X79 BIOS update for new GPU

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bstock

n00b
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Jan 4, 2011
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Hello

I have a computer built on a MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) motherboard. I think need to update the BIOS in order to get a new GPU to work with it.

I currently have an aging GTX 570 installed. I purchased a GTX 960 to replace it.

I uninstalled the graphics driver before fitting the new GTX 960.

With the new GPU fitted, it won’t boot past ‘B2’ (bottom right hand corner) when turned on. There is also a cursor in the top left hand corner that does not blink.

I tried both monitors and all PCI slots. I also made sure the power was connected properly. I get the same thing regardless.

Having read up on the problem, updating the BIOS should fix this.

The problem is I am not that computer savvy! I posted in the MSI forums and I got some instructions which I did not fully understand!
It is my work computer so I really afford for anything bad to happen.

I have checked the current version of my BIOS which is: E7760 IMS V1.4.

Based on instructions from the MSI forum, I have downloaded:

7760IMS_480.rar
intel_me_x79mb_81
MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper

I have installed the USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper. At this point I am well out my depth and don’t really feel comfortable taking the next steps based on the instructions.

There are lots of terms and things mentioned that I need help with:

Boot from USB – not sure how to do this, also is using MSI mflash the same thing?
MSI mflash – not sure what this is or how to get to it
Clear CMOS – don’t know what this is or how to do it

Since I have no idea what I am doing, should I be attempting this?

I don’t really want to be stuck with an old GPU but, having a working computer is the more important.

I have put the old GTX 570 back in and all is back to working how it was for now.

Any help on how to do the BIOS update would be greatly appreciated.


System:

Processor - Core I7 3930K
Motherboard - MSI X79A-GD65 (8D)
Memory - 16 GB of Quad channel DDR3 (4 x 4 sticks)
Current GPU - MSI GTX 570
System drive - 250 GB SSD
Storage drives - 3 x 1 TB HDDs

2 x 24” Samsung 1920 x 1200 (DVI) displays
Windows 7 64 home premium
 
I would just update the BIOS with the MSI tool right from windows. The people on the forum want everyone to use the custom tools, however overall it's more complicated and very few people have issues with the Windows tool.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I downloaded the latest BIOS update from the MSI website: 7760IMS_480.rar

This was in the forums here: forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=163918.msg1462835#msg1462835

The BIOS download from the product download page was a .exe. so I used the one above (not the .EXE) as per instructions when using the MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper.

I opened the MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper.

I had a fat 32 USB formatted drive plugged into one of the rear USB 2 (not 3) ports. I pointed MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper to the 7760IMS_480.rar file.

The process of pointing MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper to the drive and it putting the BIOS update on it all went as seen in a youtube video I watched (youtube.com/watch?v=SZJ9OJjpL-Y).

So far so good.

I restarted the computer as requested at the end of the process and went into setup.

I set the USB KEY: sanDisk as the first boot. This did not work as it still booted to windows.

I then restarted and went back into setup and changed the first boot to: UEFI: sanDisk.



I restarted and was presented with this:



At this point I could do nothing. I pressed ENTER but nothing happened. I feft it for 20 minutes and came back and still nothing.

I restarted and went back into setup and changed it back to boot from the system drive.

It booted back to windows much to my surprise. However It still has not updated the BIOS version.

Not sure what I am doing wrong…
 
Your board probably has a BIOS flasher built-in, I'd look in the BIOS and/or the manual for it. You'll likely need to extract that .rar file with the BIOS into the root directory of that USB thumbdrive first though.
 
bstock said:
Thanks for the reply.

I downloaded the latest BIOS update from the MSI website: 7760IMS_480.rar

This was in the forums here: forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=163918.msg1462835#msg1462835

The BIOS download from the product download page was a .exe. so I used the one above (not the .EXE) as per instructions when using the MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper.

I opened the MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper.

