HP Dc7700 HP Compaq Business PC with vPro Technology AMT 2.1 Firmware Update - Page 20

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code changes can be updated in the BIOS without having to change the entire BIOS. Binary file micro-

code image is uXX_MMmm.bin where the “u” indicates microcode, XX is the general BIOS family, MM is

major version, and mm is the minor version. Microcode updates can only be accomplished by using

Flashbin.exe utility.

Microcode update images are offered for the general BIOS family and can be applied to any particular

BIOS of that family. For example, microcode image u7D_0101.bin can be applied to any BIOS in the

786D family such as 786D1 or 786D2. Minor version numbers are incremented to indicate minimal

changes to the microcode typically involving an updated version of a previous released microcode. Major

version number changes indicate a greater degree of change to the microcode source such as the addi-

tion of a new processor microcode.

What does the BIOS binary image naming convention indicate?

Binary image format is XXX_MMmm.bin. The XXX portion indicates the BIOS family. The MM is the major

version number. The mm is the minor version number. The BIOS family is a collection of BIOS products all

originating from the same basic code source. For example, 7EX would indicate a BIOS image from the

786E BIOS family. Minor version numbers are incremented to indicate minimal changes to the BIOS

source code typically involving minor problem fixes. Major version number changes indicate a greater

degree of change to the BIOS source code such as new feature additions, additional hardware support,

or significant POST modifications.

Can I modify the BIOS POST splash screen?

The Image Flash (Flashi.exe) utility can be used to replace the POST splash image stored in the BIOS part

or save the current image. This DOS utility is typically provided for re-sellers who may want to be able to

put their own logo in place of the standard Hewlett-Packard image. Error checking is done to insure that

an image that does not meet the requirements above cannot be flashed into the ROM part. The utility

allows browsing through directories on the current disk. The images found can be viewed and a back-

ground color and a foreground color can be chosen from the colors in the image’s palette. The utility also

has a command line option to quickly flash a new image.

The image stored in the BIOS will be compressed with RLE4. If the image being flashed is already in

RLE4, the image flashed will be identical to the original except the second byte in the Bitmap Header will

be a checksum. If an uncompressed bitmap is flashed, the Image Flash Utility will encode it using RLE4

and save it. Therefore, when using the save (/s) feature to get the current image, the newly saved image

will be in RLE4 format, regardless of the format of the original image.

Usage to Flash Image:

Normal: Flashi.exe

Command Line Mode: Flashi.exe [Image_File] [Foreground_Color] [Background_Color]

The normal execution method will provide the user with additional interaction so that the image can be

selected from various files and a preview can be seen before the image is committed to the BIOS.

There is only a command line mode to save the current image. You cannot save the current image under

an existing file name.

Usage to Save Current Splash Image (command line only):

