Help with Gateway NE71B, cannot update BIOS, some BIOS settings don't save after changed

GiSWiG

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Jan 4, 2013
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18,510
I have a Gateway NE71B a friend gave me and it has Windows 8 installed. I had to do some repair to it after a drink was spilled into it but I cleaned it out and its been fine, sorta...

Resuming from sleep doesn't work. I'm forced to use hibernate where you would normally use sleep. It appears that a BIOS upgrade is needed and I downloaded the latest BIOS and tried to update it. It uses some 'InsideH2O' update app that I've never used. Well it goes to reboot and when it tries to apply the BIOS, it keeps saying that it is an invalid firmware image. I've used the links on Gateway's support page using the model number, serial number and SNID number and they all point to the same BIOS update files. I've also tried all BIOS versions between mine and the latest and they all fail the same way. I have gone as far as taking the flash application and modifying the ini to force the flash but it never worked.

Throughout posts I've seen on many websites, some people have had success with updating their BIOS by disabling Secure Boot. No matter what I've tried, I cannot do this. It always reverts to Secure Boot Enabled after saving changes and then reboot or shutdown. I followed the official steps on Gateway's site to power off, then power on, set the admin password, disable Secure Boot, save and exit. Secure Boot always stays enabled. I've tried probably 30 times, 10 different ways and it just won't stick. This also includes Restarting Windows 8 to boot into the BIOS

I also cannot change other settings in the BIOS, the biggest annoyance of setting the Specially Keys to default to Function Keys. I set it to Function Keys, save and exit, and it reverts back to Special Keys. Everytime I want to hit F5, it uses the Special Key of sending the screen to an external monitor. I have to use (Fn) + F5 to refresh. F5 is like the most used F-key so its really annoying. Same thing goes with enabling F12 for boot menu. Date and time save, setting Supervisor, user, or HDD paswords save, as well as the boot order

I've tried removing the coin battery, which has a charge, shorting out the contacts holding it for about a minute, removed power battery and power cable, letting it sit but still no good. I've taken it apart and I cannot find a Clear-CMOS jumper or bridge to short, although shorting the battery contacts is usually the same thing. I've also tried removing the hard drive.

Beyond this, the laptop has no other issues.
 

GiSWiG

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2013
4
1
18,510
more detail:
When running the BIOS flashing application in Windows, it correctly identifies the BIOS installed as EG70 ver 2.04 and identifies the updated BIOS file to be EG70 ver. 2.13. I click OK to have the system reboot and flash the updated BIOS.

After the system reboots, this error appears:

InsydeH2O - Secure Flash
Error : Invalid firmware image!!!
Press any key to reset system......

The BIOS does not get updated and remains at 2.04.