This file is not efi bios. Why does an EFI "BIOS" update break the EFI boot manager? One Solution collect form web for “Why does updating the EFI “BIOS” break the EFI boot manager?”
Such motherboards ah to update the BIOS it is most convenient to use special utility ASUS EZ Flash 2 is already built into the motherboard.
If your ASUS device is implemented on more than old version BIOS (without ASUS EZ Flash utility), please refer to How to flash ASUS BIOS (AFUDOS utility)
Step-by-step instructions for flashing (updating) BIOS using ASUS EZ Flash 2:
Before flashing, be sure to take care of the electrical supply of the device. If the system is powered down during the flashing process, the BIOS will be corrupted. So try to connect your PC to the source uninterruptible power supply or fully charge the battery (in case of laptop firmware)
1. First you need to download the appropriate version of the BIOS firmware from the official ASUS website and save it on an external media (from which the firmware will be carried out) in unzipped form (often with the .CAB extension)
2. Enter the BIOS. To do this, restart the device and hold down the DEL button when turning it on (to personal computers) or F2 (for laptops).
3. Having checked current version BIOS switch to the advanced properties tab by pressing the "Advanced mode" button or pressing F7.
4. In advanced BIOS mode, go to the tab "Tool" (Service)
5. On the service tab, select the ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility
6. In the interface of the ASUS EZ Flash 2 program, check the current BIOS version again and then select the prepared media with the firmware on the left side of the screen. Select the file of the new BIOS version on the right side of the screen.
7. Confirm consent to check the firmware file.
8. After checking, you need to agree to the BIOS firmware.
9. Wait for the end of the firmware process (the process progress bar is displayed below).
10. After a successful BIOS flashing, a message will appear prompting you to reboot. Agree by clicking OK.
11. At the first start after flashing the BIOS, the system will prompt you to perform the initial setup. It is necessary to check the current BIOS version - it must match the one selected for the firmware. Press F1 and make the desired setting or just exit the settings.
This completes the ASUS motherboard BIOS firmware.
Accepted a new version UEFI 2.1b. Perhaps this fact does not mean much to most users, but very soon the availability of EFI support for the new motherboard will be an important argument in favor of its purchase. After the recent news about the "transition to EFI" by Microstar - this word ( EFI) again, as a few years ago, became popular. Now, apparently, seriously and for a long time. Therefore, it makes sense to describe - where did he (she / it) come from, who is he and what will happen to him - more about this.
EFI (Extensible F irmware Interface), the "revolutionary" replacement for the BIOS - is the product of the failed total "itaniumization" on the part of Intel, when ten years ago it warned everyone that after a successful transition to 32-bit applications, there would be a sharp the same successful transition to 64-bit is coming. And not just a transition, but a complete rejection of support for the "morally obsolete" x86 platform. The absolute dominance at that time in the field of processor building was perceived by the company's marketers, that the IT community would happily swallow the proposed ideology, which was terribly expensive from all points of view, when support for "old" applications worked in emulation mode, which resulted in scandalously low performance at orders of magnitude higher price .
Supposed overthrower x86 - Itanium (aka Merced nee) - having never been able to work in 16-bit mode, and therefore the standard BIOS did not suit him - after all, having exchanged his second decade by that time, he was designed exclusively for Real Mode. As a result, we had to come up with something new. The bay horse of engineering thought gnawed at the bridle and beat with hooves, therefore, for a revolutionary processor on a revolutionary platform, a revolutionary BIOS was also developed, called for greater revolution - "EFI" (for English connoisseurs like me, I report - it reads like "ifay", and not "efi", therefore it is more correct to write "EFI-th" than "EFI-th").
However, the slogans a la "Let's hit the rambus on the drama" and "Give the country gigahertz!" led to a bust, while the competitor drew an ace to the top ten. It is possible to write off advertising money for a failed itaniumization company, but I didn’t want to write off the developed software for it. After all, it’s true, it’s revolutionary. However, it was not realistic to sell the "revolution" at least for how much - it really turned out to be, and it was not necessary for nothing. Therefore, the discovery of EFI sources that no one needed did not give any tangible consequences. After all, if Intel ran the hardware, then Phoenix ran the BIOS (every three out of four computers, who don’t know, run under its control). And Phoenix has its own not the worst (read - in places much better) developments, albeit on a "rotten" BIOS structure. Therefore, one gesture “take it for free from the master's shoulder” - it turned out to be clearly not enough. And even Phoenix’s competitors, represented by AMI and Insyde, who sharply supported EFI, did not make the weather and the “ifaization” declared at the time, by 2004, went to the same place where the next “revolutionary” BTX platform went (remember this one?), Which was supposed to be “ change" ATX (I remember very well - for a year now I can not buy a cooler for one of the BTX boards due to its "popularity"). I had to use deck artillery - connect Microsoft to this. After all, it is one thing to tempt users to change the old computer with the call “It will be better”, and another thing is “Otherwise it will not work”.
