Need help upgrading my BIOS...

[cybershark5886]

I need some help regarding updating my BIOS. Given that I do not have access to a harddrive (one of the reasons I'm doing this) and that my laptop has no floppy drive what are my options? I downloaded the bios update .exe I needed (is that all I need?) from Hp.com. Now I'm planning on making a bootable cd, but aside from the necessary boot files for it I'll have to find some sort of dos prompt to interface with (maybe even the recovery console - my Dad suggested Dr. DOS) and I'll also have to put the actual BIOS .exe on the boot disk as well. Do you think that will work? Will it boot into the interface if I make a boot disk with an additional file for the Dos/Recovery Console file and the BIOS update file? If it's not that simple will I have to modify some ini or cfg file to point to that DOS/ Recovery Console file to autoload it?

Moreover, will the .exe run in DOS mode (you'd think it would) or does it have to be used in windows (which is impossible for me)? I'd appreciate any advice, as I know some of you are much more qualified than I am.

Thanks,

~Josh

 

[Rudster8161]

why do you need to update the BIOS??

 

[cybershark5886]

It refuses to detect harddrives connected to the computer (its a laptop - if that helps). But aside from that I really need to know the best method of installing an update w/ out a harddrive and with only a cd-rom operational. Will my .exe do or is the update file supposed to be something different (perhaps something extracted from the .exe if you run it in windows)?

I could really use some help with this.

~Josh

 

[Rudster8161]

i doubt flashing the BIOS will help..but its worth a shot. you will need the actual bios file AND the update utlity. if you give us the model of your laptop then we can find it if you cant.

again i doubt this will work if the laptop ever read HDD's. if it never has then use the warranty. even if it has read them and still under warranty than get a new one. flashing the bios will probably void the warranty

 

[blackjack]

Try this website http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/42_1.html before you start, Ive been going to do it for months but have now decided flashing the bios has lots of risks and unless its necessary(which it is not) leave well alone. print out all the steps before you start so you have it clear in your head and have something to follow or look back on if it goes tits up good luck!.

 

[lhuser]

That or check your hard drive. It may be bad.

 

[cybershark5886]

i doubt flashing the BIOS will help..but its worth a shot. you will need the actual bios file AND the update utlity.

That's the third or fourth time I've seen an article or someone mention an update utility. I went to Hp.com to get the update file version I wanted but I didn't see another link for an update utility. I have an R4000 Compaq Presario notebook. Where can I find such an update utility?

P.S. I read on another forum some guy with a Toshiba laptop who was trying to do the same thing. He said that he was to press a special key/or key sequence while booting up to make it go into BIOS update mode (I think he said it was the | [pipe] key for him). Do all computers have such a function, or is that infact something that works in conjunction with this update utility you mentioned?

Thanks,

~Josh

 

[cybershark5886]

Try this website http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/42_1.html before you start, Ive been going to do it for months but have now decided flashing the bios has lots of risks and unless its necessary(which it is not) leave well alone. print out all the steps before you start so you have it clear in your head and have something to follow or look back on if it goes tits up good luck!.

I'll check it out thanks.

That or check your hard drive. It may be bad.

No, I know its not that because I bought a brand new hardrive for it after that happened, fresh out of the box, and it didn't see it either. I then took that harddrive upstairs to my PC and used my IDE cable adaptor for notebook HDDs and attached it to my mobo and the PC BIOS recognized it - brand, capactiy, everything. I'm positive it's the BIOS, or worse, the laptop itself. But I'd rather check the BIOS out first before I jump to conclusions.

~Josh

 

[lhuser]

Ok, I believe it is the BIOS. HPs tend to have problems with that sometimes.

 

[ownage]

If all else fails, you can hot flash it. Put the chip in another motherboard (that is if you can get the chip out in the first place) and flash the chip using DOS and put it back in. Thank goodness my dad can flash BIOS chips without an actual motherboard