Here’s a weird one, but hopefully it helps someone. I was building a new computer for work using an MSI Pro B650M-A Wifi (what a moutful) motherboard. It wasn’t posting and I was getting a blank screen, so I needed to update the bios.
The problem I ran in to was that it didn’t label which USB port I needed to use to flash the bios. If the only information you came here for is to find out which USB input to use to flash the bios, then here is your answer, I hope it helps!
Thankfully MSI motherboards allow you to update the bios with just a USB stick, no need to be inside the bios or have access to a monitor. You just need to download the latest bios from the MSI website for your motherboard (triple check it’s the right motherboard, you don’t want to stuff that part up), then rename the file to MSI.ROM, place it in the root directory of a USB stick, plug it into the USB input on the motherboard labelled ‘Flash BIOS’, and press the ‘Flash BIOS’ button on the motherboard while the computer is off. All going well, there should be an LED flashing on the motherboard, followed by the USB stick’s LED light flashing until the process is complete.
Unfortunately for me, and this seems to be an issue in general for MSI motherboard’s, the USB input wasn’t labelled on my board, and I couldn’t find anything online or in the motherboard’s manual showing the correct port. I ended up guessing and hoping it didn’t bork the board if I got it wrong. I got it wrong, but it didn’t bork the board. In fact, I got it wrong all the way up to the last port, but it worked in the end.
Hopefully this is helpful for the two and a half people who needed this information.
4 comments
GT
Is the PC supposed to stay on after the flash finishes? USB and Mobo stop flashing and the pc reboots by itself but I still get a black screen and Red LED light for CPU and yellow for DRAM on the LED lights (ez debug LED’s on the mobo).
-admin_stewartrodgers
Pretty sure it should turn off when it’s complete. Double check you have the right BIOS file and maybe try a different USB drive if you’re still having issues.
Milli
Hi, when you did the BIOS update, was the light red or white? If it was white, did the LED just stay solid white or flashing white?
-admin_stewartrodgers
I can’t remember for sure, but I think it was red and it stayed flashing until it was complete. Sorry I can be of more help! There are videos of people flashing different models of MSI motherboards on YouTube that may be able to give you a better idea of what’s normal.