BIOS update help.please.

Tomys wrote: Hi every one Please help, I have X79 extreme9 MB. Win 10 X64. I've been trying to update to the BIOS V4 for a longtime  from V3.61 beta. But no luck. (PC is operating OK). What I did, was put BIOS V4 into a USB (format fat 32) plug it to port USB 2. and boot it to BIOS state. The UEFI can detect and show on the screen" X79E9_4.00 ", but I can't select or flash it, then it seems like frozen, nothing selectable (except the mouse cursor can be moved around). I have to press the restart button to reboot the PC. Doesn't matter how many times I tried. I can't go pass that point.  I tried Xalta's How to clear CMOS via battery removal. But still no luck.. Did I miss to install some files that stop the MB updating to BIOS v4.00. Or..is it my MB not compatible to BIOS V4.00 ? ANd one more question. I plan to install SM961 as OS boot device , Will it work on my MB BIOS V3.61 ? Very much appreciated for your great help. Thank you. Tomy

About the UEFI update, is the USB flash drive in a USB 2.0 port on the board's IO panel? Also be sure to use a USB 2.0 port, not a blue USB 3.0 port.

It seems you have unzipped the UEFI 4.00 download file, since it is recognized by Instant Flash. As long as you have a X79 Exteme9 mother board, and downloaded the file from its download page, you should be fine:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/X79%20Extreme9/?cat=Download&os=BIOS

What size/capacity in the USB flash drive? Sometimes large capacity (32GB or larger) USB flash drives don't work right in some applications for some reason. Did you try a different USB flash drive?

Do you have problems with freezing in the UEFI when you use it for other purposes? Do you have a CPU and/or memory over clock in use? If you do, try setting the board to stock/default settings during the UEFI update.

Does your keyboard work when you are in the UEFI? What keyboard do you use, and which USB port is it connected to?

In the UEFI, you have a USB Configuration screen. Did you change any settings in it?

Your question about the Samsung M.2 SSD is confusing, and missing information. First, you wrote this:

"I plan to install SM961 as OS boot device..."

You wrote SM961, but the link to the eBay page contains only SM951 M.2 SSDs. Those are two different models, and it matters.

If you meant to write SM951, there are two different types, an AHCI version and an NVMe version.

Your board and UEFI version will NOT support an NVMe SSD as the OS boot device. A new UEFI update that provides NVMe support would be required, if that is even possible.

You might be able to use the AHCI version of the SM951 as the OS boot device on your board,but I'm not sure. The potential problem is I cannot find UEFI options in the manual that are usually required to allow booting from a PCIe M.2 SSD.

Those options are CSM, or Secure Boot. You'll need to check your UEFI version for either of those options. Secure Boot would be in the Security screen, CSM is either in the Boot or ACPI Configuration screen.

If you meant SM961, and gave the wrong link, the SM961 is an NVMe SSD, which would require the UEFI update I described above, and is not compatible as an OS boot drive otherwise.

For either of these M.2 SSDs, you would need an M.2 to PCIe adapter card.

What model CPU are you using? If it is any of the i7-3xxx HEDT processors (Sandy Bridge), they provide a PCIe 2.0 interface for the PCIe slots. All of the Samsung SM951 SSDs require a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface for full performance. If you have an Ivy Bridge, i7-4xxx HEDT processor, they provide PCIe 3.0.

So your board has several issues about using a PCIe M.2 SSD. I did not find UEFI updates that provide NVMe support on any X79 board, which simply may not be possible with that chipset.

Tomys wrote: The UEFI can detect and show on the screen" X79E9_4.00 ", but I can't select or flash it, then it seems like frozen, nothing selectable (except the mouse cursor can be moved around).

When you see X79E9_4.00 displayed in the Instant Flash box/pop-up, press the KBs Enter key. It should take off and begin flashing.

Tomys wrote: Thank you very much for your help parsec, sorry took awhile to reply. Yes I use USB stick 2GB, 4GB and 16GB, plug it in the back of PC usb port 2 (black). No Idon't have any problems with freezing in the UEFI when I use it for other purposes only when I try to flash the BIOS, maybe the UEFI software corrupted. Can I reflash the  old BIOS V3.10 WIN and then flash back the BIOS V4.00 Rom. Is it safe to do that or I'll kill my MB ?   I did the flashing BIOS in the  factory default, even after I did the clearing CMOS. I can see CSM in UEFI, but I don't see any option for NVMe yet, maybe 'cause I haven't got ane M.2 ssd install (I'm maybe wrong).  PCIe adapter card: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Up-to-3300M-s-PCI-E-4X-for-M-2-SSD-ADAPTER-SM961-SM951-950Pro-Radiator-version-/322202852222?hash=item4b04c95b7e:g:7tIAAOSwZVlXlCWq samsung SM961 :  http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Samsung-SM961-512GB-M-2-PCIe-3-0-x4-SSD-faster-than-950-PRO-/201643781906?hash=item2ef2e7ef12:g:OzwAAOSwZVlXrHI7 This is my MB :  Thanks again for your help. I'm very frustrated , that I can't flash that BIOS V4.00. and hopefully I can use M.2 SSD.

As wardog wrote above, just press the Enter key when the X79E9_4.00 is shown on the Instant Flash screen.

You would not hurt your board to change to BIOS 3.10, and then update to BIOS 4.00. That is not a problem at all.

If you think updating to the 4.00 UEFI version will give you NVMe support, that is not true, sorry to say. UEFI version 4.00 will not let you use an SM961 as a boot/OS drive.

I don't think you understood what I said about using an NVMe SSD, like the SM961, as the OS/boot drive on your X79 board.

Your board does NOT have a UEFI/BIOS update that supports NVMe SSDs, and it will NOT support booting an OS from an SM961, or any other NVMe SSD.

You won't magically see any options for NVMe if you connect an NVMe SSD to your board. NVMe is very new, even X99 boards needed a UEFI update for NVMe support, X99 replaced X79.

The 4.00 UEFI for your board is dated 3/18/2014. The NVMe protocol did not exist in 2014. No NVMe SSD existed in 2014. The 4.00 UEFI does not add NVMe support to your board. If the UEFI does not have NVMe support, you cannot use an NVMe SSD as the boot/OS drive.

As I said earlier, there are NO X79 boards that support NVMe SSD as the boot/OS drive. If you are just hoping it will work that way, I can guarantee that it won't work, sorry to say. You could use it as a data drive, but not as an OS/boot drive.

Your CPU-Z picture of your CPU, shows us that you have a Sandy Bridge generation, i7-3930K HEDT processor. Your CPU only supports PCIe 2.0, not PCIe 3.0. So even as a data drive, an SM961 will not work at the speed in the specifications with only PCIe 2.0.