Is using a floppy for BIOS updates considered "best practice&quot

[nQuirer]

Maybe it's just me, but I've always liked to do certain things the old way.

Especially when it comes to something critical like updating the BIOS.

So it's only natural that WinFlash makes me cringe.

The reason I bring this up is because I've recently reached the point in my geek life

where I'm staring at my floppy drive and calendar back and forth,

wondering what in the world I still need it for.

(My floppy drive, not my calendar.)

 

The only answers I used to come up with were:

A. Pre-Installation Drivers

B. BIOS Updates

 

I learned how to slipstream drivers already, so A is out of the picture.

Still not to sure about B though.

So here's my question:

 

Is there ANY risk and/or downside, whatsoever, in using a Bootable CD, Flash Drive, or USB Floppy

to update my motherboard's BIOS as opposed to using an internal floppy drive;

if not, which would be the best alternative and why?

 

(They should ask this one to Miss South Carolina...)

 

All bad jokes aside though...

Given the fact that the question at hand deals with a system critical procedure,

I'd really appreciate some feedback from Angry or Tmod.

But if you guys are too busy, I completely understand.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks anyway.

[red930]

I always used to use a floppy disc.

 

Using Winflash usually worked out okay...but I was damn certain to make sure the computer was stable prior to it's use.

 

When using a DFI board though, it doesn't get any better than Tmod/Loggan's CD. Works great and I've never had a failure from it. Best thing that ever happened to DFI if you ask me.

 

I've never tried loading from a USB drive so I can't comment on that.

 

Personally, I don't think there is any risk to using a medium that doesn't require a stable OS to be loaded. That used to include only a floppy disc. CD's started showing up, and some USB sticks too (which probably work fine). I use Winflash only as a last resort.

[uneedav8]

I still prefer using floppy drives to update the BIOS. I have also used flash drives to update but feel like the floppy is the most safe way......it is always a risk to flash the BIOS but a floppy drive and DFI's diamond flash utility are my personal favorite way to do it.

[Branjo]

I agree with technodanvan the Tmod BIOS CD for DFI boards was an absolute pleasure to use, I wish he would do it across all platforms, all hard work aside lol.

 

I use the @BIOS utility from windows now, I have had 2 FDD's die before and although the floppy might be ok I just don't place a great amount of trust in those ugly little diskettes.

 

Best move I ever made was putting the PC on a UPS, you know that fear you get when you are wondering if you should flash and right in the middle of said flash it hits you, "OMG what if the power went out right now, I'd be f**ked"

[Guest Tmod]

When you flash a chip there is no 100% sure fire method, Many things can happen and do at times.

 

When I first created the CD I did because the amount of people that were having to flash their NFII boards. There were many that would suffer from a corrupted flash and then end up with a dead board, While that was good for my bios chip business I knew that there was some method that had to be more stable then the floppy method.

 

Well enter the Tmod CD and now the Tmod/Loggan26 cd as I have Loggan updating it for me as time is not on my side.

 

I will tell you what I will do, If you use my CD and it corrupts your bios I will re-program your chip for free. Now if you don't follow instructions and do something you shouldn't have done like hit the power switch in the middle of the flash I will not help you.

 

I hope I answered your question and thanks guys for the support of the CD, The ones that use it anyway.

 

Tmod

[nQuirer]

I will tell you what I will do, If you use my CD and it corrupts your bios I will re-program your chip for free.

If I were to corrupt my BIOS, I would never hold you responsible for it.

Even if I had used your CD.

Because at this stage of development, if some idiot screws up his BIOS,

it's either because that idiot doesn't know how to follow directions,

doesn't know how to read model numbers, or doesn't know how to read period.

And even if it did mess up someone's BIOS,

if you take into account the amount of people that would've corrupted their BIOS

had it not been for your CD, I think it evens out.

After all, no one's paying you for this,

not to mention that you have a very clear and well-written disclaimer posted before the download links.

But I really do appreciate your kind offer.

 

Now if you don't follow instructions and do something you shouldn't have done like hit the power switch in the middle of the flash I will not help you.

heh

At the risk of sounding like a pompous prick,

I may not be a BIOS guru such as yourself,

but I at least know enough NOT to hit the power switch in the middle of a flash.

And not just during a BIOS flash, during any kind of firmware flash.

I thought that this would be obvious from my diction.

And if not from that, then at least from the fact that I'm wise enough to stay away from WinFlash.

Anyway, I guess determining experience level based on diction is not a forum requirement, so meh.

No hard feelings, just wanted to clear the air so that maybe

you can answer my next question with less precaution and more enlightenment.

 

I hope I answered your question

I think maybe my question was a bit vague,

which, in return, lead you to think that by "Bootable CD" I was referring to yours.

Don't get me wrong, your CD is amazing; I use it on all my customers with DFI boards.

However, I like doing things the hard way when it comes to me, because that's the best way to learn.

Anyway, by "Bootable-CD" I was actually referring to a disc that contained

a Disk Operating System emulation image, the BIOS file, and the respective update utility.

Initially, I wanted to know which medium was the safest,

but in homage to your CD, I've decided to go with the Bootable-CD method.

So now my question is:

 

Which of the Disk Operating Systems would you recommend I use,

MS-DOS, Free-DOS, Caldera Open-DOS, Caldera DR-DOS, or something else?

 

I wasn't able to figure out which of these you used on your CD,

but then again, I didn't try that hard, since I figured it'd be easier to just ask you.

Thank you all for your feedback.

And Tmod, I look forward to your reply.

