HP Vectra VLi 8, Supplementary Manual

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41
1 Troubleshooting Your PC
BIOS Problems
BIOS Problems
Many problems with your PC can be solved by updating (flashing) the
PC’s BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The BIOS is a set of program
routines that gives the PC its fundamental operational characteristics.
Updating Your PC’s BIOS
Updating (flashing) your BIOS is a simple procedure that involves
booting your PC from a floppy disk containing the new BIOS.
The latest BIOS for your PC along with instructions on updating can be
downloaded from HP’s Support Web site at:
www.hp.com/go/vectrasupport
.
Recovering from a BIOS Update Failure
Although the BIOS update (flashing) process is very well protected,
there is always the possibility of a failure. This may occur, for example,
if there is a power failure while the BIOS is being updated. To avoid
having to replace the system board due to corrupted EEPROM, follow
this recovery procedure to restore the contents of EEPROM:
1 Create a bootable flo ppy disk in MS-DOS by typing
format a: /s
.
2 Copy the BIOS image you require (for example,
hyxxxx.ful
, where
xxxx
corresponds to the BIOS revision number), and
phlash.exe
and
platform.bin
onto the bootable floppy disk.
3 Add the following line to the floppy’s
AUTOEXEC.BAT
file:
phlash /c /mode=3 hyxxxx.ful
.
4 Remove the PC’s cover and set system board switch 1 (BIOS Crisis
Recovery) to ON. See “System Board Switches” on page 126.
5 Replace the PC’s cover and insert the floppy disk into the
floppy drive.
6 Power on the PC to flash the BIOS.
When this process is complete, you will hear a long beep.