Flash BIOS Question

[Mike]

I've been told it's a good idea to always have the latest
BIOS version on my machine. If I change my BIOS to the
latest version, is it necessary, or advisable, or not
advisable to then reinstall W2k? I would have thought W2k
would automatically recognize the newer BIOS upon its next
startup.
(The last OS I was entirely comfortable "tweaking" was DOS
3.11) Thanks for any advice.

 

[DL]

Flashing the bios does not upset any apps, inc win so you have no need to
repair or reinstall.
You should follow mobo manu instructions explicitly. However it is allways
as well to be prepared for disaster recovery.
It is debatable as to whether you need to update a bios, or any driver for
that matter, unless to cure a specific problem or get more features.
Some modern mobos have a dual bios feature - eases recovery if disaster
strikes.
However it is rare to have a problem.

 

[Chris]

Your BIOS shouldn't really affect Win2k's operation. Having said that, in my
experience, I've only needed to upgrade a BIOS when the current one doesn't
support some functionality that you need (a common one is hard disks that
are too large). Updating a flash BIOS is a risky operation as you can end up
with a dead machine that won't boot at all. My advice would be if it ain't
broke, don't fix it!

 

[philo]

Your BIOS shouldn't really affect Win2k's operation. Having said that, in
my
experience, I've only needed to upgrade a BIOS when the current one
doesn't
support some functionality that you need (a common one is hard disks that
are too large). Updating a flash BIOS is a risky operation as you can end
up
with a dead machine that won't boot at all. My advice would be if it ain't
broke, don't fix it!

excellent advice!

however if you do decide to flash your bios...
be sure your machine is on a UPS!

 

[Mike]

Thanks for your responses. I think I'll hold off any BIOS
changes. Nothing's really malfunctioning and the risks
seem to outweigh any possible small gains in
functionality. Cheers from West Central Florida
(where "batten down the hatches" isn't just a
phrase...it's a lifestyle)

 

[Dan Seur]

Good choice!

Cheers from St. Pete. Where "abandon ship"...