How to Update the Asus P8H67-M LX BIOS with EZ Flash 2 (and the “Selected file is not a UEFI BIOS” Error)

Antonio NEMCD Author

Published Dec 5, 2012 · 3 min

I wanted to update the BIOS on an Asus P8H67-M LX motherboard and downloaded the latest version from the official website. I started looking for a utility to update the BIOS from Windows (as before, for example AsusUpdt_V71304), but it turned out to be simpler: boards of this level have a UEFI BIOS with EZ Mode — a convenient graphical interface where even the mouse works.

It turns out the BIOS can be updated right from the BIOS itself with the built-in ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility. It’s quick and smooth, and you can pick the firmware file from a USB stick or even the hard drive (NTFS worked for me too).

Preparation

1. Download the BIOS for your board from the Asus support page. Check the exact model: the P8H67-M, P8H67-M LE and P8H67-M LX have different firmware.
2. Unpack the archive — EZ Flash doesn’t see a file inside a ZIP. You need the firmware file itself, for example P8H67-M-LX-ASUS-1701.ROM.
3. Put the file in the root of a FAT32-formatted USB stick (or on the hard drive).
4. If power cuts are possible during the update, connect the computer to a UPS: switching off during flashing can corrupt the BIOS.

How to update the P8H67-M LX BIOS

1. When the computer starts, press Del to enter the BIOS.
2. Switch to Advanced Mode.
3. Open the Tool tab → ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility.
4. Choose the drive, find the new BIOS file you downloaded earlier and confirm the update.

5. Wait until it finishes and reboot. Don’t turn the computer off during flashing.
6. Enter the BIOS again, load the defaults (Load Optimized Defaults) and reboot.
7. Enter the BIOS once more, check and set the values you need (boot order, SATA mode, etc.).

Automatic updating over the internet from EZ Flash never worked for me — “unable to connect to the update server”. Downloading the file manually from the support page is more reliable.

“Selected file is not a UEFI BIOS” error

If EZ Flash says Selected file is not a UEFI BIOS, readers’ experience suggests:

• unpack the file from the archive (select the .ROM itself, not the ZIP);
• format the USB stick as FAT32 and put the file in its root;
• shorten the file name (for example, to P8H67.ROM);
• download the file again and make sure it’s for your exact board model.

Before flashing, don’t forget to write down or photograph your BIOS settings — after the reset you’ll have to set them again.