Flash Bios on A7V333

[VinnyP]

I am running Bios 1011 on A7V333 want to reflash to another bios.
Everything I found suggests to use the Aflash utility but I can't get into
DOS running Windows XP Pro. The updates are up to 1018 now and I want to
try a different BIOS. I can't find a solution using Windows XP Pro. Please
help
Thank you,
Trish

 

[Bob Knowlden]

Trish,

See "Create an MS-DOS Startup disk" under XP Help and Support (under Help,
in any XP window). In short:

Format a floppy from XP. Check the "Create MS-DOS startup disk" box.

Copy the aflash utility and the BIOS file to the floppy. Reboot the PC, and
change the boot order in the CMOS settings to boot from the floppy drive
first. (On older PCs, the machine will always boot from a floppy if it's in
the drive.)

I have read claims that the floppy generated this way isn't a "real" DOS
floppy. (When you boot from it, you'll be informed that you're running
Windows ME, rather than DOS. All that you'll see is a very DOS like command
line screen, though.) I've run the AMI flash utility successfully from such
a floppy several times.

There are ways of making a bootable CD to do the same thing, but I've never
tried them. (I continue to build PCs that include a floppy drive. Call me
old-fashioned.)

Warning: a bad BIOS flash can render the PC unable to boot. I've never had
that happen to me, but there's always a first time. Make sure that no pets
or small children unplug the PC during the flash.

If the A7V333 supports BIOS recovery, it would be a good idea to prepare a
recovery floppy just in case. (Or, you may simply be able to use the system
CD that came with the mainboard.)

Good luck.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[R. Amuzu]

I am running Bios 1011 on A7V333 want to reflash to another bios.
Everything I found suggests to use the Aflash utility but I can't get into
DOS running Windows XP Pro. The updates are up to 1018 now and I want to
try a different BIOS. I can't find a solution using Windows XP Pro. Please
help
Thank you,
Trish

If you are running a 333FSB don't go above 1016 or you will have
problems. This version also seems to have solved the problem of 3 dimms
running at 333FSB. 1017 worked great until I threw a Barton chip in my
A7V333-R but after that it locked up until I downgraded after finding
something about memory issues with later versions and a 333FSB on a forum.

HTH,

Richard


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[tomcas]

I am running Bios 1011 on A7V333 want to reflash to another bios.
Everything I found suggests to use the Aflash utility but I can't get into
DOS running Windows XP Pro. The updates are up to 1018 now and I want to
try a different BIOS. I can't find a solution using Windows XP Pro. Please
help
Thank you,
Trish

Find a good floppy, reformat it and check for errors. Download Dr. Dos
which will turn the floppy into a low resource system boot disk with out
all the extra system files that may cause low memory problems during
flashing.
http://www.drdos.net/download.htm
Add the Aflash utility and the bios file to the floppy. Set the bios to
boot from the floppy if not already set as such.
Boot from the floppy, run aflash, save your old bios to the floppy first
just in case, then reflash to the new bios file. Set system defaults
and clear the bios if necessary. If you want to save your current bios
settings to a text file on the floppy before flashing, use the German
version of Aflash and run the program utility CMOS. There is also a
small utility called clrcmos on the German Aflash that allows you to
clear the cmos without having to use the mobo jumper.
For what it is worth I'm still using 1.008 (Full UDMA Lumberjacker hack)
on my A7V333 with Win2k after trying 1017 and 1018 without success.
Maybe I have an very early mobo.