How does one flash the bios in Linux??
Thanks
Typically, machine vendor provides the program to flash the BIOS and most probably it will be a Windoz executable! In some cases, you can boot from FreeDOS and run such a program.
However, vendors such as IBM etc. provides a bootable image and that can be used to boot and it will update BIOS as part of it.
My ASUS can do it from the BIOS, so you don’t need windows or any utility disk. Just save the new BIOS UPDATE IMAGE to your HD and point to it from the flash bios utility.
So it’s going to depend on what you have there??
Boot DOS from a floppy (if you still have a floppydrive) or a USB stick and flash it manually is what works for most boards.
Some BIOSes like caf4926s offer fancier options, take a look at the instructions in the motherboard manual usually an alternative to a windows flashing application is offered.
collycrk
Like caf says, go to the motherboard manufacturer’s website and look at the motherboard specs to see if they offer a bios recovery option. (This should also show up in the boot screen)
If so, copy the bios update file to hd or usb and select it whwn you need to do the bios update.
My old gigabyte motherboard gave me this option.
Also, post the make and model of your motherbard for extra help.
Thanks for the response.
hwinfo reports:
board info:
product 30B5
Man. Wistron
Version 62.60
Chassis.type NoteBook
formfactor Laptop
BIOS INFO:
vendor HP
version F.37
date 7/25/2007
start address 0xe7dd0
rom size 1024kB
[created at bios.186]
unique id rdCR.1ZF+r4EgHp4
Haven’t had any luck finding the system board documents on the web.
There is on the HP site for an HP Pavilion dv2000 laptop a firmware file but one has to choose a version of windows to get to it. Is that the way it is done? I chose Windows XP and used the Windows XP boot parameter and wine to open the file and it reported that this was the wrong firmware for this PC. An afterthought; I would think one would have to boot from the dvd so the installed OS was idle. Is that correct?
For a Solaris server we would boot from a utility disk, if I remember correctly, and flash bios from there using the firmware file from the floppy drive.
There is only a dvd drive on this laptop.
Thanks.
Tbh I wouldn’t recommend a bios flash unless you “REALLY, REALLY, REALLY” have something that isn’t working at the mo. A bios flash can go two way’s it can correct a problem (if you have any in the first place) but can also leave you with a very expensive brick if your unsure of what you are doing.
If you ran the program in wine and it said the firmware was incorrect I would say that your model is either a different version to the one that has the updated bios, or your’s has been modified in some way.
As the saying goe’s “if it aint broke don’t try and fix it” If your laptop is not showing any prob’s that are related to the bios update’s patchnotes then don’t update it.
I recently did a BIOS update on a HP zv5000 laptop, easy and problem free… Unfortunately, I still have dual-boot to XP on the lappy and did the bios up from there 
Maybe you could get BartsPE on a USB stick and upg the BIOS from there?
Or do it from a DOS boot?
HP’s site says the BIOS update is an important one… looks like you need BIOS F.39
Just burn BartPE to DVD, boot it and navigate to the bios update package and run.
Thank you wakou and 67GTA.
I will try bartPE on a flash drive and post the results.
syampillai wrote:
>
> Typically, machine vendor provides the program to flash the BIOS and
> most probably it will be a Windoz executable! In some cases, you can
> boot from FreeDOS and run such a program.
>
> However, vendors such as IBM etc. provides a bootable image and that
> can be used to boot and it will update BIOS as part of it.
>
Intel provides an ISO option for my motherboard. I have downloaded it
but not created a boot disk yet. Since it does not appear to help with
my problem, I do not want to flash the BIOS just to do it.
–
Russ
[openSUSE 11.2 (2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop, x86_64] KDE 4.3.4 release 2,
Intel Core 2 Dual E7200, 4 GB RAM, GeForce 8400 GS, 320GB Disc (2)
Hey,
Shameless plug but may be useful to you!
^ Will allow you to flash your BIOS in linux.
P.S. Hello OpenSUSE community!