I had a fat 32 USB formatted drive plugged into one of the rear USB 2 (not 3) ports. I pointed MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper to the 7760IMS_480.rar file.

The process of pointing MSIHQ USB Bootable Tool and BIOS Helper to the drive and it putting the BIOS update on it all went as seen in a youtube video I watched (youtube.com/watch?v=SZJ9OJjpL-Y).

So far so good.

I restarted the computer as requested at the end of the process and went into setup.

I set the USB KEY: sanDisk as the first boot. This did not work as it still booted to windows.

I then restarted and went back into setup and changed the first boot to: UEFI: sanDisk.



I restarted and was presented with this:



At this point I could do nothing. I pressed ENTER but nothing happened. I feft it for 20 minutes and came back and still nothing.

I restarted and went back into setup and changed it back to boot from the system drive.

It booted back to windows much to my surprise. However It still has not updated the BIOS version.

Not sure what I am doing wrong…
Click to expand...

Just go download the MSI Live Update tool and run that:
http://us.msi.com/support/mb/X79A-GD65-8D.html#down-utility&Win7 64

Direct link:
http://download.msi.com/uti_exe/6.0.015

It will update your BIOS for you. You are trying to follow some overly complicated forum directions created by forum elitists. The "Helper" you are using isn't an official tool or anything.
 
When you go to the ‘Live Update 6’ link you get “File not found." Same for the link on the MSI webpage!

I know I should not read too much into other threads regarding issues, but I did find quite a lot of threads on lots of different forums stating the MSI live update program had messed up and left the user with a non-working computer!

The moderators on the MSI forum said to not use the ‘Live update’ and instead use the method in my previous post.

Maybe that’s the link is dead?

There is a BIOS flasher built-in called m-Flash.

I have tried unzipping the contents on a usb stick, but when I go into m-Flash in the setting is does not see the file on the stick! I am not sure I have put the right files onto the stick - E7760IMS.480

I used a newly, FAT 32 formatted stick plugged into a USB 2 on the back of the computer.
 
bstock said:
When you go to the ‘Live Update 6’ link you get “File not found." Same for the link on the MSI webpage!

I know I should not read too much into other threads regarding issues, but I did find quite a lot of threads on lots of different forums stating the MSI live update program had messed up and left the user with a non-working computer!

The moderators on the MSI forum said to not use the ‘Live update’ and instead use the method in my previous post.

Maybe that’s the link is dead?

There is a BIOS flasher built-in called m-Flash.

I have tried unzipping the contents on a usb stick, but when I go into m-Flash in the setting is does not see the file on the stick! I am not sure I have put the right files onto the stick - E7760IMS.480

I used a newly, FAT 32 formatted stick plugged into a USB 2 on the back of the computer.
Click to expand...

There is always a chance a BIOS update fails on a PC. Even when you do it the way the forum nerds want you to do it, thanks can still fail.

Here is a working link for the Live Update download:
http://download.msi.com/uti_exe/LiveUpdate.zip

My MSI board can't read files off a USB stick to use M-Flash either...
 
ir0nw0lf said:
Your board probably has a BIOS flasher built-in, I'd look in the BIOS and/or the manual for it. You'll likely need to extract that .rar file with the BIOS into the root directory of that USB thumbdrive first though.
Click to expand...

^^^ This!

Never, EVER, EVER EVER EVER use anything other than the flasher built into the BIOS/EFI when you have that option.
 
Thanks for your reply’s

dandragonrage:

If I can’t get the build in flasher to see the files on the USB stick I am a bit stuck with doing it using m-Flash. I have tried different USB ports and a few different USB sticks. None of them worked!

ocellaris:

Thanks for the working link.

If there is a chance it could go wrong what would be my options? Is it recoverable?



It is my work computer. It works fine and is plenty fast enough for work purposes. The only reason I need to update the BIOS is so I get use a new GPU with it (the current BIOS version is dated 2012).

