Unable to extract Lenovo BIOS file from installer

[survivalbloke]

I'm working on a Lenovo LOQ 15APH8, Serial# MP2L9MAV. I want to flash a new BIOS onto it, but I'm also trying to learn this process for my own enrichment and professional development.

I was watching some tutorials, copying the serial info blocks from the old bios to a new bios. Before that though, they use innoextract on the Lenovo .exe. I downloaded Innoextract v1.9 but it tells me my .exe is not a supported inno setup installer(see screenshot). So if I unpack this using 7zip, I do get a .ROM file, but according to my tutorials, I'm looking for a .FD file.

How can I extract the BIOS from this executable?

[m1ch43lzm]

It's the .rom file, extract with https://github.com/LongSoft/InsydeIm...actor/releases
Should give you a 32,768KB file
Always make a backup of the contents on your BIOS chip before trying to flash anything with an external programmer, you need a programmer that supports 1.8V chips, otherwise you risk frying the BIOS chip, or the CPU/motherboard, as all Ryzen laptops use 1.8V chips
If you plan to use a CH341A, make sure you get an additional 1.8V adapter for it, or get the version with a voltage selector switch; i say this because the black CH341A version is more common, and some of those have a design defect that sends 5V to the data lines, but power the BIOS IC with 3.3v

Depending on your BIOS chip, get the correct socket adapter either SOP8 or WSON8 8x6

Make sure you read the contents 3 times, save each file and compare with a hex editor, if the 3 dumps are exactly the same, and not full of FF FF FF ..., likely you got a good read

If you just want to update the BIOS, run the .exe

[m1ch43lzm]

It's the .rom file, extract with https://github.com/LongSoft/InsydeIm...actor/releases
Should give you a 32,768KB file
Always make a backup of the contents on your BIOS chip before trying to flash anything with an external programmer, you need a programmer that supports 1.8V chips, otherwise you risk frying the BIOS chip, or the CPU/motherboard, as all Ryzen laptops use 1.8V chips
If you plan to use a CH341A, make sure you get an additional 1.8V adapter for it, or get the version with a voltage selector switch; i say this because the black CH341A version is more common, and some of those have a design defect that sends 5V to the data lines, but power the BIOS IC with 3.3v

Depending on your BIOS chip, get the correct socket adapter either SOP8 or WSON8 8x6

Make sure you read the contents 3 times, save each file and compare with a hex editor, if the 3 dumps are exactly the same, and not full of FF FF FF ..., likely you got a good read

If you just want to update the BIOS, run the .exe

[survivalbloke]

It's the .rom file, extract with https://github.com/LongSoft/InsydeIm...actor/releases
Should give you a 32,768KB file
Always make a backup of the contents on your BIOS chip before trying to flash anything with an external programmer, you need a programmer that supports 1.8V chips, otherwise you risk frying the BIOS chip, or the CPU/motherboard, as all Ryzen laptops use 1.8V chips
If you plan to use a CH341A, make sure you get an additional 1.8V adapter for it, or get the version with a voltage selector switch; i say this because the black CH341A version is more common, and some of those have a design defect that sends 5V to the data lines, but power the BIOS IC with 3.3v

Depending on your BIOS chip, get the correct socket adapter either SOP8 or WSON8 8x6

Make sure you read the contents 3 times, save each file and compare with a hex editor, if the 3 dumps are exactly the same, and not full of FF FF FF ..., likely you got a good read

If you just want to update the BIOS, run the .exe

Thank you for that! I have a reader and have flashed chips before(I'm a repair shop), but I never thought to take 3 copies of the BIOS backup - that's excellent advice!

The machine will not post, so I Was in an attempt to copy the serial number info from the original BIOS to the new one. I'll report back, and thank you for that link!

[survivalbloke]

OMG, I was using the wrong extractor lol.

[survivalbloke]

Question: What will be the result if I just flash the clean BIOS file I extracted from the Lenovo executable?

[m1ch43lzm]

Question: What will be the result if I just flash the clean BIOS file I extracted from the Lenovo executable?

You'll lose the DMI data (serial, model name, machine type, ...) and the embedded windows key
Find $LENV with a hex editor on the bios dump and copy those blocks to the clean BIOS, on Lenovo the DMI data is encrypted

Laptop should boot anyway if it's only a BIOS issue
If you still need help, go to the bios request subforum, find an existing thread for your model, or create a new one if it doesn't exist, and post there the required info (laptop model, serial number, machine type/MTM, board number (NM-xxxx)), and attach the (corrupt) BIOS dump in that post, someone there will make a new BIOS for you, or supply a clean BIOS with a note indicating the offsets you should copy from

[survivalbloke]

You'll lose the DMI data (serial, model name, machine type, ...) and the embedded windows key
Find $LENV with a hex editor on the bios dump and copy those blocks to the clean BIOS, on Lenovo the DMI data is encrypted

Laptop should boot anyway if it's only a BIOS issue
If you still need help, go to the bios request subforum, find an existing thread for your model, or create a new one if it doesn't exist, and post there the required info (laptop model, serial number, machine type/MTM, board number (NM-xxxx)), and attach the (corrupt) BIOS dump in that post, someone there will make a new BIOS for you, or supply a clean BIOS with a note indicating the offsets you should copy from

Thanks! Super helpful AND I've learned something!