Ooof. I hope it finishes for you. It should reboot after it is done by itself. I hope it comes back up one way or the other. Firmware probably wouldn't fix a boot failure that happens out of the blue that clearing the CMOS wouldn't fix. The good news is that the board has a recovery firmware image normally (Q-LED code F0 through F4 for the BIOS attempting to use the recovery image). The LED you are talking is the Flashback LED (in between the Flashback button and the USB port) or the Q-LED (which displays the code and is located below the bottom most long PCIE x16 slot)? What I hope is happening is that you didn't unzip the firmware on the USB and it hasn't actually started flashing the BIOS. What you are supposed to do is unzip the file and either run the BIOSRenamer.exe file OR manually rename the .cap file to SX570EG.CAP on your USB stick. You then put your USB stick into the Flashback USB port (the very bottom one) and then press and hold the Flashback button for 3 seconds. Once the LED flashes 3 times and then starts flashing the BIOS. If you didn't rename the file, then I'd probably power it off since it has been roughly an hour, rename the file, clear the CMOS which will reset BIOS settings to the defaults and try to flash again. Though flashing the CMOS is optional and isn't always required, I definitely recommend it. You can clear the CMOS by completely powering down the PC, unplugging it and waiting about 10 seconds. All of the LED's should be off at this point and capacitors discharge. Now locate the CLRTC jumper pins (should be just 2 pins) located to the right of the bottom long PCIE x16 slot, left of the SATA connectors, Below the M.2 slot and above the RGB_HEAD2 pins. Apparently ASUS didn't make this a 3 pin with a jumper just sitting there for you to use, so you'll have to use something like a screw driver and lightly touch it between both pins at the same time (no pressure needed, it just needs to touch both) for a second. Now remove the screw driver and plug the cord back in try to do the Flashback process again. There is a CMOS battery, after powering down, that you can pop out to do the same thing but I wouldn't recommend it since the cradles can sometimes break easily when trying to get the battery out and the only way to fix that is to re-solder it back into place. Plus it is between the top two PCIE x16 slots and probably inconveniently under your GPU. IF your BIOS flashes and comes back up, it may still fail to boot due to the original problem. If that happens, find your Q-LED display (not the Flashback LED) and check the Q-Code table in the appendix of your motherboard manual to figure out why it is failing POST. Hopefully it is just 50 up to 55 and you just need to reseat your RAM sticks. You can also follow the POST process as it does its different test by watching the codes progress. If it was E8 thru EB, then the CMOS reset should have fixed that anyway. Good luck! Answer from Deleted User on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/buildapc › how long does bios update take?
r/buildapc on Reddit: How long does BIOS update take?
January 19, 2022 -
I have Asus X-570 E-Gaming. The mobo was showing green Q-LED today, I came to know it's because of failed boot. So, I'm updating the BIOS(firmware or host boot software). The size of the flash file is 32 MiB and the flash drive used is 2.0 one. It's been 22 min now and the green LED(which indicates the BIOS is being flashed) still hasn't gone off, and now I'm worried. What to do?
