We need to replace this sticky at the top of the forum - "IMPORTANT BIOS Update Information For ASRock Intel 6 Series and X79 Chipset Mother Boards"

[TweakedByASROCK]

I think this is at best confusing or worse, technically inaccurate.

For starters, it is a long thread. Secondly, there is a sticky/summary at the start, and I think it may suffer from some misapprehensions:

My experience in a nutshell: P67 Extreme 6, SandyBridge 2600K, old firmware (1.60). Only Win installer for 2.10 available. Run it in Windows, OK. Reboot, Win 8 crashes, is FUBAR, can't repair itself. Booting normally causes the new blue error restart screen to briefly display a message I can't read. Days of confusion, seems like a new MB needed. ASROCK tell me to get Windows media and repair, they were vague. They assert 2.10 works with both SandyBridge and Ivy Bridge and I don't need the old firmware or a new BIOS(UEFI) chip. I discovered that a Ubuntu live USB would boot fine. An old Windows install would boot in safe mode, but crash in normal mode after logging in. Win 8.1 could not refresh itself, so I did a clean install. Rock solid so far tonight. Conclusion: Win 8.1 (8 upgraded to 8.10) may not be able to update the Intel ME drivers and/or crashes during boot.

The misapprehensions from that sticky I would challenge are:
1. That the only way you can successfully flash is via Instant Flash.
2. That the USB key must be kept in during reboot, and the Intel part of the firmware is updated at that time. That is the real WTF for me. I doubt anything of the sort is possible. Windows does not flash your BIOS.
3. I believe the Intel part of the UEFI firmware and the Intel ME drivers in Windows are being confused by the sticky OP.
4. That the new firmware versions are very incompatible with SandyBridge CPUs. Remains to be seen, I have to see how stable it is with the reinstall. No crashes in hours.

1, 2 & 4 are directly contradicted by ASRock. Not that I have faith in ASRock, they are on my 'never-again' list. This MB has been 4 years of trouble. Originally it wouldn't turn on without clearing CMOS. Then I found I could boot it by pressing the switches on the PC and on the surge protector at the same time. Support gave no help. Then it fixed itself. It's not a very stable system, and the mouse UEFI UI had problems. Now this experience - even if ASRock did their part right and it is MS or Intel's fault, they have handled communications poorly.

I believe the issue is with Windows drivers for Intel ME. For example, on the old Windows install, I cannot boot except in safe mode, without a crash shortly after login. In safe mode, the Intel installers fail saying they could not start some service. I think with Win 8, MS or Intel messed up.

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Re: We need to replace this sticky at the top of the forum - "IMPORTANT BIOS Update Information For ASRock Intel 6 Series and X79 Chipset Mother Board

I think this is at best confusing or worse, technically inaccurate.

For starters, it is a long thread. Secondly, there is a sticky/summary at the start, and I think it may suffer from some misapprehensions:

My experience in a nutshell: P67 Extreme 6, SandyBridge 2600K, old firmware (1.60). Only Win installer for 2.10 available. Run it in Windows, OK. Reboot, Win 8 crashes, is FUBAR, can't repair itself. Booting normally causes the new blue error restart screen to briefly display a message I can't read. Days of confusion, seems like a new MB needed. ASROCK tell me to get Windows media and repair, they were vague. They assert 2.10 works with both SandyBridge and Ivy Bridge and I don't need the old firmware or a new BIOS(UEFI) chip. I discovered that a Ubuntu live USB would boot fine. An old Windows install would boot in safe mode, but crash in normal mode after logging in. Win 8.1 could not refresh itself, so I did a clean install. Rock solid so far tonight. Conclusion: Win 8.1 (8 upgraded to 8.10) may not be able to update the Intel ME drivers and/or crashes during boot.

The misapprehensions from that sticky I would challenge are:
1. That the only way you can successfully flash is via Instant Flash.

