1. Prepare an empty
bootable disk.
In order to do this, format
a disk using the format a: /s command (use b: or other drive letter if
appropriate). Make sure that there is nothing on the disk except for boot
files. (The reason for doing this is that AWDFLASH, the utility used to upgrade
the BIOS, does not allow ANY other program to be running in the background. A
clean boot from floppy will reassure this is the case)
2. Now copy AWDFLASH.EXE
and the appropriate BIOS file onto the disk.
Click the name of the BIOS
file for your board with your right mouse button. Now choose 'save target as..'
in the menu that appears. After this choice a drive and directory menu pops up,
choose drive a: (or other drive number as appropriate) and click OK. Now the
BIOS file will be saved to disk. Do the same for AWDFLASH.EXE (ver 6.31). If
you have problem during update BIOS, please use this previous version of flash
utility AF55.EXE (ver 5.5) to try again.
3. Next, start your computer
using this disk and run AWDFLASH.EXE.
Insert the disk in drive A:
(or whatever drive you can boot from) and boot up the computer. At the prompt,
type 'awdflash.exe'. Now you will get the awdflash.exe start-up screen.
4. Specify your new BIOS's
file name and save your old BIOS.
Type in the exact name of
the BIOS upgrade file "xxx.bin" that you have saved. For this purpose
it's advisable to make a note of the filename as you save it to disk. AWDFLASH
may give you an error message at this point, stating that the file specified
does not match your system. If you are sure that you have the correct file for
your board (read this to find out what board you own) you can safely ignore
this error message, because it is due to a bug in the AWDFLASH program. Now
type <y> to save your old BIOS to disk. If AWDFLASH tells you that the
"file size does not match" then you have downloaded a BIOS file of
the wrong size, please see the note below.
5. Upgrade your BIOS.
When AWDFLASH ask you
whether or not to start programming, type <y>, the system will now start
to upgrade your BIOS. Do not turn the system off while it is upgrading your
BIOS, in all the upgrading process should take about one minute.
6. Restart your system.
After AWDFLASH has finished
upgrading your BIOS, you should restart the system in order for the new BIOS
revision to take effect. You can do this by resetting the system, or by
switching it off and on. After restarting the system you have to load the BIOS
defaults. To do this, press <Delete> during the first screen to enter
BIOS setup. Choose 'Load SETUP Defaults' and press <Enter>. Now press
<Esc> to leave BIOS setup again, save the settings and your system is
ready for use with the new BIOS.
NOTES:
Please note that for some
boards there are 1Mb and 2Mb versions of the BIOS upgrade files. AWDFLASH will
tell you when the file size of the BIOS file that you have downloaded does not
match the size of your BIOS IC by giving you the following message: "file
size does not match". This will happen when you use a 1Mb file to upgrade
a 2Mb BIOS IC or a 2Mb BIOS file to upgrade a 1Mb BIOS IC.
A way to verify the size of
your BIOS IC is to remove the award sticker from the IC. If the partnumber has
a 010 or 100 near the end, then you have a 1Mb IC, if it has 020 or 200 near
the end you have a 2Mb IC. Only BIOS files of the right size can be used to
upgrade your BIOS.
If your system has an Intel
flash ROM, you may see an error message while you update your BIOS. This is not
serious, it is due to the special architecture of Intel flash ROMs. Intel Flash
ROMs have a bootblock protection that can not be disabled through software.
With other words, AWDFLASH is unable to program the bootblock and will give an
error message. However, the bootblock does need not to be upgraded (it is a
basic routine that does not change), so after the rest of the BIOS is upgraded
you can restart your system and the upgrade will be complete, please ignore the
error message.
BIOS CODE UPDATES
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do I need to update my BIOS?
What do I do if something goes wrong?
BIOS is an acronym for Basic
Input/Output System. The BIOS is a program (also known as firmware) which
is stored in a ROM (Read-Only Memory) chip on the motherboard commonly referred
to as the BIOS chip. The BIOS is responsible for detecting, testing,
initializing and monitoring the system hardware from the moment the system is
turned on until Windows takes over. When you turn the computer on the BIOS
instantly identifies all of the onboard devices (processor, memory, video card,
etc.) and then runs the Power On Self Test (P.O.S.T) to determine whether of
not each device is working properly. If all of the devices pass the POST test
then the BIOS initializes each device, detects the hard drives, CD-ROM and
floppy drives and then searches the first boot device (normally the hard drive
or floppy drive) for files necessary to load the operating system software and
then passes control of the system to the operating system software. If any
device fails the POST test then an error message will be displayed on the
screen or a series of 'beeps' will be played through the PC speaker to indicate
there is a problem. The sequence of beeps (beep code) can be used to identify
exactly what the problem is.
Why do I
need to update my BIOS?
