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HP Dc7800 BIOS Flash Q&A

HP Dc7800 - Compaq Business Desktop Manual

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HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 1
20 Can the BIOS POST splash screen be modified 20 How do I update the ME firmware in Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 21 How do I update the ME firmware in a DOS environment 21 What are the steps necessary to use Altiris for ME firmware update 22 What if the ME firmware does not complete
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 2
the operating environment of the computer(s). BIOS updates are available in a softpaq downloadable containing the BIOS image and upgrade instructions for the various methods. Regardless of the BIOS flash method, business PC products provide a high degree of upgrade reliability and offer failure safe
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 3
and BIOS upgrade methods. • DOS Flash (directory): • XXX_MMmm.bin - Binary BIOS image file required by Flashbin.exe. • Assignpw.exe - DOS utility to assign administrative/setup password to flsh.cpu. • Flashbin.exe - DOS utility to update and/or restore BIOS. • Flsh.cpu - Hardware specific driver
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 4
Engine, will not require the contents of the ME Flash directory. HP Business Blade PC products do not support the Windows BIOS updates and will not require the HPQFlash directory contents. In what operating systems can I update the PC BIOS? The BIOS can be updated or restore in Vista, Windows XP
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 5
(WMI) service to be installed and running on the target PC. How do I update the BIOS in a DOS environment? The Flash Bin Firmware Upgrade Utility (Flashbin.exe) can be executed in a DOS environment to upgrade or restore a PC BIOS image. The utility uses a driver (flsh.cpu) for specific hardware
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 6
How do I update the BIOS when not running Vista, Windows XP, 2000, or DOS? BIOS can be updated using the F10 setup Flash System ROM feature. Reboot the PC and press F10 to enter setup. In the File menu, select the Flash System ROM item. This flash utility will present the user with the
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 7
When the media is selected, the user is presented with a list of valid binaries. If the BIOS cannot read the media or media files, an error message will be displayed and another media source can be selected. 7
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 8
is selected and confirmed, the BIOS will begin the flashing process. The flash process should not be interrupted. The percentage completion will be displayed during the process. The user is prompted when the process is completed. The new BIOS code will not take effect until the PC is rebooted. 8
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 9
Alternatively, the user or administrator can use a Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) to boot to a PXE server, such as Altiris. The Flashbin utility can be executed in the PXE DOS-like environment to perform the BIOS upgrade. 9
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 10
. The user must have administrative privilege on the PC to proceed with the BIOS update. Otherwise, the application will respond with a warning message and exit without updating the BIOS image. If the PC has an administrative or setup password configured, HPQFlash will require the user to enter
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 11
user selects the Next button, enters the correct password (if needed), and has the appropriate rights, the application will interrogate the current PC BIOS image and compare it to the BIOS image file (ROM.CAB) in the same directory as the FLashbin.exe. If the BIOS image file is not applicable to the
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 12
process will begin, and the user is warned not to interrupt the flashing process. Interrupting the flashing process can corrupt the BIOS image. If the BIOS does not update successfully, the business PC would enter flash recovery when rebooted. After the flash process has successfully completed, the
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 13
What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQPswd utility? The HPQPswd application is executed in the Windows environment by selecting the HPQPswd.exe file. The initial HPQFlash application window will be presented as follows options to the user or administrator. 13
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 14
update? The BIOS image of some products are too large to fit on a diskette; therefore, the following information would not be applicable to those products. To create an MS-DOS boot disk from Windows XP Professional, the following steps can be executed: 1. Insert a blank, floppy diskette into the PC
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 15
image CD, follow instructions provided by the application. 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. 5. Follow the procedures detailed in the "How do I update the BIOS when not running Vista, Windows XP, 2000, or
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 16
as drive "C:". 12. Any of the supported systems can now be booted from this USB flash media device. After the USB flash media is made bootable, the Flashbin.exe, Assignpw.exe, and BIOS image file (XXX_MMmm.bin) can be copied to the media. Boot the PC to be updated from the USB media and execute the
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 17
the Client PC to the Altiris Console. Step 1: Copy Flashbin.exe, Adminpw.exe, and BIOS image to the server 1. Create a ROMFlash folder in the Altiris eXpress folder. 2. Copy the following files to the ROMFlash folder: a. Flashbin.exe b. Assignpw.exe c. XXX_MMmm.bin (desired BIOS update image) Step
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 18
PC. What if the PC does not complete the BIOS flash process? HP business PC products provide flash disaster recovery if the BIOS flash process fails to complete. The BIOS will automatically detect that the BIOS flash process did not properly complete and boot in recovery mode. With most business PC
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 19
recovery mode to successfully boot. What is a processor microcode update softpaq and how is it used? Typical processors download code from the BIOS during initialization referred to as microcode. If a new, supported processor is installed in the business PC which requires a microcode currently
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 20
version of HPQFlash to support the 2007 HP Business PC products (e.g. dc7800), processor microcode patches can be updated in a Windows environment. As detailed in the previous section, the microcode softpaq specific to the general BIOS family can be downloaded containing the image file uXX_MMmm
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 21
accessible media such as a CD/DVD or USB flash media device, including HP Drive Key and M-Systems DiskOnKey. The following image shows the successful completion of the ME FW update process in a Windows XP environment. The update process will stay at the "Performing Update..." step for most of the
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 22
firmware update? This section contains instructions for using Altiris Deployment server to deliver a ME firmware update PC to the Altiris Console. Step 1: Copy FWUpdLcl.exe and ME firmware update Flash Event in Altiris 1. Select File > New > Event to create a new event in the Events frame (bottom,
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 23
Form Windows Taskbar (next to the clock) turns blue. 5. On the server: a. Right-click the client computer name. b. Select Properties. c. Check Apply regular license. The ME Flash Event Setup is completed and will be delivered to the client PC. What if the ME firmware does not complete the update
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 24
provider of comprehensive BIOS upgrade solutions in the industry. Appendix A - Modifying a DOS boot diskette for Flashbin.exe To copy Flashbin.exe, flsh.cpu, and the BIOS binary image onto the Windows XP MS-DOS boot diskette, the following modifications must be made: • Driver directory • Delete all
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 25
• Root directory • Modify FDCONIG.SYS to contain the following statements: - !FILES=20 - !BUFFERS=20 - !LASTDRIVE=Z - !SET PATH=A:\FREEDOS - !SWITCHES=/F /N - !SHELLHIGH=A:\COMMAND.COM A:\ /D /K A:\FREEDOS\FDAUTO.BAT - !echo=Welcome to FreeDOS (http://www.freedos.org)! 25
HP Dc7800 | BIOS Flash Q&A - Page 26
warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft

