Cant update bios on Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme TRX40

jonneymendoza · 2 Sep 2021 at 09:02

Hi, i have this mobo and i am trying to update its bios for the first time using the BIOS Flashback feature.

I have formated a usb stick to fat32 and added the correct .CAP file downloaded from https://rog.asus.com/uk/motherboards/rog-zenith/rog-zenith-ii-extreme-model/helpdesk_bios but whenever i put te usb stick in the bios usb connector slot at the back of my mobo and press and hold the bios button at the back for 3 seconds, the light from that button blinks for 3-4 seconds and then turns into a solid light.

according to the documentation, this means it is not operating properly as stated below:

If the light flashes for five seconds and turns into a solid light, this means that the BIOS FlashBack™ is not operating properly.

I followed this guide below

https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1038568/

List of things i tried:

Tried reformating usb sticks again
Tried two different usb sticks, one is 256gb and the other is 8gb sticks
Tried to update the bios to the oldest version: Version 1101 instead of Version 1502

Anything i am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance

tonys · 3 Sep 2021 at 21:05

Have you extracted the .cap file?

jonneymendoza · 3 Sep 2021 at 22:51

tonys said:
Have you extracted the .cap file?

Are you meant to extract it? It doesnt state that on the readme

tonys · 4 Sep 2021 at 01:07

It does part 2. If it is still zipped up it won't work.

jonneymendoza · 4 Sep 2021 at 15:23

tonys said:
It does part 2. If it is still zipped up it won't work.

It's not zipped. The z2e is a cap file

PDW · 4 Sep 2021 at 15:48

jonneymendoza said:
the light from that button blinks for 3-4 seconds and then turns into a solid light

So the light does not blink 3 times and then turns solid ? [That would be expected working behaviour]

3-4 seconds is not 5 seconds but if the light is blinking more than 3 times in your 3-4 seconds then it's not right.

I'd suggest reformatting the 8Gb stick to FAT32 again and give that another go using a later BIOS version and doing all the things they say in the manual.

tonys · 4 Sep 2021 at 16:41

If you downloaded from Asus it would be a zip file,(I have just tried) you have to extract the file to the root of your USB stick and rename it.

jonneymendoza · 4 Sep 2021 at 16:49

tonys said:
If you downloaded from Asus it would be a zip file,(I have just tried) you have to extract the file to the root of your USB stick and rename it.

rhats exactly what i did?!?!

i extracted it and then renamed the cat file

dave28 · 4 Sep 2021 at 16:49

You need to extract the CAP file and extract the renamer tool also included in the download.

then use the biosrenamer tool ( its kinda automatic so easy to use, you just open it and it does its thing.

then check the extracted CAP file has been renamed and then move it to the USB.

jonneymendoza · 4 Sep 2021 at 19:25

dave28 said:
You need to extract the CAP file and extract the renamer tool also included in the download.

then use the biosrenamer tool ( its kinda automatic so easy to use, you just open it and it does its thing.

then check the extracted CAP file has been renamed and then move it to the USB.

yes this is what i did

dave28 · 4 Sep 2021 at 21:06

jonneymendoza said:
yes this is what i did

try the way i did it then, through the BIOS section where you select USB and pick the file.

i didnt use flashback feature at all

EsaT · 4 Sep 2021 at 21:32

Unless you have CPU which needs newer BIOS than in board, just use updater inside BIOS.

jonneymendoza · 4 Sep 2021 at 21:33

EsaT said:
Unless you have CPU which needs newer BIOS than in board, just use updater inside BIOS.

Okay thanks let me try the old fashion way via the BIOS itself

EsaT · 4 Sep 2021 at 21:48

jonneymendoza said:
Okay thanks let me try the old fashion way via the BIOS itself

It should be also lot less picky about USB stick, because of running on fully initialized BIOS.
Low level BIOS flashback routine again likely runs very minimal support for different USB modes etc.