Win 10 v1803 auto updated my Aspire 5 A515-51G-53RP Laptop BIOS to wrong version. How do I fix?

Hi all,

I have a 3 months old Aspire 5 A515-51G-53RP laptop currently running Windows 10 Home v1803 build 17134.48. Yesterday, Windows automatically updated the BIOS from v1.15 to v1.18. I checked acer's product support page and I don't see v1.18 listed under the BIOS section. The latest version for my laptop is v1.15. Windows has updated my system with a wrong BIOS. I tried installing v1.15 but the setup displays an error message stating that it cannot install an older version. Is there a way I can fix this? Thanks in advance.

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PrivacyFreak

I'm attaching some screen captures to better help understand my issue.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/h1/4q8jp6w6rf92.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/z1/mgh0xmtjhrto.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ia/ohlmecbf01vg.jpg

PrivacyFreak

Here's a link to my laptop's product support page

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/IN/content/support-product/7244?b=1&pn=NX.GUGSI.001

Lernaeus

The same thing happpened to me. I have an A515-51G-51D3
The BIOS version is tehnically not inccorect, as you can see from the ID in the last picture.
The date of the update itself is 29th March, 8 days after the v1.15 update on the drivers page.

PrivacyFreak

@Lernaeus: Yeah, I noticed the compatible BIOS ID and chronology of the update as well. That's what keeps me from worrying too much. Also, I don't notice any bad effects of this update like devices glitching, overheating, loud fan, etc.

One possibility is that Acer does not publish all versions of firmware updates from the motherboard manufacturer or is slow to make them available. Let's hope that this is the case.

PrivacyFreak

Unless published by Acer, one has no way of knowing what the firmware update fixes or improves.

brummyfan2

PrivacyFreak said:

Unless published by Acer, one has no way of knowing what the firmware update fixes or improves.

Hi,
Yes, it happened to my A515-51 as well, the update is done by the Windows OS and it will not be called "BIOS update" in future and it's going to be "UEFI Firmware Update", I guess.

Japa18244

This update 1.18 from the bios direct from Windows Update was to protect from Specter and Meltdown, check in the program Inspectre https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm

PrivacyFreak

@brummyfan2: Yep, noticed the Firmware node in Device Manager. BIOS and firmware are interchangeable. However, UEFI is a slightly different animal. For those who wish to know more, watch the YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIYkol851dU

What's interesting is the use of the name Acer Inc. for the firmware (manufacturer is Acer Inc. and driver provider is Insyde) while Acer does not have it featured on their product support page.

PrivacyFreak

@Japa182440: My system was patched against Spectre Variant 2 before this BIOS/firmware update after I downloaded and installed the standalone update KB4100347 for v1803 (Intel microcodes) from Microsoft Update Catalog on the 17th as you can see from the Windows Update screenshot in my first post. Here's what InSpectre displayed after the update.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/kv/66dh8kqj9ngv.jpg

Protection against Meltdown existed for my system since v1709.

The BIOS/firmware update happened a couple of days later on 19th. It could very well be possible that they've patched it also in the new firmware but I can't find any information about what this firmware update does. Insyde does not interact with end users. They only interact with OEMs that use their firmware software services (in our case - with Acer only.) So, we have no idea what v1.18 actually patches or improves. Do you have any information about this firmware version?

PrivacyFreak

Just when you think that your system is all patched up against Meltdown and Spectre, here come Variant 3a and 4 of Spectre. The saga of new vulnerabilities and microcode update patches continues...

https://www.ghacks.net/2018/05/22/here-comes-the-next-spectre-vulnerability-spectre-v4-cpu/

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00115.html

PrivacyFreak

@brummyfan2 and @Lernaeus : I notice a device called Detection Verification under the Other Devices node in Device Manager that has a error code 28 - driver not installed. This seems to have happened on the same day as the BIOS/firmware update . Can you guys check on your A515-51G laptops whether you have the same problem? Googling Detection Verification indicates that it has to do with Intel. I've tried Update Driver, Delete Driver and Restart, Hardware & Devices Troubleshooter and Intel Driver & Support Assistant but no drivers are available for that device. There is a driver download listed on a third-party website but I'm extremely apprehensive about downloading and installing drivers from such sites. Does anybody know what this device is anyway? Any help fixing this would be appreciated.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/x4/bakq58z396z7.jpg

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reneH

@Privacyfreak: I can confirm this. The same thing happened yesterday on my Aspire 5 A515-51G after updating the Bios to V1.18.

brummyfan2

Hi @PrivacyFreak ,
I do have the same but I would just ignore it and hopefully it will be fixed in the next update by Windows.

PrivacyFreak

@reneH @brummyfan2 : Thanks for the confirmation. Sure, we could simply ignore it as long as it's not anything critical.

It could be a part of the Intel Chipset driver
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Detection-Verification-Driver-Could-Not-Load/td-p/6692791

If so and if this is a customized driver, then I very much doubt that the update would come through Windows. It would have to come from Acer. Windows Update or Intel Driver & Support Assistant would never update it. I guess we wait for the update then. Thanks again.

reneH

I found the solution! The missing driver has something to do with Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST). On a German forum I found the driver. Unzipped it and installed the inf-file. The error was gone.
https://www.computerbase.de/forum/threads/treiber-hp-spectre-x360-detection-verification.1754734/
Download URL: http://www60.zippyshare.com/v/1eZMzZwd/file.html

Now you see (SST) in the name of the sound devices.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/j7/rcokjqnrctis.png

PrivacyFreak

@reneH: Thanks for the update but if you installed an Intel driver, it wouldn't update Realtek devices. I already have SST against my Realtek microphone and speakers devices as you can see from the screenshot below.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/tu/56nhz1kn68vq.jpg

So, did it fix the Detection Verification device in the Other devices node?

reneH

PrivacyFreak: Yes, it fixed it. No more "Other devices/Detection Verification" visible. According to Intel, SST is a system for sound-processing, so maybe the Intel-driver integrates with the Realtek drivers. Dit you try to install the Intel driver yourself?

PrivacyFreak

@reneH: Cool! Thanks for the update. No, I haven't installed the Intel driver myself. I'd rather wait for Acer to publish driver updates for my laptop (don't know if they would.) As of now, I don't see any noticeable issues because of the missing driver. Thanks again.