Failed bios update recovered by ASUS's flashback process!

[MrBushido]

Just had a bios update fail on me (0214 to 0401 using the "in bios" EZ updater utility) and my pc refused to start at all. Having only got my new pc yesterday I was crushed, but thankfully ASUS have a nifty feature called Flashback that you can be used to recover these situations! If you happen to encounter a similar issue, here are the steps to restore your bios:

1) Download the bios you want to use to restore from the Maximus VIII Hero support page (I used the 0401 version that I was trying to upgrade to when it failed)

2) Go to to the Maximus VII Hero support page (that's VII, at the time of this post it's not on the VIII's support page) and download the "Bios Renamer for USB BIOS Flashback and Crashfree BIOS 2" from the bios utilities section.

3) Extract the bios's .CAP file and renamer utility to the same directory run the renamer to rename the bios correctly.

4) Copy the renamed bios to a usb pen drive. (drive needs to be formatted to fat16/fat32, won't work with ntfs)

5) Plug the usb drive in to the socket on the back panel labelled "Flashback" (on the Maximus VIII Hero this is to the socket in the top corner of your case).

6) With your PC turned off, press the bios button next to the usb drive then it should begin flashing and continue to flash until the recovery is complete.

7) Once the button stops flashing, turn on your PC and hopefully it will be back to working order! \o/

Hope this helps anybody who encounters similar issues, and a HUUUUGE thanks to the engineers at ASUS. When I was seeing the black screen when trying to boot I was expecting to be without a PC until I could get a replacement, but this feature is a real life saver you guys are great 😄

[Daytrader]

Thx for this, will bookmark, how you liking the hero viii, as i am thinking of getting it with the 6700k

[Vlada011]

Sometimes maybe not work, but you should try again... USB should be formatted and file renamed properly.
Once I tried but LED stop to blink after few seconds...
But second time when I tried LED blink longer than 1 min and I knew update was successful.
Excellent option, very useful in combination with two BIOS and EZ Flash.
I used on them for 30min and I'm now familiar with ASUS flashing options and I don't want to met with any other options.
Still many people mostly believe to flashing on old way from DOS, and some of them even use online update. I like more EZ Flash.
I used EZ Flash and on old ASUS ROG boards before BIOS become advanced.

[Daytrader]

Im having a nightmare time, just updated to 0802 and now cant get past post, sticks on error 32, can you tell me exactly how you updated, i done the below, anything you do different,

this is how i update bios using usb flashback, first i press clearcmos button, then put usb with bios renamed on the stick that is formated to fat32, then i press the flashback button until blue light flashes, then i let go and wait a few minutes until flashing stops, then i take out usb stick, then start the pc, this is what i have been doing, is all that correct ? cheers

[Menthol]

Bios 802 updated ME firmware so after the update on start up it should say at the top bios updating do not power down your board or unplug power supply.

put the the formatted usb drive in the proper port when you push the flashback button hold it until you see it flash a couple times, it should continue flashing at a slow steady rate of speed for about 90 seconds then it will start flashing faster until it stops flashing altogether, if it is not doing that it is not flashing the bios

[Daytrader]

Yes it done that exactly, was ok with previous bios update, flashed for a few minutes, then stops, then i start pc, and it goes through codes and finally stop on code 32 and no error lights on either, strange.

By the way, im useing the usb flashback port on back of IO.

[BoldarBlood]

Not sure if this helps at all because I have the Z170-A but I updated the bios to 0901 using EZ-Flash 3 via USB and it failed. Well... it told me it was successful but then the system would not boot. I read in my manual about the crashfree bios. I simply booted the system with the USB containing the 0901 bios installed in the front case USB port. It thought about it for a little while then found the bios by itself and updated/re-wrote it. Rebooted and voila... worked. I thought to myself "That was it?"

[Daytrader]

Well mine did not get to post even, just stuck on error code 32 or 55, i thought you had to use the asus dvd to use the crashfree bios option ? and if you cant post that means you cant even get to the usb stage.

[Mattias_Emmoth]

Not sure if this I right or not. Nothing happens tho.

Downloaded MAXIMUS-VII-HERO-ASUS-1202
I formated the USB to fat32, moved the renamed the file using brenamer to M8H.cap.

Placed the USB in the flashport on the back.
Pressed the flashbutton. The led started to flash.
After a while the computer rebooted it self just to halt on nothing. The only thing that happened is that the cpu fans are working.

Then it sits there.

What now?

Try a diffrent bios??

Just bought the damn thing like a month or two.

[Daytrader]

Mattias_Emmoth wrote:
Not sure if this I right or not. Nothing happens tho.

Downloaded MAXIMUS-VII-HERO-ASUS-1202
I formated the USB to fat32, moved the renamed the file using brenamer to M8H.cap.

Placed the USB in the flashport on the back.
Pressed the flashbutton. The led started to flash.
After a while the computer rebooted it self just to halt on nothing. The only thing that happened is that the cpu fans are working.

Then it sits there.

What now?

Try a diffrent bios??

Just bought the damn thing like a month or two.

Exactly what happend to me on my 2 hero boards, but i got a error 55, both boards sent back and confirmed broken, so got a ranger viii instead and all good now.