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7136
January 16th, 2004 16:00
BIOS Version
XPS266 F9KYY Windows 98
Back in late 1998 or early 1999 I updated my BIOS from A08 to A09 with the flash BIOS download. On bootup, from that time till present, the new BIOS version A09 was displayed momentarily on the screen.
I recently had to restore my registry and now when booting up, Version A08 now appears at the top of the screen.
How do I know which one I am using? Is there any BIOS information in my computer (other than a screen message on startup) or a Dell system configuation check that will indicate which version I am running?
A Windows 98 website (Windows 98 Registry Hacks, or something like that) provided this registry tip:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\enum\Root\*PNP0C01\0000
However, the data I read there reflects the original system configuration at the time I purchased the computer.
BIOS date 03/26/98
BIOS version Phoenix BIOS 4.0 Rel 6.0
Where does the screen message come from? Where is the source? The file?
And finally, if there is no way to know for sure which version I am using, should I upgrade again to version A09 or just leave the BIOS alone? (I don't remember what the update was for--and probably no one at Dell knows now either.)
Thanks for any replies,
Ken
volcano11
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28K Posts
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January 16th, 2004 17:00
Since the BIOS is stored on a chip on your motherboard and the registry is stored on your hard drive, they never touch each other. In other words any software changes (on your hard drive) cannot affect your BIOS.
To see which BIOS is installed, go into the BIOS setup program by hitting the Delete key immediately after your system is powered on. The Dell BIOS version (which is the one that counts) will be shown at the top of the screen. The Phoenix BIOS version is the base version of the BIOS that Dell modifies for use in their computers.
Steve
Ken Baker
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January 17th, 2004 17:00
Steve, I doubt if there are many XPS D266 computers in use now so probably most readers just skipped over my post. I appreciate your reply.
Thanks for clarification on the BIOS ROM chip. I know it sets various parameters initially and then the OS takes over. I guess its code writes the version number onto the screen, and, as you say, we can't access it to read it. I did find some data in my old Dell archives of the A09s improvements to the system above the A08. But at this point, I don't know if I will download it again (1.54 BIOS update as A09 was called).
To see which BIOS is installed, go into the BIOS setup program by hitting the Delete key immediately after your system is powered on. The Dell BIOS version (which is the one that counts) will be shown at the top of the screen. I now see Version A08 appear at the top of screen, instead of A09 on bootup (I don't need to hit the delete key).
Did you know about that registry key that displays the BIOS version? It's not much help though, unfortunately, for my purpose, because, as you pointed out, there is no interface between the two.
Thanks again, Ken
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