Just trying to clarify something about RAM and 64-bit.
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From: Daave on 8 Feb 2010 10:32 SC Tom wrote: > "Brian V" <BrianV(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:B0B5F89E-98A6-492C-936F-2FBB5D65DA82(a)microsoft.com... >> And do you have to put the BIOS onto a diskette? Can it be done by >> usb, dvd-rom or anything else? Are disks more stable in theis >> context? > > It can be done from within Windows, depending on the BIOS > manufacturer and the method they allow. True. But I have read reports where people have hosed their systems using an interface while running Windows. Depends on the BIOS, I suppose. Again, to Brian, although it is possible to do this while running Windows, it still has nothing to with Windows, per se. And yes, it is possible to create a bootable CD instead of a bootable floppy. > I'll tell you a true story, and you decide if you want to risk it or > not: > I've been flashing my BIOS for quite a long time now, but only when > the new BIOS had a new addition that I needed for what I was wanting > to do. Most of them involved updating to a faster CPU, and needing a > new BIOS to be able to do it. I've done probably 15-20 boards over > the years without a hitch. > About two years ago, I was looking to put a faster AMD in my ASUS MB, > and needed the newer BIOS in order for it to be recognized correctly. > I updated from rev11.5 to rev12.3 (let's say) with no problem. But I > figured I'd go ahead and bring it up to rev14.1 just in case I needed > its properties sometime in the future, even though all I needed at > the moment was rev12.3. After the first flash to 12.3, I had no > problems bringing the PC back up, and having it recognize the new > CPU. After a couple of days of making sure everything was fine, I > went ahead and flashed to rev14.1. I followed the same method as > before, backing up my old BIOS before proceeding, shutting down my AV > and firewall, etc. All went well until I rebooted. Uh-oh, no boot. It > got to the POST screen and went no further. I tried clearing the CMOS > by pulling the battery- no joy. Then I remembered that ASUS has a > "Crash-Free BIOS," meaning that I could (supposedly) boot from the > original driver CD, and write the original BIOS back to the board. I > must have tried booting and re-flashing from the CD 4 or 5 times with > no success whatsoever. I was very bummed, believe me. Then when I was > about to say screw it and buy a new board, the CD "took" and I was > able to recover back to rev11.5, which was what came with it > originally. I then flashed to 12.3 again with no problem and stayed > there. > Now, I'm not condoning or urging anyone to flash their BIOS, but if > it's necessary for an upgrade you feel you need, then you'll have to > decide whether you want to try it or not, or to let a "pro" attempt > it, with no guarantee that it'll work for him either. Is the upgrade > worth the risk? Your decision. If everything is running well right > now, then it may not be worth the risk of having to buy a new board, > or sending your board off to the manufacturer to fix (which would > probably be weeks to do, and cost near as much as a new board). > > Like I said, I had done a number of flashes with no problems at all, > but the one flash that went bad kinda cured me of doing it again any > time soon. But if I have to, I will try again, and odds are, won't > have any problems. But the doubt is there now. . . Once bitten, twice shy. ;-)
From: SC Tom on 8 Feb 2010 12:38
"Daave" <daave(a)example.com> wrote in message news:%23TnuJKNqKHA.3748(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Brian V wrote: > >> Why would the manufacturer put an updated BIOS on their site, though? > > To fix an old problem or to add new functionality. If there was a > compelling reason to update your particular BIOS, you would already know. > If not, then, as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :-) > Unless you're a mechanical engineer, in which case it's, "If it ain't broke, redesign it!" :-) -- SC Tom |