P3V4X BIOS flash - how to do it??

**Bartender** · 11-23-2005, 08:27 PM

Good day -
You guys helped me out a few months ago when I needed some guidance flashing the BIOS for my P5GDC-V. With the P5GDC-V I ended up using ASUS EZ FLash. It worked great. Now I'm back with more dumb BIOS flash questions. This time my problem child is a P3V4X, an older motherboard that apparently offers fewer methods for flashing.
A friend gave me this computer, with BIOS rev. 1004 on it. I want to turn it into an Ubuntu Linux testbed. Before installing Ubuntu I'd really like to flash the BIOS to the latest version, 1006.04 according to the ASUS website. I downloaded 1006.04, the latest version of ASUSFLASH, and the manual from the same download page.
That's where the problems start. Apparently nobody's looked at the manual for a few years because it talks about using ONE floppy to make a boot disc. My P5GDC-V manual says four for W2K.
I don't know how to get to the DOS prompt (ASUS and the Windows help files don't say) so I loaded W2K to this machine just so I could run thru the boot disc procedure. Two problems - one, there's not enuf room on the fourth floppy for the 1006.04 BIOS & ASUSFLASH, and two, it didn't matter cause the computer started loading W2K as soon as it went thru the four floppies anyway.
So, how the heckfire do I flash the BIOS? I know this is much easier than I'm making it out to be, so will someone please tell me what I'm missing?
Thanks very much!

**oldmn** · 11-23-2005, 08:50 PM

You can downlod a boot disk from here just for flashing you bios.
http://www.bootdisk.com/

**Bartender** · 11-24-2005, 05:01 AM

Hi, oldmn -
Thanks very much for the reply. Formatting a floppy right now for "drd.flash" and will try that after I drink enuf coffee.

**Bartender** · 11-24-2005, 05:06 AM

Uh, oh, I'd better ask this before totally screwing things up since I'm now venturing down a path for which I have no written directions - it looks like there's enuf room on the floppy for ASUSFLASH and the 1006.04 BIOS. Do I need to put those on the floppy also?

**linderman** · 11-24-2005, 05:10 AM

Bartender >>> you must then copy the unzipped bios file and aflash utility to the prepared floppy / after that is accomplished / then you boot the computer with the floppy in the drive / your boot order should and needs to be set at FLOPPY drive first boot device. if this is so / then you machine will boot into DOS thanks to DRDFLASH >> at which point you will get an A: prompt simply type the flash command found in your instructions or mobo manual and away you go >> very easy And by the way >>>> this method is the premier method as far as I am concerned, I have NEVER fragged a bios using the DOS updating utilities / I surely cant say that abouyt EZ-Bios or lice update !!!! both of those gave me a devine and wonderful experience removing bios chips and getting them reflashed !!!

Loads of fun / almost on par with a hit on the thumb with a hammer !!

let us now how you progress & dont hesitate to ask questions >>>>

regards

joe

**Bartender** · 11-24-2005, 07:39 AM

Hi again, oldmn and - um - Mr. linderman, sir, please don't send dat ol debbil afta me ...
I was offline while linderman was writing the expanded instructions, pulling my hair out wondering why the downloaded drdflash was giving me weird messages about writing to floppy. Duh.
What I did was I just downloaded the drdflash package, copied it to a floppy, added ASUSFLASH and 1006.004, and then went out to the shop with my magic floppy to do the deed on the other machine with the P3V4X motherboard. It didn't work of course, so I got back online, googled "drdflash", and found some comments about how to expand the download. Well, of course. It's funny how the first time I do something like this it's so nerve-wracking, then it's like, "Oh, yeah, I could do this all day, just line those old P3V4X's up on the workdesk!"
Thanks very much, guys, it worked like a charm, after the flash the ASUS screen said to power down, then go into BIOS and set the defaults so you know the update took. I did that, hit the F5 key to set defaults, then powered down again and re-entered the BIOS to dink with a couple of small settings. Group hug!

**Bartender** · 11-24-2005, 07:49 AM

Hi, again -
linderman, I appreciate your comments regarding how best to flash...I'll definitely print and file this discussion for future reference. Flashing is scary enuf and if this is the way that you've found to be rock-solid then that's all I need to know.

**linderman** · 11-24-2005, 09:25 AM

Bartender:

thanks for the feedback >>> happy to hear all is well !!

you should really enjoy that board >>> it maybe an oldey >> bit its one of the best boards I have used in my lifetime and I have been thru a pile !!!

happy Turkey Day >>> and I'll take an Absolute with 7-up

joe

a40961 · 03-03-2008, 05:35 PM

THANK YOU THANK YOU. 4 friggin hrs searching technet with NO RESULTS. 2 minutes on this forum, I HAVE MY ANSWER!

BIOS is flashed. Machine is better. User is HAPPY!

