Updating the BIOS on a Pentium 4 Machine

[comda]

Greetings!

Since our last chat about older games on newer machines, ive put together a nifty little Pentium 4 machine. I shall list its specs at the bottom. Anyways. I realized im running what maybe its original BIOS revision. Its running Version 8 while online on their website im seeing versions 1011. So i want to do the update. However issue is, i found no update option in the BIOS so im assuming its using the old fashioned floppy disk method. But the download only provided a rom file. So how am i to do this? Thanks

Specs
Intel P4 3.00Ghz with Ht technology
Asus P4P800s-x motherboard
2gb (2x 1gb DDR 400mhz sticks)
80Gb seagate IDE drive
Ati Radeon 9600 Pro 256mb AGP GPU 

[Lisa_maree]

A check on the Asus website, 1011 was the latest stable bios for your board. The easy way is to update the bios, write the ROM file to a bootable dos CD including a copy of AMIflash as explained here.
 
http://www.biosflash.com/e/bios-boot-cd.htm

[comda]

Is there not a floppy option? i dont have any CD-R's. I know there is a piece of software that boots a floppy and allows me to install it. i just cant place my finger on it.

[patio]

Travel to bootdisk.com...i'm sure they will have what you need.

[Lisa_maree]

Here is a link to a boot floppy disk to update the bios
http://www.biosflash.com/e/bios-boot-diskette.htm

Why are you updating the bios when you have the most update one already?
 

[comda]

I dont have the most up to date one. i have version 8 and the latest is version 1011.
Anyways i managed to figure it out. i used windows bootable disk option under formatting floppy to make it bootable. then i simply put the AFUdos application from Asus on the floppy alone with the update.
Used a tutorial youtube video from Asus and backed up the older BIOS from 2004 and updated to the latest version that was available in 2005. Thanks for the assistance.

[DaveLembke]

Years ago I use to use Freedos (linux that acts like dos and is compatibles as dos for most applications ) as a dos alternative for stuff like this. Best alternative would be if you were able to make a bootable floppy first and then add the flash utility and rom file to the floppy if space allows and then boot off floppy and then run utility against the rom file to push it. Some flash utilities have a backup method that will write the current rom file to floppy as a means to resort back if you ever needed to space on floppy permitting.

[BC_Programmer]

Years ago I use to use Freedos (linux that acts like dos and is compatibles as dos for most applications )

FreeDOS is not Linux.

It's sort of like the relationship between Linux and Unix, actually; FreeDOS was created to function and appear like DOS, in the same way Linux was designed to function and appear like Unix.

[comda]

Years ago I use to use Freedos (linux that acts like dos and is compatibles as dos for most applications ) as a dos alternative for stuff like this. Best alternative would be if you were able to make a bootable floppy first and then add the flash utility and rom file to the floppy if space allows and then boot off floppy and then run utility against the rom file to push it. Some flash utilities have a backup method that will write the current rom file to floppy as a means to resort back if you ever needed to space on floppy permitting.

Thats exactly what i did. I made the floppy bootable and there was a program Asus offers called AFUdos. I Backed up the BIOS on the Floppy and then Installed the New BIOS from the floppy since i couldnt find a way to boot this old timer from USB. The System installed the update just fine, and booted into windows XP no problem. Another Success in the books, haha.

The computer runs nice with a different PSU so its far more quiet aswell. Just for kicks i popped in a 40Gb drive and installed Windows 2000 Sp4. It runs, but firefox seems to crash it haha. Oh well.

Again, thanks for the help.

[DaveLembke]

Good to hear that the flash was a success. Also thanks BC for correcting me. Back when I was in college years ago the professor stated it was created from a linux kernel and I never thought otherwise that it was its own creation and not a linux source branch.