Updating BIOS via CD-R?

[jmvmd]

Hey, i need to update the bios on my Asus K8V, but i have no floppy drive. Is it possible to update the bios via CD-R? Most likely its possible but what do i need to do? How do i make the cd-r bootable (other than adjusting boot order in BIOS).

[rmanet]

go here - great resource for all sorts of boot disks, images, etc. halfway down the page you'll see the link to make a bootable CD - then copy your bios and flash programs to the cd - use the Barts Way link

[jmvmd]

very nice resource! thanks! but i dont understand the last step on http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/#clean , what do i need to do to create the image file? also what should i put as a command in autoexec.bat so it will automatically run the bios file (k8v1005.exe).

[BipolarBill]

Do you have a laptop? If not, you should really spen $10 on a floppy drive. Flashing from CD is not recommended by any motherboard maker.

[Strawbs]

Long live the Floppy ...F*** Apple_Mac...

Chances are, the Laptop doesn't have a floppy drive either, they're mainly an option these days!

[Strawbs]

You could just use Asus Update instead! Although it doesn't always do such a clean job of erasing all traces of the old BIOS, if it's an emergency it will have to do.

[Direct1]

Definately get a floppy drive if you can. If not, AND you are not using NTFS, you can always boot from a bootable CD and then run the Flash program and update the BIOS from the HDD. Good luck!

[Billforce]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
Do you have a laptop? If not, you should really spen $10 on a floppy drive. Flashing from CD is not recommended by any motherboard maker.

Why not BPB? I flash from a cd quit often and never had a problem. The bios file should be the same regarless. If you copied the same bios file to a floppy wouldn't it still be the same?

[BipolarBill]

I don't know why. All I know is that they warn not to flash from CD or HDD.

[Billforce]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
I don't know why. All I know is that they warn not to flash from CD or HDD.

Perhaps because it must be done correctly. Maybe I've just been lucky, because I never had a problem. I create an autoexec.bat file with the bin and /py key and force the install. Been doing that for several years, especially after a bad flash that doesn't recognize the A: drive.

[rraehal]

I flash all of our systems at work from a CD.

When you boot the PC i use the Batch @ERRORLEVEL to create menus. You can select falsh bios or image hard disk. If you slect image disk, GHOST will start and load a basic windows 2000 install with a few drivers for different systems hardware. If you select flash BIOS, you get an option of all the systems we have. You select the Model and it will run the appropriate flash. I have done 200 or 300 systems this way and never had a bug.

I think it is weird that they recommend not doing it this way. Maybe it has something to do with the virtual drive changes? My floppy image is just the basic w98 boot. (SYS A: from 98 and I make my own CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT) It is as basic as a clean floppy.

[Direct1]

I always flash from the HDD (with FAT32 machines). Never once had a "bad" flash. Personally, I trust the HDD way more than a floppy disk. For NTFS machines, I use a CD too. I don't like floppies but I still always include them in my machines. Sometimes, you need them. I bet they're just saying that so the can say "it's not our fault -- you didn't do it the way we recommended." Good luck!