how to easily flash bios on computer

[Stewbstew]

I'm having trouble understanding how to flash the bios of this computer I put together.  Can anyone give me a step by step method how?

[doughjohn]

Hi

Not really.

What make of Motherboard?

Who makes/supplied the BIOS?

How skilled are you?

Flesh out your Flash info please.

[Stewbstew]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply.  The motherboard is Compaq/HP - P4 SOCKET 478 MOTHERBOARD FOR EVO 500. Compaq is the one that made the bios.  I'm not that knoledgeable about this task, but I learn easily, and I want to learn how.  

Well, I believe the bios/flash that I want to flash is.  TITLE: CPQFlash Utility for Evo D500, D300 and W4000 Models (686Y2 ROM)

(SOFTPAQ NUMBER: SP21600)

Anyway, if  you got any advice, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Stewbstew

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

Let me offer you some general advice about doing BIOS updates ...

Note of Caution: A failed or faulty BIOS upgrade, unlike a driver upgrade, can leave your PC in a totally unusable state -- essentially, turning it into an electrick "brick"!

So, BEFORE doing any BIOS update, ensure that BOTH of the following are true:
1) You have a way to save off the current BIOS to some media that you can later use to restore it, if needed
2) You have a way to boot the PC such that you can restore the BIOS from the saved media, in the event that the BIOS update fails or otherwise trashes your PC

Thus ... as long as the BIOS update app provides you a way to do both 1) and 2), then flashing the BIOS is safe because if the PC gets trashed, you will be able to rely on 2) to restore the original, working, BIOS.

Also, if you're doing this on a laptop, at least have the AC adapter plugged in when you do it.  You have no idea how many folks try this on battery power only to have the battery fail before the flash upgrade is done!

Good Luck

I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor do I represent, HP.
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[RomanMe]

Hi

Good advice.

DON'T DO IT.

To learn and gain experience involves making mistakes, you wrongly flash a bios and sometimes you don't get a second chance.

So I will not be offering to talk you thru it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxpE1N4xB4s

[doughjohn]

Hi

The above postings are good advice, one is a little blunt, but nevertheless I would not want to be involved in a failed flash myself and cannot in all conscience help any more.

Except perhaps to say to read up / watch videos whatever by googling for flashing a bios, and then decide if you feel willing to try, as I am sure you are more than capable.

[Stewbstew]

Thanks for replying.

[Stewbstew]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your help.  Bigtime!