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Arvo
Guest
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 Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:21 am Post subject:
Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Is there any way to update the BIOS on my five year old Compaq Presario
1825 laptop so that it will recognize a drive connected to the USB port
and let me boot from it? |
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Barry Watzman
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 2:10 am Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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The bios is updatable, but a bios that does what you want is very, very
unlikely to exist (I do presume that you have obtained the latest bios
from Compaq).
Arvo wrote:
| Quote: | Is there any way to update the BIOS on my five year old Compaq Presario
1825 laptop so that it will recognize a drive connected to the USB port
and let me boot from it?
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Arvo
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:26 am Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Barry Watzman wrote:
| Quote: | The bios is updatable, but a bios that does what you want is very, very
unlikely to exist (I do presume that you have obtained the latest bios
from Compaq).
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Thanks Barry. No, I haven't attempted to get a newer BIOS from Compaq,
figuring it would be too much work or expense. Is the BIOS downloadable
and updatable like software, or is it a hardware chip?
I presume today's new laptops have the capability to boot from USB
built in? |
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William P.N. Smith
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 6:34 pm Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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"Arvo" <arvo@goggo.com.au> wrote:
| Quote: | No, I haven't attempted to get a newer BIOS from Compaq,
figuring it would be too much work or expense. Is the BIOS downloadable
and updatable like software, or is it a hardware chip?
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It's software, available free from Compaq/HP. That should be your
first (and will probably be your only) source for an updated laptop
BIOS. |
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John Doue
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 6:46 pm Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Arvo wrote:
| Quote: | Barry Watzman wrote:
The bios is updatable, but a bios that does what you want is very, very
unlikely to exist (I do presume that you have obtained the latest bios
from Compaq).
Thanks Barry. No, I haven't attempted to get a newer BIOS from Compaq,
figuring it would be too much work or expense. Is the BIOS downloadable
and updatable like software, or is it a hardware chip?
I presume today's new laptops have the capability to boot from USB
built in?
The answer is yes, BUT it should not be treated like your average |
software update. Once you have located the update on Compaq's site, you
need to take a number of precautions before the update to avoid ending
up with a useless brick. Take all the warnings you will receive in the
process very seriously and above all, make sure laptop has a very safe
power supply (battery + mains) before proceeding.
--
John Doue |
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Arvo
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:27 pm Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Thanks. So there's no undoing an interrupted bios update?
Well, it sounds too risky unless i was SURE the new BIOS would do what
I want it to do. |
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John Doue
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:40 pm Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Arvo wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks. So there's no undoing an interrupted bios update?
Well, it sounds too risky unless i was SURE the new BIOS would do what
I want it to do.
I think you have summed up the situation adequately. Although 95% of |
bios upgrades succeed, there is the occasional problem, the battery you
thought was charged and suddenly fails, diskette that cannot be read
properly in the middle of the upgrade, and then, yes the only going back
is ... to the manufacturer of the laptop. Happened to me ... Make sure
the expected gain is worth the risk and have a backup plan in case the
worst happens.
--
John Doue |
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Barry Watzman
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:40 am Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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There may or may not be any recovery if things go bad. If things go
VERY bad, it is possible to create a situation in which the only fix is
a motherboard replacement (since the flash memory chip is usually
soldered to the motherboard). However, while possible, this is not
common, you generally have to do something really dumb, like using the
wrong bios, or turning off power during the flash process (which takes
less than a minute, typically). As long as you use the right bios (or
at least a bios for the correct machine, even if it's the "wrong" bios),
and follow the mfgrs instructions, you should be fine. Reflashing a
bios on a laptop is more foolproof than a desktop, because invariably
the mfgr's program makes a flash boot diskette, and there is no
temptation, as there sometimes is on a desktop, to try and do the flash
from within windows (which is just asking for trouble).
Arvo wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks. So there's no undoing an interrupted bios update?
Well, it sounds too risky unless i was SURE the new BIOS would do what
I want it to do.
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Barry Watzman
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:43 am Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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While problems are possible, the chance of a battery failing (***IF***,
that is, the unit isn't plugged in) during the less than one minute that
it takes to do the flash are minimal, and in all cases that I am aware
of, the entire bios is read in before the flash starts, so a read I/O
error can't cause a problem. I've done hundreds of flashes and my
failure rate is zero. You basically have to either use the wrong bios
or turn off the power during the flash. There are not a lot of other
ways to screw up (and many of flash programs will verify that you are
not using the wrong bios. Many, but not all.)
John Doue wrote:
| Quote: | Arvo wrote:
Thanks. So there's no undoing an interrupted bios update?
