windows update forces bios flashing

Question

windows update forces bios flashing

Anonymous

Hello,

I'm using an ASUS GL502vs.

Last year (june) i already had this problem with 1903

windows update flashes my bios (why the hell windows should do that, its my hardware, not windows property, especially without my knowledge or consent) to replace the 302 version for the 306 version

on startup it stick to the ROG logo and doesnt boot nor can acess the bios

problem (and it takes a lot of time to find and understand it, even if no one wants to loose time because of the unproper update that you cant refuse... and for people with no knowledge of harware/pc what is their choice? go to the shop?:

the 306 version apparently cannot boot with an SSD and the m2 drive (thx asus for putting such a loosy bios update but its a different problem)

solution: revert to 1806 and reflashing the 302 version (wich is an hell, since your "your bios file is too old) and block update hoping that either asus or windows would do something good: an update should not bring problem bigger than the few thing it fixes or the layout changing.

so far so good...

yesterday i saw that my laptop windows update forces itself to install without my consent (don't tell me about activity time, if i don't want an update that make problems i should be able to refuse it) the 1909 version since the 1809 is soon to be not supported etc etc

and of course today morning after restart the laptop was stuck again on the ROG logo. the 306 version had been installed once again without my consent (by the way knowing how sensitive flashing can be what is the responsability of Microsoft if any damaged occured to flashing the bios for wich i never consented?)

mad and once again i had to remove the ssd, try to find again the solution, but with this 1909 version i cannot find a way to block from flashing on restart.

so my question after this long setup is quite simple:

HOW CAN I PREVENT WINDOWS UPDATE FROM FLASHING MY BIOS?

is there a regkey to do ? something?

thanks by advance, i'm already so mad to have lost many hours again, on something that is not properly done again, on wich i cannot even have control

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6 answers

Answer 1

We are seeing this in a corporate environment.

We have Windows updates controlled by SCCM and yet we have random Lenovo machines getting the 1909 feature update from Windows Update and it is forcing a UEFI BIOS flash as part of the upgrade. We have an admin password required to flash the BIOS so it is failing and we are finding these machines in the process of getting updated. Obviously does not apply to you specifically, but here is a KB from Lenovo explaining that M$ is requiring this as part of the feature update:

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht510206-bios-is-updated-automatically-by-windows-update-thinkpad/

Answer 2

that is not entirely true. windows can't flash bios, but windows can force you to go to uefi should you restart, and then updates itself

Yes windows can, windows update will download and install a UEFI BIOS update if it is available. It happened to my XPS laptop last week and now I wont run win10 without shutup10 installed and blocking the update domains on my router. My laptop was already fairly low on battery and not plugged in, once again cant trust windows 10 with anything.

Answer 3

Not only do updates not flash your BIOS, they could not do this even if they wanted to, because motherboard firmware is flashed outside Windows.

Thanks for your fast answer but if you don't know, plz just don't try, i wonder even if you read it... I know what is flashing bios, first time i did it was in 2003 and i am as mad as surprised that updates flash your bios:

exemple i just did it again (while trying to find a solution on how blocking this update):

i downgrade my bios to version 302. I boot, everything is fine i have my windows booting on the m2 and the ssd here.

i reboot (still on version 302), a small windows notification "your pc has to restart --- system firmware"

the next reboot, rog screen, then Asus flash utilitly erasing 302 and installing 306

then reboot: blocked on rog screen

==> the version 306 flashes by itself on reboot and this version on bios is not able to even boot with an ssd and an M2 (asus problem, maybe but here its windows who force a sensitive modification of my hardware without consent or control)

the same thing as i explained from last year

what i want: just my pc working as usual,

what you could help: find a solution such as a regedit something to prevent the build 19xx to force the flashing of my bios

find how and where this flashing take place (ie where are the files it uses) so maybe i can lure the version

this annoying stuff was similar last year and the solution i had was to downgrade windows build to 1806

The windows updates now can flash.

Answer 4

It seems insane that Asus and Windows would do this. Hence Bulldog's understandable skepticism.

Have you tried manually flashing to 309, if applicable to your machine?

See Marc Liptrot's answer on this thread.

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?111436-GL502VSK-Bricked-BIOS-Update

I have no expertise on this, I just did an internet search.

Answer 5

Anonymous

Not only do updates not flash your BIOS, they could not do this even if they wanted to, because motherboard firmware is flashed outside Windows.

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windows update forces bios flashing

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