Can't extract BIOS without correct machine (which is dead)

Question

My hard drive crashed. I have since purchased a new hard drive and am trying to install Windows XP. It is known by looking at the BIOS updates that I need at least I1100A32 which addresses an issue in booting the CD Drive. Sure enough, with my BIOS version of I1100A22, I am unable to boot to the floppy drive thereby making it impossible to install XP.

In order to upgrade the BIOS I download the I1100A32.exe file which should self-extract and prompt me to create the bootable floppy. Instead, however, I get an error message saying unsupported system. This is obviously the case because I can't boot my Inspiron 1100 since it has no OS which means I've having to use a different machine. Unfortunately I don't have another laptop laying around so I can extract the BIOS files.

So now you see my problem. I can't install XP with upgrading the BIOS, but I can't upgrade the BIOS without creating the bootable floppy disk, but I can't create the bootable floppy disk because it's the wrong machine and the correct machine needed to create the bootable floppy disk is the machine without an operating system.

Please HELP!

earlr1 · Answer

In the first paragraph that should read, 'boot to the CD drive thereby making it impossible to install XP.'

bacillus · Answer

What happens if you tap F12 at startup? Do you get the one off boot menu and if so what happens if you select CD-ROM?

earlr1 · Answer

I am able to access the one time boot menu by hitting F12 during bootup and I do indeed see the CD drive as an option. However, if I select it acts as if it's trying to boot to the CD but doesn't do anything.

I've eliminated there being a problem with the CD as I've used it on another machine after I'm unable to boot to it with the laptop. When I had XP on my machine I was able to completely use my CD drive which makes me believe there are no hardware failures with the drive.

jackshack · Answer

The format of the bios flash listed on the download site is for execution from within Windows or direct placement on a bootable floppy. I tried to find the version that makes the floppy disk executable but could not. Perhaps a more knowledgable user will figure out the path. The only way I can imagine that would help in your situation is to find another I 1100 and borrow the hard drive. If it boots, you could then use the flash bios file that you have.

Good luck!

earlr1 · Answer

Now you see my pain. Unfortunately I don't have another 1100 laying around. Thanks for the help though! I'm still waiting on a Dell response to say 'Hey you're right, we made a mistake. This is a bad idea.'

jackshack · Answer

Do you have a machine running a version of Win 9x?  Or perhaps just MS DOS?  If you have a floppy drive you could place the bios flash on an emergency boot disk for one of the Win 9x OS's.  You shouldn't need to worry about whether or not it can see your hard drive at that point.

earlr1 · Answer

Unfortunately I do not see where you're going with this one. The executable file I downloaded has to be ran from an Inspiron 1100 in order to create the bootable floppy which has the updated bios on it. Without having an Inspiron to run the .EXE from dell, I'm not what good having a version of Windox 9x or DOS will do. Perhaps I'm just not understanding your suggestion.

Thanks!

jackshack · Answer

That is my point; the file that you have is directly executable from an operating system. I looked at the listing on the downloads site and the only flash file that has the floppy producing program is A22, which you already have. The files containing the bios name are designed to flash your bios directly out of Windows without going through the intermediary step of making a floppy. If you have a bootable floppy containing any operating system compatible with your pc, you can copy your A32 file to it, boot it up in your A drive, and execute it by typing its name just like any other command. In fact, this is exactly the method that is recommended; the only difference being that you built it up manually without the part of the file that autoruns the flash executable.

Dell has gotten away from using the floppy update method as so few of their machines are shipped with floppy drives these days. You get one only if you order it special.

Again, good luck!

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Can't extract BIOS without correct machine (which is dead)

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