BIOS warning for Toshiba Owners!

[ThrobbingBrain66]

I have a Satellite laptop, but I'm sure the new BIOS upgrades have been released for other models. Within the last few days Toshiba released a BIOS upgrade (v1.80). This upgrade tweaked the BIOS for Vista as well as fixing a couple other issues. It claims that after you upgrade to 1.80 you CANNOT return to 1.70.

DO NOT UPGRADE!!!

I upgraded my BIOS to 1.80 and my Edgy install would boot to the Gnome splash and no further. The startup music's first note went on an endless loop. I wasn't too worried at this point, thinking that a fresh install may take care of the problem (wishful thinking, I know). That didn't work either, so at this point, I'm sicker than a dog thinking I just turned my laptop into a brick.

My last attempt to save my laptop was reverting to 1.70. Luckily for me this worked and my laptop is up and running again. I've always heard the warnings that you should not upgrade your BIOS unless you're having issues, but I personally had never had anything go wrong until today. In the future I shall be more careful.

I hope I save some people from what I had to deal with.

[Brainfart]

yikes... thanks for the warning, I'm just reinstalling everything already, don't want to do it twice

[some_random_noob]

Thanks... I don't have a Toshiba, but I mindlessly upgrade stuff even when I have no problems. Obviously not a good habit.

How did you revert the BIOS if they said you couldn't??

[Grey]

Thanks for the warning. I rarely ever update the BIOS (for that very reason), but that's very good to know. I am typing on a Toshiba Satellite at this very minute as I dist-upgrade to Feisty.

[adam.tropics]

Not too long after I got my Toshiba, I took it to the service centre to get a couple bits done, and asked them if, while they have it in under warranty anyway, they could update the bios. "Of course we can sir"....great, me thinks.

A day or so later I got a call to say all the work that was originally specified had been completed, but the laptop wouldn't be ready for collection for 2 weeks! "I beg your pardon???!!", yes 2 weeks. Turned out a number of models suffered a bug with the bios whereupon any attempt to update, even with full battery, and plugged into the mains, would result in the machine thinking the power was dead and shutting off......mid update. Since this kind of left you with half a bios, it had become a brick. They replaced the motherboard in the end. (at there expense) The 2 weeks was to account for god awful delivery times up here.

If you're gonna flash the bios, get someone else to do it, who can be held liable for rendering you machine about as useless as a chocolate radiator.

[xyz]

Thanks for posting this! I have a Toshiba Satellite A 40.

[Onyros]

I have never upgraded the BIOS of any laptop I've ever had, and I will never ever unless some problem renders it useless to start with.

There are too many horror stories about BIOS upgrades, which kind of make them totally forbidden for my machines.

To start with, I would never upgrade my BIOS for some Vista tweaks... Why would I, if I'm not gonna run Vista in the first place?

Anyway, thanks for the heads-up!

[ThrobbingBrain66]

Thanks... I don't have a Toshiba, but I mindlessly upgrade stuff even when I have no problems. Obviously not a good habit.

How did you revert the BIOS if they said you couldn't??

I'm not really sure how I was able to do it. The only thing I can imagine is that you are only unable to revert the BIOS if you are running Vista.

[ThrobbingBrain66]

I have never upgraded the BIOS of any laptop I've ever had, and I will never ever unless some problem renders it useless to start with.

There are too many horror stories about BIOS upgrades, which kind of make them totally forbidden for my machines.

To start with, I would never upgrade my BIOS for some Vista tweaks... Why would I, if I'm not gonna run Vista in the first place?

Anyway, thanks for the heads-up!

I didn't upgrade for the Vista tweaks. There was mention of some general ACPI fixes in the changelog as well.

[ckipel]

Just for future reference to anyone still trying to find answers and coming across this thread:

You can revert to 1.7 by burning the iso to a CD and inserting it into the laptop. It will automatically flash and when it reboots, you will need to quickly eject the CD.

Hope this helps someone.