How to Downgrade a Phoenix BIOS using WinPhlash

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Raymond Updated 2 years ago Hardware 20 Comments
The only reason you need to update your BIOS is when your computer is having
compatibility issues with other hardware or experiencing problems that are caused by a
buggy version of the currently installed BIOS. The old saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
applies to updating the BIOS and drivers. Downgrading the BIOS is not something people
normally do, but there are times when the older BIOS version works better than the
newer/current one and you need to downgrade to it while waiting for a newer, more stable
BIOS release.

I recently bought an OEM laptop battery for my Acer notebook and have been experiencing
problems with it. First of all, Windows 7 shows an error “No battery is detected” and the
battery LED keeps on blinking orange in color. I sent the battery back and recieved a new
replacement but it’s still got the same problem. Finally, the battery seller/manufacturer told
me that this issue is caused by the newer versions of Acer BIOS and I need to send my
laptop back to the manufacturer to reset it back to the default factory version. The latest
version BIOS for Acer TravelMate 6293 is v1.41 and the Acer support website allows me to
download 4 versions that are older than the current version.

Fortunately, flashing the BIOS is way easier now because you can do it directly in
Windows. Many years ago you will need to use a DOS boot disk such as DrDOS with NO
drivers loading up in config.sys or autoexec.bat. Anyway I downloaded an older version of
the Acer BIOS that is made for my Acer TravelMate 6293 notebook and ran the Phoenix
WinPhlash tool (WinPhlash.exe). By default the “Backup BIOS and Flash BIOS with new
settings” is selected and all I need to do is click the “Flash BIOS” button.
WinPhlash goes through the process of loading the new BIOS, analyzing old and new
BIOS compatibility, reading the old BIOS, and then saving the old BIOS to a backup file.
But upon reaching the final stage “Flash new BIOS”, an error message “The current
system BIOS is the same version (or newer) than the version you are trying to flash,
so the BIOS will not be changed” appears.

This is actually an extra security check by the Phoenix WinPhlash tool to prevent users
from downgrading a Phoenix BIOS. Fortunately, there is quite an easy way to bypass this
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restriction and force WinPhlash to perform the downgrade anyway. If you want to know how
to do it, here is the trick.

If you don’t already have it, Download Phoenix WinPhlash and run the exe to extract.

1. Open the folder where the WinPhlash tool is located and edit the PHLASH.INI file with a
text editor like Notepad or Notepad++.

2. Look for the line Advanced=0 which is normally at the second line, change it to
Advanced=1 and save.

3. Now run WinPhlash.exe and

you will notice an extra
“Advanced Settings” button at
the top right of the program.
Click on the Advanced Settings
button.

4. Uncheck the “Flash only if BIOS version is newer than system” box and click OK.

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Now you can successfully flash your BIOS with an older version without getting the error
message. Although on the odd occasion a new feature may be included in an update, this
is not all that common and the majority of the time, a new BIOS will only include hardware
bug fixes or compatibility updates. It is always a good idea to check the motherboard or
laptop manufacturer’s website before attempting to flash ANY new BIOS to check if any
issues you do currently encounter, have actually been addressed. Again, I would like to
stress that normally you do NOT need to upgrade or downgrade your BIOS if everything is
working fine on your computer.

You might also like:

Incompatible Laptop Battery causing No Battery is Detected Error in
Windows 7 How To Remove, Clear, Reveal, Unlock or Reset BIOS
Security Password 5 Tools to Easily Install FreeDOS or MS-DOS onto
USB for BIOS Flashing Boot your Computer From USB Even If the
BIOS Doesn’t Support it 3 Tools to Backup and Restore Windows 7
and Vista OEM Activation License

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