Failed BIOS Update - Any Alternative Recovery Solutions??

[amckittrick]

I have a dead X60. I was updating its bios from ver. 2.03 to 2.18.

I used the Lenovo bios update windows (vista) executable, battery 100% charged, the notebook was docked and I was using an external monitor. Everything went fine during the update process, and in the final, it asked me to reboot the machine, I rebooted it and it hung during post. I waited 5 minutes, no response, power button was not working, so I removed the baterry, and now its completely dead, no image, no lights, nothing, only the hard drive and DVD spin up.

I've tried creating an ISO boot CD with the same BIOS to reflash the BIOS but it won't boot from the DVD. From all accounts I've read it sounds like I have brick on my hands.

Can anyone recommend any other solutions besides replacing the motherboard? Can anyone provide any comments of the BIOS repair/recovery service offered by Aqstech (http://www.aqstech.com/) advertised on this site?

Thx
amck

[Harryc]

Try this service, they are a forum sponsor. They charge @ $100 to fix a dead BIOS last I checked.
http://www.aqstech.com/
http://www.fixedbios.com/

[tim S]

A little late, but I thought Thinkpads had to be undocked before upgrading the BIOS?
I'd also make sure to unplug as many peripherals as possible.
Hopefully you'll find a solution.

Tim S

[Harryc]

A little late, but I thought Thinkpads had to be undocked before upgrading the BIOS?
Tim S

I found myself caught up in a 'scratching of the head' moment recently while contemplating updating the BIOS on my X200 that runs W7 64bit. There have been many bricked machines reported recently running W7 and their owners updating BIOS via the Windows .exe file. Even Lenovo recommended doing it with the bootable CD. Well the X200 only has an optical drive in the Ultrabase, and I knew about the 'undocked' requirement ... ...so how do I flash the BIOS ? .

[gongo2k1]

I always keep an old FAT16 USB key handy loaded with FreeDOS. An external USB CD-RW also does the trick.

[AMATX]

I found myself caught up in a 'scratching of the head' moment recently while contemplating updating the BIOS on my X200 that runs W7 64bit. There have been many bricked machines reported recently running W7 and their owners updating BIOS via the Windows .exe file. Even Lenovo recommended doing it with the bootable CD. Well the X200 only has an optical drive in the Ultrabase, and I knew about the 'undocked' requirement ... ...so how do I flash the BIOS ? .

Maybe use a USB CD/DVD drive to boot the bootable CD.

[Harryc]

I do have an external USB CDRW. I've never tried to flash BIOS with it before, but I'll give it a shot ...someday ;

[tim S]

Updating the BIOS on newer machines (from about the T40 on I think) should be done directly from Lenovo/IBM device driver page. I have never run into problems and I must have done it half a dozen times on different machines.

Downloading the required file with the "Run" option, unpacks the file and restarts the laptop in native DOS.
All the required parameters have to be met, (undock, full battery, AC etc), before the update can be applied and 30 seconds or so later it's done. The computer shuts down, push the start button and that's it.

Tim S

[EOMtp]

... I have never run into problems and I must have done it half a dozen times on different machines. ...

Yes, let's grant that BIOS updates going bad are rare ... but not rare enough to warrant a cavalier attitude toward the matter. Every time one does a BIOS update, one is taking a finite risk measurably greater than zero, and a track record of six is ... well, it's six!

Some of us have done hundreds such BIOS updates, and the more of them one does, the more "humble" one becomes about the prospect of the law of large numbers catching up with a "perfect record". Regrettably, there is a degree of randomness inherent in a BIOS update that is analogous to the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics, i.e., the perfect "proper procedures" simply cannot guarantee success.

[jketzetera]

Can anyone recommend any other solutions besides replacing the motherboard? Can anyone provide any comments of the BIOS repair/recovery service offered by Aqstech (http://www.aqstech.com/) advertised on this site?

Thx
amck

You may be able to revive your machine by following these instructions:

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... post261775

However, I have not tried them myself so I cannot vouch for their accuracy.

[tim S]

I think it's safe to say that most people here are only doing a few BIOS updates in their lifetime and aren't doing it for a living so to speak.
In most cases things go wrong because one update condition or another wasn't followed.
In the OPs case he left his machine docked and an external monitor plugged in, it would seem he didn't follow Lenovo's instructions while doing the update. I have done 2 BIOS updates on X60s models and the instructions clearly state 'remove from docking station'.
I do agree that anytime one modifies a BIOS things can go wrong, so my advise is to always follow any given instructions to the letter. If for some reason (dead battery or no AC etc) the laptop has issues, then DON'T mess with the BIOS until it's back to spec.

Tim S

[Harryc]

You may be able to revive your machine by following these instructions:

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... post261775

However, I have not tried them myself so I cannot vouch for their accuracy.

This is an interesting method that I will recommend. It will be interesting to see how many dead BIOS's it helps revive over time.

[ausmike]

HELLO EVERYONE ............

>REPORT< Tired this above process = in short = DID NOT WORK for T60p laptop

a) I managed to get the two APPS mentioned here (lots of broken links later > if someone wants them ; pls msg me and I will email those ).....
b) Created a BOOTABLE USB drive (i tired the recomended method here & also tried the current MS APPROVED APP to do same); checked that all necessary files mentioned in above posts WERE THERE .....
c) T60P still NOT ABLE TO FLASH BIOS..... but I did notice that the DVD DRIVE was 'spinning& tried to read a DVD" ....
d) So I trieed to reboot with a 'bootable BIOS ....
e) DIDNT WORK !!!


Slightly dissapointed ......so off goes my laptop to AQS (forum sponsors here - see top of this page)

[ausmike]

HELLO EVERYONE ............
.................
Slightly dissapointed ......so off goes my laptop to AQS (forum sponsors here - see top of this page)

LAPTOP returned from AQS :

Excellent and Great Service from AQS; very happy with results (so far)
Joe did an exceelent job and is very capable person with no teckie Mumbo-Jumbo
to Bambozel anyone with his teckie know-how. Great to see Good Service people still around in INDUSTRY. Keep it up.

Nope not saying nice words 'cause he didnt charge me ! I paid in full and am glad to do so for the great results. Thanks Joe

Cheers