Should I update BIOS and hardware firmware when installing XP?

I will soon be receiving a ThinkPad R61 and I plan to downgrade the OS to Windows XP by following this guide to the letter. However, one part of the guide is unclear to me.
It states that updating the BIOS and hardware firmware are optional. How do I decide whether I should do this? What are the consequences of not doing it? How badly can I damage my computer by doing it incorrectly -- can I destroy it?
Thanks!

As it says in the guide many times.
"THE BIOS AND THE HARD DRIVE FIRMWARE UPDATE ARE
NOT NECESSARY. IF YOU ARE WARY OF BIOS UPDATES, THEN I SUGGEST YOU SKIP
THOSE TWO UPDATES AND CARRY ON WITH THE GUIDE."
The BIOS updates sometimes fix errors that may or may not affect you. You would have to read the txt file associated with it to determine if you want to do it or not. Some folks have to have the latest and greatest and some people have issues that are fixed in the BIOS update.
A BIOS update gone wrong will render your Thinkpad completely useless.
I think that if it is not broken, don't fix it.
Be sure to make the recovery disc set before doing anything else.
T60 2623-D7U, 3 GB Ram. Dual boot XP and Linux Mint.
T400 2765-T7U Windows 7
Registered Linux User #160145
FYI: I am not employed by Lenovo

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Information: Update BIOS and Battery Firmware to ensure full charge capacity

Is your system’s BIOS and battery firmware updated to the latest level?
If not, you may not be getting the maximum capacity and run time from your battery!
Lenovo’s engineering team released updated BIOS and battery firmware in July that is applicable to customers who have ThinkPad models:
X100e, L410/L510, L412/L512, SL410/SL510, T410/T410i, T510,T510i, W510 or ThinkPad Edge, 13, 14, or 15 inch units.
Customers who use Lenovo ThinkVantage Toolbox would have received a notification and opportunity to apply this update, and Lenovo’s ThinkVantage System Update tool would also identify and apply these updates.
If you aren’t using either of these tools, and have one of the systems above, please follow this link to our support site. You can learn more there, and download and install the updates specific to your system.
Probably also worth mentioning, is an earlier tip applicable to X200t and X201t tablet users who have 8 cell extended batteries. This technical tip and related BIOS updates ensure these batteries properly charge to their full capacities, and resolves a particular symptom where the battery would stop charging at less than 50%.
Source Lenovo Blogs: Update BIOS and Battery Firmware to ensure full charge capacity
Recommendation before updating bios:
- detach all devices from you system
- undock your system, if docked
- start from a cold boot. (shutting down the system completely, wait 15 min, start up again)
- if possible, upgrade with a cd-rom drive
Edit: Recommendation added.
Follow @LenovoForums on Twitter! Try the forum search, before first posting: Forum Search Option
Please insert your type, model (not S/N) number and used OS in your posts.
I´m a volunteer here using New X1 Carbon, ThinkPad Yoga, Yoga 11s, Yoga 13, T430s,T510, X220t, IdeaCentre B540.
TIP: If your computer runs satisfactorily now, it may not be necessary to update the system.
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How old is your Mac computer? If it is 2+ year old or older you need a new battery. Right there in what you posted is says "Service Battery". That means Change the battery.

I recently got an IMacSnow(G4) and installed a larger HD. When I try to load 10.4 it gives me a message: "You must update your computer's firmware before installing MacOS". Never saw this one before. What gives?

I recently bot an IMac Snow G4 and installed a 40G HD. It has 640 mem. When I try to load Tiger, I got a msg: "You must update your computer's firmware before installing Mac OS". Never saw this one before. What gives?

Hi, is this a G4 Lampshade iMac, or a G3 Snow iMac?
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_600_graphite.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G4
Anyway, you'll need OS9 installed to do the Firmware install...
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1283
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1395?viewlocale=en_US

GT-70 2OD Touchpad Problem (disabling button) after updating BIOS and EC

Hi All,
I was solving issues with random BSOD's (https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=176615.0), but now I got the button that Disables the Touchpad malfunctioning.
I just updated BIOS and EC to 2014-01-17 Versions from MSI website.
The button is not disabling the touchpad and also the LED is not working (well, it used to turn on when the touchpad was disabled), however the "touchpad enabled" picture is showing on the screen everytime the button is pushed.
It's not a major thing, but you know how perfectionists are .... Any idea how to solve this? I'm just going to try updating the touchpad driver with latest from MSI website and let you know the result
Thanks in advance,
PS: Nice community. I just joined this forum and I received a lot of help already!!!!

