A little bios update help?

Hello all, I recently resurrected a dead laptop and installed Ubunutu 11.04 on it. Back ground on laptop:
Gateway MX6920
CPU: T2050
2gb ram
Hard drive failed about 3 years ago and basically ran into a wall where I wanted to install win 7 on it BUT the bios had to updated first to do this and I didn't want to have to reinstall XP and updates in order to do that then uninstall and put win 7 on it. So it sat.
About 2 weeks ago found Ubuntu 11.04 and installed on USB and played around with it on my netbook. "Hmmm, this looks great, I'll put this on my old MX6920."
Easier said than done. I started by using an older HDD, that I had replaced with an SSD in another notebook and it had Win 7 on it. I was going to over write it with Ubuntu anyway. Well, the MX6920 wouldn't read the USB stick no matter what I did to bios. It was hanging on the F2/F10 screen. I thought maybe it was the win 7 conflicting with the bios, so I decided to get a new HDD. Well, at the store I thought "Hey SSD and Linux, what could be faster"?. And I walk out with OCZ Vertex 2 120gb SSD and slap it in there.
And.....nada. Same thing and it hangs. So I decide to burn iso onto disc.
Viola! It booted off the disc and I go for install...where it hangs on the "you need 4.4 gbs of memory". ? So now its not reading the drive. AHA! It probably doesn't understand what an SSD is so I take it out and put the HDD back in and then everything works fine. I now have Ubuntu successfully installed and running on my laptop.

Now. I would like to upgrade the bios on the MX6920,remembering that only the Linux OS on it. Below are the instructions from the download at Gateway:



Information and Instructions about this download file

=======================
File Description: Gateway BIOS
Version: 77.12
Operating System: Microsoft(r) Windows(r) Vista and Windows XP
Part Number: 7712.exe
Date: 04/27/2007
=======================


Table of Contents
=======================
Overview
Identification
Installation
Removal
Troubleshooting
Reason for Update
Applicable Part Numbers
=======================


Overview

This is BIOS version 77.12 for the Gateway notebook computer models listed in the Applicable Part Numbers section below. The BIOS should be flashed if:

1. You are updating to a newer BIOS revision.

2. A Gateway technician has told you to flash or re-flash the computer.

3. You are upgrading to the Windows Vista operating system.


Identification

If you have a Gateway notebook computer model listed below and are upgrading to Windows Vista, upgrade to this BIOS.


Installation

Download the BIOS file to the desktop, and then perform the following steps.

Note: This BIOS update runs in Windows using the WinPhlash utility. Before starting this procedure, close or disable ALL programs. This includes active anti-virus scans and programs in the systray. Close programs in the systray by right-clicking, or alternate-clicking, each icon, and then if available, clicking Disable, Exit, or Close.

Because many programs can affect the way this flash is completed, it is critical that all programs are closed.

1. If you have not already done so, locate and double-click the 7112.exe file that you originally downloaded from the Internet and execute the file. Files extract to the C:\Cabs\7712 folder.

2. In the C:\Cabs\7712\Winphlash folder, double-click Winplash.exe.

Note: If you already are running Windows Vista, you must right-click Winplash.exe and then choose Run as administrator.

3. In the Phoenix WinPhlash dialog box, verify that Backup BIOS and Flash BIOS with new setting is selected.

Note: If the location is already listed as C:\Cabs\7712\Winphlash\BIOS Files\7712.wph, click Flash BIOS.
Otherwise, skip to step 4.

4. Click Browse on Specify new BIOS file. Browse to C:\Cabs\7712\Winphlash\BIOS Files\7712.wph, and then click Flash BIOS.

OR

5. Manually type in the location C:\Cabs\7712\Winphlash\BIOS Files\7712.wph in the Specify new BIOS file, and then click Flash BIOS.

6. In the Phoenix WinPhlash dialog box, click OK.

7. The BIOS is flashed.

8. After the BIOS has completed, click Restart.


Removal

Because a computer must have a BIOS to operate, there is no removal process. The BIOS cannot be removed after it has been upgraded.


Troubleshooting

If you have trouble flashing the BIOS, try the process again following the steps listed in the Installation section of this document. If you are still unable to flash the BIOS, verify that you are actually attempting to flash the correct BIOS for your Gateway notebook computer. If this process still fails, contact technical support.


Reason for Update

This BIOS update includes updates needed for Microsoft Windows Vista to function properly.


I left out the specific computers that are affected because the list it long. Right now I have already downloaded the zip file to the laptop but don't know what to do next. Can someone or does someone know the steps to take to convert the above and convert it to a Ubuntu process that I can't screw up?
Thanks in advance.

 

There's no way to do it on linux. The program to flash the bios is windows only, and you cannot convert a windows binary to linux binary just like that. Install Windows then run the fix, then reinstall linux.

 

You know I half expected that this might be the case but was hoping that there was a way. Crap, guess I'm going to have to reinstall windows after all.

 

Does your laptop have an EZ Flash capability?

When I startup my asus and hit F2 it brings me to my BIOS menu where I can select to "EZ Flash" my BIOS from either my HDD or from a CD in the optical drive.

Edit: It may have a different name.

 

You should first try updating the BIOS with the DOS program, PHLASH16, which is recommended over using the Windows WinPhlash utility anyway. Read this thread from the Acer sub-forum which goes through the process of creating a DOS bootable USB stick, and then running the PHLASH16 program to update the Phoenix BIOS for your laptop.

Good Luck..

 

Thanks, already reinstalled XP recovery disc and it brings XP up to SP2. At this point I am stuck because I don't want to have to bring XP all the way to SP3 and install all the drivers if I don't have to, in order just to flash the bios.(right now lan is not working to update over the internet) Also being 3 years out of XP, I have lost my comfort zone and can't quite remember where everything is at the moment.

 

if you cant get xp to work then you may want to try FreeDOS i used it on my netbook to update the BIOS, just put it on a CD or USB (cd is easiest as it is a .iso file) and copy the DOS bios update file to the root of the iso before burning/converting and then just cd in to the root folder and execute the file. and thats it. i keep a usb of it on hand for just such a case.

 

So far I did two BIOS updates under FreeDOS, one for my M6500 as documented in my signature's link (google will translate it for you ) and one for an Asus EEE 1018P. Both went without any problems but of course nobody gives me a warranty on that. At least the Dell support (2nd level) didn't want to give me one. All the guy said was it should work which is especially sad since that laptop was advertised to be sold without Windows.

It's a shame that some (most?) laptop manufacturers only provide (Win)DOS executables instead of ISO images for updating the BIOS. It's just another sign of a non-working free OS market.
The next time I'll buy a laptop the first thing I'll do is a BIOS update and if it fails I'll return the device as faulty.