x58 Platinum - problems flashing the bios

[Byysyy]

I have a x58 Platinum with bios version 1.0 and I wanted to flash it to 1.5.  I downloaded the 1.5 bios from MSI's website and the bios flashing utility inside the folder says it does not work with my operating system (Vista 32bit.)  So I put the bios file onto a USB thumb drive and restarted into the bios then went to M-Flash.  When I change the option to update bios and try to point the location to my USB thumbdrive it sees the file and as soon as I highlight it and press enter, the computer freezes for hours.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Frankenputer]

Why do you need to flash?

Are you still able to boot into Windows?  If you can, download the USB flash utility developed here at these forums.  Use that to prepare your USB key and flash from there.  Read the instructions carefully and if you have any questions, ask before performing the flash. 

>>Use the MSI HQ Forum USB flasher<<

 

[NovJoe]

I was also curious why you flash your BIOS?

Is there any problem with the board in the first place?

 

[Byysyy]

I have been having some random problems with the system, and besides the 1.5 bios I am sure would provide much better functionality over 1.0 version.

 

[NovJoe]

So are you able to flash the BIOS after following Mike's instructions?

 

[Saabjock]

I cannot flash my X58 Platinum to the latest BIOS. I go to M-Flash and select BIOS Update...this is where it gets interesting. When I go to Load BIOS source File from...It sees my usb stick as ( USB:USB USB Flash)...but on selecting enter it comes up with two options ...\ (Medias List) and ..\ (previous Folder). I do not get an option or even see the file name (7522v34). I've tried three different memory sticks...same result.

 

[Blaise]

Don't use M-Flash... follow the instructions Mike posted.

 

[Jack the Newbie]

I do not get an option or even see the file name (7522v34).

Of course not.  What you have on your USB Flash Drive is a rar- or zip-archive downloaded from the MSI Product site, not the plain BIOS File. 

 

[Saabjock]

Of course not.  What you have on your USB Flash Drive is a rar- or zip-archive downloaded from the MSI Product site, not the plain BIOS File. 

The files are already unzipped and extracted to the USB zipdrive...so it's not a compressed file. The original BIOS file's name was mentioned in the post above for naming purposes only. The extracted files of significance were in the root of the stick when attempting M-Flash...actually they are four files on the stick, including the how to file.

 

[Jack the Newbie]

The files are already unzipped and extracted to the USB zipdrive...so it's not a compressed file. The original BIOS file's name was mentioned in the post above for naming purposes only.

Well, that wasn't exactly clear in your last post as you explicitely mentioned the file name of the BIOS Archive.  In any case, there is one more problem here:

or even see the file name (7522v34).

and I wanted to flash it to 1.5

The BIOS you but on the stick is actually v3.4 which is for the X58 Platinum SLI-Board, not the non-SLI Version of the X58 Platinum (which uses A7522IMS.1xx Versions (the SLI Version uses A7522IMS.3xx releases).  If you really downloaded 7522v34.zip, you have the wrong BIOS.  As far as I remember the way M-Flash works, it will check the files on the stick and only show file names that match the onboard BIOS Type (e.g. A7522IMS.1xx).  That means if the BIOS File on the stick is A7522IMS.340, M-Flash will not accept it as a compatible BIOS File and don't show it in the list.

WARNING: In any case, I strongly suggest that you do not use the BIOS M-Flash Function to update you BIOS when you still have BIOS v1.0 onboard.  The M-Flash function has a serious bug in that BIOS Release which may cause corruption the BIOS Boot Block Data structure.  There is a high chance that the board will not start anymore when you allow M-Flash to update the BIOS.  The problem was fixed in later BIOS Version, but v1.0 still has it (many users have rendered there boards useless when they used the M-Flash Function with BIOS v1.0.

Please avoid M-Flash at all costs!  Once you have updated your BIOS, there should be no more problems with it and it is safe to use for future BIOS flashes.

If you want to update your BIOS, please >>Use the MSI HQ Forum USB flasher<<.  It is in your own best interest, believe me.

 

[Saabjock]

Thanks Jack...that's good to know. It's a glaring oversight on MSI's part as if you go to the home page for the X58 Platinum (MS-7522) specifically, it does'nt distinguish between the 1.5 BIOS as Platinum (X-fire) only and 3.4 BIOS as Platinum (SLI) only. That's a bad thing. So the 1.5 is the highest for my series, I'll take it?

 

[Jack the Newbie]

It's a glaring oversight on MSI's part as if you go to the home page for the X58 Platinum (MS-7522) specifically, it does'nt distinguish between the Platinum (X-fire) and Platinum (SLI) BIOSes. That's a bad thing.

Well, each v3.x BIOS has the following note: "Version 3.xx supports SLI function." In theory you could use a v3.x BIOS on your board (which will essentially turn your X58 Platinum into an X58 Platinum SLI.  However, you cannot do that with M-Flash unless you rename the BIOS File.

So the 1.5 is the highest for my series, I'll take it?

Yes.