I can live without the new GPU if necessary, if there is any chance there could be some downtime on the computer. Plus I don’t really want to have to shell out for any new components. It took me nearly a week to build it and get everything working in the first place, back when I built it three years ago. I am not that tech savvy so it’s not a smooth/easy process for me.
 
bstock said:
Thanks for your reply’s

dandragonrage:

If I can’t get the build in flasher to see the files on the USB stick I am a bit stuck with doing it using m-Flash. I have tried different USB ports and a few different USB sticks. None of them worked!
Click to expand...

Are you using USB3 ports? You need to use USB2 ports.
 
The chances of something going wrong are low enough to MSI makes the tools for BIOS updates available on their website and encourages people to do these updates. Like anything else, something *could* go wrong and you will be able to find examples of this happening if you look hard enough. I've used the MSI desktop tool and the forum tool numerous times, I think the desktop tool is much easier to use and I haven't fried a BIOS yet across a few MSI mobo systems I maintain for family.
 
bstock said:
Thanks for your reply’s

dandragonrage:

If I can’t get the build in flasher to see the files on the USB stick I am a bit stuck with doing it using m-Flash. I have tried different USB ports and a few different USB sticks. None of them worked!

ocellaris:

Thanks for the working link.

If there is a chance it could go wrong what would be my options? Is it recoverable?

It is my work computer. It works fine and is plenty fast enough for work purposes. The only reason I need to update the BIOS is so I get use a new GPU with it (the current BIOS version is dated 2012).

I can live without the new GPU if necessary, if there is any chance there could be some downtime on the computer. Plus I don’t really want to have to shell out for any new components. It took me nearly a week to build it and get everything working in the first place, back when I built it three years ago. I am not that tech savvy so it’s not a smooth/easy process for me.
Click to expand...

Can't you re-download the BIOS update files and save them on your computer? Or is there a reason you have to save them to USB?
I think that when I updated the BIOS on my Asus board, using the desktop AIsuite updater, it was able to use the updated BIOS file straight from my HDD.
 
DraginDime said:
Can't you re-download the BIOS update files and save them on your computer? Or is there a reason you have to save them to USB?
I think that when I updated the BIOS on my Asus board, using the desktop AIsuite updater, it was able to use the updated BIOS file straight from my HDD.
Click to expand...

He has to save them to USB (or I think a FAT-formatted HDD would work) to use the built-in flasher in the BIOS/UEFI which is the proper way to update it for any board that has the option.

Oh, and to actually flash that way, go into the BIOS and find the option to launch the flasher (I don't know what MSI calls it but Gigabyte for example calls theirs "Q-flash"). Don't try to boot the USB drive. Sorry, should've mentioned that in the first reply.
 
Many thanks for all your suggestions

I went ahead and tried the MSI live update tool. It appears to have worked. The computer shut down a restarted after doing the update and restarted fine!

The bios is now V 1.8. It was V 1.4.



The date is still 2012; I think this is the date of the build (which would be about right)?

When the MSI live update tool scanned my computer it found a bunch of other drivers that were out of date or not installed; to keep things simple I just updated the BIOS to start with.





Should I update any of the others in the image before attempting to put the new GPU in?

Thanks again.
 
I would just update everything, reboot (in case anything else wants to install) turn off the PC, then put the new GPU in. New drivers usually never hurt.
 
Updated everything.

Installed the new GPU. It booted fine.

Installed latest driver.

All sorted.

Thanks a lot for all your help.
 
Wouldn't it be nice it motherboard manufactures had "Bios upgrade simulator" on they website? Nothing too elaborate, just something that would let users move thought the menus in an environment where failure doesn't risk a expensive piece of hardware. (And potentially strand the users without a computer to get online to try to get help.)

I don't expect up-to-date printed documentation since the menus can change with every upgrade, perhaps this could be built into the compilers so it could be generated automatically with each build?
 
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