[GenX]

Updated the BIOS with ASUS update utility in XP. Is there anything that should be done in linux afterwards?

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by GenX

Updated the BIOS with ASUS update utility in XP. Is there anything that should be done in linux afterwards?

No... it should work w/ the new BIOS...

IGF

[GenX]

Yes, it does work. However, I lost my 16 second boot time to a functional desktop. Now I'm a little nervous about flashing the original back.

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by GenX

Yes, it does work. However, I lost my 16 second boot time to a functional desktop. Now I'm a little nervous about flashing the original back.

I'm not sure how that would have changed your boot time....

Why did you originally flash the BIOS? Or did you do it .. "just because"? Generally upgrading a BIOS is a bad idea(given possible catastrophe) unless it fixes a specific problem.

IGF

[GenX]

Because I don't know how to leave well enough alone. It was something I was hoping to fix, acpi related.

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

I'm not sure how that would have changed your boot time....

Why did you originally flash the BIOS? Or did you do it .. "just because"? Generally upgrading a BIOS is a bad idea(given possible catastrophe) unless it fixes a specific problem.

IGF

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by GenX

Because I don't know how to leave well enough alone. It was something I was hoping to fix, acpi related.

If there was an ACPI change, that may well explain the longer boot time...

IGF

[tous]

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

If there was an ACPI change, that may well explain the longer boot time...

IGF

Most ASUS boards since about 2002 have a BIOS update utility (EZFLASH) built in to the BIOS. The utility reads removable media such as 3.5" firmies, but since around 2005 it reads USB drives.

DELL servers tend to cache the updated data in flash and then execute the update during the next IPL.

Having bricked a few (okay, more than a few) BIOS chips in my day, most through corrupted update files, a few through, "I wonder how well this works?" curiosity ...

Avoid BIOS maintenance from Windows. Just don't do it. No good reason to do it.

If the board monitor doesn't have an on-board utility, use an upgrade utility that can be run from a minimal monitor at IPL time. These utilities start with a minimal monitor, just enough to run the utility. Even MS-DOS can mess up a BIOS update (ask me how I know .) I have never tried it, but I would be suspicious of starting a live version of Linux to run the upgrade utility.

Use the utility the board manufacturer supplies. Yes, there have been problems in the past, but overall these work well and are reliable.

If all else fails, $100 and a few day's wait will get you a current BIOS chip. Do not fear the chip. They remove/install quite easily if you pay attention.

[GenX]

The board is an asus m2n-sli deluxe as part of build that I did. I used the supplied update utility to flash the file I dl'ed from asus' website. Linux was misbehaving, so I just reinstalled. "I wonder how well this works?" curiosity ... That's pretty much the extent of it.

Originally Posted by tous

Most ASUS boards since about 2002 have a BIOS update utility (EZFLASH) built in to the BIOS. The utility reads removable media such as 3.5" firmies, but since around 2005 it reads USB drives.

DELL servers tend to cache the updated data in flash and then execute the update during the next IPL.

Having bricked a few (okay, more than a few) BIOS chips in my day, most through corrupted update files, a few through, "I wonder how well this works?" curiosity ...

Avoid BIOS maintenance from Windows. Just don't do it. No good reason to do it.

If the board monitor doesn't have an on-board utility, use an upgrade utility that can be run from a minimal monitor at IPL time. These utilities start with a minimal monitor, just enough to run the utility. Even MS-DOS can mess up a BIOS update (ask me how I know .) I have never tried it, but I would be suspicious of starting a live version of Linux to run the upgrade utility.

Use the utility the board manufacturer supplies. Yes, there have been problems in the past, but overall these work well and are reliable.

If all else fails, $100 and a few day's wait will get you a current BIOS chip. Do not fear the chip. They remove/install quite easily if you pay attention.

[tous]

Back in the day, if given the choice between a BIOS update and a full-body wax ... we chose the waxing every time.

Since I did a lot of embedded systems, I made it a habit to just copy and burn a backup ROM until the board manufactuers started getting cute with the formats.

Thes days, not much adventure to it at all.