whats a bios flash?

Status
Not open for further replies.

mcnairgunz09

In Runtime
Messages
150
reading some reviews about a mobo and ppl are saying stuff about a bios flash

"Great board, just needed a bios flash to work with the 90nm cpu's "

"Great board, just needed a bios flash to work with the 90nm cpu's"

whats that mean ???
 
it's basically a BIOS update, but i have no idea how it's performed. i've heard that it's easy and all you do is download the installer/flasher and the updated BIOS and then run it, but i've also heard some people say something about taking out the BIOS chip and putting in a new one while the computer is still on, which confuses me to no end.
 
BIOS flashing is only sometimes necessary and for the most part manufacturers say don't do them unless you HAVE to.

Most motherboards come with winbased flashing. It used to be somewhat iffy but I've had no trouble with either MSI's winflasher or ABit's Winflash utility. Generally the 'update from internet' option will sometimes give you a bad flash, but I've never had a problem doing the 'update from file' option.

The act of 'flashing' means you are erasing the previous information to install new information on your BIOS chip. If a flash goes bad then you've got a new paperweight

but i've also heard some people say something about taking out the BIOS chip and putting in a new one while the computer is still on, which confuses me to no end.
It's called hotflashing and is required to fix a corrupt BIOS chip. Read the article that MST3kGeek linked above for a better explination and procedure
 
Most of the time, they will have you create a start up disk in dos( on a floppy) and then extract a donloaded zip file to the floppy. Then, you must boot from the floppy, follow maybe 3-5 prompts, and you are done.
 
IMHO BIOS is what starts up your machine the first time around. the BIOS is present in this memery called Flash Memory(type of ROM, but programmable).

the Flash is non-volatile, the battery exisits for volatile pieces of information on the Flash memory die(possibly time and date).

so when you program your flash memory or flash it, you are programmning a new BIOS, so you better know you have programmed the right BIOS or else you are s.......

i dont know how the floppy disk version works, i think when the computer is still on and knows the mobo it has, you can program the PROM from the floppy -> RAM -> flash memory

but if you have messed it up and you turn of the computer, i would think yo uhave had it with programming it yourself, and then you got to take the flash memory to the local tech shop to flash it back in(probably cheaper to get a new flash chip)


correct me if i am wrong or add information to what i have written, woudl appreciate it
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom