Insufficient Memory in BIOS Updating (AOpen Motherboard, Award Modular BIOS)

[zedonet]

Hi,
My motherboard: AOpen MX3W(-L)
BIOS : Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Award BIOS message: MX3W R1.31T Aug.26.1999 AOpen Inc.

I have these specifications of m/b and bios. I got the flash software from AOpen website, and opened it in DOS to update my BIOS. But it did not work. The Error message is : "INSUFFICIENT MEMORY".

I want to update my bios. Does anyone have a solution for this?

[BipolarBill]

Details please.

Did you get the BIOS from AOpen directly?

Did you download the flasher utility?

Did you create a DOS floppy disk and then copy the flasher and BIOS to it?

[zedonet]

Originally Posted by BipolarBill

Details please.

Did you get the BIOS from AOpen directly?

Did you download the flasher utility?

Did you create a DOS floppy disk and then copy the flasher and BIOS to it?

1- I downloaded it from AOpen official website that suits to my motherboard and bios.

2- Yes, its name is EASY FLASH ROM UTILITY R1.88 (Copyright 2000 Award Software)

3- All things I did:
* I booted my pc with "Windows98 startup disk".
* Then I ran my pc on DOS mode.
* I inserted the disk that has "BIOS flasher program" to my floppy.
* I ran the flasher program to update BIOS.
* It started to load....
* At once, it gave an error message "INSUFFICIENT MEMORY".

From this step, I dont know what to do. I hope the problem is clear now...

[Baddog]

7. What to do when the Award flasher says: Insufficient memory

1. In CMOS Chipset Features Setup, disable every form of caching and shadowing you can find, ie: Video Bios Cacheable. Save and exit.
2. Reboot and hit Ctrl+F5,when you see "Windows Starting" (This temporarily prevents Drvspace.bin from loading-making 108K more Memory available.)
3. Award 7.x flashers now have a switch /tiny . If you use that switch (eg. awd7xx /tiny newbios.bin) the Award flasher will need less free memory.

http://www.wimsbios.com/faq.jsp#q7

[BipolarBill]

Did you try opening the flasher tool in Windows in order to be sure that it doesn't have to be unzipped? Test each file in Windows and be sure that they are "extracted".

[Sterling_Aug]

My normal flash process is:

1.) Use a Win98 boot floppy.
2.) I start pressing F5 immediately after system logo screen. This should show a message about "bypassing the system startup files". They are not needed during the flash process and saves memory.
3.) Change the prompt to the floppy drive A:>.
4.) Type in the flash program name and press enter.

[zedonet]

Originally Posted by BipolarBill

Did you try opening the flasher tool in Windows in order to be sure that it doesn't have to be unzipped? Test each file in Windows and be sure that they are "extracted".

there are 2 files. one is exe, other is data file. i unzipped them from a zip file. and i tested in windows XP by double clicking. But, it opened and closed immediately. I think because bios is needed to be updated in DOS mode.

[BipolarBill]

Run the MX3W150.EXE file in DOS from the floppy. That is the flasher. It will in turn program the BIOS with the MX3W150.BIN file.

Create a basic floppy with this:

http://motherboards.mbarron.net/download/drdflash.exe

Copy both files to that floppy. The Win98 startup floppy is massive overkill for BIOS flashing.

[Sterling_Aug]

I only boot with the Win98 boot floppy. When I press F5, it bypasses ALL of the startup files such as the RAMdisk, etc.

I then swap the Win98 floppy for the floppy with the BIOS flash files and run the flasher.