HP ZE5500 BIOS Update Question

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I figured I'd ask here before contacting HP Tech. Support. Does
anyone know the difference between the WinFlash Utility for HP
Notebook System BIOS - Windows-Based Version KH.F.22 and the ROMPaq
for Notebooks System BIOS Update Version KH.F.15? Do I need to do
BOTH of these to update my Bios? I'm confused as to why they are 2
separate processes/files.

And if I update to the latest versions, will it include all the other
fixes from the previous updates or do I have to install each update by
itself? The BIOS software I'm talking about is located here-
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc [...] 926&os=228

Also, can I do a clean install of Windows XP Home on this machine?
Are all the drivers I need located on the above page or do I need to
get them off my notebook first? Where are they located? Any
particular order as to load which drivers first etc...? BTW, I don't
have the Restore CD's.

Thanks in advance for any help.

pacuca

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks David.

pacuca

"David Lee" <davidlee_malvern@dont.use.this.bit.hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<cd14l6$ef3$1@hamble.qinetiq.com>...
> pacuca wrote...
> > I figured I'd ask here before contacting HP Tech. Support. Does
> > anyone know the difference between the WinFlash Utility for HP
> > Notebook System BIOS - Windows-Based Version KH.F.22 and the ROMPaq
> > for Notebooks System BIOS Update Version KH.F.15? Do I need to do
> > BOTH of these to update my Bios? I'm confused as to why they are 2
> > separate processes/files.
> >
> > And if I update to the latest versions, will it include all the other
> > fixes from the previous updates or do I have to install each update by
> > itself? The BIOS software I'm talking about is located here-
> >
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc [...] twareitem=
> hb-22033-1&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=c00026926&os=228
>
> The difference between WinFlash and ROMPaq is simply that the former runs
> from Windows (and hence can be rolled out across a network) whereas the
> latter has to be installed from a bootable floppy disk and is therefore a
> less risky procedure (DOS is less likely to hang or crash during the
> update).
>
> The question is not why there are two files but why there are THREE since
> the ROMPaq is offered as ver KH.F.22 and ver KH.F.15. Ver 15 is 9 months
> out of date so I can only assume that it's inclusion is an error. It's
> possible that download files are overwritten automatically on the support
> page on the basis of the title of the fix and someone seems to have subtly
> changed the wording of the ROMPaq offering after ver 15. If you click on
> previous versions (under ver 22) you can get BIOS versions 18 to 22, whereas
> the previous versions from ver 15 offer you ver 6 to 15, with 15 flagged as
> "Current". It has to be included in error and you can ignore it.
>
> Bios updates are self contained so you only need to install the most recent
> one suitable for your machine. That's why download sizes generally increase
> with time (with exceptions where serious re-coding has been carried out).
>
> David