Forced BIOS Firmware Update: Difference between revisions

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===HP===

Blocked RAM speed<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Gburns53 |date=2021-10-25 |title=Forced BIOS update |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 |url-status=live |archive-date= |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=HP Community |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215152218/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 ~~|archive-date=15 Feb 2026~~}}</ref>, disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref name=":2" />, blocked downgrade.

Blocked RAM speed<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Gburns53 |date=2021-10-25 |title=Forced BIOS update |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 |url-status=live |archive-date=15 Feb 2026 |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=HP Community |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215152218/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 }}</ref>, disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref name=":2" />, blocked downgrade.

===Lenovo===

Disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Matusaprod |date=2023-07-15 |title=Linux sleep mode on newer thinkpad missing? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218181844/https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>.

Disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Matusaprod |date=2023-07-15 |title=Linux sleep mode on newer thinkpad missing? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218181844/https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, added battery whitelist<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Bob297586 |date=2020-03-27 |title=Help with Lenovo thinkpad w530 battery whitelist |url=https://linustechtips.com/topic/1200330-help-with-lenovo-thinkpad-w530-battery-whitelist/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Linus Tech Tips}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=@OrganicBrian |date=2023-12-27 |title=Thinkpad T420 battery suddenly rejected by the laptop: could an update have caused this? |url=https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=409942 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Linux Mint Forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@Scorpion8 |date=2020-04-27 |title=Thinkpad Battery "Whitelist" ... how does it work? |url=https://thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130513 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=thinkpads.com Support Community}}</ref>.

==Countermeasures==

===Disabling UEFI Encapsulation===

On some computer models, UEFI Encapsulation can be disabled in BIOS settings<ref name=":0" />, disallowing the exchange of configuration data between the operating system and the UEFI firmware.

On some computer models, UEFI Encapsulation can be disabled in BIOS settings<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-30 |title=How to disable BIOS updates completely |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/133h83x/how_to_disable_bios_updates_completely/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, disallowing the exchange of configuration data between the operating system and the UEFI firmware.

===Enabling "Do not include drivers with windows updates" in Group Policy===

Line 60:

===Using a free operating system===

Free operating systems such as GNU/Linux respect user freedom. BIOS updates can be manually initiated using LVFS/fwupd

Free operating systems such as GNU/Linux respect user freedom. BIOS updates can be manually initiated using LVFS/fwupd. Although rare, it's not impossible for some Linux distributions to install BIOS updates automatically<ref name=":6" />.

===Board-level repair===

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 ===HP===
-Blocked RAM speed<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Gburns53 |date=2021-10-25 |title=Forced BIOS update |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 |url-status=live |archive-date= |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=HP Community |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215152218/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref>, disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref name=":2" />, blocked downgrade.
+Blocked RAM speed<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Gburns53 |date=2021-10-25 |title=Forced BIOS update |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 |url-status=live |archive-date=15 Feb 2026 |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=HP Community |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215152218/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Forced-BIOS-update/td-p/8198864 }}</ref>, disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref name=":2" />, blocked downgrade.
 ===Lenovo===
-Disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Matusaprod |date=2023-07-15 |title=Linux sleep mode on newer thinkpad missing? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218181844/https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>.
+Disabled ACPI S3 sleep state<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Matusaprod |date=2023-07-15 |title=Linux sleep mode on newer thinkpad missing? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218181844/https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1505if1/linux_sleep_mode_on_newer_thinkpad_missing/ |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, added battery whitelist<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Bob297586 |date=2020-03-27 |title=Help with Lenovo thinkpad w530 battery whitelist |url=https://linustechtips.com/topic/1200330-help-with-lenovo-thinkpad-w530-battery-whitelist/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Linus Tech Tips}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=@OrganicBrian |date=2023-12-27 |title=Thinkpad T420 battery suddenly rejected by the laptop: could an update have caused this? |url=https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=409942 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Linux Mint Forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@Scorpion8 |date=2020-04-27 |title=Thinkpad Battery "Whitelist" ... how does it work? |url=https://thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130513 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=thinkpads.com Support Community}}</ref>.
 ==Countermeasures==
 ===Disabling UEFI Encapsulation===
-On some computer models, UEFI Encapsulation can be disabled in BIOS settings<ref name=":0" />, disallowing the exchange of configuration data between the operating system and the UEFI firmware.
+On some computer models, UEFI Encapsulation can be disabled in BIOS settings<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-30 |title=How to disable BIOS updates completely |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/133h83x/how_to_disable_bios_updates_completely/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, disallowing the exchange of configuration data between the operating system and the UEFI firmware.
 ===Enabling "Do not include drivers with windows updates" in Group Policy===
@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 ===Using a free operating system===
-Free operating systems such as GNU/Linux respect user freedom. BIOS updates can be manually initiated using LVFS/fwupd
+Free operating systems such as GNU/Linux respect user freedom. BIOS updates can be manually initiated using LVFS/fwupd. Although rare, it's not impossible for some Linux distributions to install BIOS updates automatically<ref name=":6" />.
 ===Board-level repair===