BIOS Updates For Older laptops? (PCMCIA USB)

[olds]

I have a FlexNote 1200L with Win 98SE that won't run a PCMCIA USB card, powered or not. The manufacturer doesn't answer email and I don't blame them. It's an older laptop. I need a USB port to run a cell phone off of to connect to the internet. I tried 2 different cards and Win98SE didn't even see either one. I assume it's a BIOS issue.
Any ideas?

 

[IamElectro]

Have you tried reinstalling PCMCIA drivers.
Go through the device manager unistall the old drivers in safemode first.
Sometimes these ports have just stopped working for me and I had to reinstall the drivers.
If all else fails you may need to reinstall windows.

I dont see this being a bios issue. It is most likely a widows issue. Then again your machine may not recognize this type of card.

 

[olds]

Thanks.
Ya, I've installed/reinstalled both sets of drivers. I have PCMCIA modems and NICS which both work. I'd put XP on it but it only has 64 MB (2 X 32) of RAM and supposedly goes to 128. But when I put 2 X 64 it wouldn't POST.

 

[redbeard1]

It is probably not related to the bios. USB cards use cardbus 32 bit interface. That laptop probably only supports 16 bit cards. This has come up here before, and no one has found a 16 bit usb card for older laptops.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
It is probably not related to the bios. USB cards use cardbus 32 bit interface. That laptop probably only supports 16 bit cards. This has come up here before, and no one has found a 16 bit usb card for older laptops.

Thank you. With that info I did a search and you are correct about 16/32 bit. I can't find info that states this laptop runs 16 bit but given my problem I would assume that it does.