# bios flash with floppy



## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

i need to flash my bios so i can upgrade to a better cpu. ive never had to flash bios for anything before so ive never done it, to play it safe. 
my laptop is a gateway and i got the bios flash utility from there website. it came with winphlash, which is made to flash within windows. but i know youre not supposed to flash from within windows. so how do i use this utility to flash it on startup from a floppy disk? all i have is a usb floppy drive. 
i looked on gateway's website the winphlash utility is all they have. i was hoping for a cd image but they dont offer it.

i found this...
http://www.techspot.com/vb/all/windows/t-7632-How-do-I-create-an-dos-bio-flash-floppy-^.html

can i do it the same way with this?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Post the link of the bios update. Thanks.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

this is the bios update...

http://support.gateway.com/support/...scr=Gateway BIOS Version: 77.12&uid=225445830


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

May be you can use the .wph file from your bios update to work with this one
http://www.biosman.com/bios_flash2.html (get the PHLASH file since your bios is from Phoenix Technologies).

Remember you have to boot into DOS with EMM386 (memory manager) disabled. 

Proceed at your own risk. Flashing the BIOS is not recommended unless your laptop manufacturer advises you to do so.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

ok so i need to boot into dos, type in phlash to start(from floppy), type in bios file name(7712.bin), backup my bios, the run the flash, restart. correct?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Did you get this one http://www.biosman.com/downloads/PH1614.zip ? I think it is not *7712.bin* but the *7712.wph*.

I tried to run PH1614 in my computer and it is looking for *.wph* file.

EDIT:
If you got the PHLASH.zip that would work with the .bin file. Make sure the PHLASH utility you are using is in the same directory as the .bin or .wph file.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

in the 7712 update folder from gateway i have a 7712.wph. i wasnt sure which one. i was going to try the phlash.exe file that was in the first link you posted.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

In the first link I posted there 3 PHLASH file that you can use (namely PHLASH, PHLASH16 and PHLASH1614). The first one as I tested here on my computer is looking for the .bin file while the other two is looking for the .wph file.

If you extract the 7712.exe you will see one .bin and one .wph file.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

ok i tried it. i used the bin file.

i typed A:\> phlash 7712.bin backup.bin

some kind error occured. it said error reading from platform.bin. then beeped 3 times.

i tried again with A:\> phlash. it did the same thing. any ideas?

i tried to find the memory manager you said to disable in my bios, but i didnt see an option for it. is that the problem?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

try phlash16 or the newer one... easier to use.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

ok i tried that one. it says memory manager needs to be disabled. how do i do that? its not in the bios menu.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Check CONFIG.SYS.. edit the line as shown below:


```
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
```
or you can REM the whole line...


```
REM DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
```


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

got another problem. lol. i cant get to config.sys because i cant get to c:\ drive in dos. im guessing because my drive is ntfs. how do i get around this?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

If you use a floppy to boot into DOS the config.sys should be there. You do not use the SAFE MODE command prompt or the RUN, CMD command prompt...

To create a boot disk, use this:
http://www.shrum.net/files/boot600.exe


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

i got into edit config.sys. how do i find DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE? its not listed. i used find but it was not found.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Post your CONFIG.SYS details...

May be edit CONFIG.SYS to show:


```
REM DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
REM DOS=HIGH
```


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

this is what i see in config.sys edit.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Edit the first line to look like this:

```
REM DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
```
WAIT!!!
I need to know where you got this CONFIG.SYS. Are you editing the one on the your boot floppy or boot disc? If not, use a floppy diskette and use the link I provided in my previous post to create a DOS floppy diskette.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

yeah im using the boot600.exe one you posted last. im editing the one on the boot floppy i made with it.
i modify the first line with REM and saved it. then i ran the bios update and it still says himem is running.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

GRRRR... :upset:

Sorry about that try this one http://www.shrum.net/files/boot500.exe
Again check autoexec.bat and config.sys (you can open this with a notepad)... post notepad results here (copy/paste).


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

sorry to sound like a noob, but how do i open autoexe.bat and config.sys with notepad?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Right click on the file and edit with notepad... or run Notepad, click *FILE*, *OPEN*, select *ALL FILES* in the *Files of Type* dropdown selection... then select the file you want to edit.


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## volcano (Nov 23, 2008)

which file do i open in notepad exactly....this is wahts in my boot floppy...

ATTRIB
CHKDSK
EDIT
FDISK
FORMAT
HIMEM
LABEL
MEM
QBASIC
SYS
UNDELETE
UNFORMAT
XCOPY


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Never mind the notepad... boot your DOS floppy.. once in DOS do 

```
attrib -h config.sys
```
After doing that try:

```
attrib -h autoexec.bat
```
Now EDIT the files...


```
edit autoexec.bat
```
REM the lines that has EMM or HIMEM

Do the same for config.sys

```
edit config.sys
```
Reboot


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