Comments on: When Should You Update Your Firmware?

By: Andrey

Andrey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:44:26 +0000

Hello!

I have ASUS P5KPL-AM motherboard. Earlier it had BIOS v5.11 and a problem: sound didn`t work after reboot.
So I visited Asus.com support site, downloaded new BIOS firmware v5.18 and fixed this. Now its` soundsubsystem works stable and doesn`t turn off after any reboot.

So read attentively release notes for every firmware update and decide whether you really need it. If you do then update it. Before any computer-related firmware update you should connect your computer to an Interruptable Power Source to prevent any unexpected “Surprise!” power failures. If you update your non-computer-related device you should have your batteries fully charged for the reason stated above.

Good luck!

By: Norman

Norman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:46:59 +0000

I had a D-Link router that wasn’t working as well as it should. On the advice of D-Link they said there was a firmware update available for my device, and that I should apply it to see if it fixed my problem. So I did, and the router stopped working completely! D-Link didn’t want to know after that. I now use other makes.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:12:41 +0000

I always wait a while for major releases to make sure there is no quicky point release followup to fix what the release broke.

Sometimes the added features are just too great to ignore. How many people are still using iPod Touch or iPhone firmware 1.1? (Interesting question, actually–you know there are some out there.)

By: David M

David M — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:42:35 +0000

So often it comes down to a choice between upgrading what you have or screwing up what already works. Unless something is broken or intolerable, I don’t take the chance of upgrading.

By: Rich Menga

Rich Menga — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:16:12 +0000

I’d say no, don’t update. There are specific instances where certain brands of optical media won’t read and/or write correctly. A firmware update will not solve this issue unless the release notes for said update explicitly state so.

By: Mithun John Jacob

Mithun John Jacob — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:40:15 +0000

I’m now in a dilemma whether to upgrade the firmware of my DVD Burner since it’s not able to read some brand of optical media. My current version is 1.02 and the latest and the final is 1.05.

So, what’s your recommendation ?