Difference between revisions of "BIOS Upgrade"

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When upgrading from a Windows installation, a BIOS upgrade is quite simple if you follow the IBM instructions, as described on the respective BIOS upgrade page on the IBM site.
 
When upgrading from a Windows installation, a BIOS upgrade is quite simple if you follow the IBM instructions, as described on the respective BIOS upgrade page on the IBM site.
−
 
−
{|
 
−
| '''Models''' || '''Page'''
 
−
|-
 
−
| A31, A31p || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-44450 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45662 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| G40 || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50672 BIOS]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R40 (2681, 2682, 2683, 2896, 2898, 2899) || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46055 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46143 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R40 (2722, 2723, 2724, 2897) || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50320 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46143 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R40e || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50302 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50344 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50273 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50279 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R50e || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55000 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-54996 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| R51 (2883, 2887, 2888, 2889, 2894, 2895) || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55003 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-54996 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| T30 || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42694 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42711 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|-
 
−
| X31 || [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50298 BIOS], [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-53480 Embedded Controller Program]
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==Updating from Floppy Disk==
 
==Updating from Floppy Disk==
  
 
For other operating systems there is an option to create a bootable floppy disk. This is described on the [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50275 IBM site] as well. Note that you still need some Windows, OS/2 or DOS-System to create the floppy disk. For Linux you can use [http://www.dosemu.org/ DOSEMU] for this. For some models there is even a special version for Linux availlable.
 
For other operating systems there is an option to create a bootable floppy disk. This is described on the [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50275 IBM site] as well. Note that you still need some Windows, OS/2 or DOS-System to create the floppy disk. For Linux you can use [http://www.dosemu.org/ DOSEMU] for this. For some models there is even a special version for Linux availlable.
 +
 +
==Downloads==
  
 
{|
 
{|
−
| '''Models''' || '''BIOS (Windows)''' || '''BIOS (Linux)''' || '''Embedded Controller Program'''
+
| rowspan="3"| '''Models'''
 +
| colspan="2"| '''Non-Diskette'''
 +
| colspan="3"| '''Diskette'''
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="2"| '''BIOS'''
 +
| rowspan="2"| '''Embedded Controller Program'''
 +
| colspan="2"| '''BIOS'''
 +
| rowspan="2"| '''Embedded Controller Program'''
 +
|-
 +
| '''Windows'''
 +
| '''Linux'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
| A31, A31p
 
| A31, A31p
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-44450 44450]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45662 45662]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-44451 44451]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-44451 44451]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45898 45898]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45898 45898]
Line 42: Line 32:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| G40
 
| G40
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50672 50672]
 +
|
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50673 50673]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50673 50673]
 +
|
 +
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| R40 (2681, 2682, 2683, 2896, 2898, 2899)
 
| R40 (2681, 2682, 2683, 2896, 2898, 2899)
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46055 46055]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46143 46143]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46061 46061]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46061 46061]
 
|
 
|
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|-
 
|-
 
| R40 (2722, 2723, 2724, 2897)
 
| R40 (2722, 2723, 2724, 2897)
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50320 50320]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-46143 46143]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50321 50321]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50321 50321]
 
|
 
|
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|-
 
|-
 
| R40e
 
| R40e
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50302 50302]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50344 50344]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50301 50301]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50301 50301]
 
|
 
|
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|-
 
|-
 
| R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p
 
| R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50273 50273]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50279 50279]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50275 50275]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50275 50275]
 
|
 
|
Line 65: Line 67:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| R50e
 
| R50e
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55000 55000]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-54996 54996]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55001 55001]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55001 55001]
 
|
 
|
Line 70: Line 74:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| R51 (2883, 2887, 2888, 2889, 2894, 2895)
 
| R51 (2883, 2887, 2888, 2889, 2894, 2895)
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55003 55003]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-54996 54996]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55004 55004]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-55004 55004]
 
|
 
|
Line 75: Line 81:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| T30
 
| T30
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42694 42694]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42711 42711]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42720 42720]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-42720 42720]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45745 45745]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-45745 45745]
Line 80: Line 88:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| X31
 
| X31
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50298 50298]
 +
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-53480 53480]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50308 50308]
 
| [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50308 50308]
 
|
 
|

Revision as of 20:10, 25 September 2004

BIOS Upgrade

Updating from within Windows

When upgrading from a Windows installation, a BIOS upgrade is quite simple if you follow the IBM instructions, as described on the respective BIOS upgrade page on the IBM site.

Updating from Floppy Disk

For other operating systems there is an option to create a bootable floppy disk. This is described on the IBM site as well. Note that you still need some Windows, OS/2 or DOS-System to create the floppy disk. For Linux you can use DOSEMU for this. For some models there is even a special version for Linux availlable.

Downloads

Models Non-Diskette Diskette
BIOS Embedded Controller Program BIOS Embedded Controller Program
Windows Linux
A31, A31p 44450 45662 44451 45898 45663
G40 50672 50673
R40 (2681, 2682, 2683, 2896, 2898, 2899) 46055 46143 46061 46144
R40 (2722, 2723, 2724, 2897) 50320 46143 50321 46144
R40e 50302 50344 50301 50343
R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p 50273 50279 50275 50277
R50e 55000 54996 55001 54997
R51 (2883, 2887, 2888, 2889, 2894, 2895) 55003 54996 55004 54997
T30 42694 42711 42720 45745 42725
X31 50298 53480 50308 53479

Updating from CD/DVD Drive

The whole thing gets more complicated if you neither have Windows nor a floppy drive installed. This is what this page is intended to describe.

One solution is to extract the floppy disk image with Windows, OS/2 or DOS, and use this image as a boot image for a CD/DVD. Thus it should be possible to upgrade the BIOS with the built-in CD/DVD drive.

Be aware that IBM officially does not support this! The official statement to my support request was: 

I'm afraid we only support the options listed on our web page and no you
can't burn a CD/DVD, however you can try to use an external USB FDD
(floppy) drive. The experts recommend a IBM USB FDD, however they have also
tested it with a Sony USB FDD drive.

In order to make sure the drive is recognised you can boot up the FDD with
a bootable dos diskette for w98

But it seems to be possible as Mathias Dalheimer describes this here.

Another indication that it should work is that IBM uses PHLASH16.EXE (at least on T4x/p systems) to flash the BIOS into the chip. The same tool is used by other vendors to flash the BIOS from bootable CD-ROMs.

Some interesting but very technical information about the used flash tool can be found here.

To get an overview which models have been tested with this version, here is a list:

Does work:

Model Tested by
R31 Mathias Dalheimer
T40p Lukas Krähenbühl, ismo at pop dot agri dot ch

Does not work:

Model Tested by

Please note that testing this is at your own risk!!!

Updating with Network Boot Image

Anyone tried this? Please add your experiences here.

Tried some different method? Please add as well.

Retrieved from "https://www.thinkwiki.org/w/index.php?title=BIOS_Upgrade&oldid=251"