Framework Says It's Fixing BIOS Update That Bricked Some Laptop 13 Models

Framework is working to fix a software update that left some of its Laptop 13 computers unable to start up, the company confirmed after owners began reporting the problem on its online forums.

The issue involves BIOS 3.20, an update for Laptop 13 machines built around AMD's Ryzen 7040-series chips, according to The Verge and Ars Technica. Framework began selling those laptops and matching mainboards in 2023. Ars Technica reported that the update added support for a haptic touchpad and new speakers on the higher-end Laptop 13 Pro and fixed a bug involving battery reporting after reboots, citing a post from a Framework employee on the company's forum.

Some owners installed the update without trouble. Others said their machines froze partway through and never came back. A forum user identified as Sven described watching a progress bar stall for three hours, with the laptop stuck and unresponsive even to the power button, according to Ars Technica. Reports of BIOS update problems on these machines date back to at least March 2025, Ars Technica reported.

Some Owners Told to Buy New Boards

Owners still under Framework's one-year warranty said the company sent them replacement mainboards, The Verge reported. Owners outside that window said Framework initially told them they would have to pay for a new board themselves. Some out-of-warranty users managed to revive their machines using external BIOS programming tools, according to The Verge.

Framework founder Nirav Patel said in a statement to The Verge and Ars Technica that the company has received reports of "a small percentage" of 7040-series BIOS updates leaving boards unable to boot and is investigating the cause. Patel said Framework is replacing in-warranty mainboards and "making exceptions for out-of-warranty replacements where we can confirm a stable-release BIOS update caused the board to become non-bootable."

A Recovery Mode Is Coming

Framework is also building a "Crisis Recovery Mode" into its BIOS software so that a failed update can be fixed directly rather than bricking the machine, Patel said. The feature is already included in the latest BIOS release for the Framework Desktop, and the company plans to bring it to the Laptop 12, 13 and 16 lines in future BIOS updates, according to Patel. A Framework spokesperson, Jim Redner, told The Verge the company is targeting a rollout before the end of the year for each product line.

Framework has not said what percentage of Laptop 13 units were affected. Software developer Guanzhong Chen wrote in a blog post examined by Ars Technica that the failure may stem from a bug that causes the screen to display corrupted memory during flashing, a pattern Chen said has shown up with earlier BIOS versions as well. Chen said a Framework support representative initially told him to buy a new motherboard before he was able to reflash the firmware himself.