For reference:
Asus X570 E-Gaming, GSkill RipJaws 32 GiB DDR4 @ 3200MHz, Ryzen 5 3600, Samsung 980 Pro PCIe4 SSD, DeepCool 850W PSU, Zotac RTX 3090 Trinity
Top answer 1 of 10
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Ooof. I hope it finishes for you. It should reboot after it is done by itself. I hope it comes back up one way or the other. Firmware probably wouldn't fix a boot failure that happens out of the blue that clearing the CMOS wouldn't fix. The good news is that the board has a recovery firmware image normally (Q-LED code F0 through F4 for the BIOS attempting to use the recovery image). The LED you are talking is the Flashback LED (in between the Flashback button and the USB port) or the Q-LED (which displays the code and is located below the bottom most long PCIE x16 slot)? What I hope is happening is that you didn't unzip the firmware on the USB and it hasn't actually started flashing the BIOS. What you are supposed to do is unzip the file and either run the BIOSRenamer.exe file OR manually rename the .cap file to SX570EG.CAP on your USB stick. You then put your USB stick into the Flashback USB port (the very bottom one) and then press and hold the Flashback button for 3 seconds. Once the LED flashes 3 times and then starts flashing the BIOS. If you didn't rename the file, then I'd probably power it off since it has been roughly an hour, rename the file, clear the CMOS which will reset BIOS settings to the defaults and try to flash again. Though flashing the CMOS is optional and isn't always required, I definitely recommend it. You can clear the CMOS by completely powering down the PC, unplugging it and waiting about 10 seconds. All of the LED's should be off at this point and capacitors discharge. Now locate the CLRTC jumper pins (should be just 2 pins) located to the right of the bottom long PCIE x16 slot, left of the SATA connectors, Below the M.2 slot and above the RGB_HEAD2 pins. Apparently ASUS didn't make this a 3 pin with a jumper just sitting there for you to use, so you'll have to use something like a screw driver and lightly touch it between both pins at the same time (no pressure needed, it just needs to touch both) for a second. Now remove the screw driver and plug the cord back in try to do the Flashback process again. There is a CMOS battery, after powering down, that you can pop out to do the same thing but I wouldn't recommend it since the cradles can sometimes break easily when trying to get the battery out and the only way to fix that is to re-solder it back into place. Plus it is between the top two PCIE x16 slots and probably inconveniently under your GPU. IF your BIOS flashes and comes back up, it may still fail to boot due to the original problem. If that happens, find your Q-LED display (not the Flashback LED) and check the Q-Code table in the appendix of your motherboard manual to figure out why it is failing POST. Hopefully it is just 50 up to 55 and you just need to reseat your RAM sticks. You can also follow the POST process as it does its different test by watching the codes progress. If it was E8 thru EB, then the CMOS reset should have fixed that anyway. Good luck!
2 of 10
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3-5 minutes in my experience. I've also had a BIOS flash seem like it was taking way too long. And it wasn't going to finish. It wouldn't boot. So I did clear CMOS and retried the flash. It worked the 2nd time. Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro for reference.
MSI
forum-en.msi.com › home
BIOS UPDATING BY BIOS FLASH BUTTON IS TAKING SO ...
MSI Global English Forum
HeLp !! Problems with USB Bios Flashback. How long does it take?? [ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha]
SUMMARY: I held flashback button for 3 seconds, it flashed. Then stayed on. It's been on for over an hour--hasn't turned off. Manual says light goes out when flashback is complete. QUESTION: Is it still updating, done, or humperdinked??? Mo-bo: Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha Details... More on forums.tomshardware.com
Bios flashback taking a lot of time??
It should only take 5 to 7 minutes and you'll know a successful flash happened when the chipset RGB turns off -- it comes on during the flashing process. Your issue here is probably an incompatible USB stick. You need to use a 32GB or less SanDisk or Lexar USB 2.0 stick for the highest compatibility, the flash drive must have an MBR partition type and formatted as FAT32. Sometimes, you'll have have to use Diskpart's "clean" and "convert MBR" commands on the flash drive to render it as Unallocated Space and then create a New Simple Volume through Windows Disk Management. An alternative it to format the USB stick with Rufus and make sure it uses MBR and FAT32. From there, copy and paste the "msi.rom" file over and nothing else on the drive. Then try BIOS Flashback again -- after 5 to 7 minutes, the chipset RGB should turn off, and moments later the LED behind the Flashback USB port should stop slow blinking and go dark ... More on reddit.com
BIOS update is taking 45+ minutes..... | AnandTech Forums: Technology, Hardware, Software, and Deals
I just got the MSI Z170A-G45 board (it doesn't have dual BIOS) and it came with the original bios version. I downloaded the latest to a thumb drive and went into M-Flash in the Bios. It started to update the bios, but it has been sitting at 77% for over 45 minutes now. Is this normal... More on forums.anandtech.com
How long does BIOS update take?