Well, it sounds too risky unless i was SURE the new BIOS would do what
I want it to do.
I think you have summed up the situation adequately. Although 95% of
bios upgrades succeed, there is the occasional problem, the battery you
thought was charged and suddenly fails, diskette that cannot be read
properly in the middle of the upgrade, and then, yes the only going back
is ... to the manufacturer of the laptop. Happened to me ... Make sure
the expected gain is worth the risk and have a backup plan in case the
worst happens.
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John Doue
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:26 am Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Barry Watzman wrote:
| Quote: | While problems are possible, the chance of a battery failing
(***IF***, that is, the unit isn't plugged in) during the less than
one minute that it takes to do the flash are minimal, and in all
cases that I am aware of, the entire bios is read in before the flash
starts, so a read I/O error can't cause a problem. I've done
hundreds of flashes and my failure rate is zero. You basically have
to either use the wrong bios or turn off the power during the flash.
There are not a lot of other ways to screw up (and many of flash
programs will verify that you are not using the wrong bios. Many,
but not all.)
|
snip
| Quote: | There may or may not be any recovery if things go bad. If things go
VERY bad, it is possible to create a situation in which the only fix
is a motherboard replacement (since the flash memory chip is usually
soldered to the motherboard). However, while possible, this is not
common, you generally have to do something really dumb, like using
the wrong bios, or turning off power during the flash process (which
takes less than a minute, typically). As long as you use the right
bios (or at least a bios for the correct machine, even if it's the
"wrong" bios), and follow the mfgrs instructions, you should be fine.
Reflashing a bios on a laptop is more foolproof than a desktop,
because invariably the mfgr's program makes a flash boot diskette,
and there is no temptation, as there sometimes is on a desktop, to
try and do the flash from within windows (which is just asking for
trouble).
|
snip
We do agree on all those issues Barry, but the point remains that things
do happen and that occasionnally, this NG or others will have posts from
people who encountered the improbable. You say, "as long as you use the
right bios". Well, not all manufacturers are that clear about what
upgrade to use and except for Thinkpads which have an on-line
identification system that works well (provided you use IE), it may not
be so easy to relate with absolute certainty the info readable on a
laptop box and a list of models on the manufacturer's site.
An other issue is, once the upgrade has been done, if the results are
unsatisfactory, going back to the initial bios can work or ... can get
you into the dreaded situation. This is what happened to me with a
Twinhead. After upgrading the bios to the latest version, if memory
serves, the diskette drive started acting up. I decided to go back to
the initial bios and then, I had a brick on my hands. The bios I had
used to upgrade was later pulled from the manufacturers site, again from
what I believe I remember.
So, at the end of the day, even if accidents are very rare, consider
yourself lucky it never happened to you. But as you know, on the road or
with computers, accidents do happen and not always to others. That's why
I believe the wise advice to posters is NOT to upgrade their bios unless
the newer version corrects (supposedly) a problem that you noticed. And
then to advise them to take all precautions for the case things do not
work out as planned. Insurance is expensive only before the accident.
--
John Doue |
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Barry Watzman
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:38 pm Post subject:
Re: Can update BIOS on old laptop? |
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Undoubtedly, using the wrong BIOS is the biggest single risk, and yes,
sometimes it's not clear which bios is the right bios, and yes, it happens.
But I think that the key to your real problem was "Twinhead".
John Doue wrote:
| Quote: |
snip
We do agree on all those issues Barry, but the point remains that things
do happen and that occasionnally, this NG or others will have posts from
people who encountered the improbable. You say, "as long as you use the
right bios". Well, not all manufacturers are that clear about what
upgrade to use and except for Thinkpads which have an on-line
identification system that works well (provided you use IE), it may not
be so easy to relate with absolute certainty the info readable on a
laptop box and a list of models on the manufacturer's site.
An other issue is, once the upgrade has been done, if the results are
unsatisfactory, going back to the initial bios can work or ... can get
you into the dreaded situation. This is what happened to me with a
Twinhead. After upgrading the bios to the latest version, if memory
serves, the diskette drive started acting up. I decided to go back to
the initial bios and then, I had a brick on my hands. The bios I had
used to upgrade was later pulled from the manufacturers site, again from
what I believe I remember.
So, at the end of the day, even if accidents are very rare, consider
yourself lucky it never happened to you. But as you know, on the road or
with computers, accidents do happen and not always to others. That's why
I believe the wise advice to posters is NOT to upgrade their bios unless
the newer version corrects (supposedly) a problem that you noticed. And
then to advise them to take all precautions for the case things do not
work out as planned. Insurance is expensive only before the accident.
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