Firmware Update Results in Nearly Bricked Laptop

Community Support
#1

I’m running a Batch 5 Framework with Arch Linux. Attempting to launch a firmware/BIOS update through LVFS + Discover results in a seemingly bricked machine. The screen does not power on, the side codes blink out a POST code of blue, green, green, green, green, green, blue, green, and the laptop shuts down afterwards, then attempts to reboot with the same symptoms. This occured when upgrading from 3.02 to 3.07, and with 3.07 to 3.09-beta. Both LVFS and LVFS-Testing were enabled as discover sources. In both cases, the update was unsuccessful, even after device recovery (see below.)

Workaround:
Performing a board reset by removing, then reinserting, the CMOS battery appears to un-brick the laptop. After board reset, attempting a reboot will (after a failure) succeed, and the system will return to normal operation. Note that the attempted firmware/BIOS upgrade will not be applied, even after recovery.

Note that the 3.07 update WAS successful with the EFI shell method, if the firmware update is that necessary (e.g., I upgraded to 3.07 from 3.02 through that method because I needed the BIOS charge limit feature.) but is a tedious and risky maneuver.

I’m creating this thread as a feeler to see if anyone else has experienced similar issues, to alert Framework support, and to see if there’s a better firmware update procedure for the future that doesn’t result in nearly bricking my laptop.

1 Like
#2

There’s a LVFS method for BIOS 3.07? I only see 3.06 and 3.09 from here: LVFS: Laptop 11th Gen Intel Core

Can you detail out the level of risk / potential risk specifically with the EFI shell method? So other users can gauge if that’s the level of risk they want to take on.

Luckily, not yet on my end. But thanks for the heads up.

1 Like
#3

I applied the 3.07 update through the EFI shell method - updating through LVFS + Discover resulted in the same near-death experience.

It’s a BIOS and firmware update - it has the same risks as any other. Failing to apply it correctly could potentially result in an actually bricked machine, although luckily I haven’t encountered that. Of course, if you follow the protocol they provide, you should be generally OK, besides losing your boot entries and needing to reinstall Grub.

#4

Thanks for the clarification. It originally sounded as if you were trying to convey the EFI Shell method had a ‘higher’ risk factor.