!!! Warning: Z490 boards - problem with recent BIOS updates !!!

[harvey_rile14fc02d3]

Good evening @citay i bought my Z490 gaming wifi board back in 2020 with a 3080 FE and I7 10700k. It is a perfectly working system but have never updated the Bios. i would like to eventually run windows 11 and use the bios update features like RE bar for 30 series G cards But!.... i cannot help but be put off from all the re search i have done with what has gone on with these mothers boards..... I am also struggling to understand from this comment in your first post how i can feel positive to update the bios.

"One final word: It is important not to be put off from doing BIOS updates altogether by this. BIOS updates fix bugs, add new features, and they even improve performance. It is extremely rare that a whole line of mainboard models has such a potential problem. So, nobody should conclude never to do any BIOS updates again, that would be the wrong thing to learn from this. Instead, once this problem is fixed for..."

Any advice what i should do, has the problem been fixed by MSI? if not why haven't they recalled these products...!

 

[pjmb]

I apologize for the intrusion, the problem was neither resolved nor taken over by MSI, at least in all the reports here and elsewhere that I read.
After my contact with MSI I never received confirmation of this problem or safe suggestion and always evasion by words of the subject, by the support.
What the user @citay refers to has its logic and should not, by definition, scare users, because as he rightly stated, bios updates,
in addition to compatibility and new features, solve general problems and other pending situations for certain users.
In the initial post, bios update options are pointed out and recently I took the risk and updated my Z490 Gaming Plus to the latest version, reported a few posts ago.
It is only the user who will have to decide what is best for him and for his needs.

 

[citay]

Yes, as @pjmb has just replied (although he confusingly did so within the quotation), i cannot guarantee for everything to go smoothly. It was never officially fixed, although we seem to have had a lot more cases within a certain timespan in the past, and not so many anymore now, suggesting the risk may be lower with the current Z490 updates. So if you want to have features like Resizable BAR, you're just gonna have to update to the latest version and hope for the best. There is always a way to recover from a corrupt BIOS, even if you have to resort to the external flash programmer, but it's doable. So even for those people who suffer from the problem, the board won't be a write-off.

I personally would do the update, but only if i had a second system for the worst case. As for having to recover by flashing the BIOS with the external programming device, i wouldn't mind it, it's something new to learn and i could post here about it and help others with it, having done it myself. So, i would personally go straight ahead with the update and hope for the best, but that's just me. And it's only theoretical, as i currently have a Z590 (with a Z690 system being built soon), so they're not in danger and they all have a Flash BIOS Button...

 

[harvey_rile14fc02d3]

Interesting reply with a lot of positives that make me hopeful! I will think about it though before I go ahead and update.

Would you still say go ahead and update it, if i have one perfectly awesome system, which is my only system i use for gaming, browsing and everything else in-between!?

 

[citay]

I would want to have a backup plan at least. A second system which i could use to get the first one going again, should the worst happen. Even if it's some older notebook or something. I build PCs for people, so i always have several systems and notebooks lying around, pretty much ready to use. So for me it would be an inconvenience if something like that were to happen, but i wouldn't be helpless.

 

[Giovaz]

MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS
Bios: A.70 to A.C0
CPU:I9 10900K
M-Flashed by MSI center
Bios brikked. Rma now...

Very bad MSI.. very bad.

 

[elafranc43b7062a]

MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS
Bios: A.70 to A.C0
CPU:I9 10900K
M-Flashed by MSI center
Bios brikked. Rma now...

Very bad MSI.. very bad.

I recommend whenever possible to never ever flash a bios through windows. I also used the MSI software and bricked my bios twice on an AMD B550 BUT my board has a bios flashback button to easily update and fix the bios. I 100% recommend to update the firmware through the bios menu for everyone that does not have a "flashback" option. It is always far safer updating firmware using the bios updater.

I do computer repair as a hobby and had also as a registered business... Currently a full time electrician.

 

[elafranc43b7062a]

Good evening @citay i bought my Z490 gaming wifi board back in 2020 with a 3080 FE and I7 10700k. It is a perfectly working system but have never updated the Bios. i would like to eventually run windows 11 and use the bios update features like RE bar for 30 series G cards But!.... i cannot help but be put off from all the re search i have done with what has gone on with these mothers boards..... I am also struggling to understand from this comment in your first post how i can feel positive to update the bios.

"One final word: It is important not to be put off from doing BIOS updates altogether by this. BIOS updates fix bugs, add new features, and they even improve performance. It is extremely rare that a whole line of mainboard models has such a potential problem. So, nobody should conclude never to do any BIOS updates again, that would be the wrong thing to learn from this. Instead, once this problem is fixed for..."

