Charlietoo
asked on
Making a Bootable CD to flash BIOS w/o floppy drive.
Hi, Just Purchased a Dell Inspron 8200 with out a floppy drive. In the future, if i should want to update BIOS or Load files that download and extract to bootable floppies, there would be a problem with out a floppy drive.
Yep, I know that a floppy drive is pretty cheep, but looks like it may be obsolete some day soon. So why buy something you'll probably throw away in a year or too. This is why I want to learn to make bootable CD's to flash BIOS etc. w/o a floppy drive. I think that a bootable floppy image on the hard drive could be the answer. But I don't know how to make the image for one thing.
The computer is a P4 2g with XP and easy cd creator 5.xx.
So if some one out there has the time to answer this it will greatly appreciated. I am saying this question is easy, however it isn't for me, but for you it may be quiet simple.
Charlie
Yep, I know that a floppy drive is pretty cheep, but looks like it may be obsolete some day soon. So why buy something you'll probably throw away in a year or too. This is why I want to learn to make bootable CD's to flash BIOS etc. w/o a floppy drive. I think that a bootable floppy image on the hard drive could be the answer. But I don't know how to make the image for one thing.
The computer is a P4 2g with XP and easy cd creator 5.xx.
So if some one out there has the time to answer this it will greatly appreciated. I am saying this question is easy, however it isn't for me, but for you it may be quiet simple.
Charlie
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I'm pretty sure that Dell provide BIOS upgrades which don't require a floppy drive to function, so you shouldn't have a problem.
ASKER
PJKNIBBS: I have been all over the Dell Knowledge base and Forum and have not found such an item. There is one example of booting from hard drive, but everyone says it dangerous. Charlietoo
Iqtox: I had visited nu2.nu/bootcd already, but it sounded complicated, and i didn't know if the site could be trusted. Charlietoo
Iqtox: I had visited nu2.nu/bootcd already, but it sounded complicated, and i didn't know if the site could be trusted. Charlietoo
ASKER
kiranghag Don't forgit that I do not have a floppy drive.
u can make it at some other machine if possible
or u can download floppy images from www.bootdisk.com
or u can download floppy images from www.bootdisk.com
ASKER
Iqtox, after reading a good bit of Bart's site I have come to the opinion that his is the best way to go. Thanks
You're welcome. Best of luck.
copy the flash utility on it alongwith a backup of your current bios image.
all of the good burning softwares support creating a boot cdrom.
they will ask for the image while burning. at that time pop in the floppy and let it read from the floppy.
then, the software will create a bootable cdrom that will boot as if you are booting from the floppy u had created.
tips on creating bootable flash rescue floppy can be obtained from www.wimsbios.com.
create a floppy and go...