Beginner Guide to BIOS Updating

After buying a new motherboard, one of the first things I do is update the BIOS and install new drivers. They add new power and capabilities as well as stability to a system.

This is meant as a generic, general guide for beginners, since each manufacturer handles BIOS updates a little differently.

There have always been BIOS updates to accommodate new equipment just coming into the marketplace, for fixing minor glitches or improving performance and adding stability.

Now, though, we're seeing more and more motherboards released before "their time," before everything is quite worked out.

Motherboards have appeared in the last year or so that do not really support UDMA66, or can't run VCDRAM, or conflict with various video and sound cards. There are boards released which are even missing some of their Front Side Bus settings.

As fierce as consumer demand and competition is, these problems are likely to continue to plague new releases and their early buyers. This means new motherboards require far more frequent updates than their ancestors.

So as soon as you buy a motherboard, it's likely there's been one or several BIOS updates posted by its manufacturer.

Think of motherboard updates as a cross between medicine and a physical fitness program. It's a way to cure the bad and bring the good.

How To Do This

Making a system disk

You will need a freshly formatted disk with SYSTEM FILES already on it. Here's how to make one:

Open 'My Computer' on your Desktop.
Insert a floppy disk in A: drive. (Make sure this floppy does not contain any files you wish to keep. Formatting erases everything on a disk.)
Left click on the A: drive icon in "My Computer" and a 'dropdown menu' will appear. Choose "FORMAT".
A box will appear with various formatting options. In the first group of three, click "FULL". (You don't need to enter anything for "Label".)
In the last group of three options, click: "Display Summary when finished", and "Copy System Files". This will give you a "System Disk" with which you can boot your machine into DOS by hitting the reset button on the face of your computer.
Booting to DOS is necessary because you will be programming the most fundamental software structure of your computer and no other software may be active while this is going on. BIOS stands for Basic In and Out System. It configures your hardware for memory and CPU usage. It tells your Operating System what hardware you have and how to use it.
Download the BIOS update

Find your motherboard's website address. This is usually in the manual and/or on a CD that most often comes with a new motherboard.

Surf their site with your manual in hand. There can be few disasters worse than downloading and installing the wrong BIOS for your motherboard! Many newer boards are using fail-safe BIOS updates which won't let you do this...BUT NOT ALL. So make very sure your model number (printed on your motherboard and in the manual and/or on CD) matches the motherboard whose update you download.

Armed with a "System Disk" in A: drive, look for either "Downloads" or "Support".

Sometimes finding updates is easy, sometimes ridiculously hard. But find it you must.

Once you find the listed updates...BE AFRAID,..... BE VERY AFRAID! Don't get this wrong or you will be in a world of pain.

Find the RIGHT BIOS UPDATE for your board.

Click on it and save it to your A: drive. Pop the Disk out of A: drive and write the name of your motherboard and the file name on it. Also write the file name on a handy piece of paper to refer to later.

Most BIOS updates come in two parts. You will need to download the BIOS file (this usually is in .bin format), and the BIOS installer, usually entitled either "AFLASH" or "AWDFLASH". These are usually accompanied by some text explaining their purpose and how to use an installer. READ THIS TEXT! It will explain the basics of updating your board.

Sometimes updates are downloaded in zip form. You will need to unzip either the "AFLASH" or "AWDFLASH" as well as the BIOS FILE update on your floppy. Otherwise you will not be able to access them when you boot from your floppy into DOS.

Updating the BIOS

If you've made sure you have the right BIOS and you've got its .bin or file number written down, close your browser and unzip the update to your floppy drive, leaving the update floppy in. Close Windows by choosing "Restart". You will immediately start booting to DOS.

Your computer will boot off the floppy, and eventually will give you a a:\ prompt. Type in "dir a:" It will give you the files on the disk. Look for the name of the BIOS installer file, then type the name of the file at the A: prompt.

The "AFLASH" or "AWDFLASH" update utility will appear. It will first ask if you wish to save your current BIOS.

SAVE YOUR CURRENT BIOS.

This is very important. If there's trouble with your new BIOS update working correctly, this saved file will let you re-install your OLD BIOS FILE. You need to give your current/old BIOS file a name by which you can access it if you need it. I just type "old".

After saving you will be asked if you want to update; simply choose: "Yes". It will then ask you for the name of the file from which you wish to update. Type in the file name you have written down.

Once the update utility begins it's update process, DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER OFF!!! If you do, you could be left without a functional BIOS and unable to boot your machine..... AT ALL!!!

When the update is completed REMOVE THE FLOPPY, then re-boot. As soon as your boot screen appears, hit "DEL", enter the BIOS and choose "Load Setup Defaults". Then reset your date and time, and your actual CPU MHz.

Re-boot. Hit "DEL" and re-enter your BIOS again and set-it-up-as-you-like-it.":O} You can confirm that an update actually took place by reading the BIOS number on your screen at start-up.

Eokboy

Malas laa nak update BIOS aku.

H猷L鰃頧

HLX update BIOS melalui 'pure' Dos-boot tanpa perlu disket.

Bagi HLX, update ngan disket sangat berisiko dari HDD. Tapi yg paling selamat ialah melalui RAM Drive (jika tiada BIOS backup)