Running Bios Flasher on a Win NT4 System

[callbar]

Hi,
I am confused about the running of the AFLASH.EXE program to upgrade my BIOS. My system specification is listed below:

BIOS ID: <<P2B>>
BIOS DATE: 07/28/98
BIOS TYPE: Award Modular Bios v4.51PG
CHIPSET: Intel 440BX/ZX rev2
OEM Signon: ASUS P2B ACPI Bios Revision 1005

MOTHERBOARD: P2B (ATX) 440BX
SYSTEM SPEC: Pentium II 266MHZ
HARD DISK: One HHD Installed - Maxtor 10GB
OPERATING SYSTEM: Win NT4 service pack 6A (NTFS File System)

I would like to upgrade the current BIOS to enable a larger HDD to be installed. Current HDD is 10GB, but I would like to install a 40GB HDD. I have downloaded the appropriate BIOS upgrade for my system (bx2i1012.zip).
As I understand I am first required to create a BOOTABLE SYSTEM FLOPPY DISKETTE by typing [FORMAT A:/S] from the DOS prompt without creating "AUTOEXEC.BAT" and "CONFIG.SYS". Then to copy the aflash.exe to the diskette.
I'm sorry for being a bit simple but doesn't this imply that I have a DOS partition installed and a MS-DOS system diskette handy? But my Operating System is WinNT4 (NTFS -file system).
How do I go about running AFLASH.EXE for my system? I have the 3 Setup Diskettes used for NT4 Installation. Do I need to use these? If not
how would go about creating the appropriate Bootable System Floppy Diskette?

I would appreciate any advice you may have. Many Thanks.

[Reid]

Formatting the floppy with format A: /s will put command.com and system files that make the floppy bootable into DOS. You need to have your BIOS set so that the A: drive is the first in the boot sequence. It does not matter what file system you have on your hard drive. You will just be booting with the most minimal operating system possible.

Make sure you have the correct flash program and BIOS files for your system, and follow the directions carefully. An incorrect flash can render the motherboard inoperable.

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reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

[herbert]

I'm confused too. Seems there's little support from M$ on this (after looking at the first 50 search results on MSKB).

All I can find elsewhere suggests that you borrow a DOS boot disk from someone. You can download one from www.bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com)

Perhaps M$ expects you to buy another OS to do this.

[Reid]

Well, I was sure wrong about formatting a floppy from NT. I should have actually tried it first. The download option looks like a good idea, but I still wonder if NT will allow that to work. Viva Win98SE!

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reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

[spaceAlien]

> As I understand I am first required to create a
> BOOTABLE SYSTEM FLOPPY DISKETTE by typing [FORMAT A:/S] from the
> DOS prompt without creating "AUTOEXEC.BAT" and "CONFIG.SYS".
> Then to copy the aflash.exe to the diskette.

These instruction appear to assume that you have a Win9x OS.

> But my Operating System is WinNT4 (NTFS -file system).

Catch-22 http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif

> how would go about creating the appropriate Bootable System
> Floppy Diskette?

Do you have access to a Win9x machine? If so, you can create a bootable floppy, and proceed from there.

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MOVE 'ZIG' FOR GREAT JUSTICE

[callbar]

Many Thanks for all your comments, I have sucessfully managed to upgrade my Bios with your help.

1) I should have mentioned that I had already tried formatting the floppy with format A: /s ...
But as you have noted this does not work from within the Win NT MS-DOS box.
2) Many thanks Herbert. The site you gave for downloading an MS-DOS boot disk was great. It still amazes me that we still need to have access to DOS!

I initially used MS-DOS version 6.22 but by the time I copied Aflash.exe and the BiosUpgrade File to the disk ( a formated 1.44MB floppy) it ran out of disk space. I deleted of course: Autoexec.bat and Config.sys, BUT also Qbasic.exe, Qbasic.hlp, and Edit.hlp files. This was OK until I ran Aflash.exe and wanted to save the current BIOS file to the disk in case of any trouble. The floppy again ran out storage and I got a write-error.

I didn't have a 2MB floppy handy. But I have a Iomega Zip drive connected, and I suppose I could have setup the original Bios to boot from the zip drive, and copied all MS-DOS files to a zip disk and go through the above process, BUT I didn't want to temp fate too much!

So I downloaded the MS-DOS version 6.00 and went through the same process as above. The version 6.00 file is 2/3 the size of version 6.22 and by deleting the unnessary files listed above, it did the trick. I Managed to save current bios and sucessfully flash the upgrade.