Samsung BIOS Update Problems

Hi John,
I just edited my post from yesterday and would appreciate any thoughts you might have.
Thanks,
Dan Yazbek

 

I always use the Samsung BIOS Update program which you can get from the link in the first post in this thread. Using this program means that the downloading of the update file and then running the update can be two separate processes. It also runs independently of SW Update which had serious performance problems some months back but I thought they had been fixed.

John

 

That option is not available now. No BIOS information at all is available on the Samsung support website. SW Update is the only option now. This is definitely the case for my model. Tech support would not even tell me what issues were addressed by the new BIOS.

 

Did you try running the BIOS Update program I linked to? What does it report?

Regarding changelogs, Samsung have never provided access to them. In fact, I don't think they get shared by HQ with the support people in different countries. While Samsung have made considerable progress with product quality, their support quality is still lagging.

John

 

For no apparent reason, my BIOS updated successfully this morning on the first try, using the SW Update tool, after 30 failed attempts and 30 emails exchanges with tech support over the last 5 days. I didn't change any settings either. Perhaps they fixed the server in Korea. I can now resume my former life.

 

I have tried everyway possible! Nothing seems to be working! Update just keeps saying failed (-10), i also tried the other way, it keeps telling me "Privilege not enough! You must be logged in with administrator privillege in order to update the BIOS. I am the only person that uses this laptop, no one else.

 

Did you try right-clicking on the BIOS update file and selecting "Run as Administrator"? It's all part of Windows UAC trying to protect us from unintentionally running some malware.

John

 

Hello John, yes i tried it everyway you mentioned in your first post,driving me bonkers now lol. I'll keep trying.

 

Hi all. My first post.

Which bios version are you installing?
I have a new Samsung laptop (NP350V5C) with Bios version P03ABE (Aptio Setup Utility). Cpu fan is quite noisy even when cpu is idle (but really I don't know if it's abnormal or not) so I would try to update the bios version to see if I fix it.
Bios Update utility inform me there is a new Bios version (P07ABE) but anywhere I can see the changelog. Before install it I'd like to read the changelog.

Where I can read it? Has anyone already installed this bios version?

Thanks

 

Samsung don't publish change logs. You can ask the Samsung support people in your country if they know the details, but I don't think they have access to the routine change logs.

John

 

Thanks.
That to not publish change logs I think it's stupid. Should we update bios blindly?
Has anyone installed that bios version?

 

Yes, 5 days ago I updated from BIOS ver P03ABE to P07ABE, on my NP350E7C-A01US, using SW Update, and it has been working fine. Although it took me 5 days to have a successful SW Update. (see my last post). Now, the only problem I started having since yesterday is getting the error message "Support Center Agent has stopped working" every time I start Support Center. However, the tool seems to run correctly and report no problems found. I had an online chat with Samsung's S Service tool and was assured that they have had a server problem for 2 days and many other customers have reported the same problem.

 

Thanks a lot.
Did you see any substantial change with new Bios? I see you have an almost similar laptop model to mine (NP350V5C-S08IT). Has your laptop noisy fan too?

 

No I didn't see any change, but since the notification message only mentioned something like "more stable operation", I didn't expect much of a change. In fact, I'm not even sure the operation is any more stable. For example, yesterday the Adobe Reader wasn't working properly and couldn't be closed. So I then restarted the PC and it stayed in the restarting state forever. Then my only option was to hold down the power button until the PC powered off. I then powered up, logged on and opened Adobe Reader, checked for updates, installed one, which required a restart, so I did and everything is now working. This wasn't the first time the PC hanged in the restarting state. Fortunately, forcing power-down by the power button has always worked without any corruption that I know of. Have you ever had your PC hang in the restarting state?

 

Hello Guy's, still having no luck!! Tried and re tried all the options, i am trying to go from 08QA to 09QA. I right click and select "run as admin" but nothing happens! All i get is a coupls of seconds of spinning blue circles then nothing!! Do anyone have Samsung email i could contact them on please? Thanks.

 

There's a link on this Samsung Canada support page.

John

 

No, I never had that problem.

 

My solution to the bios update problems is quite novel: I don't update the bios.

 

Hello John, I have emailed Samsung support, outlining my concerns, lets see what they come back with.

I received a very quick reply from Samsung, they told me to try everything you already mentioned in your posts, i explained i already have with no luck. I also mentioned i only use my Lappy for internet,pic etc not for work, so they advised me if i am having no issues with my unit to leave it until the next update comes round. So i shall do this.

 

Hi all! I really need help. I have a Samsung NP540U3C-A01UB laptop running Windows 8. I accidentally updated the Bios when I was doing the SW updates. I want planning on updating because I only update things I need. Now my laptop won't boot. After the update it restarted itself and is stuck on the bios boot menu. I don't know much about boot menus but I tried everything I could find online and it won't go past the boot menu. I tried resetting it as well using the hole on the bottom with no luck. Also I only have one HDD drive listed in the boot menu but I also have a 24GB SSD drive installed that it's not recognizing. Please help! I've only had the laptop a month & don't want it to be ruined.

