How to upgrade a bios without a mobo flashing utility in the bios

[luckiejacky]

Hello,
I have a Compaq CQ42 304TU,
The bios version is F.26
The bios doesn't have flashing utility.
How can I flash this bios?
The need for this is the hard drive is seemingly and wrongfully set to ACHI, there is no
way to set it back to IDE, so I need to flash it
Thanks

 

[amuffin]

It should be a installer that does the flashing for you.

 

[getochkn]

If there is no option in the BIOS to change it, what makes you think flashing a BIOS will add that ability?

 

[bgunner]

First/ it is possible to switch from IDE to AHCI and back with some registry entry's depending on OS Both Vista and 7 support this method. I have personally done this and know it to work.

Second/ this is a bios setting that at the time of OS installation should be set correctly.

Third/ flashing your bios will not change how the system is set. If you succeeded in flashing the bios and set it to IDE you would need to either edit the registry or reinstall the OS. The IDE/AHCI setting is in the bios and needs to be changed there. Unless you are using a bunch of IDE drives why do you want to set it to IDE mode?

EDIT: in AHCI mode to can still run an IDE drive. You are aware of that right?