[NBLUG/talk] HP BIOS Flash

Jeff Hemminger jeff at dreadidread.homelinux.org
Wed Jul 9 20:12:00 PDT 2003


Here are the instructions from the README:
<snip>
1. CREATING THE BIOS INSTALLATION DISKETTE
  a. Create a system diskette
  b. Copy the contents of this directory onto this diskette:
     copy *.* A:
     (Assuming that your diskette drive is A:)

2. FLASHING THE BIOS
  a. Insert the BIOS installation diskette into the A: (B:)
     drive
  b. Boot the PC from the diskette to ensure a clean boot.
  c. Launch the flashing command by typing from A: (B:) the
     following command:
     Flash
</snip>

It sounds like I need a DOS environment to flash the BIOS, doesn't it?

Jeff

ME wrote:

>Jeff Hemminger said:
>  
>
>>Hmm, the instructions on the bios upgrade exe were to copy the contents
>>to a floppy, and then boot my pc with the floppy, and type "flash" at
>>the A:/
>>    
>>
>
>Well, you could take a dos formatted floppy and then copy that file over
>to it and see if that works. What happens when that "upgrade.exe" is run
>from a windows box? Do you get a prompt for inserting a floppy disk?
>
>If that does not work, you can try to make a dos bootable floppy and then
>copy this file over to it.
>
>  
>
>>I have flashed the bios on a different machine before, and it was just a
>>matter of booting from the floppy and away it went, as I recall. This
>>one doesn't do that, however.
>>    
>>
>
>If after copying the file to the floppy and booting from it, you find an
>error, then it likely needs to be run and will write out information tothe
>floppy, or it needs a boot floppy.
>
>
>  
>
>>ME wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>BIOS Flash methods are almost always based on images files or
>>>image-to-disk applications that write an image to a floppy disk. That
>>>floppy disk is then used to boot the machine and upgrade the flash BIOS.
>>>Most of the apps from vendors of hardware are 32bit executable
>>>windows/dos
>>>program that write out the image to the disk.
>>>
>>>So, you may be able to get this functionality with DOSEMU (Never tried)
>>>but with upgrading flash BIOS, I do not take chances. You can try using a
>>>trsuted computer that has windows and use that machine to create the boot
>>>floppy, then boot your laptop from that boot floppy.
>>>
>>>Is this what you were after?
>>>
>>>-ME
>>>
>>>
>>>jeff at dreadidread.homelinux.org said:
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Hi All,
>>>>
>>>>I have an old HP Vectra P2 that I'm having trouble with. Basically, I
>>>>can
>>>>install an OS, but I can't boot it after the install. I get "L", and
>>>>that's it.
>>>>I'm pretty sure that's an "L" as in Lilo. Anyway, I've installed a very
>>>>bare
>>>>bones RH9.0 on it.
>>>>
>>>>I was talking with a sys admin at work and he said he'd run across an
>>>>issue
>>>>simila r to this and he upgraded the BIOS and that took care of it. I
>>>>went
>>>>to HP
>>>>land and found the upgrade, an exe for Windows NT.
>>>>
>>>>My question is, is there any way I can upgrade the BIOS without
>>>>installing
>>>>Windows? Is there a comparable BIOS upgrade program written for Linux? I
>>>>really
>>>>don't know much about this, but I don't know what else to do but install
>>>>windows, upgrade the bios, and then reinstall redhat? But that doesn't
>>>>seem right...
>>>>
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Jeff
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
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>>>
>>>      
>>>
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>>    
>>
>
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