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How to go about updating BIOS on a Linux laptop when only .exe is provided? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by WereCat@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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EDIT - UPDATE: Booting live Windows11 USB has worked and BIOS has been updated (but holy cow, Linux live USB feels like it's running on SSD while Windows live USB feels like it's running from floppy disk)

Hi, I have a Yoga Slim 6 14APU8 - Type 82X3 laptop with Fedora Workstation 41 and I've tried to go and update my BIOS but unfortunately they only offer the .exe file to do it from within Windows. I don't want to install Windows just to update my BIOS. I honestly though it will be a matter of few minutes by me just copying the BIOS file on a USB drive and then installing it directly from within BIOS as usual on other devices...

I've tried the sudo fwupdmgr update command but it just says that there is nothing that can be updated.

My current BIOS version is M4CN30WW and the new one is M4CN36WW.

I've tried searching for how to do this and I've found multiple guides using geteltorito but they all say to download the .iso and not the .exe version of the BIOS file but I can't find the .iso version anywhere on their website, or am I just blind or is there some other way to do this?

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[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 40 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Build a live boot USB for windows: https://monovm.com/blog/how-to-create-a-windows-live-usb/

There is a chance that the exe is just a wrapper for a compressed archive that contains the app to flash the bios and also the image. If the bios actually supports flashing manually, that would be super convenient.

[-] FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi 8 points 3 days ago

Build a live boot USB for windows: https://monovm.com/blog/how-to-create-a-windows-live-usb/

Decent instructions but you need windows to follow them.

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

Live USB W11 worked and this was 1st time for me using live W11 USB.... I don't wish the experience of having to use it to anyone...

[-] 30p87@feddit.org 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You can actually just use a normal Win 10 install image, booted from Ventory or smth, and then open a cmd in the install dialogue with Shift+F10. From there you can execute updater programs. It's not pretty, but it works, as most simple updaters (eg. Dell Laptops) won't need many or any libs/drivers. Just execute it, wait till it pops a window to reboot, and do just that.

[-] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

A windows VM with USB pass through. Use the VM to make the live USB then nuke the VM.

[-] FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi 3 points 3 days ago

Ventoy might be able to do the same.

[-] eruchitanda@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

If you need anyway, you might be better with just Rufus.

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Thanks, seems like I'll have to do the live Windows USB. I have a older separate PC that still runs Windows 10 to make the USB if Ventoy wont work.

[-] beerclue@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Just a thought, but instead of a full windows install / live USB - what about a freedos live USB? You should be able to run exe files from there (assuming the bios exe does not need any GUI libraries).

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago

Was already waiting for Windows to boot while you replied so I was able to succesfully update BIOS from the live W11 USB, maybe next time I'll try freeDOS but I doubt I'll be updating BIOS any time soon again

[-] AlphaAutist@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

I always keep a usb around with freedos for that reason. Works great and you don’t have to deal with windows

[-] monovergent@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 days ago

I've used this Windows 10 live image to run the occasional windows-only diagnostic tools and firmware updates: https://github.com/VulpesSARL/MiniNT5-Tools

It doesn't choke loading GUI programs like the install disc command prompt and doesn't have any weird blobs except for windows itself.

[-] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 15 points 3 days ago

Check that the exe isn't just a self extracting zip file.

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

I've checked but it's not :( Seems like I'll have to try the live Windows USB route

[-] superterran@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago

As someone mentioned, there is a chance that it is and executable wrapper for like a zip archive that contains the flash ROM. You should try to extract it using something like File Roller. If you can extract the ROM file, he can typically flash it manually from the UEFI or BIOS menu.

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

File Roller worked for extracting but the BIOS file seems to be in a .fd format and it does not look like I can do anything with it without further modifications. I'm still downloading ISO for the live Windows USB.

[-] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The fd file is likely the bios image. You can probably just stick it on a FAT usb drive or even just the EFI partition if you have one.

You can probably flash that from the bios itself.

The bios might expect a different file extension, so just rename it

[-] AnnaFrankfurter@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

If I remember correctly you can just put the exe file in an empty flash drive and go to your bios select update bios you don't need to do anything else since UEFI by default runs exe. If you're on uefi your os should also have a exe file in /boot

[-] agelord@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

UEFI by default runs exe

As far as I know, that's not the case. Maybe some UEFI implementations by some vendors can extract the UEFI firmware that's embedded in the exe file. But, UEFI doesn't run exe files.

[-] AnnaFrankfurter@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 days ago

OK I was wrong it's not default EXE it is the only option https://wiki.osdev.org/UEFI

UEFI executables are regular PE32 / PE32+ (Windows x32 / x64) images, with a specific subsystem. Every UEFI application is basically a windows EXE (or DLL) without symbol tables.

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 days ago

Here's the method I use to update my Legion Go's bios: https://docs.bazzite.gg/Handheld_and_HTPC_edition/update-bios-lenovo-legion-go/

[-] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You can't natively load the .fd from the bios screen?

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/update-lenovo-bios-from-linux-usb-stick-pen/

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

nope

[-] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

That really sucks. Good to know. I was thinking about getting a yoga but now I know to avoid. Hope the windows live disk works, be careful about it nuking your grub install.

I'm assuming you've already seen how to update without installing windows using the windows PE

https://community.frame.work/t/howto-update-bios-using-winpe-until-lvfs-support-arrives/11243

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Nothing wrong with the laptop. Everything works fine under Linux, it's just that I've decided to update BIOS and had no idea I'll run into this wall but otherwise I had great experience with Yoga.

[-] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Good to know. Thanks for the reply. However you and I agree that BIOS updates are important.

[-] not_fond_of_reddit@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago

You could try enabling the lvfs test-repo

sudo fwupdmgr enable-remote lvfs-testing

And the run

sudo fwupdmgr update

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

That may work but I feel like it can cause me heap of other issues. I'll leave this as a last resort for now.

[-] not_fond_of_reddit@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

So you can enable it and then run:

sudo fwupdmgr get-updates

And you will get a list of what would be updated with the testing repo, and then you can disable it again if it doesn’t return a result that one can work with.

[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 2 points 3 days ago

not sure. zorin just had it as an option in the update util and it did it on a restart. like magic.

[-] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago

Could Wine help out here?

[-] WereCat@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

No clue. I'd probably resort to installing Windows instead of risking that something may go wrong by using Wine for BIOS update.

[-] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago

Idk if im just lucky but for some reason with my laptop gnomes software manager has the bios updates in it and i just install them and reboot and it does it. Im guessing thats just a cool thing Dell provides tho?

this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2024
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