My lenovo IdeaPad came with Windows 11.
I don’t use a dual boot setup.
I’m using Lubuntu only.
Everything I’ve read says the iso format is needed. Lenovo doesn’t provide the iso format of the *.exe bios/uefi updates.
Is there a way to flash the BIOS using *.exe files for Windows 11?
Are you asking for any actual help? If so, spell out what it is you are looking for.
Otherwise, be aware that what you have posted so far is considered spam and being flagged as such by myself.
OH ME GOODNESS
I was trying to update a draft message preparing to post.
It posted before I was ready for it to be posted.
I updated the post.
As I stated before, it posted pre-maturely.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Are you asking if it is possible to install an image of Windows on a USB so that it will be recognized as a bootable Windows disk, and run as such, if the BIOS boot priority tells it to look at that USB before looking at the internal drive?
The answer to that would be yes!
I just don’t know where you would get an image to do that.
Did you make an offline mirror (on a USB drive) of your original Windows 11 disk??? If that true mirror is on an external USB drive, maybe you could get a “recovery” disk for Windows to correctly rebuild the boot sector on that USB drive (it was pointing at your internal drive) to point to the USB for the Windows installation.
I’m not an expert, but others who are could give you specific instructions … but that might not be on this site. You might want to ask that question on LinuxCommunity.io .
this maybe of help in flashing the BIOS using a USB stick drive in Linux
https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/update-lenovo-bios-from-linux-usb-stick-pen/
I would like some clarity because this topic is confusing with its lack of specific information.
This is what I think is being asked:
I have a Lenovo with Lubuntu as the only operating system and want to know how to update BIOS/UEFI when the manufacturer only provides Windows .exe for this.
Would this be correct or do I need more coffee?
That is what I’m asking.
What info is missing for it to be a detailed informative question?
Now it is clear to me, thanks.
Check post number 6 for a possible solution. I do not know if it would work on your model but possibly it will.
Whatever you decide to do, please make sure your important files and data are backed up before you try anything.
Before I continue searching intensely,
Can a Windows exe file contain iso info’s within the exe file?
Are iso files converted from exe files using geteltorito cli and/or genisoimage?
An ISO file follows an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9660 standard (1998); that allows data to be written to optical disc media, on devices originally intended for musical data. It’s a rather broad standard with many purposes.
An EXE is a Microsoft DOS created executable, that is still used today by Microsoft Windows; not a global (ISO) standard, but one owned by a company. As its been used for decades; there are many versions.
They are rather different things (ISO 9660 files versus an Microsoft Executable), and whilst yes it would be possible to convert data from one file to another; it would be unlikely to be a generic tool that works with all ISOs, and likely vice-versa.
I apply my firmware updates using the provided firmware-updater tool that Lubuntu provides; but my machine is a Dell, who provide the image so different OSes can auto-install it; rather than requiring me to go to their [OEM] web site, download a file (so it can be tracked by OEM) & run specific executables (that again may send detail to the OEM). Some OEMs do like their control & tracking data, in my opinion.
Of note: On my release, the firmware-updater is provided as a snap package, meaning that if this was a minimal install; that application would NOT have been installed, as the minimal install does NOT include snapd (snap infrastructure) nor any snap packages.
This article gives detailed instructions (but I haven’t done a BIOS update myself):
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1261876/how-to-update-the-computer-bios-firmware-without-using-windows
I know it is recommended now, but when is the latest to update the BIOS?
Check the installed bios firmware version
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
KUCN42WW
Check the installed bios firmware release date
sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
07/14/2025
BIOS exe available and release date
kucn46ww.exe 05/12/2026
wyatt@wyatt-82xb:~$ fwupdmgr get-bios-settings
Idle…: 0%
This system doesn’t support firmware settings
wyatt@wyatt-82xb:~$
wyatt@wyatt-82xb:~$ fwupdmgr get-updates
Devices with no available firmware updates:
• BIOS1
• MZAL8256HDJD-00BL2
• System Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
• UEFI Device Firmware
No updatable devices
wyatt@wyatt-82xb:~$
I don’t believe any Lenovo IdeaPad devices are supported by the firmware updating utility. Only ThinkPad class Lenovo products are supported.
https://fwupd.org/lvfs/search?value=ideapad vs https://fwupd.org/lvfs/search?value=thinkpad
Personally I wouldn’t update the BIOS in case there are no issues according to the well known proverb ‘Never change a running system!’.
Addendum
For clarification: There ist no last date for updating the BIOS.
I want to thank everyone for chiming in with your knowledge and experiences.
What was most revealing to me was the accompanying “ReadMe” file for the update.
Seen most of the items within that update are easily dealt with, provided best practices be used, as guided by most everyone here.
Happy you sorted things out. If any one of the above responses gave you the hint that got you there, please mark that post as the solution.
If not, if you issue is truly resolve, mark you own final post as the solution, but …
To give back to the community, if you shared the reference to the specific tidbit that did fix your issue, that would save others the heartache you went thru … and would be greatly appreciated.
This is not the recommended Discourse way and we do not encourage it.
It is perfectly fine to close a topic mentioning the solution one used but without marking one’s own post as such.
Thanks
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