create a DOS system diskette

[nimnorf2]

WAAAAAH!
I've found that there is a new bios available at ECS. I go to their site and they even tell how to do it.....not really! Here's what it says.


How to Flash a New BIOS
You can install updated BIOS for this mainboard that you can download from the manufacturer's web site. New BIOS may provide support for new peripherals, improvements in performance or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as follows: Yadda Yadda Yadda

Some mainboards have a Flash BIOS jumper that protects the current BIOS from being changed or overwritten. OK took care of this!
If your mainboard has this jumper, change the setting to allow BIOS flashing. got it!

Some Setup Utilities have an item called Firmware Write Protect that prevents the BIOS from being overwritten.
If your BIOS has this item (check the Advanced BIOS Features Setup page) disable it for the present. Nope not this mobo.

Your computer must be running in a real-mode DOS environment, not the DOS window of Windows NT or Windows
95/98. Okay, I can do this, go to start hit shut down and then click restart in DOS. OKay
We recommend that you create a new formatted DOS system floppy diskette.
HUH?????
Download the Flash Utility and new BIOS file from the www.ecs.com.tw (http://www.ecs.com.tw) Web site.
Copy these files to a system diskette. They come zipped. AAARRGh!

Turn off your computer and insert the system diskette in your computer's diskette drive.

You might need to run the Setup Utility and change the boot priority items on the Advanced BIOS Features Setup
page, to force your computer to boot from the floppy diskette drive first.

No it's already set up to go to the A drive first.

At the A:\ prompt, after your computer has booted to DOS from the diskette, run the Flash Utility and press <Enter>.
You see a screen similar to the following.



In the "File Name to Program" dialog box, type in the filename of the new BIOS and follow the onscreen directions to
flash the new BIOS to the mainboard.

When the installation is complete, remove the floppy diskette from the diskette drive and restart your computer.
If your mainboard has a Flash BIOS jumper, reset the jumper to protect the newly installed BIOS from being
overwritten.


How do I create this "new formatted DOS system diskette?" and is this the same diskette that I should use to copy the downloaded files from the site to. or is it like a backup in case I screw this up?

Also, the new bios is downloaded as a zip file. How do I unzip it and what do I copy to the floppy?

[gossamer]

do not flash your bios just because there is an update available. if you are not having any problems, leave it as is. only flash the bios if you are having a problem that the bios update fixes.



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The internet? Is that thing still around?

[gossamer]

oh yeah. if you flash your bios and something goes wrong, you are screwed. unless you have a backup of the original bios.


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The internet? Is that thing still around?

[spaceAlien]

Select the 'copy system files' option when formating a floppy

Or, from a dos prompt C:\> format a: /s

The s switch copies system files so the floppy is bootable. This doesn't work for NT.

Flashing a BIOS is not for the faint of heart -- you can make your system unbootable. I've done it a number of times, however, and I've had no problems.

Good luck --



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[nimnorf2]

Thanks Goss and Space, so is that what I'm doing when I do this "make a system diskette in DOS?" (C:\> format a: /s) I'm making a backup of the present BIOS? Seems I shouldn't use that disk then to copy the new BIOS to. Right?

[spaceAlien]

> so is that what I'm doing when I do this "make a system diskette in
> DOS?" (C:\> format a: /s) I'm making a backup of the present BIOS?

No, you are copying files onto the floppy which are bare minimum Disk Operating System (DOS)

I've never backed up a BIOS, not sure how to do that. Bios upgrades are specific to the motherboard/computer. If you got the wrong one, that would be very bad.

> Seems I shouldn't use that disk then to copy the new BIOS to. Right?

Copy the BIOS Flash Upgrade Utility onto the floppy. Boot from the floppy. Run the Upgrade Utility from the floppy. The Upgrade Utility then overwrites BIOS instructions on the motherboard. Those instructions are critical to the booting of your computer. If you get it wrong, then you can't boot to access the floppy to correct the mistake.

The process is very simple - a mistake is sad.

What's the worse that could happen ?



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