[Updated] wildwillow's Haswell Build: GA-Z87X-OC - i7-4770K - HD4600+GT 640

[kiddomac]

Hello WildWillow!

This is my first post but I've been reading almost all your posts. Actually, I followed your guide to build my new system so first of all, thank yo so much for sharing it with us. My new build is very solid but I still have random freezes so I'd like to update my BIOS. I know how to do it with the Flash Utility in the BIOS. In fact I had to do it a few months ago to install the F8. Now my problem is when I try to Q-Flash BIOS to the new version (F9), it recognizes the new bios file, starts loading it but then it tells me something like "Your flash utility is outdated. Contact gigabyte.com blah blah" I don't understand what could be the problem. I'm using the same USB drive, FAT-32 formatted so I know that you have other motherboard (Not "Force" version) but maybe someone can help me to figure it out how can I updated it.

Thank you in advance and any suggestions are appreciated!

KM

 

[wildwillow]

Hello WildWillow!

This is my first post but I've been reading almost all your posts. Actually, I followed your guide to build my new system so first of all, thank yo so much for sharing it with us. My new build is very solid but I still have random freezes so I'd like to update my BIOS. I know how to do it with the Flash Utility in the BIOS. In fact I had to do it a few months ago to install the F8. Now my problem is when I try to Q-Flash BIOS to the new version (F9), it recognizes the new bios file, starts loading it but then it tells me something like "Your flash utility is outdated. Contact gigabyte.com blah blah" I don't understand what could be the problem. I'm using the same USB drive, FAT-32 formatted so I know that you have other motherboard (Not "Force" version) but maybe someone can help me to figure it out how can I updated it.

Thank you in advance and any suggestions are appreciated!

KM

Hi Kiddomac,

Welcome to the tonymacx86 forums. As for the random freezes try using the default setting instead of profile1 in advanced frequency settings in the BIOS for Memory. As for you problem with Q-flash I would contact Gigabyte or use the wonderful google tool to see if anyone has had and resolved the problem with the Utility.

 

[kiddomac]

Thank you so much for your fast reply! I tested with the default settings but the result is always the same. Now I´m trying a new solution. I deleted the "AppleIntelE1000e.kext" inside "IONetworkingFamily.kext" in S/L/E. Removed then all the ports in the network from system preferences and deleted the files associated in the "preferences" folder of HD/Library. Rebooted and then I created the ports again - 1st ethernet, 2nd Wifi and Bluetooth appears when I added my keyboard and trackpad. Just fyi, with this method I have "ethernet" and not "ethernet en0 or ethernet en1". It's weird but I have everything working so far (ethernet, bluetooth and wifi) without the network kext. I hope this fix my random freezes. About the Q-Flash Utility problem, I read almost all the google articles that I found but their solutions are only for Windows systems. I tried some of them without no luck so I'll still looking for an answer.

Thank you again!

KM

 

[wildwillow]

Thank you so much for your fast reply! I tested with the default settings but the result is always the same. Now I´m trying a new solution. I deleted the "AppleIntelE1000e.kext" inside "IONetworkingFamily.kext" in S/L/E. Removed then all the ports in the network from system preferences and deleted the files associated in the "preferences" folder of HD/Library. Rebooted and then I created the ports again - 1st ethernet, 2nd Wifi and Bluetooth appears when I added my keyboard and trackpad. Just fyi, with this method I have "ethernet" and not "ethernet en0 or ethernet en1". It's weird but I have everything working so far (ethernet, bluetooth and wifi) without the network kext. I hope this fix my random freezes. About the Q-Flash Utility problem, I read almost all the google articles that I found but their solutions are only for Windows systems. I tried some of them without no luck so I'll still looking for an answer.

Thank you again!

KM

Sorry I could not help with the Q-flash Utility, If I come across the issue or how it was resolved I will be sure to post here.

 

[Elventanis]

If anyone is still having issues with the Q Flash issue and updating to the latest bios, this is what I had to do. I read a number of posts that you should be able to use the @BIOS windows utility to update to F9. I tried downloading this many times, and it just did not work, I got the same message about updating to the latest version.

Finally, instead of downloading from the Gigabyte site using the region, ie, Asia, Europe or America etc, I clicked on the FTP link instead. The file size is slightly different, but the version you get is actually the latest, and viola it worked. I uninstalled the old version and installed this.

If you download the @bios utility, even though it gives the version number as B13.1112.xx, check the version in the unzipped file "ver", you will see a different version. Unless you download using the FTP link.

Hope this, helps, cause Gigabyte support sucks, and I could not get anywhere with them over the last week.

 

[wildwillow]

If anyone is still having issues with the Q Flash issue and updating to the latest bios, this is what I had to do. I read a number of posts that you should be able to use the @BIOS windows utility to update to F9. I tried downloading this many times, and it just did not work, I got the same message about updating to the latest version.

Finally, instead of downloading from the Gigabyte site using the region, ie, Asia, Europe or America etc, I clicked on the FTP link instead. The file size is slightly different, but the version you get is actually the latest, and viola it worked. I uninstalled the old version and installed this.

If you download the @bios utility, even though it gives the version number as B13.1112.xx, check the version in the unzipped file "ver", you will see a different version. Unless you download using the FTP link.

Hope this, helps, cause Gigabyte support sucks, and I could not get anywhere with them over the last week.

Hi Elventanis,

Thanks for posting this, this should help Kiddomac, Note to all that this is for the OC Force motherboard. Latest update for the Z87X-OC is F8.

 

[kiddomac]

Hello Elventanis!

Thank you so much for your help! Could you please tell me exactly how to use @Bios? I tried to open it with Wine but I just get a self extract application. I need a real copy of Windows running from Parallels Desktop or similar? I don't have any virtual machines or bootcamp (I think I didn't use a PC since 20 years). I'd appreciate if you can elaborate a little bit more your answer.

Thank you again!

KM

 

[kiddomac]

Thank you WildWillow for your interest! I´ll let you know if everything is ok with Elventanis solution.

 

[Elventanis]

Kiddomac, I actually have this machine setup to run windows and OS X. The @BIOS was obviously a windows app. Once that is installed, it was simply a case of starting it and then selecting the new BIOS file for the motherboard. Not sure how this would run with Parallels, I have never actually tried that.

I hate using that tool normally cause I ran into an issue the first time I used it, cause it corrupted my bios, and I had to using the backup. But this time I had no other option cause I could not use QFlash and the bootable USB was giving me an extended memory issue.

Lastly, if anyone else is having issues with the Z87 boards crashing with 4 dimms installed, then just a quick update, I put the additional dimms into my machine last night, and so far today it has crashed once, with minimal use. So it is still crashing, but I think it is less than before the latest BIOS

 

[Elventanis]

kiddomac, since you don't have windows running you are probably going to have to use the bootable USB version. The steps for that seem to be:

1. Create a bootable USB
2. Copy the extracted files from the BIOS to the root of the USB
autoexec, efiflash and the BIOS file
3. Reboot the machine and boot off the USB

if you don't run into the memory issues, then the BIOS should start automatically.