Framework has confirmed it is addressing a faulty BIOS update that left some older Laptop 13 models unable to boot. The update, version 3.20 for laptops using AMD's Ryzen 7040-series chips, was released in July and remained available on Framework's website even as reports of bricked devices emerged, prompting concern from owners running both Windows and Linux.

Affected users reported their laptops freezing on the update screen, and while those still under the standard one-year warranty were offered replacement mainboards, some out-of-warranty owners were initially told they would need to buy new parts, with a few resorting to external BIOS programming tools to fix their machines themselves. Framework founder Nirav Patel said the company is investigating the root cause and will now also replace out-of-warranty boards confirmed to have failed due to the update, describing the number of affected units as a "small percentage". The company is also rolling out a "Crisis Recovery Mode" to make failed updates recoverable, already included in its latest Desktop BIOS release, with support for the Laptop 12, 13 and 16 targeted before the end of the year.