Updating BIOS using a boot disc

[koolh]

Hi all,

So I just bought a new rig, GA-P35-DS3L rev2.0 with E8400. I know that some people have had F7 and F6 even work with the 8400, but I thought I'd update my bios up to F8a or b which seems to be the latest version (albeit BETA!).

I was searching around this forum on this matter, and I read alot about people using @bios to flash the bios and ending up with tons of problems. I also read a post by TheJian (if I'm not wrong) about how we shouldn't use these programs to flash the bios as it's really dangerous. Instead we should use a boot disc.

And so I ask (cos I'm really clueless about this), how do we use a boot disc to update the bios? I tried googling up on it, but to little avail - well found a mess of guides that aren't that noob friendly. Thus, would it be possible for one of you experts out there to outline the steps necessary to boot-disc-update the bios (that is noob-friendly?). I don't have a floppy drive unfortunately, so would a CD work just fine? Or if someone could redirect me to a good online source of this information, that'll be great too!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Modelworks]

There is a utility called qflash built into the bios.
Its page 62 in the manual.

Do not use windows to flash the bios of this or any other board as you can have problems.

Be really careful when updating the bios on this board.
If the update goes wrong the board will have to be rma'd .
There is really no option if the bios fails on this board.

 

[koolh]

thanks for the reply.

yeah, i read about qflash and @bios that comes with the DS3L, but are these utilities 'safe' to use? I read somewhere that we shouldn't use these utilities, and instead do it manually from a boot disc.

or am i mistaken, and qflash actually is the best way to do this?

 

[Modelworks]

qflash is pretty safe as its actually a small program ran off the bios itself and doesn't run under windows.
There is another way that is more universal that uses a flash drive and dos.
But its more complicated.
http://www.csd.dficlub.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1136

 

[Synomenon]

What type of BIOS does this board use? Award? Phoenix? If it's an Award BIOS, there's a DOS based tool you can use called "AWDFLASH". Take that file along with the new BIOS file and burn them to a CD. Then burn this to a CD:

http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/#clean


After both CDs have been burned, boot your PC with the clean boot CD. It will leave you w/ a prompt and tell you what the drive letter of your optical drive is. Switch to the optical drive in the prompt then put the other CD in (the one with the BIOS flashing program and the new BIOS file). Finally, run the BIOS flashing program.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i've used the @Bios Windows utility to flash my ds3P rev 2.0 from f6 bios to f10 bios with no problems. took less than 10 minutes

 

[MetaDFF]

A better question is why update to a beta BIOS? If your machine works fine now, there isn't a real good reason to update your BIOS, especially if it's to a BETA version...

BTW. if you are looking for a bootable CD you can find some at Bootdisk.com. I've used their Bootable CD (Flashcd) before to update my friends BIOS and they work fine.

 

[Kaspian]

Originally posted by: MetaDFF
A better question is why update to a beta BIOS? If your machine works fine now, there isn't a real good reason to update your BIOS, especially if it's to a BETA version...
.

I was about to ask the same question. My mobo works great with the F7 version of the bios and a E3110. If there isnt anything for you to gain, I wouln't flash the bios.

 

[koolh]

thanks all for the replies!

yeah it is an Award BIOS. ok i will take a look at the online guides that you guys referred me to. thanks!

i haven't set up my mobo yet, still waiting for my 8800GT. i will assume that F7 works with E8400, so if it does i won't upgrade my bios. but just preparing for the future should i need to upgrade my bios.

 

[MetaDFF]

If you do end up updating your BIOS probably the simplest way will be to use the QFlash utility that Modelworks mentioned, after all there is probably well written instructions in the manual for it . I've updated my Asus P5K BIOS several times through their internal BIOS update utility and never had problems with it.

 

[superstition]

I love how F8a has been a "beta" since December.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

F7 works with wolfdale processors. Also, QFlash is pretty safe to use. I can't see anything going wrong with that unless the power turns off right in the middle.