[REQUEST] How to Downgrade Lenovo Ideapad BIOS - U410

[DaveN_Ott]

Hi, new to the forum (though not new to computers) and I've searched around for 2 days for a potential answer to this, if answer already posted please send me a link.

My upgraded my Windows 7 U410 to Windows 10 and it was running sluggish. I decided to see if there were updates for the BIOS and found that there were two:

65cn21ww.exe - for Windows 7
65cn99ww.exe - for Windows 8.1

As Windows 10 seems more like 8.1 than 7 I decided to flash the 65cn99ww.exe BIOS. Big mistake, windows 10 wouldn't boot, tried everything that I could think of in the BIOS to get things working and it seems that the update broke the UFEI / RAID setup. Tried restoring backups - no go then fresh install of windows 7 and couldn't downgrade the BIOS - 233 error. Even tried fresh install of 8.1 & 10, no luck on downgrading, then I found this forum. Try as I might I couldn't find or figure out how to downgrade the BIOS.

I found poster's link to the 65cn13ww.exe BIOS (appears to be original contents of the SFX file) and another post about replacing the "environment.dll" file in one of the "[REQUEST] Lenovo IdeaPad U410 Whitelist removal request ..." threads

All this to ask what is the best way to downgrade the BIOS on my originally Windows 7 Lenovo Ideapad U410?

Thanks
   Dave

[BDMaster]

Version 99
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products...s/ds101011
Version 21
http://support.lenovo.com/sg/en/products...s/DS033646

Can You upload the version 13 ?
You have to find an option into Bios to Reflash Back and Update so go into Configuration Tab
and Set BIOS Back Flash to Enable and enable It !
Many Thank
Regards

[DaveN_Ott]

Version 99
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products...s/ds101011
Version 21
http://support.lenovo.com/sg/en/products...s/DS033646

Can You upload the version 13 ?
You have to find an option into Bios to Reflash Back and Update so go into Configuration Tab
and Set BIOS Back Flash to Enable and enable It !
Many Thank
Regards

Attached is the version 13 that I'd downloaded from a link on the forums, I've rar'ed the SFX "exe" file.

  65cn13ww.rar (Size: 3.41 MB / Downloads: 88)
I have the BIOS Back Flash set to Enable. I just tried the version 21 again and Error 233 Only secured capsule is allowed on a SecureFlash system. Status = 1

Dave

[BDMaster]

I will give a look again !
Regards

[DaveN_Ott]

I have managed to get my U410 back to the 65cn21ww BIOS

Contrary to the warnings not to install a BIOS that you are not absolutely sure is for you computer I installed the 65cn13ww BIOS and as the warnings say the computer was almost bricked  It wouldn't boot the installed Windows 8.1 or much of anything and just give me a black, unresponsive screen after showing the Lenovo logo. It didn't seem to want to save the boot order settings but would save other BIOS settings.

I could get into the BIOS settings and found that the Fn+F12 would allow me to actually tell the computer what drive to boot. I booted to the Windows RC environment with a recovery USB stick for my backup image software, but it wouldn't run the proper BIOS 65cn21ww from Lenovo website to update the BIOS. Same thing with a Window's 7 Live CD.

I found that using a USB DVD drive I could re-install windows 7 on the hard drive by using the Fn+F12 to tell it to boot from the USB DVD. After the install I still had to use the Fn+F12 to boot from the hard drive.

I was then finally able to install the 65cn21ww BIOS and I am a happy camper now   

Morals of the story: 
- IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT
- DON'T PLAY WITH BIOSES THAT YOU AREN'T SURE OF OR AREN'T 100% POSITIVE IS FOR YOUR COMPUTER

You'd think after 20 years building and playing with computers I'd know better but was over confident 
  Dave

[BDMaster]

Thanks for your report my friend !
We have few tools to bypass the RSA check and We have to experiment some
tricks, but anyway We can Always recover and rewrite the Firmw are into Eeprom Chip !
Just using the Tools (SPI Programmer and the Clip) then we can go over restriction
and do anything !
Look here :

https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-R...val?page=3

Regards

[MrDave69]

Hi, new to the forum (though not new to computers) and I've searched around for 2 days for a potential answer to this, if answer already posted please send me a link.