Quote from: darkhawk on 05-February-14, 01:00:21
Did you perform the EC Reset procedure outlined on the website?
Just to reiterate it:
1. Turn off the laptop.
2. Remove the Battery.
3. Remove the AC adapter.
4. Let the laptop sit there for 20 minutes.
5. Install the Battery.
6. Install the AC adapter.
7. Turn on the laptop.
This might help fix the issue.
Yep, I followed step by step to update the EC.
I just removed original synaptic driver for the touchpad and Installed latest from MSI website. The button doesn't work as before (I was able enable/disable at will), now its behavior is as follows (and I think it was made intelligently):
You can't disable the touchpad if no other pointing device is present
When another pointing device is present, the touchpad disables itself and the button LED is ON (as before). You can't enable the touchpad (before I was able to enable it) if another pointing device is present.
For me, it's OK. BTW... had been about 22 hours without BSOD...
Thank you guys!!!
PS: I just realized that I re-connected my PS3 controller via USB (in the very same USB port that I use to connect it) and the laptop REINSTALLED drivers for it...

I was offered an itunes update yesterday and said yes to install it. Now it won't open.

I was offered an iTunes update yesterday and said yes to install it. It seems to have installed it. Now it won't open.

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When downloaded adobe bridge on trial and select english ,when installed it comes up in Chinese language, i have uninstalled and installed a few times and this still happens ?

when downloaded adobe bridge on trial and select english ,when installed it comes up in Chinese language, i have uninstalled and installed a few times and this still happens ?

Unusual to be getting a DEP in those circumstances. (Still, I haven't been around all that much in recent times. So the world may have changed.)
What seems most likely is that we've got an iTunes preference file gone bad in some way. So I'd try the "Remove iTunes preferences files" section in the "User-specific troubleshooting" section from the following document. (Note you'll have to make sure that "Show hidden files and folders" is set on the PC in order to find the pref files.)
iTunes for Windows XP: Troubleshooting unexpected quits, freezes, or launch issues

Update license at first time when installed SAP ECC 5

Hi Expert
How to update license at first time when installed SAP ECC 5 Unicode System, license expiration period only one month.
Regds.
Rahul

Hello,
SAPKIPYJ63 is PI_BASIS 2005_1_640: patch 0003.
Apparently you have included this support package in the upgrade. But have you installed or upgrade the component PI_BASIS to 2005_1_640 during the IS_SELECT phase? This is required for support package SAPKIPYJ63.
Regards,
Joe

Should I update my mini's firmware?

i have a mini part number MB138LL/A (mid-2007), bought in november 2007.
its boot ROM and SMC version are:
Boot ROM Version: MM21.009A.B00
SMC Version: 1.19f0
at this page (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1237) i see these firmware updates for the mid-2007 mini:
Mac mini (Mid 2007) MM11.0055.B08 (EFI 1.1) 1.3f4 (SMC 1.0)
should i run these EFI and SMC firmware updates?

If you download any firmware updates if your model does not require the update when you run the installer it will tell you and it will quit.

Updated Bios and hibernation

Hi, I have a K8T Neo that was working just fine for me until I Live Updated the Bios. Basically, the case I have has a big honking obnoxious case light that hooks up using a HD power connector. So the thing never turns off unless the power supply is off, and this isn't conducive to sleeping. Putting the system in stand by has never been an option because the lights stay on. But I used to be able to put it into hibernation and everything would be great.
Verizon finally comes along and hooks up my DSL so I decide to update my bios so that to see if a bios update will make my expensive CAS 2 memory actually run at CAS 2 without windows crashing. Well, the good news is the update worked in that respect. But my computer will no longer hibernate. When i try to put it into hibernation it seems to go in to the old standby mode. Meaning the fans keep running, the lights stay on, and I don't sleep.... However, to top things off, there is now no way to wake the computer up from standby or hibernation. It will not respond to the keyboard, USB mouse, or the power button.
I've tried fiddling with every power management bios setting I could think of. I just can't make it work.
Has anyone else experience the same problem?