By common efforts (carrot sticks), finally, at the beginning of 2006, Phoenix said the first “well, yes” to the already numerous promoters of the EFI standard, which by that time had mutated into UEFI. And last year, when the steam locomotive of Chinese computer thought, gaining momentum, distinctly roared that it would leave alone along the “open source” rails (in terms of EFI) - Phoenix finally said “definitely yes”. Therefore, now that the “owner” has allowed, and at the very end of the year Microsoft finally gave birth and (“even”) EFI support in its SP1 for Vista, we can assume the rapid development of solutions for this segment.
What from all this to "simple user"? Yes, especially - nothing. Opportunities a la watch movies "in the BIOS" - have long been implemented, various recovery options from hidden sections, which for some reason is positioned by some as "novelty" regarding EFI-BIOS - is also not news at all. Unless support for disks larger than 2TB expected already this year (limited by the standard MBR) and 4096-byte sectors, however, these things are not difficult to do in the "old" BIOS. However, now no one cares, the presence of EFI on the board "instead of BIOS" is a good additional "trick", why not use it?...
ps Someone will ask the question - what about this "difficult" user who is vigilant about his security and treats "open source" with distrust, considering it only a hotbed of hackers? But this is a completely different story ...
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A big difference. What is UEFI and how is it different from BIOS?
Usually, users do not think about the device of a PC or laptop until it fails. For example, with the word "bios" some users vaguely imagine an archaic blue interface, which does not support mouse control. For most users, it's just another computer abbreviation, from which the head is already spinning. In general, few people have heard about UEFI, and only a select few know how it differs from BIOS.
Briefly: what is the difference between BIOS and UEFI
BIOS- base system I/O ( English Basic Input/Output System), which is stored on the computer's motherboard. The BIOS starts working immediately when the PC is turned on, the system starts the hardware components and the program for Windows boot or other operating system.
The BIOS was developed back in 1975, when no one could even imagine HDD for 2 TB. Today, this is the usual amount of memory for home computer. BIOS does not support hard disks of such a volume is one of the reasons why UEFI is gradually replacing it.
Newer computers use UEFI - Universal Extensible Firmware Interface ( English Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), but it is still called "bios" in the old fashioned way, so as not to confuse users once again. UEFI is modern solution, which supports larger hard drives, loads faster, has a clear GUI and supports mouse control!
Why do you need a BIOS?
The BIOS is used to boot the OS, check the health of the hardware, and configure the PC. For example, to change the configuration hard drive, the OS boot order (from a hard drive, flash drive or other media) and setting the system time. These settings will be stored in the motherboard memory.
In addition, the BIOS conducts a POST - self-test after power-on ( English Power-On Self Test) to check the hardware configuration. If something is wrong, an error message is displayed or sound signal. When the computer does not turn on and a “beep” is heard from an 8-bit game, this is BIOS operation. To understand what exactly is broken, you need to find the instructions for the motherboard, which will explain the meaning of this or that sound signal.
Why is the BIOS outdated?
Since its inception, the BIOS has hardly developed qualitatively. Separate additions and extensions were released. For example, ACPI stands for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface.
This interface simplified BIOS setup and power management, as well as hibernation. However, this was not enough, the BIOS was hopelessly stuck in the days of MS-DOS. For example, the BIOS can only boot from disks smaller than 2.1TB. In addition, it has problems initializing multiple hardware devices at the same time, resulting in slower boot times on computers with modern hardware.
In 1998 Intel first thought about replacing the BIOS and began work on the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) for the underrated Itanium 64-bit processor series. The adoption of the new interface required broad industry support. Apple chose EFI for Macs back in 2006, but other manufacturers haven't followed suit.
UEFI is coming to us
UEFI supports BIOS emulation so users can still run legacy operating systems ( approx. ed. - It is not safe!)
The new standard avoids BIOS limitations. UEFI can boot the OS from disks larger than 2.2 TB. The actual limit for them is 9.4 zettabytes. This is about three times the estimated amount of all data on the Internet.
UEFI supports 32-bit or 64-bit modes, and its address space is larger than that of BIOS - which makes booting much faster. In addition, the UEFI setup screen is more flexible with mouse support and user interface.