Most of the time you will not
need to update your BIOS. BIOS updates are provided to correct existing
problems 'bugs' in the original BIOS program, or to add new features or
hardware support to the BIOS. If your computer is working fine then updating
your BIOS is not recommended and may cause problems with your system. However
if you will be upgrading your computer's processor, hard drive or video card
you may need to update your BIOS in order for the new device to work properly.
Updating the BIOS is fairly
simple, but never the less should be done by someone with a fair amount of
technical computer experience. As easy as updating the BIOS is, if a mistake is
made the result could be catastrophic for your computer and may require you to
purchase a new BIOS chip or motherboard to correct the problem.
To update your BIOS first you need to gather some important information
about your computer's motherboard. Before you can update your BIOS you must
know all of the following.
·
The exact model of motherboard you have.
·
The revision of motherboard you have.
Many motherboards of the same name have different revisions.
·
The type of BIOS your motherboard uses.
·
The capacity of the BIOS chip on your
motherboard.
While the first two items above are absolutely crucial you may not need
to know the second two. With most motherboards the model number is printed on
the cover of the user's manual and often on the motherboard itself. The
revision number is usually printed on the motherboard in white writing next to
one of the expansion slots or on one of the corners of the motherboard. With
most of our motherboards the revision is printed on the left rear corner in
small white writing.
Once you know which model and revision of motherboard you have you then
need to download the corresponding BIOS update from the motherboard
manufacturer's web site (this site). The BIOS update will consist of two files
a flash utility and the BIOS update in binary format. The flash utility writes
the updated BIOS file to the ROM BIOS chip on your motherboard.
If your motherboard uses AWARD Modular BIOS then you will use an AWARD
flash utility such as AWDFL763.EXE. If your motherboard uses American
Megatrends International (AMI) BIOS then you will use a AMI flash utility such
as AMIfl818.EXE. BIOS files for AWARD type BIOS are in binary format and the
file names end in .BIN. AMI BIOS files are in hexadecimal format and the file
names end in .ROM.
Here is the procedure to follow to safely update your BIOS. (NOTE: This
does not guarantee success)
Determine the model and revision of motherboard you have.
Locate your motherboard's model and revision in one of the tables below.
If your motherboard is not listed in either of the following tables then a BIOS
update is not available for your motherboard. The revision number for your
motherboard is printed on the board itself in white writing (usually on one of
the corners of the motherboard, near the keyboard connector, or near the PCI
slots.
Download the BIOS update for your motherboard by clicking on the model
number in one of the tables below. When prompted to open the file or save it,
choose to save the file and then save it on your hard drive in a directory
where you will be able to find it later.
Once you have downloaded the file and saved it on your hard drive put a
formatted 3 1/2" diskette in your floppy drive A:
While in Windows, located the file you downloaded on your hard drive and
double-click on it. A window titled 'WinRAR self-extracting archive' will
appear. In the text box labeled 'Install to' type A:\ and then click on the
'Install' button at the bottom, this will extract the BIOS update and flash utility
to the floppy disk in drive A:
Create a Windows 98 bootable floppy disk. If you are unable to create a
Windows 95 or 98 bootable floppy disk on your own then you can download a image
of a bootable disk here. To create a bootable floppy disk using the downloaded
image, put a second formatted floppy disk in drive A: and double-click on the
floppy disk image you downloaded. The image will make the disk in drive A:
bootable so that you can boot the computer from it and enter DOS mode.
Once you have your bootable floppy disk and the floppy disk that
contains the BIOS update and flash utility, restart the computer and hold down
the DELETE key to enter the CMOS. A blue screen with CMOS Setup Utility at the
top will appear. In the CMOS you need to set the FIRST BOOT device to FLOPPY.
If you are not sure how to do this you can consult your motherboard's user's
manual or call for technical support. Once you have set the FIRST BOOT device
to FLOPPY, save the changes you have made and exit CMOS. Make sure that your
bootable floppy disk is in drive A:
When the computer restarts it will read the floppy disk and boot from
it. When the STARTUP MENU appears choose 'START COMPUTER WITHOUT CD-ROM
SUPPORT' After a few seconds the
compute will stop at the A:\ prompt.
Once you see the A:\ prompt on the screen, remove your bootable floppy
from drive A: and insert the floppy disk with the BIOS update and flash utility
on it. Depending on which type of BIOS you have and which flash utility you are
using the command you type will be slightly different, however the format will
be the same. The following two examples show commands used for each type of
BIOS.
For AMI BIOS's type the
following:
FLASH.EXE BIOSFILE.ROM /SORIGINAL.ROM
(This will save the original BIOS to the file ORIGINAL.ROM)
FLASH.EXE BIOSFILE.ROM /A
(This will perform the actual update)
For AWARD BIOS
updates type the following:
FLASH.EXE
BIOSFILE.BINNOTE: In the above examples you must change the names of the
BIOSFILE and FLASH utility to the names of the files you downloaded. DO NOT
type the commands exactly as you see them above, this is only an example.
