Bios Update risks while updating BIOS

[LikMeBalleFM 0]

I just upgraded my system with:ASRock 4coredual-VSTAIntel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.8GhzKingston DDR400 1GBAnyway I found out the BIOS that's installed on my MB is an outdated version so I want to update it.I went to the ASRock site and found the new BIOS and found the instructions,but my question is, How big is the risk of me damaging my MB while trying to update my BIOS?What`s the worst that could happen?

Edited June 6, 2007 by ElFoReal (see edit history)

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

If you follow the steps as designated by the website, you shouldn't run into any problems!xboxrulz

[faulty.lee 0]

Other than that, make sure nothing unusual happen, like power blackout, or some kids strip over your power cable and things like that. On top of that, there's still minor risk involved. So far i've flashed a few mobo without any problem. It would be better if your mobo still within warranty, that way it's safe to play around. If it really fail, some mobo is cable falling back to the basic bios to do a minimal boot up, so you can flash again using floppyGood Luck

[wutske 0]

1) no power outage (make sure nobody is doing anything that could cause a power outage)2) no unstable system (so no overclocking set in bios)3) follow the instructionsSo far I've flashed my motherboard a lot (actualy, changing settings in my BIOS are save by flashing) and I've never had any problem.

[faulty.lee 0]

So far I've flashed my motherboard a lot (actualy, changing settings in my BIOS are save by flashing) and I've never had any problem.

Actually, when you save the setting in your BIOS, it's not flashed into the flash memory.
1. Flash can only be written 0. To write a new value, you need to erase it. After erasure, each bit is 1. If you write a 1 to a bit holding 0, it remains as 0
2. Flash require block erase. So you cannot just erase 1 byte, and write a new value into it, unlike eeprom
3. Almost all mobo keep the setting in the battery backed sram, either dedicated chip, or in the south bridge. That's why after you take out the battery, all your settings goes back to default
4. unless new mobo is using eeprom, which i might not aware of. So far point 3 is till valid. And chances for manufacturer to use eeprom is quite unlikely, cause in case a wrong setting prevented you to boot properly, you're stuck forever, or wait 40 years for the eeprom to loose it's memory, by chance . Where as battery backed sram, all you need to do is to pull out the battery.

[wutske 0]

Actually, when you save the setting in your BIOS, it's not flashed into the flash memory.1. Flash can only be written 0. To write a new value, you need to erase it. After erasure, each bit is 1. If you write a 1 to a bit holding 0, it remains as 0
2. Flash require block erase. So you cannot just erase 1 byte, and write a new value into it, unlike eeprom
3. Almost all mobo keep the setting in the battery backed sram, either dedicated chip, or in the south bridge. That's why after you take out the battery, all your settings goes back to default
4. unless new mobo is using eeprom, which i might not aware of. So far point 3 is till valid. And chances for manufacturer to use eeprom is quite unlikely, cause in case a wrong setting prevented you to boot properly, you're stuck forever, or wait 40 years for the eeprom to loose it's memory, by chance . Where as battery backed sram, all you need to do is to pull out the battery.

My motherboard is an Abit NF7-s v2.0 and it has an nForce2 chipset. Believe when I say that it has to flash in order to save settings (that's why gives me a red box with a warning that I shouldn't turn off the computer while it's saving the settings). I don't know why it does it that way, but I remember something about something being to big or something like that, lol

[faulty.lee 0]

My motherboard is an Abit NF7-s v2.0 and it has an nForce2 chipset. Believe when I say that it has to flash in order to save settings (that's why gives me a red box with a warning that I shouldn't turn off the computer while it's saving the settings). I don't know why it does it that way, but I remember something about something being to big or something like that, lol

Wow, that's something new. Do you mind to post a screen shot here or take a picture with a cam? It would be nice to have a look, cause seldom get to see abit NF7 board here. Thanks

[wutske 0]

sorry about the crappy quality, I'm not one of the lucky people who have a steady hand

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

Yup, that should be the correct message during a flash.xboxrulz

[faulty.lee 0]

sorry about the crappy quality, I'm not one of the lucky people who have a steady hand

Cool. Need to update my knowledge base now. But with this feature, it might seems a bit dangerous, as it flashes your bios whenever you change the settings. Hmm.....

[wutske 0]

Cool. Need to update my knowledge base now. But with this feature, it might seems a bit dangerous, as it flashes your bios whenever you change the settings. Hmm.....

It's better not to know that . It always gives me the creeps when I change something in my BIOS . I'm so glad that this board can also overclock using software instead of only through the BIOS.

[faulty.lee 0]

It's better not to know that . It always gives me the creeps when I change something in my BIOS . I'm so glad that this board can also overclock using software instead of only through the BIOS.

Well, overclocking via software is quite common, and even my old MSI mobo since 2004 can do that. I think it's the matter of whether the manufacturer wants to put in or not.