Ooof. I hope it finishes for you. It should reboot after it is done by itself. I hope it comes back up one way or the other. Firmware probably wouldn't fix a boot failure that happens out of the blue that clearing the CMOS wouldn't fix. The good news is that the board has a recovery firmware image normally (Q-LED code F0 through F4 for the BIOS attempting to use the recovery image). The LED you are talking is the Flashback LED (in between the Flashback button and the USB port) or the Q-LED (which displays the code and is located below the bottom most long PCIE x16 slot)? What I hope is happening is that you didn't unzip the firmware on the USB and it hasn't actually started flashing the BIOS. What you are supposed to do is unzip the file and either run the BIOSRenamer.exe file OR manually rename the .cap file to SX570EG.CAP on your USB stick. You then put your USB stick into the Flashback USB port (the very bottom one) and then press and hold the Flashback button for 3 seconds. Once the LED flashes 3 times and then starts flashing the BIOS. If you didn't rename the file, then I'd probably power it off since it has been roughly an hour, rename the file, clear the CMOS which will reset BIOS settings to the defaults and try to flash again. Though flashing the CMOS is optional and isn't always required, I definitely recommend it. You can clear the CMOS by completely powering down the PC, unplugging it and waiting about 10 seconds. All of the LED's should be off at this point and capacitors discharge. Now locate the CLRTC jumper pins (should be just 2 pins) located to the right of the bottom long PCIE x16 slot, left of the SATA connectors, Below the M.2 slot and above the RGB_HEAD2 pins. Apparently ASUS didn't make this a 3 pin with a jumper just sitting there for you to use, so you'll have to use something like a screw driver and lightly touch it between both pins at the same time (no pressure needed, it just needs to touch both) for a second. Now remove the screw driver and plug the cord back in try to do the Flashback process again. There is a CMOS battery, after powering down, that you can pop out to do the same thing but I wouldn't recommend it since the cradles can sometimes break easily when trying to get the battery out and the only way to fix that is to re-solder it back into place. Plus it is between the top two PCIE x16 slots and probably inconveniently under your GPU. IF your BIOS flashes and comes back up, it may still fail to boot due to the original problem. If that happens, find your Q-LED display (not the Flashback LED) and check the Q-Code table in the appendix of your motherboard manual to figure out why it is failing POST. Hopefully it is just 50 up to 55 and you just need to reseat your RAM sticks. You can also follow the POST process as it does its different test by watching the codes progress. If it was E8 thru EB, then the CMOS reset should have fixed that anyway. Good luck! More on reddit.com
Videos
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Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › motherboards
HeLp !! Problems with USB Bios Flashback. How long does it take?? [ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha] | Tom's Hardware Forum
March 13, 2016 - [edit] QUESTION 2: what do I do now? push the update button again? Kill the power and start over? Push the power on and see if I can get to POST? ... polar papa you did not rename the usb flashback file right. the usb flashback will take 2-3 min of the port flashing then it turn off.
ASUS
asus.com › support › faq › 1038568
[Motherboard] How to use USB BIOS FlashBack™? | Official Support | ASUS Global
April 9, 2026 - Query the Flashback position. A1: You can check the official website product specifications or user manual instructions. ... Q2: How to make a FAT16 / 32 format USB flash drive. ... 1. Format the USB flash drive. On the USB flash drive, right-click and select Format FAT16 / 32. *Formatting will delete all data in the USB flash drive. 2. File system format, select FAT32, and then click start. ... Q3: What should I do if the BIOS update process is interrupted and I cannot boot?
Facebook
facebook.com › groups › ASUSPCDIY › posts › 6205359029547132
How long does the bios flashback take on the Hero Z90?
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ASRock
asrock.com › support › QA › FlashbackSOP.pdf pdf
Page 1 / 4 ASRock Flashback Feature User guide
Press the BIOS Flashback Switch for about three seconds. Then the LED starts to blink. The BIOS update procedure will take few minutes.
