To flash a BIOS... from a 64bit OS..

[kage69]

So I want to grab a Deneb quad-core for my GA-MA770-DS3rev2 mobo and after consulting the GIGABYTE website, I see the latest BIOS revision supports a couple of them. Cool!
So I download it, try to run it, and the puter tells me it can't due to it not supporting flashing via a 64bit OS (Win7). BAH!

So, my question is, do I have to flash the old fashioned way, or can this be done using a Virtual Machine?

With 64bit systems quite common now, I'm really surprised GIGABYTE hasn't addressed this handicap of theirs.

Any advice guys? All I want is a CPU upgrade, is that so wrong?

 

[Heidfirst]

can't you flash via DOS/whatever before the OS loads?
I would always recommend that someone does it that way rather than using a software utility in an OS>

 

[vailr]

Gigabyte includes a bios flash utility within the bios itself. Just access the bios setup screen, and with the bios update stored on a USB flash drive, use "Q-Flash" to update the bios.

 

[kage69]

It looked like the website just had the .exe method, I didn't see the collection of files needed to do it the old fashioned way. But - upon further examination I see that the company's @BIOS app does indeed support Win7 x64. Never tried that method before, but it sounds better than putting a floppy drive back in the rig.

Although come to think of it I could prolly use a pen drive instead right?

 

[kage69]

Gigabyte includes a bios flash utility within the bios itself. Just access the bios setup screen, and with the bios update stored on a USB flash drive, use "Q-Flash" to update the bios.

Awesome, THAT'S what I will do. Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

 

[lopri]

Make sure you format the USB drive to FAT16/32.

 

[aclim]

Make sure you format the USB drive to FAT16/32.

really? I have always just used my usb drive in ntfs format when I flash

 

[lopri]

Hmm.. Maybe it depends on boards, then. OP should consult the manual.

 

[VirtualLarry]

really? I have always just used my usb drive in ntfs format when I flash

Some BIOSes understand NTFS? That's a new one on me... althought it's quite possible I guess.

 

[bruceb]

I for one, would always do any BIOS flashes thru a DOS bootable disk or floppy.
That is one thing I would never trust to be done while the OS is running.

 

[Blazer7]

I for one, would always do any BIOS flashes thru a DOS bootable disk or floppy.
That is one thing I would never trust to be done while the OS is running.

I for one don't trust floppies. USB drives are much more reliable.
Anyways, 9 out of 10 times I use windows based utilities. Never had a problem. Last board I flashed was an ASUS P7P55D PRO 2 days ago.

*** edit ***

The machine was running Win 7 Pro 64.

 

[VirtualLarry]

There's no way I would flash a mobo BIOS from within Windows. Unless there were literally no other way to do so. But thankfully, they still provide DOS flasher tools.

It's very handy to get ahold of some Win98se DOS files, and make a bootable flash drive, using the HP utility.

 

[bruceb]

You may be right about not trusting floppies, but the entire point here is Not to flash the BIOS from within ANY OS. It just is not a foolproof method. Always best to do it on boot up
and as the ONLY app running. Just like when making a Ghost Image .. It is best done from a bootable DOS CD

 

[Auric]

Don't get me wrong, floppy disks are awesome, but flash drives are quicker so minimize the risk of a power interruption -however unlikely that may be, though thankfully Gigabyte generally sport Dual-BIOS as well. Due to Q-Flash, it need not be bootable. Simply extract the files from the package -could be an .exe but the BIOS file itself will not be and most likely has an extension such as .f2 for the version.

I would not even consider flashing from within Windows either.

 

[Skott]

Gigabyte includes a bios flash utility within the bios itself. Just access the bios setup screen, and with the bios update stored on a USB flash drive, use "Q-Flash" to update the bios.

Its what I did with my UD2. Worked fine.

 

[kage69]

Yep, Q-Flash did it fine. I've flashed boards from inside the OS before and have never had a problem, but honestly I was expecting a problem eventually with that method. Well, in this case the problem was it made me lazy!

Anyway I have to agree, floppies are a bit shady, whereas USB pen drives are the shiz. I formatted one with FAT32 and it went down fine. So glad I didn't have to utilize Gig's comforting Dual Bios feature.