Failed BIOS update on Samsung NP700Z5C

Hy guys,
I made a big fail with my notebook... I accidentally closed the updater while it was still running. The notebook restarted, then died... When I try it to turn on, the power-led lights, but nothing else happens. I think only the BIOS-rewriting can solve this problem. I found someone who can do this but we can't find a BIOS-file that he could write into the chip. Can anyone help me on this?

If anyone has other ideas, please share it with me.

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

Hi freenz, welcome to NBR.

That's a nasty problem, sorry to hear that. But great if you found someone with an EPROM writer who can fix it.

Check isosunrise's guide in the BIOS roll back thread. It describes how to locate different BIOS versions, download them, and extract their contents (including .ROM or .CAP files). There is also a utility on page 16 in that thread to help locate BIOS files.

You need to know the ID of the BIOS family for your model in order to locate the correct BIOS. There are many, many NP700Z5C models, some shipped with Win7, others with Win8 -- and they used different BIOS families. Can you tell us the exact model number and with which Windows version it originally shipped? If it is a Win8 model, your BIOS family is probably ABJ, and the latest version is P07ABJ.

Another way is if you have previously updated the BIOS successfully and saved the BIOS file on the HDD (always a good practice). In that case you could connect the HDD to another computer and pull the correct BIOS file that way. You would still need to extract its contents as described in isosunrise's guide.

It doesn't much matter whether you get the latest version of that BIOS, since you can update it afterwards, once the computer is running again. The exception here being that if you run Win8.1, it will only boot with the very latest BIOS version on your model. But since this happened when trying to update, I don't think you ARE running Win8.1

 

Helo again!

First of all thanks for this great help!
Unfortunately I don't know the ID number, but I know that this laptop was shipped with "Windows 7 Home Premium (64b)"
and the precise type of the laptop: "NP700Z5C-S01GR" . So with these informations, can you locate me a proper BIOS for my laptop?
The BIOS list which you have linked I don't understand it with my informations. Perhaps you know more about it.

If I understand you, the second solution would be also good If it wasn't be the first BIOS updating.
all the same If it was the first BIOS updating did it saved its BIOS in the HDD?
I would only mind with the secound solution , if the informations weren't enough for the first solution.

I'm looking forward hearing from you!

 

Thank you, that helps. I am almost certain that your model uses the AAG BIOS family, for which the latest version is P05AAG. You can download it with this link:

http://sbuservice.samsungmobile.com/upload/BIOSUpdateItem/ITEM_20130412_1087_WIN_P05AAG.exe

You will still need to extract it by running the BIOS updater As Administrator, but DO NOT click OK! While the prompt is on the screen, copy the folder C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Local\Temp\__Samsung_Update to your Desktop (or some place) then click CANCEL to abort the BIOS updater. Of course insert your own Windows username where it says myusername.

Now rename that copied __Samsung_Update folder to P05AAG and give it to the person who will be flashing your BIOS. It contains a P05AAG.rom file.

You should be able to perform the above steps on any computer, Samsung or other brand. But make sure you don't click OK to continue with the BIOS update (although it will probably just fail) and click CANCEL when you have copied the folder.

This is all taken from the steps in isosunrise's guide. But I just tried it myself to verify that it works.

Please keep us posted on your progress

 

It may also be worthwhile reading this thread and seeing if any of the suggested solutions for resurrecting computers bricked by failed BIOS updates work for you (although UEFI won't be responsible for your problems unless you enabled it).

John

 

Good point. There is a simple procedure you can try in that thread (disconnecting the battery and pressing the power button for a minute). That definitely couldn't hurt. An extended version of that procedure would leave the computer alone for 48 hours.

But my thinking is that if the BIOS update process was accidentally interrupted AND the computer is dead except for the LEDs, then it has all the signs of a corrupted BIOS. If freenz has access to someone who can re-write the BIOS, I would think that's the way forward (short of a Samsung repair).

 

I have done the steps, and the folder is on my desktop. So all I have to do is to rename the folder and send it to the BIOS-writer (if I have understood you).

I really appriciate your helpful suggestions, if it will works, i give you a huge like! :thumbsup:

 

Correct. You can verify that the folder contains a P05AAG.rom file. Then rename it (just so you and the recipient know what it is) and copy it to a USB stick. Or zip it and attach it to an email.

But by all means do try that procedure John mentioned first (also in this post). Sometimes good luck does happen, and if it turns out to revive your computer, it will be the easiest and safest by far.

 

Greetings

Here I'm again! The BIOS Writer replied that the BIOS which you sent didn't work.
However he mentioned that the memory of the BIOS-chip is 8 MB and he suggested looking for a BIOS which is about 8 MB.
May you filter for me the list that you gave me before? Since downloading 800 BIOSs would be complicated. I suppose that you know how to unfrock the most part of this BIOS list.

I am looking forward hearing from you!

 

The only BIOS families for the NP700Z5C that I am aware of, are AAG (for Win7 models, with a limited UEFI implementation) and ABJ (for Win8 models, with full UEFI/SecureBoot implementation). If you are certain your model is the former, P05AAG really is the latest version of the correct BIOS family.

I can think of two things you can try:

1) If your laptop was manufactured after Win8 release (Aug 2012) OR if it was refurbished or had its motherboard replaced after this date, I suppose it could be one of the newer models, even if you received it with Win7. If you remember ever seeing the words SecureBoot or CSM OS in your BIOS, then that would confirm it. In that case, and ONLY in that case, you can try P07ABJ instead, which is the latest version for those Win8/UEFI models. You can download it using the link below:

http://sbuservice.samsungmobile.com/upload/BIOSUpdateItem/ITEM_20131114_21267_WIN_P07ABJ.exe

2) Try an earlier version of the AAG BIOS (the one for Win7 models without the full SecureBoot/UEFI implementation) and see if it works better with the equipment of the person helping you. You can always update to the latest version once your computer is up and running (just don't try to install Win8.1 until you have the latest). If you search for P04AAG in the zipped list in isosunrise's guide that will give you the filename (ITEM_..._P04AAG.exe). Once you have that filename, you insert it in the sbuservice.samsungmobile.com URL (also in isosunrise's guide) in order to download that BIOS.

Either way, make sure to extract it (like last time) before giving it to the tech guy.

 

@freenz, I have some new information for you: I learned from this post that the NP700Z5C-S01UB (one of the variants of this laptop made specifically for Best Buy) has its own BIOS, with P00AAS being the only published version.

If your model is a S01UB, that would explain why the P05AAG BIOS did not work, and you should try P00AAS. You can download it using the link below:

http://sbuservice.samsungmobile.com/upload/BIOSUpdateItem/ITEM_20120518_522_WIN_P00AAS.exe