Kirowan 0 Posted June 19, 2002 Hey all, I decided to update my chipset software and BIOS in an effort to fix my sound problems with OF. Since I have only a vague idea of how to do this, it may seem crazy that I'm risking the health of my computer for one game; such is my love for OF though. Anyway, has anyone done this? What should I look out for? It says on the site where my updated chipset software is that it should be installed before my device drivers. Does that mean I will have to reinstall all my drivers? Also, I downloaded a BIOS update the other day, but when I click on it, nothing really happens. A small window opens up with a command prompt in it I think, the screen flashes quick and the window closes. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Thanks in advance for the help everyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ALDEGA 0 Posted June 19, 2002 Replacing a BIOS should only be done when there is a fundamental problem with your computer. Also, if you don't know what you're doing, DON'T DO IT. If it goes wrong, you'll be in really bad trouble. That BIOS is most likely not going to fix your soundproblems anyway. That file (.exe) that you downloaded probably extracted the BIOS image when you double clicked it. You will need another program to actually replace the BIOS. Take a look at the site where you got it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WhoCares 0 Posted June 19, 2002 I recently updated my BIOS. However, I think there is no general rule how to do an update, it varies depending on BIOS and motherboard developer. For me it is an AWARD BIOS on a MSI motherboard. What I had to do was to generate a bootable floppy disk with a flash program and the BIOS data on it. Included in the ZIP file of the whole update package was a autoexec.bat that starts the flash program with the BIOS data as parameter. For my motherboard there is no hardware write protection (eg jumper) for the BIOS. I would strongly advise you to visit the webpage of the motherboard developer. They should provide you with the latest BIOS update for your specific mobo and a Step-by-Step description how to do it. You should definatly not just download an doubleclick on any executeables in it!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirowan 0 Posted June 19, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ALDEGA @ June 19 2002,16:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">That file (.exe) that you downloaded probably extracted the BIOS image when you double clicked it. You will need another program to actually replace the BIOS. Take a look at the site where you got it.<span id='postcolor'> Oh no. Â I don't know what you mean by extracted the BIOS image. Â Is that a bad thing? Â I hope I didn't mess up my system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirowan 0 Posted June 19, 2002 What about my chipset software question? Does anyone have any experience with updating that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted June 19, 2002 My guess is that the program you downloaded was a self-extracting archive containing the new BIOS image, and possibly the program required to flash (install) the new BIOS. Since you ran it by double-clicking on it, Windows opened a new DOS box window for it, ran the program, and closed it when the program terminated. Thus, you didn't get to see any of the output for very long. Instead, open a DOS box manually by selecting "Run" from the "Start" menu, and executing the program "Command". That will start an instance of the command interpreter. Change the current directory to the one where you saved the downloaded file, and run it. It will probably extract one or more files, and hopefully, there will be some instructions there on how to proceed -- the steps from here on will depend on the vendor and the technique they use for updating the BIOS. Anyway, I've flashed the firmware on both my Gigabyte motherboard and several NVIDIA-based graphics cards before to solve issues or increase performance, and I haven't had a problem. There is always an element of risk, however, and I would not recommend doing this to anyone who doesn't have the technical expertise (or finances) to extract themselves from the mess that can result from this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diniter 0 Posted June 19, 2002 What is the brand of motherboard that you have? If it were Intel I'd say that you have got it made. They have got a foolproof system down for inf and BIOS updates. However it does sound like you may have an Asus or something. Yeh you probably need to make a bootable floppy and from there find the flash tool (.exe) and the file for your BIOS and follow the directions. I would recommend you take your time reading any read me files off the website before you jump into things. The chipset updates are easier for first timers. They usually come in a self executable file format that starts the install process. All you usually have to do is click "next" on those. No problems unless the update doesn't like your system or software. Has anyone told you to do this or are you using your own initiative? I'd beware of people who talk about using beta files all the time. Just my two cents. GL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted June 19, 2002 The newer Gigabyte boards have a really nice feature -- the patented DualBIOS. This allows you to install a new version of the BIOS using their @BIOS utility (which downloads a motherboard-specific version from the Internet and flashes it, all from inside Windows without the need to create a boot disk), and if the update fails or the new BIOS version causes problems booting etc., you can switch back to the old version, which gets saved in a separate flash memory bank. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kegetys 2 Posted June 20, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Mister Frag @ June 20 2002,00:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The newer Gigabyte boards have a really nice feature -- the patented DualBIOSâ„¢.<span id='postcolor'> Too bad it just doesnt work, I have personally seen a bios update get fecked on a dual bios mobo (The system hang in the middle of the update) and the system never realised to use that secondary bios The worst part is, that the motherboard had its BIOS chips soldered directly into the board (Usually the bios chip is in a socket and can be removed) so there was no way to fix the board, normally one could take the chip to an another motherboard and re-flash it there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ALDEGA 0 Posted June 21, 2002 Two words for you, Mister Frag: Ripped off ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo 29 Posted June 21, 2002 My Asus A7A266 has a utility that downloads the bios and flashes it from within windows, have upadated the bios about 7 times like this and every time it worked just fine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted June 21, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ALDEGA @ June 21 2002,02:02)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Two words for you, Mister Frag: Ripped off ! <span id='postcolor'> Not really. I've got an older Gigabyte motherboard (the GA-6BXD dual-PIII) without DualBIOS support. I have used both their DOS-based flash utility and their @BIOS utility before, and that has worked well enough -- never had any problems. I've also flashed NVIDIA-based video cards with new or patched Reference BIOS versions. The new BIOS was to fix bugs, and the patched ones to tweak default FastWrite, Sideband Addressing, and clock speed settings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