 

I can't suggest anything other than calling Samsung tech support at 1-800-726-7864. Please tell me what bios versions you updated from and to, because I just got a notification on my NP350E7C-A01US that a new BIOS version P08ABE is available for improved stability. If you updated to that version, I would be very hesitant to do to so.

 

Probably because the bios update set something to the default value. Check in your bios, in the boot section, the value about the uefi/legacy SO and set it to uefi. Make sure to exit bios saving changes.

 

I have just updated to this version (after a few days of waiting for Samsung's servers to let me get it). No issues other than I had to reactivate Windows 8 by phone.

 

I just updated from P07ABE to P08ABE with SW Update, after 7 days of trying, and it installed without a hitch.

 

Re Samsung Bios update problem

Dear anyone,

I have a 2009 NP-x360 and have just tried to update the bios to the variant currently on the samsung web site (run as an.exe from the desk top)

seemed to go ok during the install, however windows 7 will no longer boot (gets to black start up screen with windows written on it) then crashes out of the process.

bios will open up I have tried the reset to defaults option and save, does not change anything

I have tried the automatic "let windows fix this for you to" to no result.

I have tried to roll back to a previous system restore point to no result

I am now out of good ideas, does anyone have a solution ?

many thanks for any help you are able to offer.

 

The disk access mode comes to mind. I think 2009 was in the era when the hardware was switching over from IDE to AHCI so there's a 50% chance that the default in your BIOS (and the upgrade automatically applies the defaults) isn't the same as what Windows was installed for. The result is that Windows starts, loads the wrong driver for the HDD and can then get no further because it can't read the disk.

If it's not IDE/AHCI then it's another setting relating to the disk access mode. I recall the Windows on my Dell E6400 being pre-installed with drivers for both modes. Look through the BIOS setup and see what you can find.

John

 

John,

Many thanks for your help, I hunted round the bios but was unable to find any setting which got me further in on the original installation. however I tried a new clean install from a win dvd which booted from the bios as expected. The new clean installation worked, but I had to reinstall everything ! As always backups are king! I can only think that the bios updater corrupted something in the original windows installation preventing it booting.

thanks again.

 

hi everyone
i have a smasung series 5 np530u3c
yesterday i updated my bios using the sw update program after trying for many days, i think everything went fine but then it restarted and took me to the boot menu screen where is shows my hard drive but when i press enter nothing happens, i have tried tweaking with all the settings of the bios and i have also deleted and recreated my partitions and reinstalled windows 8 but to no avail

the bios verion is P12AAJ
micom version is P12AAJ

is there is way i can reinstall this bios using ocmpand promt? because that about the only thing thats working on this machine, or can i download my bios

really stressed cause its not working!

 

See this thread for advice about how to downgrade the BIOS.

However, I wonder if the cause is that the BIOS update changed some settings. See this post for some more trouble-shooting suggestions.

John

 

Thank for your reply John
I have tried almost everything even the CMOS battery tweak but to no a ail my bios settings and like you want them to be I am posting a video of what my laptop is doing

Samsung - YouTube

Could this be from a partial or corrupt installation of the bios?

 

Dear all,

Who ever has experienced same problem, please try the following:

In the boot menu, there is OS Mode Selection or UEFI Boot Support.
In case you have OS Mode Selection, choose " UEFI and Legacy OS". Make sure you disable Secure Boot first.
In case you have " UEFI Boot Support", disable it.
Now save and exit.
This has worked with me after updating BIOS of Samsung "350V5C-S0B"

 

Hello ,

i am in desperate need for some help.
I received yesterday my new Samsung 900x4d and at some point during the day the sw update asked me for a bios update. The update started and after a restart i heard a beeping sound and the message at the screen was that the update was successful and i should press any key to continue. After pressing any key the laptop never turned on.

I tried everything (disconnecting the battery , holding the power button , holding the battery ) but nothing.
When i try to turn on the laptop the fan starts to work for 1 second and then stops , the power button stays blue and nothing happens. I am kinda freaking out because i waited a long time for this laptop and i don't want to get involved with samsung services (it would take long time) . I bought the laptop from ebay.

I read somewhere about disconnecting the bios battery. Do you think it will work?

Thanks, i appreciate any help!

 

@konst: It's unclear whether it's a failed BIOS update or the update changing settings that makes everything, including the BIOS setup, inaccessible. Is your machine Windows 7 or Windows 8?

Resetting the CMOS might work although most instances of bricking seem to result in return to Samsung for a board swap (which should be a same day turn-round in the service centre). The other steps you could try are (i) removing / replacing the RAM (one module at a time) in case, coincidentally, there's a RAM problem (which will give the symptom you describe) and removing the SSD (which might let you get to the BIOS setup).

