*********************************************************************
README FILE
Intel(R) Express BIOS Update
(Release 2.05.09)
February 23, 2005
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README CONTENTS
===============
1. Introduction
2. System Requirement
3. Installation Instructions
4. Troubleshooting Information
5. Advanced Options
6. Known Issues
1. INTRODUCTION
===============
This README file contains installation and configuration notes
on the Intel(R) Express BIOS Update utility found at this Intel
Web site: http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
The Intel(R) Express BIOS Update utility combines the
functionality of Intel Flash Memory Update Utility (iFlash)
and the ease-of-use of InstallShield* applications, by packaging
the BIOS file within an automated update utility. This utility
will only work on Intel motherboards.
2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
======================
Hardware --
Chipset requirements
Your system must be based on an Intel(R)
motherboard, 810 chipset or greater
Memory requirements
- Your system will require 32 MB of memory,
with 64 MB recommended if you are running
one of the following operating systems:
-- Microsoft* Windows* 98
-- Microsoft Windows 98 SE
-- Microsoft Windows Me
- Your system will require 64 MB of memory,
with 128 MB recommended if you are running
one of the following operating systems:
-- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
-- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
-- Microsoft Windows NT* 4.0
-- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Operating System --
Your system must have one of the following operating
systems installed:
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows 98, Second Edition
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with
SP 4.0 or greater
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows Me
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Note: Intel Express BIOS Update does not support any
Microsoft Windows server operating systems.
Available Hard Drive Space --
Your system must have a minimum of 11 MB free hard drive
space.
3. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
============================
The installation process provides all files required to perform
a BIOS update using the Intel Express BIOS Update utility.
Installation procedure:
1. Go to this Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
2. Then go to the appropriate Intel(R) Desktop Board or
motherboard link. From that specific board's webpage
select the required Intel(R) Express BIOS Update utility.
3. Either download the file to your hard drive or select
Run from Current Location.
(If you opt to Run from Current Location, skip step 5).
Note: Make a note of the path the file is saved to on
your hard drive.
Note: You can save this utility onto a floppy disk.
This is useful if you're updating the BIOS for
multiple identical systems.
4. Close all other applications (REQUIRED).
Note: This is a required step. Also, if you use
Windows XP, Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows
NT, you must temporarily disable Active Desktop
before performing a BIOS update. This prevents a
possible loss of some Active Desktop data.
Remember that your system will be rebooted at the last
Express BIOS Update window.
5. Double-click the executable file from the location on
your hard drive where it was saved. This runs the
update program.
Note: Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT users
must have administrator rights to continue.
Guest accounts are not allowed to run the BIOS
update.
6. Follow the instructions provided in the dialog boxes to
complete the BIOS update.
4. TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION
==============================
Here are some of the more common error messages and possible
causes and recommended resolutions for those messages.
Older BIOS --
Error Message:
The BIOS version you are installing is older
than your current system's BIOS. Do you want
to continue?
Possible Cause:
The BIOS you are trying to install is older than
the BIOS you currently have on your system.
Recommended Resolution:
Make sure you want to place the older BIOS on
your system, or get a later BIOS update from
this Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
Same BIOS --
Error Message:
The BIOS version you are installing is the same
as your current system's BIOS. Do you want to
continue?
Possible Cause:
The BIOS you are trying to update is the same
as the BIOS you currently have in your system.
Recommended Resolution:
Do not perform the BIOS update. If available,
get a newer BIOS update from this Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
Older BIOS and Custom BIOS settings --
Error Message:
The BIOS version you are installing is older than
your current system's BIOS and your system's
custom BIOS settings (CMOS) will be reset to
factory defaults. Do you want to continue?
Possible Cause:
The BIOS you are trying to update is older than
the BIOS you currently have in your system.
and
The BIOS you currently have in your system needs
to be reset because of internal mapping
differences (the current BIOS settings in your
system differ from the defaults in the BIOS update).
Recommended Resolution:
Make sure you want to place the older BIOS on your
system, or get a later BIOS update from this
Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
and
If you have previously customized your system's
BIOS settings, you will lose those changes
during the update. Write down all of your
system's custom BIOS settings (CMOS) before
performing the update. After the BIOS update
is complete, you can customize your BIOS again
manually.
Same BIOS and Custom BIOS settings --
Error Message:
The BIOS version you are installing is the same
as your current system's BIOS and your system's
custom BIOS settings (CMOS) will be reset to
factory defaults. Do you want to continue?