My sticky ONLY discusses the use of the Instant Flash method, which is the only BIOS update method available for the SB to IVB BIOS update for most of the applicable ASRock boards. ASRock P67 boards only have the Windows executable BIOS update method, which I would never use for any BIOS update. It's a shame the P67 boards only have the Windows executable BIOS update method, that is something beyond my control.

All my comments below about this BIOS update procedure, unless they say otherwise, are ONLY about the Instant Flash method.

The sticky on this topic is ONLY about the Instant Flash method and clearly states that at the beginning.

If you somehow decided it applied to the Windows BIOS update method, that is not my problem.

2. That the USB key must be kept in during reboot, and the Intel part of the firmware is updated at that time. That is the real WTF for me. I doubt anything of the sort is possible. Windows does not flash your BIOS.

No where have I ever said that Windows flashes the BIOS. We both know that the BIOS update method that runs a program in Windows is referred to as the "Windows update method".

BTW, the non-removal of the USB flash drive ONLY applies to Instant Flash. The Windows program BIOS update method instructions don't mention that, but they do say to copy the files used in the Windows program BIOS update method to a folder on the C:/OS drive, which I have mentioned to you in your other threads. Yes I did mention leaving the USB drive in the PC in my very first reply to your thread, but that was before I learned your board was stuck with the Windows program BIOS update method. Most ASRock boards only have Instant Flash files for this special BIOS update.

The following screen shot was taken from the ASRock P67 Pro's download page, the board that TweakedByASROCK uses and is rather upset about:



Feel free to verify that this is real by clicking on the link below, and then clicking on the "Click here to download the required BIOS" link in the Intel Management Engine driver ver:8.0.2.1410 download entry.

ASRock > P67 Pro

The text in the white box was supplied by ASRock, and is the only information about when the ME firmware update occurs. That is all the information that ASRock provides about it, and I have included it in my description of the Instant Flash update process. I did that to inspire people to leave the flash drive in place, since almost every failure we saw in the forum was caused by removal of the USB flash drive.

This information, put there by ASRock on your board's download page (among others), is simply quoted by me in the sticky and when I answer questions about this special BIOS update. Why I am the source or responsible for it to you is beyond me.

3. I believe the Intel part of the UEFI firmware and the Intel ME drivers in Windows are being confused by the sticky OP.

Example?

4. That the new firmware versions are very incompatible with SandyBridge CPUs. Remains to be seen, I have to see how stable it is with the reinstall. No crashes in hours.

As stated in the first post of the sticky:

Which brings me to another reason for this thread, as a forum for exchanging information and experiences about these Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge CPU BIOS/UEFI updates. The amount of information supplied by ASRock and other mother board manufactures about this is minimal at best. How often are BIOS/UEFI and software updates done by any of us, to support a new generation of CPUs on our mother boards? Rarely if ever.

The intent of this thread is to warn and educate owners of the affected boards about these unusual BIOS/UEFI updates. Frankly, we are not 100% certain that an update to the Ivy Bridge CPU compatible BIOS/UEFI and software, if done correctly, is not always incompatible with Sandy Bridge CPUs. That is yet another part of the unknown information about these updates.

I was asked by a forum moderator to write that sticky, since the amount of threads about problems with this BIOS update were making responding to them a tedious thing. Plus the amount of information about this BIOS update was small, so as stated above that sticky thread is meant as a repository for user experiences performing the update.

Your "quote" of my statement about "... the new firmware versions are very incompatible..." certainly does not match what I wrote

1, 2 & 4 are directly contradicted by ASRock. Not that I have faith in ASRock, they are on my 'never-again' list. This MB has been 4 years of trouble. Originally it wouldn't turn on without clearing CMOS. Then I found I could boot it by pressing the switches on the PC and on the surge protector at the same time. Support gave no help. Then it fixed itself. It's not a very stable system, and the mouse UEFI UI had problems. Now this experience - even if ASRock did their part right and it is MS or Intel's fault, they have handled communications poorly.

