Toshiba Satelite A135-S4666 laptop BIOS issue

[Hey Jude]

With the above mentioned laptop, there is an issue with it restarting once it is turned off. I Googled and found that there was a known issue with this that was corrected with a BIOS update. Supposedly 1.30 version fixed it, but this laptop has 1.40 installed. Am I correct in presuming that you never reverse a BIOS update if you have the current version?

[JoeP]

Fixes introduced with BIOS updates are almost always cumulative. Unless the 1.40 version re-introduced the same problem it should still be fixed.

Joe

[viking33]

With the above mentioned laptop, there is an issue with it restarting once it is turned off. I Googled and found that there was a known issue with this that was corrected with a BIOS update. Supposedly 1.30 version fixed it, but this laptop has 1.40 installed. Am I correct in presuming that you never reverse a BIOS update if you have the current version?

I THINK, once you have a newer version there is no turning back. The only exception would be if you updated the BIOS yourself, the update program will create a fall back copy that you can run, in order to revert to the older version.
I'm not 100% on this ?

[Hey Jude]

JoeP Thank you. I presumed that but wanted verification :-)

Viking, I had the same caution as you. I believe the laptop came with 1.40 installed already so the re-start issue must have to do with something else. Thanks for your thots :-)

[John Gray]

Personally I can't see what difference it could make if you 'update' with an older BIOS rather than the usual case of a newer BIOS.

You are making a complete replacement of the BIOS each time you do the flash update, keeping only the previous settings values.

I suppose in a pathological situation there could be a problem with the old BIOS not understanding some settings new in a newer BIOS, and this causing trouble - but if it doesn't know there is a new setting then it won't go looking for it!

[Argus]

I agree with Joe.
I've never had the need to “downgrade” a BIOS version (but that, of course, can be due to different reasons; pure luck or not using beta versions etc.) but the possibility has been there all the time; that's why most of us make a backup before updating BIOS to a later version (or download the old version as well). And I know that there are some different ways to update it; some are quite "automated".

That said, I've never heard of anyone "downgrading" what was there when they bought the machine. Also, the same motherboard can sometimes come in some different versions. Say, ABC-123 v.1.0 and then later on they ship all computers with ABC-123 v.1.0A, or similar, still the same motherboard, just another revision, and a new BIOS. In that case it could be that all v.1.0 can use all BIOS versions, but v.1.0A can only use some BIOS versions, those created at the same time or later ones. Or they only support it that way, to be 100% sure.

[Hey Jude]

Thank you for your opinion as well, Argus. How do you back-up a BIOS anyways? I've never done that.

I should add that I've done it manually, by writing all the information down on a sheet of paper. Is there a simpler way?

[viking33]

Thank you for your opinion as well, Argus. How do you back-up a BIOS anyways? I've never done that.

I should add that I've done it manually, by writing all the information down on a sheet of paper. Is there a simpler way?

Whoa! There is a huge difference in copying what the BIOS settings are and what is contained in the hard coded information in the way the BIOS is configured!
Kind of like trying to change the name Windows to Winnows because you don't like Bill G.

[Argus]

Thank you for your opinion as well, Argus. How do you back-up a BIOS anyways? I've never done that.

That depends on the software you use to update the BIOS, and that depends on which BIOS you are using, AMI etc.

Nowadays there are often several alternatives to the old "using a floppy disk". But when I have needed to do that (and as most of us, I don't update BIOS very often), I have used a simple bootable floppy, the old way, if there is a floppy drive, that is.

In the case of AMI and AFUDOS (AMI Firmware Update Utility) there are two simple switches:
afudos /o[filename] to backup.
afudos /i[filename] to update.

Then as I said it depends on the motherboard and which BIOS. Asus also has something called Asus EZ Flash; you still use a floppy disk, but no need for it to be bootable, and you don't have to add the update software to the floppy, only a copy of the new BIOS; in the Asus case saved with a special name, same as the motherboard. You then start the PC and press Alt-F2, put in the floppy and the BIOS is flashed. But no backup, as it is automated, as Bob mentioned earlier.

Asus also has another protection, and I'm sure most of them have that, there is even dual-BIOS out there, CrashFree BIOS. If it gets corrupted during an update you can boot from the motherboard CD or a USB memory that you have prepared, and the motherboard will automatically recover and flash with that version.

Then we have BIOS update tools running from within Windows. Also different between BIOS. Some can use an Internet connection and download a new BIOS version via FTP, and then flash the BIOS. I don't know how and if it's possible to backup, since I've never used such a tool.

I should add that I've done it manually, by writing all the information down on a sheet of paper. Is there a simpler way?

That's good; but it's not a backup of the original BIOS file. But if one knows the version, one can usually download the old one as well as the new one. Or download it afterwards if something goes wrong; but if you only have one computer ... It's much better to take a backup.
Also, after a flash, a common procedure is to "Load Setup Defaults", that is resetting all settings in the BIOS Setup utility. Then your notes, information, are useful when changing some of the settings back to their previous values.

