Creating BIOS Flashing Boot Disk

Reason for this is to flash your BIOS the safer way.
Windows has alot of services that can potentially hang the flashing process, hence DOS Mode where no other process is running is the safe way to flash.

First of all get the package here

Extract all the files to Desktop

Go into the folder.

You should see a HP Drive Key Utility.

Install it.

Open the Program With Administrative Permission with Right Click as shown below:



Create a bootdisk by following the options below:


Click Start
Wait for the formatting to be done.

To see all hidden files in the boot disk, Enter Control Panel, adjust the view to All icons and choose Folder Options as shown below:
Uncheck "Do Not Show System Files" and Choose "Show Hidden Files"


Click Ok

Go into the boot disk , delete AUTOEXEC.BAT and copy your flasher utility and BIOS file into the thumbdrive.

Method 1:
Restart and Enter BIOS (Delete or F2)
Enable boot menu


When booting press F12 and choose your Bootdisk as your Boot Device

Then flash the BIOS with the correct parameters
The following example is for Phoenix BIOS only.


Example if you want to type: phlash16.exe /c /v /x BIOS.wph
Do it like this "phla (tab) to autocomplete to "phlash16.exe" etc

For Insyde BIOS it is "flashlt EFI.fd"

 

I might use this guide, but I have 2 questions.

'Flasher utility' = everything that's in the zip's that acer has on their support site?

I got an Acer Aspire 5920G, should I use these exact parameters?
I don't have a phlash16.exe in my zip from Acer, should I still use this command or replace it with WinPlash.exe (version 1.6.0.83)?

 

The Phlash16 in DOS not is NOT THE SAME as WinPhlash.
You can search for the latest Phlash16(google) or use the one in the package.
Acer usually has a DOS folder in the package containing a DOS Mode flasher + BIOS file.

Phoenix BIOS parameters
/c Clear CMOS Checksum
/v Verify after each flash
/s Remove the irritating beeps sounds made during flashing
/x ignore xms memory protection

 

Thanks for the fast reply, tried it totally your way.
It gets stuck when the arrow points to 'load image file' & below it says 'identifying flash memory part type'. I think it's stuck, because the clock is stuck. Should I get an updated version of phlash16, I read 2005 on top?

The files on my usb:


This is what I got in my acer package, is there anything for dos in it?
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2945/32486746.png

 

Just grab the ZD13813.wph <--BIOS file.
For flasher file just use the phlash16 provided or google for a later one.
Another trick is to download the BIOS of a later Phoenix BIOS Acer laptop and use its Phlash16.exe
Here is a list of BIOS package for Aspire 5920 there should be phlash16 in one of them.

 

Did that, just renamed the bios file that time, used yours and a newer phlash16, it gets stuck at that part I mentioned (with possibly another name & extra steps in the newer phlash).
The readme from a later phlash16 for 5920G says:

Should I try the first code mentioned?

 

Usually I flash with the following parameters: /c /v /s /x
Works.

 

Hey I realize this post is a few months old hoping theres someone around that can help.

I am stuck at the formatting process, the HP tool only has FAT32 and NTFS under the file system drop down and the MiniDOS files will only work in FAT as fare as I can tell, any idea what I might be missing(going to be something simple I just know it )?

 

Hi,

How large is the capacity of your thumbdrive? Perhaps you can try one with 1GB or less

Michael

 

tryed it on both a 4gb and 16gb. So the size of the drive is the problem? I had read something like that elsewhere but the information wasnt very clear.

 

Less than 4, 1 or 2 GB.

 

Yes. FAT file system is not supported for drives larger than 2 GB. That's why you are offered FAT32 only.

In case I need something with DOS, I still have a fossile 256 MB stick

Michael

 

hello guys !

i have an aspire 5920g. Windows crashed two days ago, and the problem is that i can't format the computer, because the formatting, no matter what windows i use, just freezes at a black screen after the windows has loaded the files. I tried with an external monitor, but the same thing happenes. So i tried to update the bios, which i can do only by bootable usb, since windows has crashed, because i am sure that the formatting problem has got to do with bios. So i used unetbootin to get me to the A: message, but there i get stuck. i type winphlash.exe/ c/ v/ s/ x zd13813.wph, which is my bios version, but it shows a bad command message. I tried : phlash16.exe/ c/ v/ s/ x zd13813.wph , but still a bad command message. So what should i do ?
I hope you guys help !

 

Hi,

I'd rather check RAM (Memtest.org exists) and HDD before messing around with the Bios.

Michael

 

@ Weinter
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/440088-creating-bios-flashing-boot-disk-2.html#post6526921

Just have to give a HUGE Thanks for this. Your instructions were flawless! I used a 2 GB Memorex flash drive formatted in FAT, put on the *.WPH file and PHLASH16 did the DOS command and boom update was successful. I was finally able to enable VT in my pheonix bios for my Gateway P-6822. I had been trying to do this for a month if not longer... Thank you again


Gateway P-6822
BIOS "Pheonix TrustedCore" 94.31 SLIC 2.1
Intel Core 2 Centrino T7250 @ 2Ghz 800Mhz
4 GB DDR2 @ 800Mhz
Windows 7 Ultimate
VMWare v7.0 / Running Mac OS X 10.6 64bit

 

To complete this topic:

Some time ago I finally got this to work with Phlash17 and no extra parameters.
Download Phlash17.rar from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

 

Well, tried exactly as the tutorial shows, but got a problem with the PHLASH16. Its frozes after checks the BIOS.

So, i used the PHLASH17, but during the flash, it crashed and now always show up the Blue Screen of Death.

Don´t have a clue what went wrong.

 

Check the flags make sure Himem is not enabled.
After flashing the BIOS is resetted to default so check if the settings are correct especially the Harddisk Mode AHCI or IDE.

 

How about start up windows in Safe Mode, then flash it? Safer?

 

Not nessary because the Windows Phlash Tools may requires some running services that may not start in safe mode.
DOS is still the best because it is plain binary.

 

It worked Weinter, thanks. I just changed Harddisk Mode from AHCI to IDE and now everything is just fine.

Thanks people, for all the help.