You've provided nothing to back up your claims in 1, 2, and 4, while I provided information to show they are false or mistaken ideas. Your statement here is ambiguous, ASRock directly contradicts what you said, or what I said?

Sigh, the intent of the sticky thread and myself and others posting in threads about this topic, are attempts to help with this situation. Yet all you can do is find fault with that. You apparently don't know, but there are users of these boards that have successfully applied this BIOS update while using SB processors before and after the update. Some of them have posted in the sticky thread.

I believe the issue is with Windows drivers for Intel ME. For example, on the old Windows install, I cannot boot except in safe mode, without a crash shortly after login. In safe mode, the Intel installers fail saying they could not start some service. I think with Win 8, MS or Intel XXXXed up.

Since your board does not have a Windows 8 compatible Intel ME driver to download, what are you using with Windows 8? The Windows 7 IME download? Newer ASRock boards have updated INF file installation programs for Win 8 too. Not to mention a Windows 8 compatible ME firmware to work with the Windows 8 ME software.

I'm sorry your board was abandon by ASRock when it comes to Windows 8, and orphaned when it comes to a decent SB to IVB BIOS update type (Instant Flash), and as I've said in the past, ASRock does that at their own peril.

[TweakedByASROCK]

Re: We need to replace this sticky at the top of the forum - "IMPORTANT BIOS Update Information For ASRock Intel 6 Series and X79 Chipset Mother Board

MMkay, explain me this - Win 8.1 is now working and my BIOS was not corrupted by the Win update method. How is that not a decent update method? Windows couldn't handle reconfiguring itself after the update.

There are Intel ME 8 drivers for Win 8 and 6 series MBs available directly from Intel's site. They came out after ASRock P67 2.10 firmware. Perhaps ASRock didn't update the download page as they didn't release any subsequent firmware for P67.

I appreciate you are endeavouring to help people. Most folks in my situation find a fix for their problems and never return to the forum. I came back to update the community on what I found. I'm not hiring Johnny Cochrane to prove I'm right.

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Re: We need to replace this sticky at the top of the forum - "IMPORTANT BIOS Update Information For ASRock Intel 6 Series and X79 Chipset Mother Board

MMkay, explain me this - Win 8.1 is now working and my BIOS was not corrupted by the Win update method. How is that not a decent update method? Windows couldn't handle reconfiguring itself after the update.

There are Intel ME 8 drivers for Win 8 and 6 series MBs available directly from Intel's site. They came out after ASRock P67 2.10 firmware. Perhaps ASRock didn't update the download page as they didn't release any subsequent firmware for P67.

I appreciate you are endeavouring to help people. Most folks in my situation find a fix for their problems and never return to the forum. I came back to update the community on what I found. I'm not hiring Johnny Cochrane to prove I'm right.

OMG, if the Windows update method worked for you, great!

You have certainly changed your mind about this BIOS update given your first thread about this issue.

http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/6...ndybridge.html

So let's see, you complain about the sticky thread on this topic which has two parts, the overview of the general purpose and reason for doing it, and the information and discussion of the Instant Flash method of doing this BIOS update. But your board only has the Windows program BIOS update method, which is not included in the sticky.

You made accusations about the content of the sticky without any examples or information of what is wrong with it, or information about what instead is correct.

I responded to all your issues with examples and information, for which you have not provided any rebuttal. Since you won't, who will?

I don't need Johnny Cochrane.

[TweakedByASROCK]

Re: We need to replace this sticky at the top of the forum - "IMPORTANT BIOS Update Information For ASRock Intel 6 Series and X79 Chipset Mother Board

Update: ASROCK came back and offered a new firmware chip, which I declined, as the issue is resolved.

I'm not convinced the information in this forum on this issue is helpful, regardless of how passionately some believe it to be factual. Caveat Emptor (should ASROCK's slogan, I won't buy from them again), but I am glad I didn't accuse ASROCK of being wrong based on the info in this forum.