uhj10us.exe || [[User:Antialize|Jakob Truelsen]] || Worked on two X40-2371
|-
| {{X40}} 2386 || 2.08 1uuj22us.exe || 1.62 1uhj10us.exe || [[User:Antialize|Galen Seitz]] || memdisk from syslinux 3.61
|}
(More successful grub tests are scattered in the previous table too.)

== Unsuccessful tests ==
{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size: 80%"
|-
! Model
! style="width:10em;" | BIOS
! ECP
! Tested by
! Notes
|-
| {{R32}} 2658-NWU || 2.16 1MUD23US.IMG || n/a || [[User:Millman12345|Mike Millman]] || Boots into the BIOS flashing program just fine, but when it comes time to start the update process, the system hangs completely. Luckily, it hangs before it actually modifies anything... A hard reboot got me back into a working system. I would not recommend this route!
|-
| {{R52e}} 1846-CGL || 1.29 76UJ28UD.IMG || 1.01 || [[User:Lacyc3|Laszlo Takacs]] || Boots into BIOS flashing program but it hangs up before the upgrade process. I used memdisk from syslinux-4.01.
|-
| {{T43}} 2668-F7G || 1.29 1YUJ18US.IMG || || [[User:Maus3273|Maus3273]] || I got into the bios program, but the machine never restarts after initiating the upgrade.
|-
| {{X41}} 2525-FAG || 2.09 74UJ15US || || [[User:Ukleinek|Uwe Kleine-König]] || booted fine (Debian syslinux 2:3.71+dfsg-5), but didn't succeed to write, just hang at "Don't restart or remove diskette etc. pp" (not bricked). Worked fine via CD method.
|-
| {{X41}} 2525-F8G || 2.06 74UJ12US.IMG 2.07 74UJ13US.IMG 2.09 74UJ15US.IMG || || [[User:ladoga|Lauri Koponen]] || hangs while initializing the actual BIOS flashing process ECP: 1.02 74HJ03US.IMG works
|-
|}

= GRUB2: Booting CD Image =

Here document you progress with

== Successful tests ==
{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size: 80%"
|-
! Model
! BIOS
! ECP
! Tested by
! Notes
|-
| {{X100e}} 2876-55G || 6xuj05uc.iso || || [[User:nikel]] ||
|-
| {{Edge}} || 1.17 6yuj04uc.iso || || [[User:theBro]] || Current memdisk from syslinux worked (5/2010), the one provided by Ubuntu 9.10 did not.
|-
| {{X200s}} || 1.13 6duj40uc.iso || || [[User:theBro]] || Current memdisk from syslinux worked (5/2010), the one provided by Ubuntu 9.10 did not.
|-
| {{X200s}} || 3.14 6duj41uc.iso || 1.06 || [[User:dag-|Dag Wieers]] || Using memdisk from syslinux 4.01
|-
| {{X201}} 3626-A14 || 1.15 6quj05uc.iso || 1.09 6quj05uc.iso || [[User:Alexander List|Alexander List]] || memdisk from syslinux 3.86
|-
| {{Edge 13"}} 0197-6GG || 1.18 6yuj05uc.iso || || [[User:fethio]] || Current memdisk from syslinux worked (5/2010), the one provided by Ubuntu 9.10 did not.
|-
| {{Edge 13"}} 0197-34Q || 1.21 6yuj08uc.iso || || [[User:Kapil]] || Current memdisk from syslinux debian version 2:4.02+dfsg-7
|-
| {{Edge 13"}} 0197-34Q || 1.18 6yuj05uc.iso || || [[User:Kapil]] || Current memdisk from syslinux debian version 2:4.01+dfsg-1
|-
| {{X200s}} || 3.15 6duj42uc.iso || || [[User:lawnjam]] || Memdisk 4.02 worked, the one provided by Ubuntu 10.04 did not.
|-
| {{X201}} || 1.22 6quj08uc.iso || 1.11 || [[User:dag-|Dag Wieers]] || Using memdisk from syslinux 4.03
|-
| {{T410s}} || 1.41 6uuj12uc.iso || 1.12 || regatus || Gentoo + memdisk (syslinux 4.0.3)
|-
| {{X201}} || 1.40 6quj19us.iso || 1.15 || [[User:TomGoBravo]] || Sep 14 2013; ubuntu 13.10 saucy daily release with included memdisk
|-
|}

== Unuccessful tests ==
{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-size: 80%"
|-
! Model
! BIOS
! ECP
! Tested by
! Notes
|-
| {{T61}} 6466-55G || 2.27 7luj26uc.iso || 1.08 || [[User:mgedmin]] || Grub2 + memdisk (2:4.01+dfsg-3ubuntu1) booted the DOS image on the CD, which then tried to load a DOS CD-ROM driver, which then could not find the CD, and ended up with the infamous Abort, Retry, Fail.
|-
|}

ThinkWiki - User contributions [en]

BIOS Upgrade success failure