11-23-2005, 08:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	P3V4X BIOS flash - how to do it?? Good day - You guys helped me out a few months ago when I needed some guidance flashing the BIOS for my P5GDC-V. With the P5GDC-V I ended up using ASUS EZ FLash. It worked great. Now I'm back with more dumb BIOS flash questions. This time my problem child is a P3V4X, an older motherboard that apparently offers fewer methods for flashing. A friend gave me this computer, with BIOS rev. 1004 on it. I want to turn it into an Ubuntu Linux testbed. Before installing Ubuntu I'd really like to flash the BIOS to the latest version, 1006.04 according to the ASUS website. I downloaded 1006.04, the latest version of ASUSFLASH, and the manual from the same download page. That's where the problems start. Apparently nobody's looked at the manual for a few years because it talks about using ONE floppy to make a boot disc. My P5GDC-V manual says four for W2K. I don't know how to get to the DOS prompt (ASUS and the Windows help files don't say) so I loaded W2K to this machine just so I could run thru the boot disc procedure. Two problems - one, there's not enuf room on the fourth floppy for the 1006.04 BIOS & ASUSFLASH, and two, it didn't matter cause the computer started loading W2K as soon as it went thru the four floppies anyway. So, how the heckfire do I flash the BIOS? I know this is much easier than I'm making it out to be, so will someone please tell me what I'm missing? Thanks very much!

11-23-2005, 08:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
oldmn TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gig Harbor Wa Posts: 2,150 OS: XP Pro SP3 X 3 My System	You can downlod a boot disk from here just for flashing you bios. http://www.bootdisk.com/ __________________ AVG \| MEMTEST86 \| Zone Alarm \| XXCLONE \| Adaware \| Beyond Compare \| Everest If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Sorry no PM's for problems.[/center]

11-24-2005, 05:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,429 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Bartender >>> you must then copy the unzipped bios file and aflash utility to the prepared floppy / after that is accomplished / then you boot the computer with the floppy in the drive / your boot order should and needs to be set at FLOPPY drive first boot device. if this is so / then you machine will boot into DOS thanks to DRDFLASH >> at which point you will get an A: prompt simply type the flash command found in your instructions or mobo manual and away you go >> very easy And by the way >>>> this method is the premier method as far as I am concerned, I have NEVER fragged a bios using the DOS updating utilities / I surely cant say that abouyt EZ-Bios or lice update !!!! both of those gave me a devine and wonderful experience removing bios chips and getting them reflashed !!! Loads of fun / almost on par with a hit on the thumb with a hammer !! let us now how you progress & dont hesitate to ask questions >>>> regards joe __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-24-2005, 09:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,429 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Bartender: thanks for the feedback >>> happy to hear all is well !! you should really enjoy that board >>> it maybe an oldey >> bit its one of the best boards I have used in my lifetime and I have been thru a pile !!! happy Turkey Day >>> and I'll take an Absolute with 7-up joe __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

03-03-2008, 05:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
a40961 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 2 OS: W2k SP4 (2), XP Pro (2), VISTA Home Pro (2)	Re: P3V4X BIOS flash - how to do it?? THANK YOU THANK YOU. 4 friggin hrs searching technet with NO RESULTS. 2 minutes on this forum, I HAVE MY ANSWER! BIOS is flashed. Machine is better. User is HAPPY!

11-24-2005, 05:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Hi, oldmn - Thanks very much for the reply. Formatting a floppy right now for "drd.flash" and will try that after I drink enuf coffee.

11-24-2005, 05:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Uh, oh, I'd better ask this before totally screwing things up since I'm now venturing down a path for which I have no written directions - it looks like there's enuf room on the floppy for ASUSFLASH and the 1006.04 BIOS. Do I need to put those on the floppy also?

11-24-2005, 07:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Hi again, oldmn and - um - Mr. linderman, sir, please don't send dat ol debbil afta me ... I was offline while linderman was writing the expanded instructions, pulling my hair out wondering why the downloaded drdflash was giving me weird messages about writing to floppy. Duh. What I did was I just downloaded the drdflash package, copied it to a floppy, added ASUSFLASH and 1006.004, and then went out to the shop with my magic floppy to do the deed on the other machine with the P3V4X motherboard. It didn't work of course, so I got back online, googled "drdflash", and found some comments about how to expand the download. Well, of course. It's funny how the first time I do something like this it's so nerve-wracking, then it's like, "Oh, yeah, I could do this all day, just line those old P3V4X's up on the workdesk!" Thanks very much, guys, it worked like a charm, after the flash the ASUS screen said to power down, then go into BIOS and set the defaults so you know the update took. I did that, hit the F5 key to set defaults, then powered down again and re-entered the BIOS to dink with a couple of small settings. Group hug!

11-24-2005, 07:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Hi, again - linderman, I appreciate your comments regarding how best to flash...I'll definitely print and file this discussion for future reference. Flashing is scary enuf and if this is the way that you've found to be rock-solid then that's all I need to know.