For three years, the laptop has served me well, until Framework suggested via newsletter to install the latest BIOS3 update, version 3.20, with a bunch of security fixes. Unfortunately, the system hung and displayed a corrupt image on the screen, signifying a failed BIOS flash.
Naturally, I reached out to Framework support, who told me to unplug the laptop, let the battery drain, and power it back on again afterwards, hoping the laptop would recover by itself. Unfortunately, it never did, and after giving Framework a bunch of information, they informed me that since my 1-year warranty has expired, I have no option but to purchase a new Framework motherboard, which will cost at least CA$500.
A quick search revealed that many people had issues with BIOS flashes with this specific BIOS update on the Framework forums, even those in warranty, and on a different thread, people have been having similar issues with BIOS flashing in general on this model since at least March of 2025. To my knowledge, Framework has never acknowledged the issue or offered any indication that the problem was fixed, so buying a new motherboard would simply be playing Russian roulette if I ever wanted to update the BIOS again, on top of spending CA$500+ through no fault of my own.
Thus, I opted against buying a new motherboard and embarked upon a journey to flash the BIOS myself. I documented this journey in excruciating detail so that hopefully, by following along, you’ll understand exactly how you might fix similar problems.
As the owner of a Framework laptop who wants to benefit from the upgradability down the line, I would like to see Framework clean up their act and deliver on the promise they made when they sold the product. As such, I call upon Framework to:
Immediately stop encouraging any users out of warranty to update their BIOS until the updater is fixed;
Fix the BIOS updater as soon as possible;
Provide immediate relief to any out-of-warranty customers whose laptop was bricked through a BIOS update, either through motherboard replacement like warrantied customers, or the free delivery of a toolkit and detailed guidance to perform the repair;
Provide official documentation for BIOS flashing, raw BIOS images, and instructions to restore the serial numbers and UUIDs;
Design all future motherboards to be easily recoverable from bad BIOS flashes; and
Immediately cease any unnecessary data sharing with third parties.
Kind of surprised they kinda told OP to pound sand after trying basically nothing. Glad they were able to recover their laptop by manually flashing a BIOS though. Come to think of it, I've only...
Kind of surprised they kinda told OP to pound sand after trying basically nothing. Glad they were able to recover their laptop by manually flashing a BIOS though. Come to think of it, I've only ever updated the firmware on one of my laptops in the past, and it was such a nerve racking experience.
Gotta say, this does not inspire confidence in framework. And I was seriously considering replacing my aging surface book with a framework now that it ships with a touchscreen.
Gotta say, this does not inspire confidence in framework. And I was seriously considering replacing my aging surface book with a framework now that it ships with a touchscreen.
As much as I love my original Framework and still use it frequently, I'm very disappointed by the data breach. It leaked all of my personal information, including my phone number which hadn't been...
As much as I love my original Framework and still use it frequently, I'm very disappointed by the data breach. It leaked all of my personal information, including my phone number which hadn't been properly leaked until now.
A former coworker got a Framework. And he's had/having some issues with the GPU module. I don't know exactly what, but he got the computer earlier this year, but has already had to work with...
A former coworker got a Framework. And he's had/having some issues with the GPU module. I don't know exactly what, but he got the computer earlier this year, but has already had to work with Framework to get a replacement GPU. And before he left, he mentioned that he's still having problems and he's once again working with the company to resolve.
I'd like to one day get a Framework, not that I need one, but yeah, def some issues they need to work through.
Kind of surprised they kinda told OP to pound sand after trying basically nothing. Glad they were able to recover their laptop by manually flashing a BIOS though. Come to think of it, I've only ever updated the firmware on one of my laptops in the past, and it was such a nerve racking experience.
Especially because it seems to be caused by a bug in their BIOS updater software.
Gotta say, this does not inspire confidence in framework. And I was seriously considering replacing my aging surface book with a framework now that it ships with a touchscreen.
As much as I love my original Framework and still use it frequently, I'm very disappointed by the data breach. It leaked all of my personal information, including my phone number which hadn't been properly leaked until now.
A former coworker got a Framework. And he's had/having some issues with the GPU module. I don't know exactly what, but he got the computer earlier this year, but has already had to work with Framework to get a replacement GPU. And before he left, he mentioned that he's still having problems and he's once again working with the company to resolve.
I'd like to one day get a Framework, not that I need one, but yeah, def some issues they need to work through.
Pretty wild that this still happens in 2026. BIOS flashing has been around for decades, I've never had issues with it from multiple vendors.
Correct me if I’m wrong but don’t they have basically 2 versions of the BIOS installed? One as a fallback in case something goes wrong like this.
Not all the mainboards have two BIOS flash chips.