X250 BIOS update failed - Lenovo Vantage

[chenxinghao]

I purchased this used X250 (Product Number 20CMOOE5US) last week with Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit Edition. I downloaded and installed Lenovo Vantage from Microsoft Store which is built-in in the Windows 10. The Lenovo System Update utility updated several components but failed with a BIOS update. The current BIOS version listed at the bottom of the Lenovo Vantage window is N10ET21W 0.21.

I tried the stand-alone BIOS update version 1.27 downloaded from https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds102288, which also failed in the same way: the error message reads "OEM check failed from BIOS service. The utility process has not completed."

I also noticed this weired label in the System Information for the processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5### CPU @ 2.2GHz 2.19GHz.

I guess a BIOS update would correct the processor info. But then how do I get BIOS updated?

Please advise.

[chenxinghao]

Here is the text shown in the terminal window while Lenovo Vantage's System Update was installing BIOS update:

SCT Flash Utility for Lenovo
for Windows V1.0.3.9
Copyright (c) 2011-2017 Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Copyright (c) 2011-2017 Lenovo Group Limited.

SecureFlash BIOS detected.
Read BIOS image from file.
Initialize Flash module.
Read current BIOS.

This terminal window flashed 3-4 times and then disappeared with the "OEM" error message described in the original post.

[richk · Accepted solution]

The BIOS version in the machine is prior to the first official release.  Is this a pre-release machine?  An engineering sample?

[chenxinghao]

Thanks for the input. I am no clue. I purchased this X250 laptop on eBay last week and have been trying to resolve this weired power issue.

[goretsky]

Hello,

As @richk noted, it sounds like you purchased a pre-release or engineering sample model of the ThinkPad X250.

The BIOS version you mentioned, N10ET21W (v0.21), is older than the oldest version available on Lenovo's site, N10ET28W (v1.05).  Perhaps you should try installing that version first, and if that works, try updating to a newer version.

All ThinkPad X250 BIOS updates can be found at the bottom of the following page:

Title: BIOS Update Utility for Windows 10 (64-bit), 8.1 (64-bit), 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) - ThinkPad X250

URL:  https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/uu/en/products/LAPTOPS-AND-NETBOOKS/THINKPAD-X-SERIES-LAPTOPS/THINKPAD-...

If that does not work, you could consider returning the used ThinkPad X250 if you are concerned about running pre-release hardware.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[chenxinghao]

Thank you. I will try the older BIOS today.

[chenxinghao]

I tried the oldest BIOS update file for 1.05 and the update ended with the same OEM check error message. I then ran the same update but chose the second option to update the model number instead. This time the error message reads "Flash Module cannot be found. "

[bananaman]

1.04?

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/n10uj01w.txt

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/n10uj01w.exe

[chenxinghao]

The same error message: OEM check failed from BIOS service, with 1.04.

[someotherguy]

I agree with the others - you have an engineering sample and there is no support for it.  The BIOS can't be updated.  If it was not advertised this way on ebay, I hope you can ask ebay for your money back.