The symptoms / problems probably change when BIOS updates happen
since the BIOS update causes all BIOS / CMOS / NVRAM settings to pretty much
reset to the new BIOS's default values, and these may differ from what you had
selected before.
I've just updated to 1.92B BIOS for my MS-6702-020 / K8T NEO FSR and that
plus the AMD CPU Driver makes Cool & Quiet work, but "S3/STR" standby mode
always crashes W2K SP4 when the Wake-Up is initiated.
I know that having add in cards that have drivers and hardware that support
being put to sleep and being woken up are critical for success in general, but
in my case I have only one add in card, and it's a pretty new design AGP 3.0
PCI 2.3 ATI RADEON 9800 PRO with new drivers, so I'd assume it can properly
support sleep / wake up.
I'd suggest you go to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
and apply all available updates, reboot, go back there, check to see if there
are any new upapplied ones, and keep doing that until it shows you're totally
up to date. If you run XP, be sure you have SP2 installed and all the other
updates too.
Go to the OEM home page of all your add in card vendors like your video card,
sound card, whatever you have and get / install the latest compatible driver for
your OS -- that may help your suspend mode and long term stability.
I'll update my posts if I discover any other helpful information or diagnostic clues.
EDITED -- I just discovered that one has to set the
"Allow this device to wake the system from standby" check box for the
mouse & keyboard and other devices e.g. USB ones or maybe others in
W2K Control Panel -> Device Manager -> select the particular keyboard/mouse/etc
device -> then the "Power Management" tab, then check the
"Allow this device to wake up the system" optiion.
One ALSO has to set the "WAKE UP EVENTS" and "WAKE ON USB" settiings
in the Power Management BIOS configuration screen.
Once I did that USB keyboard / mouse wake up from S1/POS standby or
S3/STR standby worked for me where it did not work before.
(though S3/STR still crashes upon the wake up for me).
Maybe that'll help the original poster also since s/he mentioned a similar
failure to generate a standby wake-up.
Re: "hijacking" -- not at all, I'm trying to provide answers or feedback
relating specifically to the "standby / suspend / wake up" and
"when I upgraded my BIOS things changed" issues the original poster mentioned.
As for hibernate vs. suspend, I have no idea why THAT changed for the original
poster, and I can't comment on getting hibernate mode working for them, so
I confined my reply to the other issues that I do have experience with
(suspend / wake up / bios options clearing when you upgrade BIOS).
I understand they prefer to hibernate vs. suspend, but the fact is the
majority of problems they mentioned ARE suspend/standby/wake up ones!

How to downgrade bios and me firmware - MB h61m-p22 b3 MS-7680

Hi! I update my MB bcause i bought ddr3 stick 4gb and it only runs at 1066 (said the old bios) but with the new one it wont fix my problem (my MB says in the specs it can takes up to 1333). The new bios also lags or it is slow when i move with the keyboard from one field to another and selection etc...After this i read one review about dont update the bios because it causes probs...sadly i read this after having this problems...this review says it is not easy to downgrade the bios version bcause the me firmware is also updated. But he told the could do it with help in foruns. So i am here, i need help to downagrde my MB. I dont have acess right now to downlaod the flash tool. i am reading this post too : https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=163549.0
any sugestions? i need to downgrade the bios version (i have the files of the old version) and the firmware version.
My MB is : MSI h61m-p22 (b3) MS-7680
thanks in advance

Quote from: crmcrc on 13-June-15, 08:29:31
Hi Flobelix, i want to downgrade to the original bios...i think it is the fisrt one - 7680vP0.
That is a very bad idea. A first release bios does not include any fixes that were implemented after identification of issues in normal use.
Indeed Pentium G640 can't be run with higher speeds than 1066 which is the cpu limitation. On these locked cpus higher speeds also can't be set.
Quote from: crmcrc on 13-June-15, 08:32:47
Hi Chike, i changbed for a 8gb stick (total it is 12Gb = 8 +4)
Mixing memory is also a very bad idea and might rather be the reason for issues than the bios version.
What is by the way the version you are currently using?

Y50 uhd 48hz frame lock can be fixed lenovo must update bios and other seriouse promblems.

No it doesn't help at all.
Especially when I can be corrected.
Lenovo is lazy and disrespectful to its customers.