Possible Cause:
The BIOS you are trying to update is the same as
the BIOS you currently have in your system.
and
The BIOS you currently have in your system needs
to be reset because of internal mapping
differences (the current BIOS settings in your
system differ from the defaults in the BIOS update).
Recommended Resolution:
Do not perform the BIOS update. Get a newer BIOS
update from this Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
and
If you have previously customized your system's
BIOS settings, you will lose those changes during
the update. Write down all of your system's
custom BIOS settings (CMOS) before performing the
update. After the BIOS update is complete, you
can customize your BIOS again manually.
Invalid BIOS --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. The BIOS you
are trying to update is invalid for your system.
Possible Cause:
You downloaded a BIOS for a system different than
the one you are trying to update (motherboard
and BIOS mismatch).
Recommended Resolution:
Return to this Intel Web site:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/
and download the correct BIOS update for the
Intel motherboard in the system you are updating.
Older or unsupported board --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. The system
you are trying to update does not support Intel
Express BIOS Update.
Possible Cause:
You have either an older or an unsupported Intel
motherboard, which cannot perform the update.
Recommended Resolution:
Upgrade your system with a newer (810 chipset or
greater) Intel motherboard.
Server system --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. Express BIOS
Update will not run on servers.
Possible Cause:
The system you are trying to update is running a
Microsoft Windows server operating system.
Recommended Resolution:
Use the Intel Flash Memory Update Utility (iFlash)
to update your BIOS or change your operating
system to a supported platform.
Not an Intel motherboard --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. The system
you are trying to update is not based on an
Intel(R) motherboard.
Possible Cause:
The system you are trying to update is not an
Intel(R) motherboard.
Recommended Resolution:
Contact your system manufacturer for a new BIOS.
Not an Intel BIOS --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. The BIOS
update cannot be performed. Please retrieve the
BIOS update from the manufacturer that you
bought your system from.
Possible Cause:
The system that you are trying to update does not
have an Intel BIOS.
Recommended Resolution:
Contact your system manufacturer for a BIOS
update.
Windows OS is fragmented --
Error Message:
The Windows* operating system is fragmented and
cannot allocate memory for the BIOS update.
Please reboot your system and then try performing
the BIOS update again.
Possible Cause:
It has been a long time since your last reboot
and your operating system does not have a large
enough block of contiguous memory for the update
to take place.
Recommended Resolution:
Reboot your system and try again.
Hard drive does not have enough available space --
Error Message:
This program is unable to continue. Internal System
error: There is a programming or internal problem.
Possible Cause:
Not enough hard drive space exists either for
installing Express BIOS Update or for the
update to take place.
Recommended Resolution:
Make sure your system has a minimum of 11 MB free
hard drive space and try again.
5. ADVANCED OPTIONS
===================
Intel Express BIOS Update includes options for advanced users.
These options allow you to redirect the source locations of
the BIOS files. The usage models section lists examples of
how to form commands. The command line options section lists
the command types and provides a short description of each
option.
Note: -a = argument in the commands below and used to pass
command line options from InstallShield's*
PackageForTheWeb* to the installer for Express BIOS
Update.
GUI usage models --
<program.exe>, for example: update.exe
This command performs the typical complete BIOS
update with the included files in a graphical
user interface.
<program.exe> -a [force] [path <path>]
For example: update.exe -a path C:\BIOS
This command performs a complete BIOS update with
the BIOS files stored in the path you specify with
graphical user interface. This is a single use
redirection of the BIOS files' source location.
Note: This feature is only for advanced users and
should not be used unless the user has a
thorough understanding of directories and
multiple BIOS locations.
Note: Specified file names and directories
cannot include spaces.
Silent usage model --
<program.exe> -s -a [force] [path <path>] [mb] -s
This command performs a silent BIOS update without
needing user interaction through a graphics UI.
Note: The first "-s" command is used by the
Express BIOS Update program (PackageForTheWeb)
to stay silent.
Note: The second "-s" command should be the
last command line option to tell the Express
BIOS Update InstallShield program to run
silently.
set BIOSPATH=<path>, for example: set BIOSPATH=C:\BIOS
This command performs a complete BIOS update with
the BIOS files stored in the path you specify.
This is a permanent redirection of the BIOS files'
source location. All future calls to the Intel
Express BIOS Update utility will look in the
location you specify, and will not use the files
packaged with the program, to find the BIOS files.
