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Updating a BIOS

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:51 pm
by skier
can i get a walkthrough, because ive read up on them as much as i can stand, but still cant get it work right,seeing as most of you here are fluent in the BIOS/DOS you can probably help a lot [-o<
(I need a BIOS update because the BIOS only allows the computer to use 256MB or less of VRAM and my card is 512)

ive got a PCCHIPS(ECS) M848A v5.0 Socket A, BIOS version 7.00T dated April 22nd 2005, so can anyone help? TIA.

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:34 pm
by Zertz
Copy the newer BIOS on a floppy disk then go into your BIOS there should be some kind of flash utility hiding in there, select it, follow the instructions on screen... and pray it doesn't fail. 8)

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 10:50 am
by Apoptosis
Looks like BIOS M848a16 (2004/10/12) is the latest and last BIOS update for your board according to their site: http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Produc ... lName=BIOS

Have you found a newer BIOS for the board as that is the last one listed on their site that I could find.

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:58 pm
by skier
this is my board - http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Produc ... lName=BIOS
bios update date 6/24/05

do i put a DOS boot disc in->put a separate disc with the update on it, or the BIOS FLASH utility, or put the update ON the boot disc, or put the update and the flasher on the boot disc? :-k

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:05 am
by Methious
If your bios doesn't support some type of ezflash (socket "A" probably not) put boot files, bios update and flash utility on floppy, boot to the floppy, run the flash utility, select the bios flash file, and run it.

On older boards if the flash fails you have a paper weight, so no updating during thunder storms etc.

Hope this helps.

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:56 pm
by skier
what do i write(letter for letter) at this screen?
because try as i might, i cant get it to do anything
Image

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:04 pm
by ibleet
It should be as simple as executing the flash utility you loaded onto the floppy. There should be an executable file something along the lines of bios.exe on the disc.

What do you see when you type /dir from A:\?

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:43 pm
by skier
ibleet wrote:
What do you see when you type /dir from A:\?
ok here is the directory(better late then never...for me atleast)

so what do i type at the command screen?

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:26 pm
by ibleet
Just type AMINF342. If you created this boot disk correctly, it will flash the bios.

Make sure your floppy doesn't have any bad sectors, you should run scandisk or chkdsk on it.

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:50 am
by skier
no .exe? just . :|

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:05 am
by kenc51
skierkid450 wrote:no .exe? just . :|
Type the FULL file name incl. the extension, it usually has the ".exe" extension, but sometimes can have .com or .bat

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:59 pm
by ibleet
Its been a long time since I used DOS, but it should run either way.

AMINF342

or

AMINF342.exe

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:49 pm
by skier
so i all i had to was type(after dir) " AMINF342.EXE 050422S.ROM " enter, then enter again and its done, the bad part is, that file that said it was newer was actually the same BIOS that Came on the board :roll: :roll:

so does anyone know if the "Graphic win size" setting in the BIOS actually affects the amount of video RAM thats used? :-k

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:25 am
by kenc51
skierkid450 wrote:so i all i had to was type(after dir) " AMINF342.EXE 050422S.ROM " enter, then enter again and its done, the bad part is, that file that said it was newer was actually the same BIOS that Came on the board :roll: :roll:

so does anyone know if the "Graphic win size" setting in the BIOS actually affects the amount of video RAM thats used? :-k
It's sounds like the AGP aperture setting, this setting doesn't do much and I wouldn't worry about it.
It could also be for how much system ram to use if the board has onboard GFX.

Re: Updating a BIOS

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:31 pm
by skier
i can only hope, this system has better game performance than the CPU should let it anyways, so its all good(until my next build :mrgreen: )