[nQuirer]

I will tell you what I will do, If you use my CD and it corrupts your bios I will re-program your chip for free.

If I were to corrupt my BIOS, I would never hold you responsible for it.

Even if I had used your CD.

Because at this stage of development, if some idiot screws up his BIOS,

it's either because that idiot doesn't know how to follow directions,

doesn't know how to read model numbers, or doesn't know how to read period.

And even if it did mess up someone's BIOS,

if you take into account the amount of people that would've corrupted their BIOS

had it not been for your CD, I think it evens out.

After all, no one's paying you for this,

not to mention that you have a very clear and well-written disclaimer posted before the download links.

But I really do appreciate your kind offer.

 

Now if you don't follow instructions and do something you shouldn't have done like hit the power switch in the middle of the flash I will not help you.

heh

At the risk of sounding like a pompous prick,

I may not be a BIOS guru such as yourself,

but I at least know enough NOT to hit the power switch in the middle of a flash.

And not just during a BIOS flash, during any kind of firmware flash.

I thought that this would be obvious from my diction.

And if not from that, then at least from the fact that I'm wise enough to stay away from WinFlash.

Anyway, I guess determining experience level based on diction is not a forum requirement, so meh.

No hard feelings, just wanted to clear the air so that maybe

you can answer my next question with less precaution and more enlightenment.

 

I hope I answered your question

I think maybe my question was a bit vague,

which, in return, lead you to think that by "Bootable CD" I was referring to yours.

Don't get me wrong, your CD is amazing; I use it on all my customers with DFI boards.

However, I like doing things the hard way when it comes to me, because that's the best way to learn.

Anyway, by "Bootable-CD" I was actually referring to a disc that contained

only a Disk Operating System emulation image, the BIOS file, and the respective update utility.

Nothing else.

Initially, I wanted to know which medium was the safest,

but in homage to your CD, I've decided to go with the Bootable-CD method.

So now my question is:

 

Which of the Disk Operating Systems would you recommend I use,

MS-DOS, Free-DOS, Caldera Open-DOS, Caldera DR-DOS, or something else?

 

I wasn't able to figure out which of these you used on your CD,

but then again, I didn't try that hard, since I figured it'd be easier to just ask you.

Thank you all for your feedback.

And Tmod, I look forward to your reply.

[nQuirer]

I will tell you what I will do, If you use my CD and it corrupts your bios I will re-program your chip for free.

If I were to corrupt my BIOS, I would never hold you responsible for it.

Even if I had used your CD.

Because at this stage of development, if some idiot screws up his BIOS,

it's either because that idiot doesn't know how to follow directions,

doesn't know how to read model numbers, or doesn't know how to read period.

And even if it did mess up someone's BIOS,

if you take into account the amount of people that would've corrupted their BIOS

had it not been for your CD, I think it evens out.

After all, no one's paying you for this,

not to mention that you have a very clear and well-written disclaimer posted before the download links.

But I really do appreciate your kind offer.

 

Now if you don't follow instructions and do something you shouldn't have done like hit the power switch in the middle of the flash I will not help you.

heh

At the risk of sounding like a pompous prick,

I may not be a BIOS guru such as yourself,

but I at least know enough NOT to hit the power switch in the middle of a flash.

And not just during a BIOS flash, during any kind of firmware flash.

I thought that this would be obvious from my diction.

And if not from that, then at least from the fact that I'm wise enough to stay away from WinFlash.

Anyway, I guess determining experience level based on diction is not a forum requirement, so meh.

No hard feelings, just wanted to clear the air so that maybe

you can answer my next question with less precaution and more enlightenment.

 

I hope I answered your question

I think maybe my question was a bit vague,

which, in return, lead you to think that by "Bootable CD" I was referring to yours.

Don't get me wrong, your CD is amazing; I use it on all my customers with DFI boards.

However, I like doing things the hard way when it comes to me, because that's the best way to learn.

Anyway, by "Bootable-CD" I was actually referring to a disc that contained

ONLY a Disk Operating System emulation image, the BIOS file, and the respective update utility.

Nothing else.

Initially, I wanted to know which medium was the safest,

but in homage to your CD, I've decided to go with the Bootable-CD method.

So now my question is:

 

Which of the Disk Operating Systems would you recommend I use,

MS-DOS, Free-DOS, Caldera Open-DOS, Caldera DR-DOS, or something else?

 

I wasn't able to figure out which of these you used on your CD,

but then again, I didn't try that hard, since I figured it'd be easier to just ask you.

Thank you all for your feedback.

And Tmod, I look forward to your reply.

[wevsspot]

In no particular order;

 

DFI M/B's - TMOD/LOGGAN BIOS Flash CD all the way

Floppy

USB Flash Drive

 

I NEVER use WinFlash

 

Since I haven't had a floppy in my last two personal builds, flash drive got the nod on the GB board and BIOS CD got the nod on the DFI board.

[Kingfisher]

I Always will use a floppy, I'm stubborn.

[jaz]

I always used windows to flash my bios, and never had one problem. The floppy is old skool and personaly, i try to use it as little as possible. Windows is a much more stable platform to use to update your bios.

 

I've used Asus's windows version of ezflash (windows based) on 2 boards w/o any problems. On my old dfi nf3board, i used t-mods cd to flash bios. ANYthing but the flimsy piece of material they use in floppies. Just my 2¢

[wevsspot]

Jaz,

 

To each their own, and I'll grant that a few m/b mfg. have pretty reliable Windows based flashing methods, MSI - Asus - Gigabyte to name the three I've used.

 

However, I'm 100% opposed to using WinFlash for flashing a motherboard BIOS.