Note: Specified file names and directories
cannot include spaces.
Once you've permanently redirected the source
location of the BIOS files, you can then perform
the update using the files at the specified
location using, <program.exe> -a [xxx].
For example: update.exe -a
Command line options --
force
Force BIOS Update Flag
This optional command forces the BIOS to be
updated, regardless if the new BIOS version is
older, newer, or the same as the current BIOS
version.
-s
Silent Operation
This optional command permits automatic updates
without user interaction. Use the "force" option
in combination with silent operation to force the
BIOS update. Force is also needed when silently
flashing a version of BIOS that is lower than the
version already installed.
path <path>
Allows you to manually specify a custom directory
path for BIOS files, overriding the supplied BIOS
files included in the BIOS update packet (with
the files saved at the specified path) during
installation.
Note: This feature is only for advanced users
and should not be used unless the user
has a thorough understanding of
directories and multiple BIOS locations.
Note: Specified file names and directories
cannot include spaces.
set BIOSPATH=<path>
Allows you to set a new path for all future BIOS
updates.
Or, if you are running Windows NT, you can set
up an environment variable (BIOSPATH) in the
environment section of the Windows NT system
control panel applet.
Note: This feature is only for advanced users
and should not be used unless the user
has a thorough understanding of
directories and multiple BIOS locations.
Note: Specified file names and directories
cannot include spaces.
mb
Use default BIOS modules for BIOS update.
language
If supported, allows the selection of language
to be used by the system BIOS on next reboot.
6. KNOWN ISSUES
===============
Custom BIOS settings (CMOS) lost --
System Behavior:
If you update your system with the Express BIOS
Update utility and you have chosen to continue
after receiving an error message warning that
your system's custom BIOS settings (CMOS) will
be reset, you will lose all of your custom BIOS
settings (CMOS).
Resolution:
Go into your BIOS setup and write down all of the
settings before running this update.
System memory requirements --
System Behavior:
If your system doesn't automatically reboot and
no message displays that says the BIOS update
was successful, your system might not have the
required amount of memory installed.
Resolution:
Make sure your system has at least the minimum
amount of memory installed for your operating
system. For more information about Express BIOS
Update memory requirements, see the System
Requirements section (Section 2) in this readme
file.
Windows fails to reboot properly --
System Behavior:
Occasionally Windows fails to reboot properly.
If this occurs, your system will hang at the
point just before rebooting, but fail to
actually reboot. If it failed to reboot, then
your BIOS has not been updated.
Resolution:
Power down the machine. Wait a couple of seconds.
Power the machine on again. When Windows is
booting, it may run ScanDisk (on Windows 98,
Windows 98 SE, or Windows Me) or Autocheck (on
Windows XP system, Windows NT Workstation or
Windows 2000 systems), which is normal behavior.
Now try running the BIOS update again.
Browse - File Not Found --
System Behavior:
This issue applies to you only if you are using
advanced options. If, after you've selected
Start + Run and clicked the Browse button to find
your BIOS update file, you then enter program
arguments into the File name field in the Browse
dialog box, a File not found error message will
be displayed.
Resolution:
Do not enter program arguments in the File name
field in the Browse dialog box; enter any program
arguments into the Open field in the Run dialog
box.
CMOS Error On Reboot --
System Behavior:
When the system reboots, the following error
occurs:
CMOS/GPNV Checksum Bad
Press F1 to run SETUP
Resolution:
None. Use the following workaround:
1. Press F1 to enter BIOS.
2. Press ESC.
3. When the message, "Discard changes and exit
setup now" appears, select YES.
Alt-F4 Flashes BIOS even when last screen's checkbox is un-checked --
System Behavior:
At the last screen (Finish and Reboot), if you press
the Alt-F4 key sequence, the Express BIOS Update
program will proceed to flash the BIOS.
Resolution:
Either click the "Finish" or "View Readme" buttons, or
close the "Finish and Reboot" window without using the
Alt-F4 key sequence.
Silent Install Does Not Work --
System Behavior:
When attempting to silently install the application,
nothing happens.
Resolution:
Make sure that the second "-s" command line option
is at the end of the command string. For example:
<program.exe> -s -a force -s
*********************************************************************
Copyright (c) 2005 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
* Third-party brands and names are the property of their
respective owners.
*********************************************************************
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.