Support for Secure Boot allows you to check that the boot of the OS has not been modified by malware. UEFI allows remote configuration and debugging. BIOS can't do that.
In fact, UEFI is an independent operating system that runs on top of the PC firmware. It can be stored in flash memory on the motherboard or loaded from other sources (hard drive and other media).
Motherboards with UEFI from different manufacturers will have a different interface and functionality. It all depends on specific model, But basic settings will be the same for any computer.
How to open UEFI settings?
For ordinary users the transition from BIOS to UEFI went unnoticed. The new PC will simply boot faster when turned on. However, if you need UEFI access, then it will differ depending on the operating system.
Windows 8
- Press Win+C
- Settings - Change PC settings
- Under PC Settings, select General
- Under Advanced Start, click Restart
- After the reboot, the Windows 8 boot menu will appear
- From the boot menu, select "Troubleshooting" - "Advanced Settings" - "UEFI Firmware Setup"
In Win 10 in UEFI, you can try to log in the old fashioned way:
- Press and hold the power button 5 seconds
- As soon as the logo appears on the screen, quickly press F2 or DEL (on some laptop models, the keys may be different)
Access from operating system:
- In the search field, enter "Settings"
- Settings - Update & Security - Recovery
- In chapter " Special options download" click "Restart now"
- The system will reboot and show the Windows 10 boot menu
- Troubleshooting - Advanced Options - UEFI Settings
The mass transition to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) has already begun. Microsoft requires this interface to be used on all computers that will ship with Windows 8. More specifically, we are talking about UEFI with Secure Boot. At the same time, only G8 can work on such PCs without problems: neither Windows XP nor G7 can be installed on a UEFI machine without additional manipulations. From flash drive Linux Live Or Windows won't boot either. What exactly can happen if you try to start from an installation flash drive on a Sony VAIO laptop is shown in the picture above. And the problems with UEFI do not end there. Each hardware manufacturer configures UEFI at its own discretion, thereby creating unnecessary difficulties for the user. Lenovo's IdeaPad laptop couldn't recognize the same flash drive as bootable media at all. At the same time, there is nothing to reproach Lenovo with: the fact is that the bootable USB flash drive is formatted in file system NTFS, and UEFI does not support booting from such media. If you connect the same drive to an HP EliteBook laptop, it will boot without problems and allow you to install Windows. The problem is that all the data that was on the EliteBook disk would be deleted after installation.
Everyone configures in their own way
Are you confused? No wonder: UEFI with the Secure Boot function sets new rules for installing and loading operating systems, and hardware manufacturers interpret these rules in their own way, which creates additional difficulties for the user. Therefore, within the framework of this article, we set ourselves the goal of eliminating the confusion around UEFI. Using laptops from major manufacturers as examples, we will explain how UEFI works, what role the Secure Boot function plays, how to get around the "traps" set by the new interface, and what is needed in order to use bootable flash drives without fear of any devastating consequences.
How UEFI Works
UEFI boots strictly in accordance with the established rules. If the OS does not support UEFI, BIOS emulation mode is activated. The process of booting a BIOS-based PC is quite simple: after pressing the power button, the BIOS starts, which checks the status of the hardware and loads the firmware - simple drivers for individual hardware components. After that, the BIOS searches for the OS bootloader and activates it. That, in turn, loads the operating system or displays a list of available operating systems.
UEFI-based computers boot in the same way, only until the boot options are searched. After that, everything is different. UEFI has its own OS bootloader with integrated startup managers installed systems. For it, a small partition (100-250 MB) is created on the disk, formatted in the FAT32 file system, called the Extensible Firmware Interface System Partition (ESP). It contains drivers for hardware components that can be accessed by the running operating system. General rule this: with the exception of DVD, UEFI can only boot from media formatted in the FAT32 file system.
UEFI is a complex mechanism
ESP has its advantages: thanks to UEFI drivers and an OS loader, Windows starts up faster and more adequately responds to critical driver errors. But the UEFI interface also imposes restrictions: it allows you to install the OS only on hard drives that are marked according to the GPT standard. The latter is not supported by any BIOS version, since, unlike the traditional markup scheme (MBR), it uses 64-bit sector addresses. Outside of Windows 8, UEFI only supports 64-bit versions Windows Vista and 7, as well as Linux kernel 3.2 and above. Moreover, for PCs certified to work with the G8, Microsoft prescribes the use of the Secure Boot option. In this mode, UEFI only runs validated OS loaders that contain Microsoft digitally signed drivers.
