Thinkpad BIOS flash problem

I need to reflash the bios on an IBM Thinkpad 770E. However, this
particular computer has a bad main battery, and the flash program won't
run if the battery is bad, missing or not fully charged.

I seem to recall that there is a command line switch to over-ride this
feature, but I don't know what it is.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Ok, found it myself. You have to start the flash program manually after
booting from a general purpose DOS disk with no autoexec.bat or
config.sys files at all (the real issue is that there must be no
extended or expanded memory drivers, no Himem.sys and no EMM386), then
manually run the flash program with a /U switch. Not pretty, clean or
safe (you are bypassing ALL of the safety checks) but it does work.


Barry Watzman wrote:

> I need to reflash the bios on an IBM Thinkpad 770E. However, this
> particular computer has a bad main battery, and the flash program won't
> run if the battery is bad, missing or not fully charged.
>
> I seem to recall that there is a command line switch to over-ride this
> feature, but I don't know what it is.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks

Dear Barry

this sounds interesting.

do you know how I can create such a general DOS boot dik, without
autoexec.bat not config.sys? I could then try the /U trick.

thanks a lot,

poshfunk @ gmail . com


Barry Watzman wrote:
> Ok, found it myself. You have to start the flash program manually after
> booting from a general purpose DOS disk with no autoexec.bat or
> config.sys files at all (the real issue is that there must be no
> extended or expanded memory drivers, no Himem.sys and no EMM386), then
> manually run the flash program with a /U switch. Not pretty, clean or
> safe (you are bypassing ALL of the safety checks) but it does work.
>
>
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>
> > I need to reflash the bios on an IBM Thinkpad 770E. However, this
> > particular computer has a bad main battery, and the flash program won't
> > run if the battery is bad, missing or not fully charged.
> >
> > I seem to recall that there is a command line switch to over-ride this
> > feature, but I don't know what it is.
> >
> > Can anyone help?
> >
> > Thanks

poshfunk <> wrote:
> do you know how I can create such a general DOS boot dik, without
> autoexec.bat not config.sys? I could then try the /U trick.

Eh? If you don't want an autoexec.bat, don't write one! Config.sys is
not obligatory either, is it?

Are you asking "how do I make a dos boot disk"? Well, you either use
the dos command that does that (sys.exe?), or you do it yourself - which
means formatting a diskette and copying the couple of system files
required to it with copy.exe and marking them hidden and system with
attrib.exe. I don't recall the names of those two. msdos.sys?
kernel.sys? Something like that. And you can add command.com for good
luck.

Peter

Thanks.

this laptop has no floppy, I need to make a bootable CDROM instead. I
guess Nero might do it...I hope so at least!

further, I wonder which file exactly flashes the BIOS. On the thinkpad
BIOS flashing CD there are many .exe, with no obvious name...

thanks anyway,

pfk

Find a system running Windows 98SE, boot to command prompt only
(MS-DOS), then:

C:\>Format A:/s

That will create the bootable system disk. If there is an autoexec.bat
or config.sys, erase them.


poshfunk wrote:
> Dear Barry
>
> this sounds interesting.
>
> do you know how I can create such a general DOS boot dik, without
> autoexec.bat not config.sys? I could then try the /U trick.
>
> thanks a lot,
>
> poshfunk @ gmail . com
>
>
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>
>>Ok, found it myself. You have to start the flash program manually after
>>booting from a general purpose DOS disk with no autoexec.bat or
>>config.sys files at all (the real issue is that there must be no
>>extended or expanded memory drivers, no Himem.sys and no EMM386), then
>>manually run the flash program with a /U switch. Not pretty, clean or
>>safe (you are bypassing ALL of the safety checks) but it does work.
>>
>>
>>Barry Watzman wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I need to reflash the bios on an IBM Thinkpad 770E. However, this
>>>particular computer has a bad main battery, and the flash program won't
>>>run if the battery is bad, missing or not fully charged.
>>>
>>>I seem to recall that there is a command line switch to over-ride this
>>>feature, but I don't know what it is.
>>>
>>>Can anyone help?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>
>

Barry,

Thanks...but my 600E has no floppy. I will need to make a bootable CD.

Also, another problem I face is that I don't know which file exactly
has to be run with the /U option. I made a bootable flashing CDROM
once...and this has many .exe files, like updtrom.exe, flash2.exe,
etc...

do you remember which file you launched with the /U option (assuming
it's the same on the 600E...)

thanks a lot for your help,

pfk

On 2 Nov 2005 07:55:39 -0800, poshfunk wrote:

>this laptop has no floppy, I need to make a bootable CDROM instead. I
>guess Nero might do it...I hope so at least!

http://www.bootdisk.com/



Lars
Stockholm