Q. for Catweazle

[Eku]

A while back, Catweazle posted:
"That HP Pavilion has an Asus motherboard which is specially made for HP. There is a BIOS update available here.

I'm unsure if the update adresses the problem you are having. It will contain previous updates, but the only item mentioned is a logo problem. I was unable to determine from the Asus website if earlier revisions addressed a graphics card problem. In any case, as the BIOS for the HP system is proprietary, you can only use a BIOS update downloaded from HP.

Can't hurt to try it, but be sure to print out the instructions and follow them TO THE LETTER! A failed BIOS update could render your system inoperable.

Before you install the BIOS update, reset CMOS. Power down and remove the power cord. Open the case and locate the CLRTC jumper which is near the corner of the motherboard beside the CMOS battery. It will have 3 pins and a jumper cap attached to two of them. With the power off, use needle-nose pliers to remove the cap, and refit it to 'short' the other two pins. (e.g. if it's bridging pins 2 and 3, fit it to pins 1 and 2).

Wait several seconds, then replace it as it was before.

That process physically resets BIOS settings to factory defaults."

I own such a machine, and have downloaded the BIOS update, but tweaking jumpers makes me nervous - what will resetting the BIOS settings actually do to my machine? If your supposed to reset the CMOS, why doesn't HP tell me that on the web site where I downloaded the update? Also: it looks like, after doing the CMOS reset, I'm supposed to reboot the computer to install the update, at which point I follow HP's instructions. Will the computer ask me to make changes to the system after I've reset the CMOS, and if so, what should I do? (If it were just my own computer, I'd be less freaked, but I share it with my wife, who needs it for school...you see my dilemma! :rolleyes: )

[Coconut Monkey]

I'm going to come in over Catter's head. ;)

what will resetting the BIOS settings actually do to my machine?

It will reset all of the settings in your BIOS to default. The main aim behind this is to ensure that any "tweaks" or overclocks made in the BIOS are undone. Performing a BIOS update with these settings in place could spell disaster. Better safe than sorry!

Will the computer ask me to make changes to the system after I've reset the CMOS, and if so, what should I do?

Provided you haven't got an out of the ordinary computer configuration (i.e. you have an out-of-the-box HP machine), then the system should boot just fine, and chances are the BIOS settings will be all the same anyway.

BUT.....do you actually need this BIOS update? If your computer is puttering along just fine without it, then don't bother. It's not worth the hassle!

[Eku]

BUT.....do you actually need this BIOS update? If your computer is puttering along just fine without it, then don't bother. It's not worth the hassle!

This all started when my vid card went south. (See previous thread "HP a420n card upgrade?") The BFG help desk said they'd help me only after I took care of any BIOS updates and driver updates. But, in the meantime, I went ahead and picked up a 6600GT from Newegg that is on its way as I type. (See posts in the power-source area, "psu help" and "well, I've done it...") So now, what I'm wondering is: if my card went south, was it because of a BIOS problem? I'd hate to have the same thing happen with my new card.

Thanks for your help, Mr. Monkey. :)

[Eku]

Update:
I've done a bit of snooping around, and ended up at Biosman.com, a really great site for BIOS info. I also ended up installing Everest, which told me that I should update my 2-year old BIOS. Meanwhile, at Biosman, there is a blurb on how to put a BIOS onto a floppy (heh...remember those?) and configure an autoexec.bat to reload the BIOS from a floppy, should your BIOS flash go really wrong. Part of the solution, though, is to find the .bin file in the computer that holds the BIOS. That's got me stumped...Everest doesn't tell me, HP certainly wont, and the POST screen doesn't either. Where do I find it? (I've done a Search, with hidden files accessible, and found a whole LOT of .bin files...which one?)

Also: I've created a boot disc per Joel Rosenthal's PC Repair and Maintenance book...does the boot disc have a BIOS on it by default already, or will it simply try to load the corrupted BIOS from the computer, in the event I need to use it to flash a corrupted BIOS?

I hope all that made sense... :confused: