Chapter 6: The BIOS and the Boot Process^127
safe place for them, you may want to try it. That is, of course, if you feel it is absolutely
necessary to set the user and supervisor passwords in the first place.BIOS Updates and Flash BIOS
On most older systems, if you wanted to upgrade the BIOS, you had to replace the ROM
BIOS chip. This involved physically removing the old BIOS ROM chip and replacing it
with a new ROM chip, containing the new BIOS version. The potential for errors and adding
new problems into the PC, including ESD (electrostatic discharge), bent pins, damage to
the motherboard, and more, was very high. The danger was so great that to avoid the
stress and the problems, many people simply upgraded to a new computer.
The EEPROM (flash ROM), flash BIOS, andflashingsoon replaced the PROM and
EPROM as the primary container for BIOS programs. Some motherboards still require
the physical replacement of the BIOS PROM, but most newer platforms support flash
BIOS and flashing. Flashing is the process used to upgrade your BIOS under the control
of specialized flashing software. Any BIOS provider that supports a flash BIOS version
hasflashingsoftwareandupdatefilesavailableeitherbydisk(CD-ROMordiskette)oras
a downloadable module from its Web site.
There are really only four things you need to update your PC’s BIOS by flashing: a
flash BIOS; the right serial number and version information, which is used to find the
right upgrade files; the flashing software; and the appropriate flash upgrade files.Flashing Dangers
Flashing a BIOS is an excellent way to upgrade your PC to add new features and correct
old problems, provided there are no problems while you are doing it. Once you begin
flashing your BIOS ROM, you must complete the process, without exception. Otherwise,
the result will be a corrupted and unusable BIOS. If for any reason the flashing process is
interrupted, such as somebody trips over the PC’s power cord or there is a power failure
at that exact moment, the probability of a corrupted BIOS chip is high.
Loading the wrong BIOS version is another way to corrupt your BIOS. Not all manufac-
turers include safety features to prevent this from happening in their flashing software.
However, flashing software from the larger BIOS companies, the ones you are most likely to
be using, such as Award and AMI, include features to double-check the flash file’s version
against the motherboard model, processor, and chipset and warn you of any mismatches.Dealing with a Corrupt BIOS
Corrupting your BIOS may put you in the proverbial Catch-22. Your PC will not boot
without a clean BIOS and you have to boot the PC to reflash the BIOS. In spite of the
potential dangers, the process of flashing your BIOS usually involves just a few seconds
during which the risk of catastrophic disaster striking are pretty slim.