Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
2 Posts
0
948388
How can I force a BIOS re-flash?
I have an Inspiron 530s, already at the latest available BIOS (1016). I have a problem[*] which might be fixed by re-flashing the BIOS. However the BIOS upgrade utility (530_1016.EXE) detects that I'm already at the latest version and sensibly refuses to "update". Is there a way I can force the upgrade utility to re-flash the BIOS?
Thanks for any help on this!
*The problem: a pre-release version of the Linux 2.6,27 kernel had a bug that writes over the Non-Volatile RAM used by the e1000e ethernet device. Once this happens, the device stops working, even after a reboot. I had a version of this kernel laying around for testing, and forgot about it until I booted it yesterday and triggered the bug. So the NIC is now broken (even under Windows), and reportedly for e1000e devices which are integrated into the motherboard, reflashing the BIOS may fix the problem by rewriting valid stuff to the NVRAM. In case you wanted to know. ;)
I'm using Ubuntu and Vista32. For gory details on the bug that caused this, see: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/263555
Darrell WV
482 Posts
0
February 23rd, 2009 18:00
Hello Oxbeef,
I have both a 630i and a 730 H2C, and I have reflashed the BIOS on both in the past. I do not know if this will work on your Inspiron 530, but this is the proceedure that I used:
1. Go to Drivers/Downloads and click on the BIOS you want.
2. Click on SAVE, and save to Dell/Downloads/BIOS this file you may have to create on your desktop.
3. Exit you internet, go to your file in Dell/Downloads/BIOS and RIGHT click on the file you are wanting to run
4. Now click "Run as Administrator"
It should reflash now for you.
Best,
Darrell WV
0xbeef
2 Posts
0
February 23rd, 2009 18:00
Thanks for the suggestion Darrell WV. I did try that, but unfortunately when I run the BIOS installer (under Vista, of course), the installer checks the version of the existing BIOS, and gives an error message saying that BIOS is already installed. I also tried installing an older BIOS, but likewise it gives a message saying that it won't install the old one since I have a newer one. So I either have to wait until a newer BIOS comes out for the 530s, or bypass this check somehow. That's what I'm hoping to do here, if anyone knows how.
In the old days you could put a .BIN file on a DOS-bootable floppy with the flasher executable, and run it from a command line, with arguments and options. This modern version is all wrapped in a Windows executable and doesn't seem to take any command line arguments.
Herrerarivera
1 Message
0
October 27th, 2011 21:00
Run an elevated command prompt, say you have the .exe on your desktop:
C:/users/yourname/desktop/I530-1016.exe /forceit
that will let you install any version of bios, downgrade or upgrade or same grade.
Of course download the version you want first.
ivikasrana
3 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2013 02:00
Hi,
How can this be done on Vostro 1450, I also need a force BIOS re-flash but the above don't work on Vostros.. Getting Invalid command with /forceit command argument.
Pls help
Queebo
5 Posts
0
May 18th, 2015 08:00
filename.exe /s /f
this will do a silent install and force it. You can get a list of all the switches by typing filename.exe /? or /h
RoHe
10 Elder
10 Elder
•
44.4K Posts
0
May 18th, 2015 11:00
Why are you responding to a thread that was started in 2009?
shesagordie
10 Elder
10 Elder
•
46K Posts
0
May 18th, 2015 12:00
This thread has been locked due to it's age, if you have a similar issue, please use the 'New Post' feature at the top of this page and start a new thread.
Bev.