John

 

Hello John , thanks for the reply.

The machine has Windows 8. It is weird because the message was that the bios was successfully updated...

I tried to disconnect the bios battery but still the same. Do i need to wait some time with the bios battery disconnected or is there some other way to reset the CMOS?

The laptop contains only one Ram module . Should i remove it and try to power it up so i can get to the bios? And what happens to my warranty now that i opened the laptop ?

Sorry for the many questions .

 

It may well have been successfully updated but changed some settings that mean that the BIOS can no longer find the hardware when it starts, so it sits there sulking.

After removing the CMOS battery (and making sure the main battery and PSU are also disconnected) hold down the power button for a minute. Somewhere there was a further suggestion about waiting two days but I can't find the original post, so disregard that.

The BIOS will not start without any RAM. However, remove and replace the module in case it needs reseating (a bad contact is the equivalent of no RAM). You can try removing the SSD. That should not be necessary to boot the BIOS (but I'm not certain about how the UEFI, Secure Boot and the storage device interact).

Don't break anything, put it back together and don't tell Samsung that you have been inside. They don't do a forensic check when the computer is received for service.

John

 

Unfortunately nothing worked. Same behavior. I am leaving it disconnected (CMOS and battery unplugged) until Monday (i will try again then) and then i will contact Samsung Service (the one thing i wanted to avoid).

i can't believe that all this was initiated from a bios update!

Thank you John for your help!

 

These bricking problems only started after the introduction of Windows 8 and UEFI. I suspect the update changed a setting which it should have left in the previous state. I know that the updates always change the Battery Life Extender to off and they probably, unnecessarily, changes something UEFI-related that leaves the BIOS in a state of confusion.

John

 

i can't reboot my laptop samsung np350v 05c until i do it manually and when i try to update my bios i receive this" your bios is new than your
update" please help me

 

See this thread about downgrading the BIOS. You may be able to use the guidance to manually force a BIOS update. Read the whole thread before you try anything.

John

 

please where is this guidance

 

Click on "this thread" in my previous post or find it on the Sticky List.

John

 

hey there, I'm trying to update my bios everytime I do I get the message winflash.exe for uefi has stopped working. I've used Biosupdate.exe and run as adminstrator but it still gives me the same message. same goes with SW updater. samsung model: NP300E5A-S01CA. My current bio version 03QA. trying to update to 09QA please help!

 

It seems from here that other Series 3 owners have had BIOS update problems.

It may be worthwhile following the guidance in this thread to download and try to install an intermediate BIOS version. Perhaps the jump from version 3 to version 9 is too big.

John

 

hold on, I don't think I fully understand the concept here. "Roll Back"? I'm not trying to downgrade but to upgrade.

 

Sorry for unintentionally confusing you. I'm not suggesting you go back to the original BIOS but you can use the guidance in that thread to download an intermediate BIOS version (I would suggest 06QA) and try to install it. The smaller version jump may improve the likelihood of success.

John

 

hey, the 06QA update was not there on the itemlist he linked. I tried updating it to 04QA and 05QA still nothing. I'm still not sure what to do. Was I suppose to get the bio files name, then download it and update it? I still keep on getting the "Winflash.exe for UEFI has stopped working"

 

I see the mention of UEFI. Are you running Windows 7 without UEFI or Windows 8 with UEFI (or some other combination)?

John

 

I'm not sure. Is there anyway to check. and I'm on Windows 7

 

Depending on how old your PC is, it is either under Advanced in BIOS or under SecureBoot. You enter BIOS by pressing F2 right after you power on. If your PC was delivered with Win7, and if you have not changed UEFI yourself, it is likely still disabled. Do NOT enable it in that case!

For a moment I was thinking maybe your BIOS updater is a new version that assumes you are running a new UEFI-enabled model -- and unable to run properly because you are not.

If you use the BIOSUpdate.exe from Samsung's download page for the NP300E5A-S01CA model that should not be the issue. It's dated 2011.11.24 -- before Samsung begang with UEFI models. And it should still offer the latest firmware available for your model.

As John often points out, it is safer to save the BIOS file locally and running it outside BIOSUpdate.exe.

The only other thing I can think of, is the fact that you are running BIOSUpdate as Administrator: I understand the logic, but if it spawns a process to run the actual update file, maybe that fails. Try and change your account to Admin Type (if it isn't already) then run it normally (NOT as Administrator). That's how I run BIOSUpdate on my Sammy.

That's all I got

 

Still doesn't work, I've tried it. Made a new admin user to run the bios update, nothing. I'm still not sure about the "Admin Type", I've got two options when I create a new user Standard and Administrator.

also, during the update, it stops at micom updates



View attachment 95733


not sure if this is helpful but it says this with the winflash stopped working