[JoeP]

FWIW, I think it is a BAD idea to go backwards from a BIOS version that came with the PC. An end user never knows when the OEM has made a slight change to the MOBO that requires a certain BIOS release to function correctly. Going backward could render your PC unbootable.

Joe

[Hey Jude]

Thank you for your opinion as well, Argus. How do you back-up a BIOS anyways? I've never done that.

I should add that I've done it manually, by writing all the information down on a sheet of paper. Is there a simpler way?

Whoa! There is a huge difference in copying what the BIOS settings are and what is contained in the hard coded information in the way the BIOS is configured!
Kind of like trying to change the name Windows to Winnows because you don't like Bill G.

Well, I had this page saved and followed the directions for MANUAL:
http://www.pcguide.com/care/bu/whatBIOS-c.html so that's all I knew about it at the time, and now I want to make a more formal backup. I think this was referencing more the CMOS Memory backup....

[Hey Jude]

FWIW, I think it is a BAD idea to go backwards from a BIOS version that came with the PC. An end user never knows when the OEM has made a slight change to the MOBO that requires a certain BIOS release to function correctly. Going backward could render your PC unbootable.

Joe

It is worth everything and I heartily thank you. That is what I told my friend. Since I found out that her laptop came with 1.40 then I too thought reverting to 1.30 could in fact make it non bootable.

Thank you.

[Hey Jude]

I should add that I've done it manually, by writing all the information down on a sheet of paper. Is there a simpler way?

That's good; but it's not a backup of the original BIOS file. But if one knows the version, one can usually download the old one as well as the new one. Or download it afterwards if something goes wrong; but if you only have one computer ... It's much better to take a backup.
Also, after a flash, a common procedure is to "Load Setup Defaults", that is resetting all settings in the BIOS Setup utility. Then your notes, information, are useful when changing some of the settings back to their previous values.

Ok I just located my BIOS info in my registry and will post it here

System BIOS version.jpg

What do I do with that information?

[viking33]

Get an Imager, like True Image or Shadow Protect and you've got your bases covered.

[Hey Jude]

When you say "Get an Imager, like True image or Shadow Protect" do you mean something other than the system image I have created to restore my system should it crash? I use Macrium Reflect and have my system image on an EHD with a Linux based bootable CD I created from Macrium. Is True Image something different? (I presume it is)

Note: Ok, it is Acronis...got it!!

[Argus]

Ok I just located my BIOS info in my registry and will post it here
[...]
What do I do with that information?

Nothing.

That's only some values and keys that the OS has stored in the registry; there is absolutely no need to look at those, or backup those keys separately.

The BIOS software is stored on a special flash memory on the motherboard. Then there is the BIOS Setup utility, which you can use to access the BIOS settings during the initial startup. I thought it was that one you mentioned earlier. Inside the setup utility it's possible to change several settings.

In most cases there are no needs to touch the BIOS Setup Utility, even if adding more RAM or a new hard disk drive. Though, in some cases one might have to do that; if the hardware isn't detected correctly, or, for example, if one add a new graphics or sound card, and want to disable the on-board, if any, on the motherboard.

Also, there is no need to backup the BIOS if you are not going to flash it, update it. Then it's much better to just write down the values, as you mentioned earlier, and as I mentioned, for example, here.

And finally, there is in the majority of cases no need to update the BIOS. Sometimes, if you have, say, the first BIOS version that shipped with a board, and you later on, several years, want to upgrade the memory, there can be use of an updated BIOS version. Or in the case of bug fixes, but even if they occur, the bugs are very seldom severe.

See this short guide about BIOS.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bios.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hey Jude]

Yes I was in the BIOS setup Utility when I copied the settings, and also tested my bootable CD for my system image.

Thank you, I shall read the links you provided. I had no clue what version I had until I just found that. I was always told to be wary about flashing the BIOS so I've never done anything with changing it in any way shape or form (yet). I notice the BIOS date is 6/09 and I bought this laptop in Aug of '09 as a Vista and immediately did a clean install of Win 7 Pro 32-bit. So far so good.

[JoeP]

I recommend you check for newer BIOS versions. If one or more newer version are available see if you can find the details of what was changed. IIRC, Win7 necessitated BIOS updates from quite a few OEMs.

Joe

[Hey Jude]

Ok Joe I will try to find something. I presume I would check with Toshiba? The problem with that one is that my laptop isn't on their "list" but I'll scout around.

I found what I need from Belarc Advisor results about my MOBO. I will go from there.

[Hey Jude]

Ok I did find my model on Toshiba site and found this update for my BIOS which currently is 1.90 but it has 2.20 now http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais ... 1073768663

My ? is from what I've read, flashing a BIOS can indeed be harmful to the MOBO and be costly to fix, so should I go ahead and follow the instructions? I am familiar with WinRAR extractions.....

Edited to add: I d/l the file and read the complete instruction file regarding using a floppy, CD, or from within Windows itself--last recommended...floppy is first recommendation. So I understand seeing as the BIOS is a small chip on my MOBO and should I end up with a problem, I wouldn't be able to use my system image to restore, because I wouldn't be able to read any devices to even load the CD to restore. Have you flashed your BIOS recently or many times or ever and how long does it take?