Section	Page
BIOS Flash Q&A	1
Introduction	2
What are the files and directories in a BIOS softpaq?	2
In what operating systems can I update the PC BIOS?	4
Will I lose my setup configurations when updating the BIOS?	4
How do I update my PC BIOS in Vista, Windows XP, or 2000?	5
How do I update the BIOS in a DOS environment?	5
How do I update the BIOS when not running Vista, Windows XP, 2000, or DOS?	6
What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQFlash utility?	10
What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQPswd utility?	13
What are the steps necessary to create a bootable floppy for BIOS update?	14
1. Insert a blank, floppy diskette into the PC.	14
2. From Windows Explorer, right-click the 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) drive and choose Format. The Format 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) window appears.	14
3. In the Format Options section, select Create an MS-DOS startup disk. To format the disk, choose Start.	14
What are the steps necessary to create a bootable CD for BIOS update?	14
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. This will 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 “How do I update the BIOS when not running Vista, Windows XP, 2000, or DOS?” on page 6.	15
What are the steps necessary to create a bootable USB flash media for BIOS update?	15
1. 6860x	15
2. 786Ax	15
3. 786Bx	15
4. 786Cx	15
5. 786Dx	15
6. 786Ex	15
7. 786Fx	15
1. Press F10 at boot time to go into Setup.	15
2. Select File > System Information to verify the correct system BIOS.	15
1. Turn off power to the computer.	16
2. Insert the USB flash media device into any of the computer’s USB ports.	16
3. Insert a 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 pressing Enter.	16
6. If prompted, select Yes (Y) to enable Large Disk support and answer Yes to any other questions that appear on the screen.	16
7. Select option number 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...	16
8. Exit out of 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: represents 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....	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 are the steps necessary to use Altiris for BIOS update?	16
1. Copy Flashbin.exe, Adminpw.exe, and BIOS image to the server.	16
2. Create Flash.bat.	16
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 prompt.	17
2. Click Start > Run, and then type cmd.	17
3. Type cd\\express.	17
4. Type cd ROMFlash.	17
5. Type edit flash.bat.	17
6. Type the following, where [Altiris Sever Name] is the name of the server	17
7. Save the file.	17
8. Exit the command prompt.	17
1. Select File > New > Event to create a new event in the Events frame (bottom, left section).	17
2. Type the name of the event: ROM Flash.	17
3. Double click the new event to display an Event Properties form.	17
4. Click Add.	17
5. Select Run Script to display a new form	17
6. Select Run the script from file.	17
7. Click the folder button, which is the button to the right of Run the script from file button and has image of a folder on it.	17
8. Select the file “flash.bat” created in the previous section.	17
9. Click Open.	17
10. Select DOS (from BootWorks).	17
11. Click OK.	17
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 as follows:	18
4. When Aclient is properly installed and the system is connected to the Altiris Console, the Altiris icon in the Windows Taskbar (next to the clock) turns blue.	18
5. On the server:	18
What if the PC does not complete the BIOS flash process?	18
What is a processor microcode update softpaq and how is it used?	19
How can a processor microcode update be executed in Windows?	20
What does the BIOS binary image naming convention indicate?	20
Can the BIOS POST splash screen be modified?	20
How do I update the ME firmware in Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000?	21
How do I update the ME firmware in a DOS environment?	21
What are the steps necessary to use Altiris for ME firmware update?	22
1. Copy FWUpdLcl.exe and ME firmware update image to the server.	22
2. Create MEflash.bat.	22
3. Create the Altiris ME Flash Event.	22
4. Connect the Client PC to the Altiris Console.	22
1. Create a MEFlash folder in the Altiris eXpress folder.	22
2. Copy the following files to the MEFlash folder:	22
1. Open a command box.	22
2. Click Start > Run, and then type cmd.	22
3. Type cd\\express.	22
4. Type cd MEFlash.	22
5. Type edit meflash.bat.	22
6. Type in the following, where [Altiris Sever Name] is the name of the server:	22
7. Save the file.	22
8. Exit the command prompt.	22
1. Select File > New > Event to create a new event in the Events frame (bottom, left section).	22
2. Type in the name of the Event: ME Flash.	22
3. Double-click the new event to display an Event Properties form.	22
4. Click Add.	22
5. Select Run Script to display a new form	22
6. Select Run the script from file.	22
7. Click the folder button, which is the button to the right of Run the script from file button and has image of a folder on it.	23
8. Select the file “meflash.bat” created in the previous section.	23
9. Click Open.	23
10. Select DOS (from BootWorks).	23
11. Click OK.	23
12. The Events Properties Form should show:	23
13. Click OK.	23
1. Connect the client PC to the LAN with the Altiris Server.	23
2. On the client: Access the Altiris eXpress folder on the server.	23
3. Run Aclient.exe, as follows:	23
4. When Aclient is properly installed and the system is connected to the Altiris Console, the Altiris icon in the Windows Taskbar (next to the clock) turns blue.	23
5. On the server:	23
What if the ME firmware does not complete the update process?	23
Can the ME firmware be restored to a previous version after updating?	23
Summary	24
Appendix A - Modifying a DOS boot diskette for Flashbin.exe	24

