Windows 11s latest patch declares war on BIOS updates for some Lenovo
laptops, blocking them as a security risk in a bizarre turn of events

Date:
Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:27:00 +0000

Description:
Cant install a BIOS update for your Lenovo laptop? Blame Microsofts latest patch for Windows 11 but fortunately the fix is simple enough.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Some Lenovo ThinkPad owners cant install BIOS updates because of a security tweak Microsoft applied in the latest Windows patches This is happening to those installing via the Lenovo BIOS Update Utility or Vantage app A fix is inbound already, and as a workaround, you can install via Windows Update

Some Lenovo laptops are seeing BIOS updates fail to work thanks to a change that Microsoft just made in Windows 11 (and Windows 10).

Windows Latest spotted a support post from Lenovo addressing the problem which affects those trying to apply an upgrade to the BIOS with its ThinkPad notebooks.

Apparently, the issue is due to a tweak Microsoft made to block a certain executable file (WinFlash64.exe) in the latest patches for Windows, a change made for security reasons.

When trying to apply a BIOS update using either Lenovos BIOS Update Utility
or the Lenovo Vantage app, some ThinkPad owners could see the process fail, accompanied by some kind of error message. There are a few errors that might pop up, but all amount to the same thing the update didnt work.

Whats happening is that following the patch, and Microsoft updating its security blocklist therein, the update is being detected as a vulnerable driver, meaning that its a risk to the system hence Windows refuses to run the process.

As mentioned, the changes to the blocklist were made in the latest patches
for Windows 11 24H2, 23H2, and 22H2, along with Windows 10 22H2 all active versions of Microsofts desktop OS, in other words. (Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) A fix is already inbound or you can use Windows Update instead

As Windows Latest points out, normally Lenovo recommends using its BIOS
Update Utility for refreshing your laptops firmware, as its generally more reliable than other methods.

Obviously given this new issue, that isnt the case, and so the easiest way to work around the glitch is to use Windows Update to apply the BIOS update for your Lenovo ThinkPad. That is, assuming that Windows 11 (or 10) has found the relevant patch and flagged it under Windows Update. If not, all you can do is keep checking for updates and hope it turns up soon enough.

Meanwhile, Lenovo has been working on remedying this problem, and according
to Windows Latest, a fix is in place with the newest BIOS version (v1.61) thats rolling out. So, if you can bag that latest spin on the BIOS, it should work okay installing via Lenovos BIOS Update Utility fingers crossed.

At any rate, this should be a temporary hiccup for Lenovo ThinkPad owners,
but its pretty strange that a BIOS update would be flagged as a risk like
this in the first place. That said, of course theres always a small level of risk involved in any BIOS update such is the nature of the beast and if you want to read up more on the correct procedure for applying these, to make
sure you get it right, weve got an article dedicated to just that . You may also like... Shock, horror Im not going to argue with Microsofts latest bit of nagging in Windows 11, as this pop-up is justified Microsoft is supercharging Windows 11s voice commands on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon
CPUs, and fine-tuning a few Recall features Windows 11 fully streamlined in just two clicks? Talon utility promises to rip all the bloatware out of Microsofts OS in a hassle-free way



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11s-latest-patch-declares- war-on-bios-updates-for-some-lenovo-laptops-blocking-them-as-a-security-risk-i n-a-bizarre-turn-of-events


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