Once you have successfully updated your BIOS and the computer restarts
you may see the message 'CMOS Checksum Bad'. This is NOT an error message per
say, it simply indicates that you need to enter the CMOS Setup Utility by
pressing the DELETE or F1 key and save the CMOS settings.
When updating an AWARD BIOS you
will be prompted to save the original BIOS before continuing. You should always
save the original before you update it. In the event of an error the saved
original BIOS may be the only way to recover your computer. If you need
assistance with this procedure then please call your vendor for Technical
Support or e-mail Amptron's Technical Support department at support@amptron.com
What do I do if something goes wrong?
If you experience an error
while flashing your BIOS or you suspect that the update did not work, DO NOT
restart your computer! You need to call your vendor for technical support
immediately and let them know exactly what you did. The first thing the flash
utility does when you attempt to update your BIOS is to erase the original BIOS
in the BIOS chip. If the BIOS was not successfully reprogrammed then when you
restart your computer you will be unable to use it.
Not all errors are serious, most of the time if you receive an error
message while attempting to update your BIOS the problem is usually due to a
mistyped command, incorrect flash utility or incorrect BIOS size. These types
of errors will stop the flash utility before it erases the original BIOS on the
motherboard. Below are some common errors incurred while attempting to update
the BIOS.
Error messages such as '.ROM file wrong size',
'Incorrect BIOS size', etc. indicate that the
updated BIOS file you downloaded is not compatible with the BIOS chip on the
motherboard. For example most BIOS updates are for 2Mb BIOS chips, however if
your BIOS chip is a 1Mb chip then you will get an error message similar to
this. If this is the case then you will need to purchase a replacement BIOS
chip in order to update your BIOS.
Error messages such as 'File not found'
or 'ERROR 2: File does not exist'
indicates that you are either trying to flash your BIOS from a floppy diskette
that may have bad sectors, or you are not typing the name of the BIOS file
correctly (including the extension). If you receive this message make sure that
you are attempting to update your BIOS from your hard drive and that you are
typing the correct name of the BIOS file including the extension.
Error messages such as 'Unknown flash part' or 'Unknown flash type' indicate that the flash utility you are using is not compatible with the
BIOS chip on your motherboard. If you get this error message then download a
different revision of the flash utility and try again. Several versions of each
flash utility are available on this page below the BIOS code.
The error message 'ERROR 9 - BIOS tag is incorrect' indicates that the BIOS update you downloaded is NOT for your
motherboard or your revision of motherboard. If you continue to update the BIOS
when you receive an ERROR 9 message then you can severely damage your
motherboard. If you receive this message double-check your motherboard's model
and revision and make sure you download the correct update.
Error messages such as 'Disable USB' indicate that a severe problem was
encountered during the flash process which MAY have been caused by the onboard
USB controller. In most cases this message appears when the flash process ended
abnormally due to a problem. Often the problem is not the USB controller but in
fact the BIOS chip itself. If you experience this problem DO NOT reboot your
computer. If you reboot the computer it will be disabled. If you have made a
backup of the original BIOS try restoring the original BIOS. If you did not
make a backup then you have two choices. 1) Flash the BIOS again with the same
BIOS date the system originally had, or 2) purchase a new BIOS chip.
If the computer is restarted
after a BIOS programming error the system will not boot. If you have an AMI
BIOS the monitor will remain blank and the system will try to read from the
floppy drive repeatedly. If you have an AWARD BIOS you may see an error message
that says 'CMOS BAD Detecting drive media for drive A:'. This situation
indicates that there is a severe problem with the BIOS and the system is not
able to read the from the BIOS chip. If you are having this problem then
download our procedure on 'How to recover a corrupt BIOS' and follow the
directions step-by-step. This procedure is in .PDF format and requires you to
have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view it. If you do not have Adobe
Acrobat Reader you can download it by clicking here.
NOTICE: We have provided these
BIOS updates as a courtesy to our customers, however we DO NOT recommend
updating your BIOS unless it is absolutely necessary. Amptron International
Inc. is not responsible for loss or data, revenue, use of your computer, or
damages either directly or indirectly caused by updating your BIOS. Updating
your BIOS is considered a user modification and may void any and all warranties
and guarantees. If you do not feel comfortable updating your system's BIOS
yourself you may purchase a replacement BIOS chip with an updated BIOS
preinstalled on it by calling our end user sales department at (626) 912-5789
ext 208.
WARNING: If you have a
PM-599LMR (M599LMR) motherboard or PG-5517A PreSystem you may not be able to
update your BIOS. A batch of BIOS chips used on these motherboards was
accidentally WRITE-PROTECTED when it was originally programmed. Any attempts to
update the BIOS on one of these write-protected BIOS chips will cause the
system to become unusable. The only way to restore your computer is with the
original BIOS and the BIOS recovery procedure above, if that fails then you
will need to call the number above and order a replacement BIOS chip.