G73 209 Keyboard success rate

Ok everyone!

I plan on updating the BIOS on mine through the boot option and a usb thumb stick. Going from 206 to 209 and NOT using the windows flasher.

My question is this.

Has anyone lost there keyboard lights when using this method or are the only ones losing the keyboard backlights using the windows bios flasher?

 

I believe I've seen a few posts (between here and the Asus boards) stating keyboard backlighting was lost when updating via this method.

I already went through two RMAs that started because of this...One BIOS update ate the lights...another update bricked it...needless to say, I'm afraid to update the BIOS

 

Via flashing from the hdd, and flashing the 206 bios. Those were the major methods that caused the kb backlighting to die.

USB thumbdrive flashing to 209 has a pretty high success rate imo.

 

While I agree, I meant the method mentioned by the person I replied to

I want to see lots more success before I won't be afraid. Plus, so far it fixes nothing that affects me.

 

I thought that too initially, since I keep my laptop connected to AC all the time.

But then spamming Fn+Esc was strangely cathartic.

I was just doing a summation of the many, many pages here in the forums. Way too many people afflicted with tl;dr nowadays. lol

 

Totally off topic, but every time I glance at your avatar, it reminds me of the flying face thingies (forget what they're called) that always sneak up on me in Serious Sam HD...gives me the willies LOL

 

I just find it plain disturbing <shiver>

Cheers,

 

So far so good on the kb lights.

 

I did make sure I turned all the lights off with the button before I shut down, but no idea if that's needed... couldn't hurt though, and yes, my update went just fine using flash drive and ezflash in bios

 

so is flashing directly using HDD not recommended?

 

Most anons would.

 

Considering how there were more bricked reports using that method opposed to the flash drive method, that's the consensus.

 

Seeing as more people are having success by putting the bios update on a USB thumb drive, and flashing off it, I would say that's definitely the way to go.

It really doesn't add anymore time or complexity to the whole process.

 

While there are no guarantees, please click here for the method others and myself used.

 

USB thumbdrive flashing to 209 and all good here

 

Used the USB thumbdrive method, safe and easy. Updated from 206 which was the stock BIOS that came with mine. Turn off keyboard lights before flashing though, just a precautionary step

 

I used the USB method through the EZ Flash utility in the BIOS and updated from 206 to 209 with no issues. Keyboard lights worked before and after. Good luck with your update.

 

My model shipped with BIOS 204.

Updated though the BIOS flasher and USB.

209 working great with working KB lights!

 

To me it looks a bit strange, because I updated 206Bios to 209 using Winflash and from a hard drive. Everything was working very well including the kb ligths...

 

One of the things I really don't understand........how some owners don't experience a particular issue, but others do.

Whats with that? Are Asus standards/checks so lax? Or what causes this kind of thing?

 

I did the same and have had no problems.

 

"I updated 206Bios to 209 using Winflash"

You said it right there. It seems that winflash is the issue here.

I havent heard one person that did it with EZ flash that lost KB lighting.

 

It's just that WinFlash is more prone to corrupting settings than using the BIOS application. Let's face it: you don't want interruptions during the flash, and you're running Windows, the world's biggest interrupt.

 

One possible explanation could be that folks aren't rebooting before using WinFlash. Maybe they're use to closing one application and just starting another, but WinFlash isn't just another application. That's why in my quick instructions I have you shut the laptop down. It's kind of like starting at zero. The problem with WinFlash is it needs windows and that is more like starting at 70.

However, in no way am I saying that someone should reboot in order to use WinFlash. If you're going to reboot, then use Easy Flash as outlined in the quick instructions. I think the odds of a successful flash improve doing it this way.