Win8.1 problems after BIOS 209 update G750JX

[Mike_DoZeR]

Today I decided to update the BIOS on my G750JX. I updated from 208 to 209 using the Winflash method recommended by the ASUS website. Everything seemed to work correctly with the BIOS update, but now Win8.1 is acting up. It won't shut down or restart unless I manually force it, and every time I try to do something administrative (eg. change anything in device manager) it hangs and freezes. Windows still generally works and I can surf the web and what not, but many things appear to not be working correctly. I'm wondering if I should refresh windows.

Once I ran into problems, I did try to redo the BIOS update using the easyflash and Winflash methods, but ran into a problem. The battery that came with the laptop never worked right and would never charge correctly. It would always say charging and remain somewhere around 80%. After I updated today it says charging 0%. I never really cared before because I use the laptop as a desktop replacement and gaming machine. It's always plugged in. For some reason it won't let me reupdate the BIOS because the battery is stuck at 0%.

To be clear, the computer does boot up to windows without a problem. It just won't shut down/restart and freezes when you try to do things that require administrative access.

Any ideas, guys? Thanks in advance.

[hmscott]

Mike DoZeR wrote:
Today I decided to update the BIOS on my G750JX. I updated from 208 to 209 using the Winflash method recommended by the ASUS website. Everything seemed to work correctly with the BIOS update, but now Win8.1 is acting up. It won't shut down or restart unless I manually force it, and every time I try to do something administrative (eg. change anything in device manager) it hangs and freezes. Windows still generally works and I can surf the web and what not, but many things appear to not be working correctly. I'm wondering if I should refresh windows.

Once I ran into problems, I did try to redo the BIOS update using the easyflash and Winflash methods, but ran into a problem. The battery that came with the laptop never worked right and would never charge correctly. It would always say charging and remain somewhere around 80%. After I updated today it says charging 0%. I never really cared before because I use the laptop as a desktop replacement and gaming machine. It's always plugged in. For some reason it won't let me reupdate the BIOS because the battery is stuck at 0%.

To be clear, the computer does boot up to windows without a problem. It just won't shut down/restart and freezes when you try to do things that require administrative access.

Any ideas, guys? Thanks in advance.

Mike DoZeR, you aren't the first person bit by the JX 209 update, I would suggest filing a Technical Inquiry with Asus and request that it be taken down and fixed before re-posting.

I am assuming you tried Restore Defaults in the new BIOS after updating? That sometimes helps such BIOS update problems. Give it a try if you haven't already.

You tried downgrading the BIOS using the /nodate option on the command line for winflash? And the glitch is the battery?

You could try running plugged in without the battery, without a reading the update might progress - just don't kick out the power cord during the update!

Did you try the trick of going into the Device Manager and uninstalling the "Microsoft AC Adapter" and "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery" under Batteries, and then either reboot and let them reinstall or do an "Action=>Scan for hardware changes", to reinstall and then reboot?

Please let us know if any/all of that works 🙂

[Mike_DoZeR]

Hi, hmscott!
Tried resetting the BIOS defaults, no luck.
I tried rolling back the BIOS using the command prompt and taking out the battery, but it still rejects. I don't know how to trick it into not needing a battery in there.
I did try to use the device manager, but anytime I try to use that the computer stops responding.
Thanks for your suggestions, though, worth a shot. Any other ideas? Do you think it's definitely a corrupted BIOS issue?

[hmscott]

Mike DoZeR wrote:
Hi, hmscott!
Tried resetting the BIOS defaults, no luck.
I tried rolling back the BIOS using the command prompt and taking out the battery, but it still rejects. I don't know how to trick it into not needing a battery in there.
I did try to use the device manager, but anytime I try to use that the computer stops responding.
Thanks for your suggestions, though, worth a shot. Any other ideas? Do you think it's definitely a corrupted BIOS issue?

Mike DoZeR, starting the device manager causes the computer to stop responding? How long do you wait before giving up on the Device Manager coming back? Maybe let it sit and watch the System logs and give it the time it needs to timeout and come up. Then you can try the uninstall's.

When that happens, look at the System Manager => Event Viewer => Windows logs => System/Application to see the errors / warnings - that might give a clue as to the problem area.

There is also a power hard reset. Remove the battery, unplug the AC adapter, hold down the Power Button for 30 seconds.

If you have a friend with a G750, you can try swapping in their Battery / AC Adapter to see if it shows up differently.

If all that doesn't work, you can Reset your OS with F9 at boot, or use your Asus Backtracker recovery flash drive to reinstall Windows and that might clear things out enough to work with the new BIOS - it is what Asus will ask you to try before RMA. Be sure and back up all your stuff, and remove the 2nd bay drive before doing the restore, as the restore deletes all partitions before doing the restore.

[Karl78]

Have you solved the problem Mike? I'm on G750JX BIOS 208 and I have not yet updated to 209 'cause i read of different issues on the forum. What excatly is the WHQL issue fixed by the BIOS 209 (reported on Asus website)?

I'm on 337.88 nVidia driver, and the only "issue" (if so) is on boot, i.e. when i reboot, before the Win log screen there is one second of black screen with a kind of whistle or hiss (i recently updated from win 8 to win 8.1 update, before i had older nvidia driver. Moreover, in my case win 8.1 update have the usb external hdd issue described here http://blogs.msdn.com/b/usbcoreblog/archive/2013/11/01/help-after-installing-windows-8-1-my-usb-driv... , that i fixed with the workaround suggested in the same post - win 8.1 has KB2919355 update but it doesn't fix anything, in my case).

What do you suggest guys? To update 209 BIOS or not? (IMHO BIOS is always a little "dangerous", if it was a driver you can do a backup/ghost image whit plenty of good software, free or not, but with the BIOS...).

[hmscott]

Karl78 wrote:
Have you solved the problem Mike? I'm on G750JX BIOS 208 and I have not yet updated to 209 'cause i read of different issues on the forum. What excatly is the WHQL issue fixed by the BIOS 209 (reported on Asus website)?

I'm on 337.88 nVidia driver, and the only "issue" (if so) is on boot, i.e. when i reboot, before the Win log screen there is one second of black screen with a kind of whistle or hiss (i recently updated from win 8 to win 8.1 update, before i had older nvidia driver. Moreover, in my case win 8.1 update have the usb external hdd issue described here http://blogs.msdn.com/b/usbcoreblog/archive/2013/11/01/help-after-installing-windows-8-1-my-usb-driv... , that i fixed with the workaround suggested in the same post - win 8.1 has KB2919355 update but it doesn't fix anything, in my case).

What do you suggest guys? To update 209 BIOS or not? (IMHO BIOS is always a little "dangerous", if it was a driver you can do a backup/ghost image whit plenty of good software, free or not, but with the BIOS...).

Karl78, there doesn't seem to be a reason to update to 209 BIOS. You can ask Asus via a Technical Inquiry, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.

You are a few rev's back in Nvidia drivers, 337.88 is old now. 344.48 is the current version available from Nvidia and is working fine on my G750JH, give it a try 🙂

[Karl78]

Thanks. Yes i know, 344.48 area ready to be updated via geforce experience. I'll follow your advice for sure in the next days!