Best way to update Bios

[Zoom77]

My Asus P5B-E has several ways for updating the Bios. (from a windows application, with EX Flash, from DOS, using internet etc)

Which method do you use?

Also, is the last BIOS the best, or should I get another one?

 

[sarsoft]

My Asus P5B-E has several ways for updating the Bios. (from a windows application, with EX Flash, from DOS, using internet etc)

Which method do you use?

Also, is the last BIOS the best, or should I get another one?

I use DOS with afudos.exe and sometimes when i lazy use asus update.

It usualy is better then previous one.

 

[rwpritchett]

I prefer to use the EZFlash2 utility in the BIOS, but I've also used the Asus updater in Windows to update from file. It never works when I try to update from the internet for some reason.

 

[pat]

My Asus P5B-E has several ways for updating the Bios. (from a windows application, with EX Flash, from DOS, using internet etc)

Which method do you use?

Also, is the last BIOS the best, or should I get another one?

If you don't have issues, then don't upgrade. BIOS update are mostly for correcting compatibility problem, so, if you don't have problem, an update can create some.

so which one is the best? The one that work good.

 

[kg4icg]

I used ASUS update which downloaded the the latest bios for my p5ld2 and loaded the new bios from windows then asked me to reboot for the new bios to activate, total time 10 minutes from start to finish including resetting the bios settings.

 

[niz]

Its best to do it from dos, not windows.

Windows is an extra (big) layer to go wrong. Widows does crash/lock-up occasionally, and if it does it during a bios update it can screw your PC forever by leaving the bios half-written so making your pc unbootable.

 

[slim142]

Best way is via DOS.

But since now DOS is kinda old-school I like to do it via EZ-Flash.

 

[Zoom77]

I used the windows updater because it was the easiest and until that point nobody told me not to

But I had to download the file manually, since they automatic one didn't work.

 

[slim142]

Try it on DOS everytime you can, is better than windows. It has always been like that, it will always be better like that

 

[niz]

Best way is via DOS.

But since now DOS is kinda old-school I like to do it via EZ-Flash.

Yeah I agree, I sorta grouped dos flash and EZ-flash as the same thing really as using either mean you avoid windows. Ez flash just means you avoid booting dos too
Anyway, I guess not everyone has EZ-flash, isn't it only on Asus boards?

 

[Crashman]

I have a bootable USB thumb drive, I set it as first boot device and do it from DOS.

 

[sluzbenik]

You can also update from within the bios - alt something or other (look in the manual) to avoid even booting into DOS.

However, folks say that if you do it from the Asus BIOS utility, it does not zero out the BIOS RAM, it just writes over it. I have done it both ways, and from the BIOS the progress bar shows a darker color that just gets overwritten. When I have done it by booting from a USB key, the DOS proggy shows an empty line that fills up. Who knows for sure?

I now stick with the prevailing wisdom - do it from DOS. I have seen BIOSes do funny things, lock up, and act strangely from time to time, but DOS is always smooth as silk.

Really don't do it from Windows. A hard drive burp, your anti-virus deciding to do a scan, a sudden glitch from the onboard sound, anything could screw it up. Why take the chance? In DOS, only a loss of power or floppy/USB failure could screw things up.

 

[tamalero]

some deluxe asus boards comes with an automatic bios updater, just toss the programs you get fromthe website, into a CD,
then insert the cd , boot from the cd and the rest is automatic.

 

[evongugg]

if you do it from DOS, make sure you use a new diskette. They can go bad easily and leave you replacing a Bios chip in your motherboard eventually.

 

[Crashman]

Yeh, a lot of companies have the ability to update BIOS from a BIOS menu, but I don't think they support "all" media formats. Most "probably" rely on floppy or CD. Yet all current boards support booting from a USB "flash disk" so I can still use my bootable thumb drive.

 

[blue68f100]

Use DOS (bootable floopy) it is the safest, and it give you a option to save your current BIOS incase you need to back up. I have had several mb fail using the windows updater. Make sure you are on a UPS unit, the last thing you need is a power failure during the middle.

I had that happen to several friends. I have a programmer for recovering from crashes. :lol:

 

[Crashman]

No, DOS bootable USB Thumb Drive is better, because floppies die much too easily.

I've had new floppies die on the FIRST WRITE. Remember that all "new" floppy disks are actually New Old Stock, they've been shelved for many years and have a limitted shelf life.

 

[slim142]

Yeh, a lot of companies have the ability to update BIOS from a BIOS menu, but I don't think they support "all" media formats. Most "probably" rely on floppy or CD. Yet all current boards support booting from a USB "flash disk" so I can still use my bootable thumb drive.

Exactly, most new boards support Removable devide booting which means it should be able to boot from the USB drive.

Crashman, that is not a worry, I dont think that when people get floppy drives, they use them for more than a month

 

[Crashman]

A lot of BIOS is now written to treat a flash drive as a hard disk, so rather than selecting "USB removable device" as first boot, you have to select "hard disk drive" and then go to the "hard drive boot order" menu to select the USB thumbdrive.

That requires plugging in the USB thumbdrive before you boot.

Also, most boards have some USB connectors that are bootable and some that are not. The reason is probably that some are direct ports and others are on the chipset's internal hub.

 

[slim142]

Also, most boards have some USB connectors that are bootable and some that are not. The reason is probably that some are direct ports and others are on the chipset's internal hub.

Might it happen that some direct ports are not bootables?

 

[Crashman]

I don't see why, but what the heck I'm not a BIOS programmer.

 

[slim142]

Oh Im Sorry Master Historian of THGC

 

[I]

The best method is to boot to a flash thumbdrive or FAT16/32 HDD, or at worst a CD as floppy is a less reliable media. I mean boot dos and use the bios manufacturer's flasher, or in asus case if that flasher won't work use the asus flasher.

Using internet is worst, from windows 2nd worst, but to me in windows is a close contest with flashing from floppy. I always use a USB thumbdrive on any system that can boot it, and my 2nd choice is really not a HDD but a Compact Flash card I've loaded with utils for legacy systems that uses a CF-IDE adapter, but most people don't have the CF-IDE adapter I suppose so if you don't wanna pick one up on ebay for $4, HDD is next choice if FAT(nn).

 

[folkesson]

if you do it from DOS, make sure you use a new diskette. They can go bad easily and leave you replacing a Bios chip in your motherboard eventually.

Hey! It's great that all you guys know about BIOS updates. since my last try kind of made my day a piece of cr*p.
Here's my problem: When I last updated my bios I used WinFlash, and erased my previously bios, but it didn't load the new one, so in fact, I have no bios at all on my CPU. So i can't use it at all. And now I will have to use a 3.5 disc to update but I don't know how. I have downloaded the bios file (p4xfcua05.bin) to my fathers cpu. And note that I can't use my keyboard. Can anyone write a command that will upload my new BIOS automaticly without any need to use keyboard or nothing.
I have the latest Win xp pro. and upgrades. email me at john.folkesson@hotmail.com

Ps. I've been looking for a way to solve this problem for about two days now.

 

[Crashman]

You could do a "hot flash" but I'm not going to tell anyone without years of experience and oversized cahones how to do that. My suggestion is to search the net for a company that offers pre-flashed replacement BIOS chips.

Replacing the BIOS chip requires your motherboard has a removable (socketed) BIOS chip, and you now have enough information to do your search.