Linus Tech Tips
linustechtips.com › the workbench › troubleshooting
How long for a BIOS update? - Troubleshooting - Linus Tech Tips
January 15, 2020 - Hey all, I'm gonna a build a PC real soon for the first time and I was researching about the motherboards and the like. I got to a point where I was getting educated on BIOS updates and it eventually led me to some posts of people have their bios updates get stuck at the update install screen. Wh...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/msi_gaming › bios flashback taking a lot of time??
Bios flashback taking a lot of time?? : r/MSI_Gaming
September 8, 2023 - From there, copy and paste the "msi.rom" file over and nothing else on the drive. Then try BIOS Flashback again -- after 5 to 7 minutes, the chipset RGB should turn off, and moments later the LED behind the Flashback USB port should stop slow blinking and go dark ...
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to update BIOS using BIOS flashback EASILY! (works on any motherboard) - YouTube
Use the timestamps for ease of navigation-🌐 My website: www.pc36.co.uk PC builds, PC build guides, reviews and info-🪛 Recommended tools for PC building: Lo...
Published August 24, 2025
YouTube
youtube.com › glenn berry
How To Use the BIOS FlashBack Feature on ASUS Motherboards - YouTube
This video shows how to use the BIOS FlashBack feature on ASUS motherboards. This video shows the ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WIFI II motherboard, but the p...
Published January 30, 2023 Views 25K
Super User
superuser.com › questions › 1699672 › how-long-can-bios-update-take
firmware - How long can BIOS update take? - Super User
January 17, 2022 - It's an hour since you asked, and that's definitely too long for a normal BIOS update. So, what to do: I would take a chat with Asus support
AnandTech
forums.anandtech.com › home › hardware and technology › motherboards
BIOS update is taking 45+ minutes..... | AnandTech Forums: Technology, Hardware, Software, and Deals
April 17, 2016 - I just got the MSI Z170A-G45 board (it doesn't have dual BIOS) and it came with the original bios version. I downloaded the latest to a thumb drive and went into M-Flash in the Bios. It started to update the bios, but it has been sitting at 77% for over 45 minutes now. Is this normal...
Amazon
amazon.com › ROG-B550-F-II-Motherboard-Addressable › dp › B09GP7P1XS
Amazon.com: Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II AMD AM4 (3rd Gen Ryzen) ATX Gaming Motherboard (PCIe 4.0,WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, Addressable Gen 2 RGB Header and Aura Sync) : Electronics
Renowned software: Bundled 60 days AIDA64 Extreme subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard
ASRock
asrock.com › support › BIOSIG.asp pdf
BIOS Upgrade Instruction Guide
There are three methods to update the BIOS using Instant Flash.
Northern Micro
northernmicro.com › spirit-manuals › spirit-x399-as-user-manual › Onboard_Switches.htm
Onboard Switches
Just connect the USB storage device containing the BIOS file into the USB port, press USB BIOS Flashback button for three seconds, and the BIOS is updated automatically.
Linus Tech Tips
linustechtips.com › computer hardware › cpus, motherboards, and memory
BIOS Flashback on NZXT N7 B550 not working - CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory - Linus Tech Tips
March 9, 2023 - I'm building a PC for my brother and realized that his Mobo needed an BIOS Update. He is using a ryzen 5600x btw. so I can't boot it into the BIOS and need to use the Flashback function. The problem is, the Mobo isn't responding to any attempt to update it. I downloaded the BIOS file from the nzx...
Windows 10 Forums
tenforums.com › general-support › 211088-bios-flashback-button-important.html
Is BIOS flashback button important? - Windows 10 Help Forums
February 11, 2024 - It is the best feature ever invented. Never, but MS in it's wisdom allows OEMs to update BIOS and TPM via windows updates and it can brick PC. Is using Asus USB BIOS FlashBack by using a USB flash drive and pressing the BIOS FlashBack button easier than traditional way of flashing BIOS?