My upgraded my Windows 7 U410 to Windows 10 and it was running sluggish. I decided to see if there were updates for the BIOS and found that there were two:

65cn21ww.exe - for Windows 7
65cn99ww.exe - for Windows 8.1

As Windows 10 seems more like 8.1 than 7 I decided to flash the 65cn99ww.exe BIOS. Big mistake, windows 10 wouldn't boot, tried everything that I could think of in the BIOS to get things working and it seems that the update broke the UFEI / RAID setup. Tried restoring backups - no go then fresh install of windows 7 and couldn't downgrade the BIOS - 233 error. Even tried fresh install of 8.1 & 10, no luck on downgrading, then I found this forum. Try as I might I couldn't find or figure out how to downgrade the BIOS.

I found poster's link to the 65cn13ww.exe BIOS (appears to be original contents of the SFX file) and another post about replacing the "environment.dll" file in one of the "[REQUEST] Lenovo IdeaPad U410 Whitelist removal request ..." threads

All this to ask what is the best way to downgrade the BIOS on my originally Windows 7 Lenovo Ideapad U410?
disable
Thanks
   Dave

Sorry for reviving an old thread but I'm experiencing pretty much the same issue - I can't downgrade my bios. 

The difference is I've managed to boot my system by changing the setting to allow Legacy Boot AND Boot Legacy First (ahead of UEFI - UEFI First results in no-boot). I can enable/disable RAID and Intel Rapid Start and still successfully boot.

Problem is the 99 bios lists my U410 as U310 and CPU-Z shows Model as Lenovo and where U410 should be it has INVALID-NULL.

When I try to install the 21 or 13 in Windows it fails when reading my current (99) bios stating "Error 105 - Command line error! Status = 105." and "Error 233 -Only secured capsule is allowed on a SecureFlash system!" when trying to simply Flash without backing up current bios 99. I've tried via USB using 
PHLASH16 /S /X /FORCE and it also comes back that my current bios is invalid.

I'm at my wits end. Should I just leave it as it is and hope for the best?

Any assistance/guidance is appreciated.

[BDMaster]

Not Possible directly using the Insyde Tool so only by Progrrammer !!!
Regards

[GefreiterOberschutze]

Sorry for reviving an old thread but I'm experiencing pretty much the same issue - I can't downgrade my bios. 

The difference is I've managed to boot my system by changing the setting to allow Legacy Boot AND Boot Legacy First (ahead of UEFI - UEFI First results in no-boot). I can enable/disable RAID and Intel Rapid Start and still successfully boot.

Problem is the 99 bios lists my U410 as U310 and CPU-Z shows Model as Lenovo and where U410 should be it has INVALID-NULL.

When I try to install the 21 or 13 in Windows it fails when reading my current (99) bios stating "Error 105 - Command line error! Status = 105." and "Error 233 -Only secured capsule is allowed on a SecureFlash system!" when trying to simply Flash without backing up current bios 99. I've tried via USB using 
PHLASH16 /S /X /FORCE and it also comes back that my current bios is invalid.

I'm at my wits end. Should I just leave it as it is and hope for the best?

Any assistance/guidance is appreciated.

Sorry for re-reviving the thread.
But that exactly matches with the experience I currently made with my U410. Flashed the official (not even modded) 99 over the 21 and everything stopped working. The model is listed as U310 instead of U410 in the BIOS and I can't boot in UEFI mode, as well.

Is there any way to fix this issue?
I just want my new ac 7260 to work.

Edit:
Do I need the UEFI mode to flash the system back to stock?
Isn't there any way to do it in Legacy mode via USB DOS or Win7?
Or is there any EFI package I can mount via a usb pen drive?

I found this script in another thread:
https://docviewer.yandex.com/?url=ya-dis...1225cdaca1
UEFI DOS appears to work but the script leads to the error "PFlash: Read file error – 65CN99WW_v10.CAP" after loading the 99WW.

BTW: haven't tried anything via the novo mode or "Reset to setup mode" / "Restory factory keys", yet.

[GefreiterOberschutze]

No idea? :/