Along with Windows 8, only the Shim bootloader (Linux) has drivers with the necessary signatures for Secure Boot. Other OSes don't have them. Therefore, if you want to install Windows 7 or Vista on such a computer, in addition to the G8, you need to open the UEFI menu and disable Secure Boot. If you select a non-UEFI-compatible second OS, you will need to use the Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which can be enabled in UEFI. Unfortunately, manufacturers use various versions UEFI, and sometimes it's hard to figure out how to disable Secure Boot and enter BIOS emulation mode. We will consider these questions further.
UEFI Based PC Boot Process
Depending on the configuration, UEFI either boots the computer on its own or enters a standard BIOS emulation mode. Only then does the Windows boot manager start.
Installing Windows on a PC with UEFI and Secure Boot
On a Windows 8 PC based on UEFI Secure Boot, other versions of the OS can only be installed under certain conditions. The user must select the correct boot mode in advance and prepare the installation flash drive accordingly.
Enabling BIOS emulation mode
Complete confusion: the way to enter BIOS emulation mode depends on the UEFI version. On Sony VAIO (1) you need to activate the "Legacy" option, on ASUS Zenbook (2) - "Launch CSM".
UEFI setup
Each manufacturer uses its own version of UEFI in laptops and ultrabooks. However, it does not provide access to all the necessary functions. Often, when booting a PC or laptop, the name of the button is not displayed on the display, with which you can call up the UEFI settings menu. We suggest doing the following: in the Metro interface, go to the menu "Options | Change PC settings" on the sidebar and activate the item "General | Special download options. After restarting, the OS boot manager will appear, which will allow you to open the UEFI menu. The exception is HP's UEFI, where this option is not available. The following will help here: during boot, hold down the "Esc" key. In any case, you must first find out which button allows you to enter the UEFI menu. If you change the boot mode to CSM or Legacy BIOS to boot from a rescue flash drive, you must switch from CSM to UEFI again after the restore operation, otherwise Windows 8 will not start. But there are exceptions here too: Aptio Setup Utility on ASUS computers activates UEFI automatically in the absence of a BIOS-compatible bootable media, so simply disconnecting the USB flash drive is enough.
Disabling Secure Boot will be required if, in addition to the G8, you want to install a 64-bit Windows version Vista or 7. Sometimes the so-called hybrid mode is supported, as in devices from HP, in which UEFI can boot from all bootable media and, if necessary, switch to BIOS mode. In the widespread version of UEFI InsydeH2O, this depends on whether the laptop manufacturer has provided the ability to disable Secure Boot or not. IN Acer Aspire S7 given function is not available, and to disable it, you need to switch from UEFI to BIOS mode and back.
Difficulties with recovery
With the advent of UEFI, manufacturers have changed the way they work with the OS recovery system. The "Alt+F10" keyboard shortcut that was previously used, for example, in Acer models, no longer works or is assigned to other functions. And the “F9” button loads on the new Zenbook not the ASUS Preload Wizard, but the program Windows recovery 8 with extended boot menu.
VAIO Care recovery mode on Sony laptops can be opened from a similar menu by selecting the Control Panel | Troubleshooting | Recovery". But if you start the OS boot manager and select "Diagnostics | Restore" or "Restore to original state", the device will ask you to insert the original Windows disk 8, which is not included in the package. On Acer models, backup is performed using a pre-installed Windows program, and restoration from backup carried out from an external USB-drive. However, you must first go to the UEFI menu and specify such a disk as bootable.
Going to the UEFI menu from Windows
If the function is activated Windows startup 8 with advanced settings, then by selecting "Diagnostics" (1) and "Advanced options" (2), you can access the menu "UEFI firmware settings" (3).
Useful Features UEFI
Each laptop manufacturer uses different versions UEFI interface and implements it in the system in accordance with its ideas. From the table, broken down by model, you will find out where the main UEFI functions are located.
Problem Solving: Disabling Secure Boot
In some cases, Secure Boot cannot be disabled directly. In Acer Aspire S7, for example, this function is not available. But if you switch to Legacy BIOS (1) and back again (2), Secure Boot will be disabled.
Everything is possible in hybrid mode
HP's version of the UEFI interface has support for hybrid mode, in which, depending on the bootable media, one of two modes is launched - either UEFI or CSM. This disables Secure Boot automatically.
Run from a flash drive
Older flash media for emergency boot and recovery work only in BIOS mode. We will make them UEFI compatible.
