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12-17-2005, 12:37 PM
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#1 | | Junior
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 168
Rep Power: 3  | How often do you need to flash your BIOS?
This is one thing I've only done once, and that's because a specific error came up, and after I flashed my BIOS, it took care of it.
My question is is this something that one needs to do on a regular basis or just when a problem occurs with major functions?
Also, does anybody have a simple procedure in doing so? | 
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12-17-2005, 12:41 PM
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#2 | | Professor
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,208
Rep Power: 6 | Re: How often do you need to flash your BIOS?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by compnut Also, does anybody have a simple procedure in doing so? | I've thought about writing this up, but I always run into one problem.
The procedure to flash BIOS if different for every BIOS manufacturer.
It's even worse for firmware, where the procedure is different for every hardware manufacturer -- and even different for the same hardware manufacturer over time. | |
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12-17-2005, 04:27 PM
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#3 | | Junior
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 188
Rep Power: 3 | What are the benefits of flashing your BIOS? I've never heard of it. | |
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12-17-2005, 06:23 PM
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#4 | | Professor
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,208
Rep Power: 6 | It's just updating your BIO to the latest revision, to fix bugs or to add new features. | |
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12-18-2005, 01:03 AM
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#5 | | Junior
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 161
Rep Power: 3 | Im ashamed to say that I have never flashed my BIOS.
In the 5 or so years I have been building computers for myself, this is about the only step I have not taken.
I have always been happy the way my computers are, and I figure why risk losing everything my flashing the BIOS... | |
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12-18-2005, 03:38 AM
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#6 | | Junior
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 161
Rep Power: 3 | It is not so risky to flash the BIOS anymore. Its now just a matter of running a program usually, in the old days I think you used to have to do all sorts of funky command line stuff, with big risk of ruining the whole motherboard. | |
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12-18-2005, 04:56 PM
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#7 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 148
Rep Power: 3 | I am still scared to try it!
I have heard horror stories of people frying their motherboards while trying to flash the BIOS.
I have on idea how that can happen, but if you ask me its too much of a risk!
Thats why I like motherboards that have dual BIOS - they are a good backup 
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01-08-2006, 03:42 AM
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#8 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
Rep Power: 3 | Nothing a little warranty can't take care of | |
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01-16-2006, 09:07 PM
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#9 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Rep Power: 3 | I've never had to flash my BIOS for any reason. My computer works fine as it is for 3 years, why bother fixing something that isn't broke? | |
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03-05-2006, 06:24 PM
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#10 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 73
Rep Power: 3 | Haven't flashed my BIOS either, like the previous poster said, why fix something that isn't broken? | |
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03-11-2006, 08:05 PM
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#11 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hell, Underworld
Posts: 75
Rep Power: 3 | same for me, don't need to or want to flash my BIOS
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03-13-2006, 05:12 AM
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#12 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 86
Rep Power: 3 | There usually isn't a need to flash your BIOS for no reason, so I just leave it be. | |
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03-23-2006, 07:51 PM
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#13 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 94
Rep Power: 3 | Never, I haven't had a need to flash my BIOS. | |
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06-12-2006, 04:54 PM
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#14 | | Freshman
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 9
Rep Power: 0 | I have flashed mine a couple times. But basically if you aint having comp issues, DONT do it! If it goes wrong you might be buying a new mobo  | |
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06-13-2006, 06:33 AM
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#15 | | Freshman
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29
Rep Power: 0 | Flashing the BIOS is a much safer and simpler procedure now than it was ten years ago. The majority of applications now actually check the motherboard/BIOS you are flashing to ensure they are compatable.
There are still minor risks of course, and not all flashing processes are bulletproof. However, if you get the correct flash for your BIOS and follow the instructions to the T, then you will be fine.
As for having not flashed a BIOS before, I wouldn't worry about it. Although you may get a little extra stability or a modicum of extra speed, the vast majority of boards go through their entire lives having never had a BIOS update. Unless something is broken or there is a specific extra feature you need, there really is very little point in flashing the BIOS on a regular basis.
It's a good experience to have under your belt, as you may well need to do it in order to repair a damaged BIOS in the future, but the process today is nothing like the hair-raising experience from the early 90's. Then you REALLY didn't want to try it with the wrong version! | |
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09-04-2006, 12:31 AM
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#16 | | Freshman
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: TASMANIA/HOBART
Posts: 23
Rep Power: 0 | good reason for flashing bios
good reason to flash your bios is upping your agp speed from 4x to 8x which i tryd to do but there was no new one for mine  ive also heard about alot of mobo's being fryd and was told to turn off all power in house at meter box apart from what you need to run computer | |
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09-04-2006, 01:31 AM
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#17 | | Professor
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,208
Rep Power: 6 | Quote: |
Originally Posted by DEATHNARG ive also heard about alot of mobo's being fryd and was told to turn off all power in house at meter box apart from what you need to run computer | That would not earn me points with my wife! :lol: | |
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09-20-2006, 05:40 PM
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#18 | | Freshman
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 5
Rep Power: 0 | I have had issues with some motherboards and cpu combo's you get from the online stores. They are dumping the products and because the parts are warehoused somewhere the seller does not check them for updates. In any event I have had to flash motherboards on quite a few of what I call tech changeovers when a new line comes out, Athlon, P4, 64 bit, and the hardware,cpu, video card, memory, are developed after the motherboards. Even thow the manual says the specific part is compatable there may be improvements that the motherboard manufacturer didn't setup in the bios. Then you have to flash in order to use the board. once everything is working I say leave it be. I have seen a flash make things worse with no change to hardware but then if you saves the old bios (always save the original just in case) you can restore it.
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09-23-2006, 07:33 PM
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#19 | | Sophomore
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 65
Rep Power: 3 | I only flash as a last resort. If it aint broke, I dont attempt to fix it
I did have a BSOD issue last year that was resolved by a flash...
But be careful
Things can go terribly wrong in a "flash"
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