[SOLVED] eSIO update failed at 75% - PRO Z890-P likely bricked

[yaregi]

I have just updated eSIO FW to v2 on my Z890-P and decided to use a USB drive (+ the instructions on the MSI website) after reading some reports of failed updates via MSI Center.

The update process started right after boot, and "Device ID 1" was updated quickly. When it got to "Device ID 2" though, the first part of the process went through but it then got stuck for a few minutes at 75 % and ended up with an error - no cables were removed during the process etc.

I was not able to run the script again and the system only rebooted once without getting to BIOS (and no troubleshooting LED after I opened the case while it was still on). It then shut down after a while and has not been able to boot since then - incl. a 5+ minutes shutdown as per the instructions, CMOS reset etc..

It seems like the board is bricked and is RMA material, and I have now found some reports of users with the same issue.

Before I bring it back, I just wanted to check whether anybody is aware of any possible solution how to get it to post again.

Thanks!

 

[citay]

How about using the Flash BIOS Button to blindly flash the latest BIOS on there?

1. Download the latest BIOS from the MSI support site for your board and extract it.
2. Take a USB stick and format it to FAT32 (it's best for it to have a size of 32 GB or less).
3. Rename the extracted (!) BIOS file to MSI.ROM and save it to the root of your USB flash drive / USB stick (not in a subfolder).
4. Plug the USB flash drive / USB stick that contains the MSI.ROM file into the marked Flash BIOS Port (!) on the rear I/O panel.
5. With the PC off (!), press the Flash BIOS Button, and the LED should start flashing for about 5-8 minutes and then the board reboots.
Anything drastically different (under a minute of flashing, or over 10 minutes of flashing) and the flashing didn't work, so you can abort and try with the next USB stick.

 

[yaregi]

Thanks for the reply - the eSIO (super I/O chip) FW and BIOS are two separate entities. A failed flash of the former renders the whole board unusable and not fixable by the user - as confirmed by MSI support when I asked them the question in the opening post (+ the answer was immediate as soon as I mentioned an eSIO update).

I got a new board from the retailer and the update went smoothly (using the same method as the failed one).

As super I/O chips do not handle USB interfaces, my original hypothesis that the interface might have gotten cut during the update seems unlikely + there are reports of bricked boards when updated via MSI Center too. It therefore seems like there is no advice beyond "hoping for the best" when performing the update.