Any advice what i should do, has the problem been fixed by MSI? if not why haven't they recalled these products...!

I recommend to never ever flash a bios through windows.
Update the firmware through the bios menu, it is always far safer updating firmware using the bios updater.
I bricked my own board twice using the Windows software but my motherboard has a bios flash back button that yours does not which means I can fix my bios easily without any special tools.

 

[Giovaz]

I recommend whenever possible to never ever flash a bios through windows. I also used the MSI software and bricked my bios twice on an AMD B550 BUT my board has a bios flashback button to easily update and fix the bios. I 100% recommend to update the firmware through the bios menu for everyone that does not have a "flashback" option. It is always far safer updating firmware using the bios updater.

I do computer repair as a hobby and had also as a registered business... Currently a full time electrician.

Yes, I see. but in my opinion in this series it is just a corrupted bios problem or something else. also update bios with usb port to brikk. msi doesn't fix anything and does no assistance. They told me I have to contact the seller. My warranty expires in 2 months.

 

[dromidon15da02e5]

Good day to all! I have a Z490-A PRO motherboard and want to update the bios to version 7C75v2C. But it is still not clear how safe it is. Are there many people here who used the AFUWINx64 program to update the BIOS? Is this considered the safest way to update the BIOS?

 

[pjmb]

Good day to all! I have a Z490-A PRO motherboard and want to update the bios to version 7C75v2C. But it is still not clear how safe it is. Are there many people here who used the AFUWINx64 program to update the BIOS? Is this considered the safest way to update the BIOS?

See my post, had success using SVET mode: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?...-with-recent-bios-updates.367575/post-2168557

 

[clough160102eb]

The problem is linked to a Z490 chipset exclusively, hence most cases with "K" CPUs. Your deduction followed a natural path. I believed at one moment it only afflicted 10th gen CPUs, which would also be a natural assumption – until 11th gen cases appeared.

An update on my issue. I ended up doing an RMA and they gave me a full refund
Sent it off in Jan and didn't hear anything for a couple months. Emailed them for an update and MSI told me to contact the place of purchase.
I contacted them and they gave me a full refund without question!
Happy with that

 

[andre.sevinat154302d8]

Hello guys,
I just joined the party.
It’s a shame I did not see this earlier than I tried to update :/


Date of failed flashing: 30 March 2023
Affected board model: MSI z490 GAMING PLUS MPG
CPU: i5 10400f
Flashing method used: MSI Center
Attempted update to BIOS version: 7C75vAC
Result: Stuck at EZ Debug LED "CPU" after update.

 

[fteke19215b502e5]

Is there a problem with the 7C75v2E bios version of the Z490-A PRO motherboard?
I'm thinking of buying. I don't want to worry about bios. If the bios is bad, I'm thinking of buying a Gigabyte Z590 D. but the Z490-A PRO is in the first place.

 

[pjmb]

Yes, the same issue happens with that model.... if care to read a bit the list of "victims", you would know this

EDIT: In the 2nd post of this thread there Z490-A victim...
Seems that its more the percentage fails than 1rst try out success...what else can we say....

Mine is also in the list of victims and i had lucky in the update, also bought used with very earlier bios version.

What do you want... no one can assure you, take the risk or not, simple.

 

[fteke19215b502e5]

i wanted to ask after reading that some have successfully updated

 

[Svet]

Is there a problem with the 7C75v2E bios version of the Z490-A PRO motherboard?

Works fine here:

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/forum-uefi-shell-flash-tool-v1-26-for-msi-boards-%E2%9C%94.343010/post-2181652

Flashed with >>Forum UEFI Shell Flash Tool<< with BIOS + ME update.,
Z490-A PRO from 7C75v23 to 7C75v2E

Also been tested MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE,
BIOS 7C70v1C with the flash tool, BIOS+ME works fine.
[M-Flash also worked fine to update it]

 

[dromidon15da02e5]

It seems that I noticed that updating from the earliest version of the BIOS occurs almost without errors? Or is it an illusion?

 

[pjmb]

I wouldnt take a chance on that... use SVET tool, i didnt take the risk on mine and used his tool.

 

[callum110915e002f0]

After a while of debating whether or not to attempt to update my bios to the newest version, I decided to finally update my z490 Gaming Edge Wifi board to Version 7C79v1C using Svet's UEFI Shell Flash Tool with succession. Thank you Svet!