USB flash drives have recently been increasingly used as bootable media for recovery or Windows installation. This is due to the fact that in modern laptops very rarely installed optical drives. If you have studied the UEFI settings on your computer, it is recommended that you upgrade your flash drives as well. With the advent of UEFI, all available bootable flash drives can no longer be used in the usual way. For example, if you created a bootable USB using UNetbootin, you will need to start your PC in CSM mode. The same applies to all old flash drives, as the developers Linux distributions Live (e.g. GParted) only in the latest, most fresh versions of their applications began to add a UEFI-enabled bootloader and Secure Boot features.
The easiest way is to disable Secure Boot in UEFI, then using free program Rufus creates a UEFI compatible flash drive and then copies the latest version of GParted to it.
Microsoft software is outdated
For bootable USB media with operating system Windows system slightly different rules apply. For UEFI compatibility, they must be formatted with the FAT32 file system. Many users even for Windows 8 create boot drives on flash drives formatted using a program from Microsoft, which is part of the "seven". However this application by default formats the drive in the NTFS file system, as a result of which the system present on the media cannot subsequently be installed on a computer with UEFI. Instead of waiting for an updated program from Microsoft to be released, you can manually create a bootable drive. To do this, first format the USB flash drive with free utility. Then open the ISO image in Windows 8 and copy the files it contains to the media.
But in order for a UEFI compatible flash drive with 64-bit Windows 7 to boot without any problems, you will need to copy the UEFI bootloader to the correct directory on the flash drive. For this, using free archiver 7-Zip, search in ISO image, which contains the installation Windows files 7, in the Sources folder, install.wim archive file and open it. After that, copy the bootmgfw.efi file from the 1\Windows\Boot\EFI directory. Then save it to a flash drive in the efi\boot directory and rename it to bootx64.efi. After that, you can work with the USB drive in UEFI mode, and you will be able to install Windows 7 from it without any problems.
Creating bootable flash drives based on Live systems
For UEFI compatibility, flash drives must be formatted in FAT32. For example, UNetbootin (1) creates bootable drives based on Linux Live distributions by formatting them in FAT. However, the Rufus(2) utility offers a more correct option.
Flash drive for OS recovery on PC with UEFI
Flash drives based on recent Live systems, such as GParted, are able to access UEFI PCs without problems, since their built-in tools - such as GPart (1) and TestDisk (2) - can work with GPT partitions.
Formatting bootable flash drive with Windows
The 64-bit version of Windows 7 can also be installed on a PC with UEFI. If you want to perform this operation from a USB drive, you must format it using the Windows DiskPart program in the FAT32 file system and make it bootable.
Extracting the UEFI bootloader
A Windows 7 UEFI compatible flash drive additionally needs a UEFI bootloader - bootmgfw.efi. It must be manually copied from the install.wim archive to a USB flash drive using the 7-Zip program or any other archiver.
Source
After successfully updating my P8H67-m with the latest "bios", I ended up with a blinking cursor in the top left corner of a black screen. No errors, nothing. The BIOS now only lists the SATA boot option:
Although I don't see any reason why anything would change on my hdd while you were flashing the bios; After wasting my wasted day on this, the working solution was to properly reinstall grub-efi-amd64 (that's how I did it). So far I thought the EFI boot manager would parse my EFI partition and come back with whatever options are available, but it looks like I need to tell this explicitly And that he will forget everything when updating.
If so, this seems like a serious limitation to me. So: this is standard UEFI behavior, something specific to mother asus motherboard or does linux install grub incorrectly in the first place? Are the EFI OS bootloader information stored on some NVRAMs erased during a BIOS update? Will I have the same problem if I try to boot my hdd from another computer?
PS: The BIOS version is not at fault, after the initial update I downgraded the original version to no avail. Now that I have solved the problem, I use latest version just great. This flashes the BIOS, no matter which version breaks the system.
One Solution collect form web for “Why does updating the EFI “BIOS” break the EFI boot manager?”
I had a similar problem after updating my BIOS and was wondering why the complete hdd recovery via dd won't leave me with a boot system.
It appears that when installing the bootloader, the operating system must register an entry in the "EFI boot variables" inside the NVRAM. No recording, no download. What's even more confusing is that with the UEFI 2.3 spec, the system can look for an EFI/boot/bootx64.efi file similar to booting from external media on the main hard drive, so some UEFI versions can just boot without fiddling around.
This registration should be done with efibootmgr but modprobe efivars didn't modprobe efivars for me, according to ubuntu. So I also just chroot and reinstall grub-efi and hope for the best.