updating AMI BIOS under WINDOWS XP

[Guest]

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue. I tried the AMI FLASH.EXE program to try and load the bios rom file in dos, but it didn't automatically load the file. It opened up another dos screen with letter commands for program boot block or don't program boot block, or save file . If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate this. The mb is an ASROCK K7S8X and the bios setup has no bios flash default setting. Jeff

 

[Patti MacLeod]

Hi Jeff,

Hopefully you are aware that updating the BIOS can be a risky venture.
Having said that, have a look here for updating BIOS procedures, including a
link for ASRock's FLASH.EXE utility:
http://www.asrock.com/support/index_BIOS_INS.htm

The file to create a basic bootdisk to use for the purposes of upgrading the
BIOS can be d/loaded from here:
http://bootdisk.com/
Click on the link for DrDOS Disk for Bios Flashing. D/load the executable
file to hard drive. Put a formatted floppy disk in the drive, then
double-click on the d/loaded file to create the bootdisk.


Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in

XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says
invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still
doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue. I tried the AMI
FLASH.EXE program to try and load the bios rom file in dos, but it didn't
automatically load the file. It opened up another dos screen with letter
commands for program boot block or don't program boot block, or save file .
If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate this. The mb is an ASROCK
K7S8X and the bios setup has no bios flash default setting. Jeff

 

[Guest]

Try putting your BIOS flash program on the same floppy as your boot files, but be careful as the wrong BIOS version could mess things up big time!

 

[Glen]

Hi Jeff

You are probably using NTFS so the dos boot disc can't see the files, it can
only see the FAT file system. To update your bios you can either put the
bios image and update program onto the same dos boot disc you already made
or if they don't fit put them onto a second disc. To flash the bios, boot
from the boot disc and when you get to the A: prompt put the second floppy
in and run the program. You don't need access to the file system to update
the bios. The other way, in case you want access to the file system would be
to boot from the Windows XP CD. This will give you access the files on the
computer. To flash the bios using the CD put the CD in and boot from it.
Once you get to the command prompt either put the floppy in that has the
image and update program or access them from the computer. Run the program
according to the instructions.

I just re-read you post and it looks like you have run the program but
weren't sure how to flash the bios. Make sure you have the correct upgrade
program from your motherboard manufacturer. Make sure you have the correct
bios image. When you run the program from dos without loading the bios image
or if you type /? after the programs name you should be given the
instructions how to load the image file. Once the image is loaded it will
either automatially check the new image against the old image or give you
some information to compare the new image to the old image. Once you are
sure the new image is compatible flash the bios by pressing y or whatever
you are instructed to do

Glen

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in

XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says
invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still
doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue. I tried the AMI
FLASH.EXE program to try and load the bios rom file in dos, but it didn't
automatically load the file. It opened up another dos screen with letter
commands for program boot block or don't program boot block, or save file .
If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate this. The mb is an ASROCK
K7S8X and the bios setup has no bios flash default setting. Jeff

 

[Guest]

I tried the link program that you sent me, but I am still not able to get the FLASH.EXE program to work. The rom file should be updated by the FLASH.EXE program in dos, but as I said before, the flashing utility opens another screen that shows the utility version and some dos commands. I am unable to get tech support from ASROCK. They only support resellers, not users. Are you familiar with this FLASH.EXE program? If you are, maybe you could explain to me why it won't function under Windows XP??? JEFF

----- Patti MacLeod wrote: -----

Hi Jeff,

Hopefully you are aware that updating the BIOS can be a risky venture.
Having said that, have a look here for updating BIOS procedures, including a
link for ASRock's FLASH.EXE utility:
http://www.asrock.com/support/index_BIOS_INS.htm

The file to create a basic bootdisk to use for the purposes of upgrading the
BIOS can be d/loaded from here:
http://bootdisk.com/
Click on the link for DrDOS Disk for Bios Flashing. D/load the executable
file to hard drive. Put a formatted floppy disk in the drive, then
double-click on the d/loaded file to create the bootdisk.


Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in

XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says
invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still
doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue. I tried the AMI
FLASH.EXE program to try and load the bios rom file in dos, but it didn't
automatically load the file. It opened up another dos screen with letter
commands for program boot block or don't program boot block, or save file .
If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate this. The mb is an ASROCK
K7S8X and the bios setup has no bios flash default setting. Jeff

 

[Patti MacLeod]

No, I'm not familiar with that particular FLASH.EXE program, and I've never
tried flashing the BIOS (for as many times as I've done that
procedure.......maybe twice) by accessing the image file on hard
drive......I've always had the flash utility and the image file on the
bootable floppy. If I were updating the BIOS to version 2.3, for example, I
would do as recommended at the website:
1) d/load the flash utility to the boot floppy,
2) d/load the K7S8X_230.zip file to hard drive
3) extract the K7S8X_230 file from the K7S8X_230.zip file to the boot
floppy
4) boot from the floppy and key this in at the A: prompt:
FLASH K7S8X_230
<ENTER>


Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

I tried the link program that you sent me, but I am still not able to get

the FLASH.EXE program to work. The rom file should be updated by the
FLASH.EXE program in dos, but as I said before, the flashing utility opens
another screen that shows the utility version and some dos commands. I am
unable to get tech support from ASROCK. They only support resellers, not
users. Are you familiar with this FLASH.EXE program? If you are, maybe you
could explain to me why it won't function under Windows XP??? JEFF

 

[Black Beard]

You're not supposed to run it under XP! You are supposed to run it from the
DOS boot floppy.

Black Beard

I tried the link program that you sent me, but I am still not able to get

the FLASH.EXE program to work. The rom file should be updated by the
FLASH.EXE program in dos, but as I said before, the flashing utility opens
another screen that shows the utility version and some dos commands. I am
unable to get tech support from ASROCK. They only support resellers, not
users. Are you familiar with this FLASH.EXE program? If you are, maybe you
could explain to me why it won't function under Windows XP??? JEFFSnip

 

[Alex Nichol]

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue.

You probably have the system installed on an NTFS partition, which the
DOS cannot work with. Do not try to access the hard disk for this
purpose. Instead copy the flashing program and its data file onto the
floppy, boot that and immediately give the command to run the flash.

Make sure you start by backing up the current bios to a file (also on
the floppy), and if, when you do the flash, there is *any* sign that it
did not go through correctly, immediately, without switching off or
rebooting, run the program again to restore that

 

[NobodyMan]

I am attempting to upgrade the AMI bios and have created a boot disk in XP, but when I get to the A:> prompt in dos and try to put C: in, it says invalid directory. I attempted a reboot with W98 boot disk, but it still doesn't see the C: drive. Could someone give me a clue. I tried the AMI FLASH.EXE program to try and load the bios rom file in dos, but it didn't automatically load the file. It opened up another dos screen with letter commands for program boot block or don't program boot block, or save file . If anyone can help me, I would really appreciate this. The mb is an ASROCK K7S8X and the bios setup has no bios flash default setting. Jeff

From what I'm reading, you have no idea the proper procedure to
properly flash your BIOS. Doing this incorrectly can result in either
a large paperweight or a semi-expensive trip to a computer store for a
new BIOS chip.

Ask yourself: do you need to update your BIOS? If you are just doing
it because there is a newer version out there, STOP. If you don't
have a genuine need to upgrade your BIOS, don't. If you must proceed,
learn the right procedure and for god's sake get your system plugged
into a UPS prior to starting so a power drop-out won't fry your work.

If you wish to really do this, given your relative lack of experience,
I recommend you pack up your box and take it to a real computer store
(NOT Best Buy, CompUSA or Circuit City) and let them help.