Hello I have discovered the y50 Uhd refresh ratecan be fixed the promblems stems from this orginally. When the y50 came out theIntel® HD Graphics 4600which was used for display could only run uhd at 30hz so lenovo released a custom driver and bios too make it run at 48hz with windows 10 being released intel has updated the driverit now features dx11 and dx12 support and can run uhd at 60hz I completely deleted the lenovo drivers and unistalled them restartedand install intel drivers because deleting and the drivers is the only way you can install intel drivers as the lenovo drivers act more like a virus and locks you in too only using there drivers i quickly notices a shaper image and more deeper colors in the screen but it was still capped at 48 which leads me to the conclusion that indeed lenovo capped it in biosor else it would of ran at 60 hz thanks too the new drivers also another thing lenovo did was block the ability to choose xmpfiles for highquality ram in bios this needs too be fixed because this a gaming laptopand lenovo you need to leave the bios alone you cant update you nvidia driversyou cant update you intel drivers and you permently limit people and they can not work around because simply you want to also lock there bios It feels like I was loaned a computer and i dont own it you cant pick and choose xmp setting like a real gaming laptop you need to fix this pronto stop locking everything. This is no longer your computer.. see the update here from intel now 60hzhttp://ark.intel.com/products/78934/Intel-Core-i7-4720HQ-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_60-GHz scroll down to the graphics specifcation section of this cpuyes this is the same cpu in the y50 monitor specs below SAMSUNG LTN156FL02-L01 Datasheet, Specification, Stocks, RFQs, Suppliers. a-Si TFT-LCD, 15.6', 3840×2160, 270 nit, 700:1 (Typ.), 16.7M color, 60Hz, WLED, eDP (4 Lanes) ... Sponsors. Laptop Screen · AUO LCD Panel · Laptop Screen. Notice it says 60hznot 48 hz

I downloaded an update yesterday and it did not install correctly..gives me error... now I cant even open itunes...should I uninstall I tunes totally and do a brand new install?

I downloaded a new version of I tunes yesterday and it did not install correctly- I cannot open I tunes, I have tried to download again, install again, repair and nothing... should I uninstall ITunes completely and reinstall fresh? what happens to my music collection, images, etc?

Hi bezoya,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. If iTunes is not launching after an update, I would recommend trying a thorough reinstall as described here:
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Update BIOS and lost slic

Hello.
i have updated bios on my Elittebook 8570w (built in windows 8 pro)
but now, windows 8 is not actived although i try to install it many times.
i checked the slic and see that its version is 2.1 (is it the slic version of windows 7?)
Will my slic be lost?

This is a peer-to-peer user supported forum for HP consumer class products. HP maintains no official presence on this forum. It is unlikely that HP will respond in an official capacity. Any reply from a HP employee represents their own opinion and not that of HP's.
The HP EliteBook 8570w Mobile Workstation is a business class computer and as such, your question may be better answered in the HP Business Support Forum.
Please send KUDOs
Frank
{------------ Please click the "White Kudos" Thumbs Up to say THANKS for helping.
Please click the "Accept As Solution" on my post, if my assistance has solved your issue. ------------V
This is a user supported forum. I am a volunteer and I don't work for HP.
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HP 13 Split x2 (on loan from HP)
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HP a1632x - Windows 7, 4GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
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HP p6787c - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 240

200n Update Bios and Drivers - where?

Where can you get free driver and Bios updates for Windows 7.
Googled Pheonix for Bios and get directed to a site which scans your system giving a list of updates which you find you have to pay $30 for the updates. Lenovo site appears to have nothing for 3000 200n 0769
Solved!
Go to Solution.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/research/hints-or-tips/detail.page?&LegacyDocID=MIGR-67855
Hi bellcart,
Here's your driver page.
What drivers are you looking for? Do you have unknown devices in Device Manager? Almost all the drivers on that page are for xp or Vista. Vista drivers sometimes work for Windows 7.
I would run Windows Update and check the optional updates for anything you might need.
Edit: I would stay away from the drivers update sites. They say they find drivers in their scan, then you buy it, and then the drivers won't install.
Dave
T430u, x301, x200T, x61T, x61, x32, x41T, x40, U160, ThinkPad Tablet 1838-22R, Z500 touch, Yoga Tab 2 Windows 8.1, Yoga Tablet 3 Pro
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How do I update BIOS and VBIOS for GX740 in Win7 64bit?

I can't seemed to update the new BIOS and VBIOS for my GX740 because the MSI downloads and the forum flash won't work with 64bit systems!
How could I update official BIOS and VBIOS if MSI only released 32bit version for their 64bit system?

>>Use the MSI HQ Forum USB flasher<<
Quote
the forum flash won't work with 64bit systems!
Yes, it does.
Quote
How could I update official BIOS and VBIOS if MSI only released 32bit version for their 64bit system?
The act of flashing itself, is done in 'pure DOS', which is neither 32bit or 64bit, but 16bit.

Should I update BIOS and hardware firmware when installing XP?

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