Command Line Mode: Flashi.exe /s name

Section	Page
HP Compaq Business PC with vPro Technology AMT 2.1 Firmware Update	1
Introduction	2
AMT 2.1 Specific Changes	2
What is changing in the system upgrade process for AMT 2.1?	2
1. Update the ME firmware to 2.1.0.1029 or later.	2
2. Update the system BIOS firmware to version 2.0x or later.	2
3. Configure the ME firmware “Idle Timeout” to allow lower ME power states during OOB inactivity.	2
What files and directories are in a BIOS dc7700 softpaq?	3
In what operating systems can I update the PC BIOS and Management Engine Firmware?	4
Updating ME Firmware	5
How do I update the ME firmware in DOS locally?	5
How do I update the ME firmware in Windows locally?	5
How do I configure the ME Idle Timeout?	6
Will I lose my AMT setup configurations when updating ME firmware?	8
Updating PC BIOS	8
Will I lose my setup configurations when updating the BIOS?	8
How do I update my PC BIOS in Windows XP or Vista?	8
How do I update the BIOS in a DOS environment?	8
How do I update the BIOS when not running Windows XP, Vista, or DOS?	9
What steps are necessary to execute the HPQFlash utility?	12
What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQPwsd utility?	14
Updating - General Questions	15
What steps are necessary to create the BIOS image CD for F10 ROM flash and recovery?	15
1. Obtain a blank CD and place it in the CD-R/RW drive.	15
2. Execute BIOS.iso to launch the CD burning software.	15
3. To make the BIOS binary image CD, follow instructions provided by the application.	15
4. Place the newly created BIOS binary image CD in the CD drive of the computer to be updated or restored and cycle system power.	15
5. Follow the procedures detailed in the \	15
What steps are necessary to create a bootable USB flash media (disk-on key) for BIOS update?	15
1. 6860	15
2. 786A	15
3. 786B	15
4. 786C	15
5. 786D	16
6. 786E	16
1. Press F10 at boot time to enter Setup.	16
2. Select File > System Information to verify the correct system BIOS.	16
1. HP Drive Key.	16
2. M-Systems USB DiskOnKey(R).	16
1. Turn off power to the computer.	16
2. Insert the USB flash media device into any of the computer USB ports.	16
3. Insert Startup diskette or DOS Bootable diskette into the floppy drive.	16
4. Turn on power to the computer to boot from the Startup diskette.	16
5. Run Fdisk from the A:\\ prompt by typing Fdisk and, then pressing Enter.	16
6. If prompted, select Yes to enable Large Disk support and answer Yes to any other questions that appear on the screen.	16
7. Select option 5 to show multiple drives in the system. Write down the partition drive letter that has been assigned to the USB flash media device. The drive letter is required to complete step 9. The drive letter should also display the re...	16
8. Exit the Fdisk program by pressing the Esc key several times until you are back to the A:\\ prompt.	16
9. At the A:\\ prompt, type Sys X: where X: is the drive letter for the USB flash media device noted in Step 7 above. Reconfirm that you have entered the correct drive letter for the USB flash media device. If confirmed, press Enter. You will ...	16
10. Remove the diskette and reboot the system. Do not remove the USB flash media device from the port it was originally inserted.	16
11. The system will boot the USB flash media device as drive C:	16
12. Any of the supported systems can now be booted from this USB flash media device.	16
What steps are necessary to use SSM for BIOS update?	17
What steps are necessary to use Altiris for BIOS update?	17
1. Copy Flashbin.exe, Adminpw.exe, and BIOS image to the server.	17
2. Create Flash.bat.	17
3. Create the Altiris ROM Flash Event.	17
4. Connect the Client PC to the Altiris Console.	17
1. Create a ROMFlash folder in the Altiris eXpress folder	17
2. Copy the following files to the ROMFlash folder:	17
1. Open a command box by clicking Start > Run, and typing cmd.	17
2. Type cd\\express	17
3. Type cd ROMFlash	17
4. Type edit flash.bat	17
5. Type in the following, where [Altiris Sever Name] is the name of the server:	17
6. Save the file.	17
7. Exit Cmd.	17
1. Select File > New > Event. This creates a new Event in the Events frame (bottom, left section)	18
2. Type in the name of the Event: ROM Flash	18
3. Double-click the new event to display an Event Properties form.	18
4. Click Add.	18
5. Select Run Script to display a new form	18
6. Select Run the script from file:	18
7. Click on the folder button. This is the button to the right of Run the script from file button and has an image of a folder on it.	18
8. Select the file “flash.bat“ created in the previous section.	18
9. Click Open.	18
10. Select DOS (from BootWorks).	18
11. Click OK.	18
12. The Events Properties Form should show:	18
13. Click OK.	18
1. Connect the client PC to the LAN with the Altiris Server.	18
2. On the client: Access the Altiris eXpress folder on the server:	18
3. Run Aclient.exe.	18
4. On the server:	18
What if the PC does not complete the BIOS or ME flash process?	19
What is a processor microcode update softpaq and how is it used?	19
What does the BIOS binary image naming convention indicate?	20
Can I modify the BIOS POST splash screen?	20
Summary	21

HP Dc7700 HP Compaq Business PC with vPro Technology AMT 2.1 Firmware Update - Page 20

What does the BIOS binary image naming convention indicate?, Can I modify the BIOS POST splash

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