This BIOS Update documentation will demonstrate how to update a computer’s BIOS that may be required in order to fix computer bugs or add new features to your system. It is important that you have a specific reason for updating your BIOS, doing so when there is no need is an unwanted risk that should not be taken into consideration. Usually, a motherboard or computer manufacturer will tell you if an update for your system is required. Additionally, if you have a greater knowledge of your PC and want to modify your BIOS to achieve a specific goal, consider making an inquiry in our Forum.

The first thing to identify when updating your BIOS is what platform you’re system uses; the most common being Award, AMI, and Phoenix, which we will go into further detail later.

To identify what platform your BIOS uses, check to see if any of these logos appear on bootup:

Award BIOS EPA Logo

AMI Boot Logo

If none of these images help you identify your motherboard BIOS company, the easiest way to check this information is by using identification tools such as Everest or CPUID, or simply consult your manual or OEM manufacturer.

After you have determined the BIOS type, you can use the corresponding methods listed below. We will also review situations where the manufacturer provides the easy “one click” solution.

The “One Click” Solution: This is a term that refers to computer companies that package BIOS updates that are designed to be run in Windows without any hassle. If you are simply trying to update to the latest BIOS version released from a computer manufacturer and are not computer savvy, please download the package found on your support page (only applies for prebuilt systems!) A generic list of links to support pages is listed below:

Acer | ASUS | Dell | eMachines | Gateway | HP | Lenovo | Toshiba

If you do not fall under the one click category, then its time to prepare a bootable USB flashdrive that we will use to boot DOS. This is needed to run the FLASH routine.

Download the HP USB disk format tool and install it.

Once installed, open the utility and select the USB flashdrive to format. Below, tick the bubble for creating an MSDOS startup disk. It will then want you to point it to a DOS image folder. You will need to download and unzip this DOS image (do NOT use your own DOS image) here. Once it has completed formatting your drive, open up the USB flashdrive in My Computer. Verify that there are only three files on the USB flashdrive. Be sure to unhide hidden and system files so that you can be sure that there are only three files. If you see three DOS files, you are ready for the next phase.

Copy the BIOS update image that you want to flash to the USB flashdrive (If you are unsure of where to get this, please post in our forums). For the Award platform, the BIOS file should be named “bios.bin”; for AMI, it should be named “bios.rom”; and for Phoenix, it should be named “bios.bin”

The final preparation stage needed for our USB flashdrive is the flash utility itself, which varies according to the platform. According to your platform, download the appropriate utility to your flash drive below.

Award BIOS= Award Flash

AMI BIOS= AFUDOS

Phoenix BIOS= PHLASH

Finally, reboot your computer and select your USB flashdrive as you boot DOS. Then, enter the following command based on your BIOS: (for a complete list of switches, consult our forums)

AWARD= awdflash  bios.bin  /py /sn /f /cc /r

AMI= afudos bios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /Q /REBOOT

PHOENIX=phlash bios.bin

While the update is in progress, do NOT touch your keyboard or turn off your PC. Avoid doing this while there is a possibility of a power outage as well.

If you followed all of these steps correctly, then your computer will successfully reboot with the updated BIOS!

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