BIOS flashing...quick question

[overclocked_enthusiasm]

I am flashing a new BIOS on my new Asus P5E mobo this weekend. I will have the latest BIOS version on a USB flash drive. Can someone give me some easy step by step instructions so I don't royally screw it up? I am still debating on the final certified 0502 version or the Beta 0601. Either way it is gonna be on a USB flash drive and I hope it is easy to do.

If it matters I am gonna OC a E6850 with 4 GB of G-skill PC1000 (OC'd to 1066) on XP. I have read about 20 forums till my eyes are spinning in their sockets...lol. I figured I'ld come here and you guys could bail me out...again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Skrying]

Why not just use Asus' handy dandy Windows program? It works just fine.

 

[Davros]

 

[Davros]

it says there the drive must be fat but i flashed from a ntfs hdd

 

[AlexV]

Why not just use Asus' handy dandy Windows program? It works just fine.

Windows based flash utilities are very very poor. Their rate of killing boards is high, be it Gigabyte's SW, Asus' or Abit's, to name a few. The generic Winflash program itself is quite poor as well. Flashing from Dos is still the best way to do it, and with USB sticks it should be easier then with a floppy.

To the OP, the Asus EZ Flash utility is your easiest way out. Simply put the Bios file on an USB stick, enter the Bios and flash from there. Good luck.

 

[Bludd]

I have used MSI's Windows flasher once, and it killed the mobo because, apparently, some switches weren't selected.

I have used ASUS' Windows flasher hundreds of times, and it has not failed once. It works with downgrading too.

The thing with ASUSUpdate is to get the latest version. At least in my experience. YMMV.

 

[overclocked_enthusiasm]

You guys are the best...thanks.

 

[Davros]

ps: if you read the asus forums some people have had problems flashing from dos

 

[Neb]

Why not just use Asus' handy dandy Windows program? It works just fine.

There is a big risk for BIOS flash failure if done will running OS. But fortunately many motherboards can recover from corrupt BIOs flashes (install disc at system bootup).

 

[Davros]

sorry it looks like its not dos thats causing the problem but windows
asus themselves are warning people not to flash from windows

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...del=P5K+Deluxe/WiFi-AP&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

 

[Skrying]

There is a big risk for BIOS flash failure if done will running OS. But fortunately many motherboards can recover from corrupt BIOs flashes (install disc at system bootup).

No larger than the normal method in my experience. Actually, for the vast majority of people (even those with some deeper computer experience) using the Windows program is likely safe and has a much lower risk of human interaction screwing it up.

 

[AlNom]

Yeah, I've flashed the BIOS on several computers with WinFlash. Zero problems, Just don't run anything in the background at all. Heck, do it in safe mode?

I'm actually having trouble getting this one board to recognize the bios file on a USB stick on bootup. It just keeps telling me to wait...

I found the Intel one to be idiot-proof. I wish the updating procedure were universal.... *sigh*.

 

[overclocked_enthusiasm]

BIOS flashed easy as pie. Had to rename it to P5E.ROM on my USB flash drive for it to work...but I didn't have the file extracted the first time I tried either so maybe that was it. In any event, the OS is loading now and I am doing some memory research.

I have G-skill PC1000 at 5-5-5-15 2x2gb. According to the reviews on Newegg, it should do any of the following:

PC800 at 4-4-4-12 1T
PC1000 at 5-5-5-15 1T
PC1066 at 5-5-5-15 2T

For XP any suggestions on which setting will benefit me the most?

 

[swaaye]

I absolutely love Gigabyte's built-in BIOS flasher. You just hit "End" on boot and it comes right on up. Reads USB sticks. Flashing is so easy and trouble-free.

 

[suryad]

I think Asus allows you to RMA your mobo if you fry it during flashing and they just replace the CMOS chip. I could be wrong but that way you are quite worry free....though it would be a hassle taking the computer apart and sending it out and then waiting for it and then putting everything back together.

 

[AlexV]

BIOS flashed easy as pie. Had to rename it to P5E.ROM on my USB flash drive for it to work...but I didn't have the file extracted the first time I tried either so maybe that was it. In any event, the OS is loading now and I am doing some memory research.

I have G-skill PC1000 at 5-5-5-15 2x2gb. According to the reviews on Newegg, it should do any of the following:

PC800 at 4-4-4-12 1T
PC1000 at 5-5-5-15 1T
PC1066 at 5-5-5-15 2T

For XP any suggestions on which setting will benefit me the most?

Intel based mobos seem to like tighter timings a tad bit more than higher frequencies, so 4-4-4-12 1T might be a notch better. In any case, you could/should experiment yourself, to see what's the best setting for your case

 

[overclocked_enthusiasm]

So far so good....running and stable.

E6850 OCd to 3.6GHz
G.Skill PC1000 OCd to PC1066 4Gb (2x2GB)
EVGA 8800 GTS 512 (stock as Rivatuner doesn't recognize 169.21 forcewear)
Asus BIOS Beta 0601
XP SP3
/3GB switch (reads 4 GB in BIOS and 3.25 GB in Windows...gonna test today to see if it is doing anything)

I should mention that the mobo wouldn't post with 2 sticks of this RAM. I had to remove the second stick and change DRAM voltage to 2.1 (G-skill advises 2.0-2.1) from the stock 1.80 on the MB.

Other than a REALLY annoying "HDD not detected" message I get every time I reboot causing me to have to push F1 it seems to have gone rather well.

 

[Bludd]

Try the memory remap feature in the BIOS to see if you can squeeze out some more usable memory.

 

[Blazkowicz]

I don't think it will be useful as it's for remapping stuff above 4GB, and there's nothing above 4GB with a 32bit OS.