Need help flashing BIOS

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Trailhog250

Honorable
Jan 7, 2013
23
0
10,510
I recently posted a topic here to figure out if I had a bad CPU or an outdated BIOS: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/360283-28-outdated-bios Assuming it's an outdated BIOS which seems likely, I now need help in flashing it.

I'm currently using an i3-2100 and my new i5-3570K is not being recognized by the BIOS. The Motherboard came out of a Gateway DX4860 Desktop: http://support.gateway.com/product/default.aspx?modelId=3696 My current BIOS version is: P01-A2. The latest version (as can be found on the Gateway link above under 'BIOS') is: P03-A3.

I am not familiar with flashing the BIOS, I do know that it can brick the Motherboard if done incorrectly. Which is why I posted for help. Inside the download Gateway offers for the P03-A3 version are these 3 folders:

DOS/
-AFUDOS.exe
-BIOS_DOS.bat
ROM/
P03-A3.rom
WIN/
AFUWIN.exe
AFUWINx64.exe
amifldrv32.sys
amifldrv64.sys
BIOS_WIN.bat

According to the readme that's provided I am supposed to be able to simply run BIOS_WIN.bat and it will do everything from within Windows. This however has not worked. So is there a way I can manually do it with a USB stick from bootup? If there is what file(s) should I copy to it and what procedure should I try?

Thanks for reading, and here are my specs as of now:

Thermaltake 600watt ps
Nvidia GTX 660
12 GB DDR3 RAM
i3-2100 CPU
Windows 7 64-bit
 
Solution
cin19
I think you should go back the gateway site to download the P03.A3.

I did it in my test PC, after I download it I got a 4.33MB "BIOS_Gateway_P03.A3_Windows" which has 12 files and 3 folders.

The BIOS_WIN inside the WIN folder is the MS_DOS batch file, you can't run it in the window. But when I click the "afuwinx64.exe" ( because I run the 64-bit Win7), it show up the next window and you can type in the command to run, I saw one is "/ECUF" -- update EC BIOS when newer version is detected.

I don't want to go further, hope this can help.
Sort by date Sort by votes
Put your I3 back in and start it up. In windows go to the win/ folder you described above and double click on the afuwin.exe if you have 32 bit windows or the afuwin64.exe if you have 64 bit windows. When it asks you for the update file browse to the rom/ folder and chose that file. Follow the instructions on the screen and do not turn it off while it is updating.

You could alternatively make a boot cd disk and use the files in the dos directory and rom directory combined on the root of your cd. Then just run "afudos.exe po3-a3.rom" without the quotes of course.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
When trying to run either one of those I get a command prompt with different options. But pressing anything brings up more commands, and then it will close upon pressing anything else. So it cannot actually be 'used'.. The BIOS_WIN.bat is supposed to be run according to the readme. Upon running it I get a DOS box that supposedly updates the BIOS from Windows, it first says: reading file - done then it says ffs checksums - ok then it flashes another line that I believe says Given ROM file does not match existing BIOS size before closing. Any thoughts on that?

The file BIOS_WIN.bat reads this:
@ECHO OFF
AFUWIN ..\ROM\P03-A3.ROM /p /b /n /r

The commands /p /b /n /r are as follows according to AFUWIN.exe:
/p - Program main BIOS image
/b - Program Boot Block
/n - Program NVRAM
/e - Program Embedded Controller Block

And could I substitute a USB stick instead of a CD? Is there a guide maybe that has instructions for that procedure? Would I just have to make the USB stick bootable, place the rom file and dos folder files on the usb stick then boot it from startup and run the command you said?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I tried booting from the USB stick and it still gave me the message: ROM file size does not match existing BIOS Size

I have been using this download: BIOS (for device with Ivy Bridge & USB 3.0 Supported) Gateway P03.A3 2.5 MB 05/14/2012

Should I try this one?

BIOS - UEFI for Windows 8 (Not for Upgrades) Acer P11.A1 3.1 MB 10/29/2012

I'm unsure if that's the right one though, but perhaps the one I've been trying is the incorrect one?


I've been getting them from here under the 'BIOS' tab: http://support.gateway.com/product/default.aspx?modelId=3696
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
UAC has been off since I got the PC, and yes I extracted the .zip file myself.

After attempting various methods I still get the ROM file size does not match existing BIOS size So what exactly does that tell me? The P03-A3 must be the correct version.. It tells me the same thing in Windows and from the USB stick DOS environment.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Chipset drivers appear to be the latest, computer model is definitely DX4860. It's printed on the box it came with, and it's in the BIOS and System Information.

I believe the size of my BIOS is 2097 KB. The .ROM file I'm trying to use is 2560 KB. Could this have anything to do with the message 'ROM file size does not match existing BIOS size'?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Interesting... Maybe it is the wrong BIOS. But if not that one, then which one?

I know it's a DX4860, I know my current bios is P01-A2, and I know the update *I think I need* is P03-A3. What else can I do?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Mobo is probably not within warranty having came from a prebuilt PC. I have not found any utilities or anything inside the BIOS if that's what you mean. And yes, I have tried running as admin.

I downloaded AFUDOS off the AMI website and placed it and the P03-A3.ROM on my bootable USB stick and running it off that and it told me 'Bios is write protected'.. I have also tried crossmatching a few other files/utilities and I occasionally see the 'Bios is write protected' message. Could that be the source of my trouble? If so how do I remove it? I looked in the BIOS and didn't see any Write Protection options..

Thanks for the help so far, I don't understand what the problem is here. According to the Gateway website this BIOS update offers support for Ivy Bridge models and USB 3.0 support. The DX4860 is the right model, and the BIOS versions seem logical if I was to go from P02-A1 to P03-A3.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The thing is, I cannot find a place to disable Secure Boot, Write Protection, or anything else from the bios that could be linked to the problem. And that article does say it only applies to Windows 8 right below the title. (I'm using Windows 7 64-bit)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It should be in the bios of your motherboard, regardless of the o/s. The o/s uses what is in the bios to make it more secure, get it?
If you have a TPM module on your motherboard, then that would be in your bios.
Per the Gateway documentation, it seems to indicate that you have that enabled on yur motherboard.


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I see... I have looked again and again and don't see anything like that. Are there advanced options or something I can access once in the BIOS through other keys?

I'm accessing the BIOS with the Delete key and I do not see an 'Authentication' tab. Nor do I see 'Launch CSM' under 'Boot Options'.

Btw, CPUZ tells me I have an American Megatrends BIOS, but in the BIOS it reads Acer at the bottom. Version 2.1.xxx I believe (Acer is printed on the Motherboard itself too)..
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for the link and I certainly don't want it bricked either, I tried flashing using the engineer version of AFUDOS from the USB stick and I tried this command: AFUDOS.exe/iP03-A3.rom/pbnc and this one AFUDOS.exe/iP03-A3.rom/pbnc/n. Strangely enough, it displayed the American Megatrends version, date etc etc and that's all it did. Nothing else happened, no error message, I couldn't even use the keyboard after typing that. I had to force restart with the power switch. So what could this mean?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom