Convert floppy files!

[james1411]

hello everyone

 

I have a dell dimension 2400 (windows xp home) and i am currently in the middle of installing a new graphics card. To do this i need to update my system bios. I have downloaded a bios update from dell.com but the file is deigned to be read by a floppy drive. The only problem is i dont have have a floppy drive on my pc:confused: This is the message i get when i try to open the file...

 

BIOS : Dell Dimension System BIOS

Version A05

For

Dimension : 2400

Languages : English

 

This program contains one floppy disk image

 

This program could not find a floppy drive on this system.

 

...is there anything i can do to solve this and update my bios??

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[Tootech]

Hi James,

 

Perhaps the easiest way to sort this is to buy a floppy drive/cable and disks.

 

There's a way of extracting the image to a Virtual Floppy drive, and then copying the executable to a bootable USB drive.

 

I had a go at creating one, and it gets a bit tricky, and when flashing the BIOS the last thing you need is unanswered questions or an oversight leaving it half flashed and unbootable.

 

I'd do it the easy way :)

[starams5]

Hi

 

You can also flash your bios from a CD. I use this method for downflashing (which ASUS bios tools does not support). See link below and go down the page to "Need to flash your bios on a PC with no 1.44", download the ISO image. Do not extract the file from the ISO or it will become non-bootable. Simply open it with UltraISO, MagicISO, etc; and drag your bios rom and bios update utility inside and "Save". Burn it to a CD. When you boot to the image a screen will appear telling you where the files are, example: a:\CD Files r:\BIOS Utility. Hit continue and it will take you to an a:\ prompt. Now change the drive to "r", type "r:" w/o quotes and press enter. Now type in your bios utility, example: r:\awdflash and press enter. Type in your bios rom and your all set.

 

Flashing with the USB stick is much safer, only use the CD method if you have no other options. Not all motherboards support flashing by USB and not all USB sticks are bootable, however you can make it bootable with the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool which solves that problem.

 

Need to flash your bios on a PC with no 1.44

[james1411]

Thanks

 

Thanks guys but i have chosen to buy a new pc now. Im fed up with this 1 always going wrong. Hopefully i wont have problems with the new one:p

[maynardvdm]

Well thats an even easier way LOL :D

[wellies]

Some things are just 'the last straw'. I remember getting another car because a brake light bulb went in the car I'd had for a few years. :)

 

Regarding BIOS updates, I once had trouble with this (chose the wrong file I think) and ended up not being able to boot the computer. I found someone on the Internet offering ready-flashed chips for a price and sorted it out that way. A good job I had a spare computer.

 

I hope you and your new computer will spend many happy years together james1411. :)