at 3:17 AM on 2/7/05 eMachines E-mail tech support sent me the following message:
To my knowledge, Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not BIOS dependent. In this regard, updated BIOS does not guarantee that any issues arising after the Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation will be corrected.
In most cases, the only reason to get a BIOS upgrade is to add support for a new form of hardware you are adding to your system that is not supported by your current BIOS. Some examples would be a CPU or a larger hard drive. Most Operating Systems do not use the BIOS once the Operating System is up and running. You should not upgrade the BIOS in an attempt to fix a software bug unless the motherboard manufacturer has identified the BIOS as the cause of the problem.
There are currently no recommended BIOS changes or updates listed for your computer. Changing the default settings in BIOS could cause the computer to become unbootable and it is not recommended. eMachines does not have or support any changes for the BIOS.
To allow eMachines to ensure customer satisfaction, BIOS updates are not posted on the website until they have been through rigorous testing to ensure the update is compatible and will not cause any instabilities with the system. The original BIOS is stable and eMachines can guarantee that it will work on the system it is sent with. Once an update has been through the testing to ensure it is needed, compatible and stable, the update will be posted on the website. Until an update is needed and available, eMachines will continue to support the original BIOS.
Please be advised that if you choose to update your BIOS with an update not posted on the eMachines website, the original BIOS flash for your system will not be available from eMachines.
Furthermore, please be guided that eMachines has not tested Windows XP Service Pack 2 and cannot guarantee its compatibility with the pre-installed Windows XP Operating System and all the other components in your computer. You have the option of installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 in your computer, however, the best place to get help with Microsoft updates is from Microsoft directly.
eMachines technical support is here to help troubleshoot hardware technical issues and to determine if a system is faulty. Technical support can help to determine if the original software is faulty or corrupted. We can also arrange warranty repair service if required. However, we do not have the information available to work with software compatibility issues.
If you prefer, you may consider contacting Answers by Gateway for a fee-based type of support over the phone. They offer support for a wide range of issues you may have. They have an extremely skilled staff on hand to answer your most demanding questions.
You may consider contacting Answers by Gateway for a fee-based type of support over the phone.
Guess they are giving me the usual "pass the buck" answer. Guess I won't worry about installing Service Pack 2.
Thanks for your input
To my knowledge, Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not BIOS dependent. In this regard, updated BIOS does not guarantee that any issues arising after the Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation will be corrected.
In most cases, the only reason to get a BIOS upgrade is to add support for a new form of hardware you are adding to your system that is not supported by your current BIOS. Some examples would be a CPU or a larger hard drive. Most Operating Systems do not use the BIOS once the Operating System is up and running. You should not upgrade the BIOS in an attempt to fix a software bug unless the motherboard manufacturer has identified the BIOS as the cause of the problem.
There are currently no recommended BIOS changes or updates listed for your computer. Changing the default settings in BIOS could cause the computer to become unbootable and it is not recommended. eMachines does not have or support any changes for the BIOS.
To allow eMachines to ensure customer satisfaction, BIOS updates are not posted on the website until they have been through rigorous testing to ensure the update is compatible and will not cause any instabilities with the system. The original BIOS is stable and eMachines can guarantee that it will work on the system it is sent with. Once an update has been through the testing to ensure it is needed, compatible and stable, the update will be posted on the website. Until an update is needed and available, eMachines will continue to support the original BIOS.
Please be advised that if you choose to update your BIOS with an update not posted on the eMachines website, the original BIOS flash for your system will not be available from eMachines.
Furthermore, please be guided that eMachines has not tested Windows XP Service Pack 2 and cannot guarantee its compatibility with the pre-installed Windows XP Operating System and all the other components in your computer. You have the option of installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 in your computer, however, the best place to get help with Microsoft updates is from Microsoft directly.
eMachines technical support is here to help troubleshoot hardware technical issues and to determine if a system is faulty. Technical support can help to determine if the original software is faulty or corrupted. We can also arrange warranty repair service if required. However, we do not have the information available to work with software compatibility issues.
If you prefer, you may consider contacting Answers by Gateway for a fee-based type of support over the phone. They offer support for a wide range of issues you may have. They have an extremely skilled staff on hand to answer your most demanding questions.
You may consider contacting Answers by Gateway for a fee-based type of support over the phone.
Guess they are giving me the usual "pass the buck" answer. Guess I won't worry about installing Service Pack 2.
Thanks for your input