Match case Limit results 1 per page

BIOS Flash Q&A

Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

What are the files and directories in a BIOS softpaq?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

In what operating systems can I update the PC BIOS?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Will I lose my setup configurations when updating the BIOS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

How do I update my PC BIOS in Vista, Windows XP, or 2000?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How do I update the BIOS in a DOS environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How do I update the BIOS when not running Vista, Windows XP, 2000, or DOS?

. . . . . . . .6

What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQFlash utility?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

What are the steps necessary to execute the HPQPswd utility?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

What are the steps necessary to create a bootable floppy for BIOS update?

. . . . . . . . . . .14

What are the steps necessary to create a bootable CD for BIOS update? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

What steps are necessary to create the BIOS image CD for F10 ROM flash and recovery?

.15

What are the steps necessary to create a bootable USB flash media for BIOS update?

. . . .15

What are the steps necessary to use Altiris for BIOS update?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

What if the PC does not complete the BIOS flash process? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

What is a processor microcode update softpaq and how is it used?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

How can a processor microcode update be executed in Windows?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

What does the BIOS binary image naming convention indicate?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Can the BIOS POST splash screen be modified? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

How do I update the ME firmware in Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000? . . . . . . . . . . 21

How do I update the ME firmware in a DOS environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

What are the steps necessary to use Altiris for ME firmware update? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

What if the ME firmware does not complete the update process?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Can the ME firmware be restored to a previous version after updating? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Appendix A - Modifying a DOS boot diskette for Flashbin.exe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26