Updating the Bios on a Zotac computer running Linux
Having just bought a Zotac EI730 to be my home media center. And after installing KodiBuntu (Linux + Kodi media center software) on it. I wanted to update the bios as there was a later version available on the Zotac site
From the Zotac site you can easily check and download the latest bios version
Sadly the bios on Zotac doesn’t allow an update by itself. (telling the bios to update itself from a certain file)
If you are like me and am running Linux and like me know next to nothing about linux then updating the bios via Linux OS is just plain impossible.
So I ran a couple of Google checks and found next to nothing on how to update. with many people asking this question. Not running Windows. How do I update my bios. ???????
Reading at the PDF that is supplied with bios download from Zotac tells you how to get around this problem. But it’s as clear as mud and is slightly wrong.
So I thought I’d try to explain making hopefully things more clear. So here’s how.
Making a USB DOS key
Firstly you need to create a DOS bootable USB , you can do this from here https://rufus.ie/en/# I already had this on a USB key in a cupboard so didn’t need to re install it. For info Rufus needs Windows, I’m buggered if I can find a program that will make a DOS bootable USB with Linux, even Ventoy doesn’t do it properly. So I’m glad that I already had this USB
Once this Boot USB is done. Download the correct bios file for your Zotac and just unzip and drop all the files onto the USB. My file contained (at the time of writing this post)
AFU303.exe
afuwin.exe
amifldrv32.sys
amifldrv64.sys
B2250723.bin
Note.txt
update.bat
Important_note_AMI_EFI_2.02.pdf
Reading the PDF from Zotac (the last page) firstly it states ‘Boot up from MS-DOS without autoexec.bat and config.sys’ but there are no files named like this. So except the PDF file which I knew that I didn’t need I just dropped all the other onto the USB, (only two of all these names will be needed to be typed into the following DOS screen when you boot up later)
Once all files are copied onto the USB just boot the Zotac with USB plugged in. Keep on pressing on the F8 at boot (this could be a different Fx depending on the model) you should then have a screen with a choice of boot options, your HD, USB etc so just choose the USB using you keyboard arrows to select it.
All being well after the boot you should now have a black screen with some white writing similar to the below PDF and screen shot
After the C:\> you will now need to type the following. Please use my screen shot as the example and not the Zotac PDF as it’s not right
So here we go
1 : C:\>afu303.exe (if your yours is not quite the same, you type exactly the same name as what you copied onto the USB, probably only the number will change) Don’t hit Enter yet.
2 : C:\>afu303.exe B2250723.bin (again exactly the same as the name of the file copied on your USB. Again the number can change depending on the version) Don’t hit Enter yet.
3: C:\>afu303.exe B2250723.bin /p /n /b /r (note there is a space before each /). Now if your are sure that you have typed that two file names correctly Now hit ENTER and pray ….. (I always pray when updating a bios, because if it goes wrong. Power cut for instance, you are in the shit …)
You can see in my screen shot how I typed it all in. there is a space between the file names and before each slash and you should have the ‘done’ at the end of each line and an empty C:\
You can now turn of the Zotac, unplug your USB and restart.
All good, you’ve now got the latest Bios
When you reboot, if you boot into the bios (delete or supp button) you should see that your bios has changed, mine was B225P011 and it went to B225P012.
To make things difficult Zotac doesn’t use the same names in the bios and on their site. Mine on the site was B2250723.bin and on their bios its B22P012 , making it hard to really know if the bios installed and on their site is the same or newer. Why make things difficult ……
Notice that on the Zotac PDF they explain one way and show you another, most confusing
So there you go Updating the Bios on a Zotac computer running Linux isn’t that hard. I Hope this all helps. Also living in France for so long I forget my English so forgive any phrases / words that aren’t quite right. So please do not hesitate to leave a reply or ask a question.
PS : on the Zotac PDF it suggests that you backup your old rom first, although I didn’t bother doing this. It might be wise.
