How to upgrade your BIOS with a Virtual Floppy!!!

Question

Hi all,

Bay-wolf at http://www.bay-wolf.com/ has done a splendid job of suggesting how one can update one's laptop bios safely through the floppy method.

But one problem faced by most people is that their laptop does not have any floppy drive, nor do they wish to spend any extra cash on a USB floppy disk just for the sake of BIOS updates like myself.

Well, the solution is to download the following program at this link, http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html

This VFDwin program creates a virtual floppy and runs on XP!

And it is free!

Here is a "how to" guide.

Step 1
Download the (CORRECT!!!) floppy bios version for your laptop from the Dell website.

Step 2
Download VFDwin, extract it and create a virtual floppy drive on your computer.

Step 3
Extract the floppy based bios onto the virtual floppy drive.

Step 4
Go to Bay-wolf's excellent website for details of how to create a bootable CD rom at http://www.bay-wolf.com/mainfaq.htm

Step 5
Boot from the CD rom.

Viola!!!

BTW: I just used this method to upgrade my Dell 700m's bios to the latest A04 version.

Cheers!

Mike.

NemesisDB · Answer

I'm a little confused, why do you need a virtual floppy drive if you're booting to a CD rom?

Ed C · Answer

@NemesisDB wrote: I'm a little confused, why do you need a virtual floppy drive if you're booting to a CD rom? Yeah right. The OP needs to read up and rethink what he's doing.

Mike LKM · Answer

@NemesisDB wrote:

I'm a little confused, why do you need a virtual floppy drive if you're booting to a CD rom?

You need it coz' when you extract the Dell Bios Floppy package, it asks you for a floppy drive path.

If you don't have a floppy drive, how are you gonna extract it?

Cheers!

NemesisDB · Answer

umm ... so if you're using a bootable CD anyway, why not just use the bay-wolf isos?

Mike LKM · Answer

@NemesisDB wrote: umm ... so if you're using a bootable CD anyway, why not just use the bay-wolf isos? That's be'coz the web-site does not have all the isos. For e.g., my laptop is a 700m model.

bacillus · Answer

Is there not an unpackaged BIOS update file available which you can run in DOS?

Mike LKM · Answer

@bacillus wrote:
Is there not an unpackaged BIOS update file available which you can run in DOS?

As far as I know, if you check the Bios downloads for "Dell Inspiron 700m System BIOS", there are only 2 versions, the Windows version (which as suggested by Bay-Wolf should be avoided and RIGHTLY SO!!!) or the Floppy version.

Now, if you have ever downloaded and tried the Floppy version, you would encounter the same problem faced by myself (and many others), you require a Floppy drive to extract the files.

Which is why I suggested using the Virtual FLoppy program in the first place.

Well, I hope that the DELL staff monitor this, and if they were kind enough to release a bootable CD ISO version in the future, it would be of great benefit to all users who do not have a floppy drive.

Cheers!

leduke30 · Answer

Dell has ISO versions and frequently sends them on CDs for specific purposes, but does not make them available by download(WHY??) Bay Wolf's site has many of the ISO files also. You can also convert the Files on a Flash Floppy to a Bootable CDR and use that, but it is a bit trickier to make and requires another PC with Roxio or Nero and both a floppy drive and burner to make it for the laptop. Using it requires a DOS switch from one set of files which act as though they were on an A:\drive to the CD drive letter for the actual flash files access and use. I am used to that method and have no problems with it, but that is not meant as a disparagement for those who use the ISO method, or Bay Wolf who makes them available. Message Edited by leduke30 on 08-19-2005 12:40 PM

NemesisDB · Answer

the windows version can typically also be executed from dos.  you can put the file on a dos bootable CD if you have that ability.  of course, if you don't have a DOS boot image around, I can see where the virtual floppy way might be easier

dspman · Answer

Mike,   Agreed that these are great devices (I bought a 128MB version for $19 - and the price keeps falling), but I'm not sure that support for these within the BIOS is as fundamental and reliable as that for a more traditional floppy.  These devices look more like a USB HDD to the BIOS, which not all versions support at the boot level.  But you're right - this is probably a good alternative.

Mike LKM · Answer

@leduke30 wrote:

Dell has ISO versions and frequently sends them on CDs for specific purposes, but does not make them available by download(WHY??) Bay Wolf's site has many of the ISO files also........

Message Edited by leduke30 on 08-19-2005 12:40 PM

Yeah, but there is no Dell 700m version.

dspman · Answer

I'm amazed at the gyrations folks go through to avoid a $29 USB floppy drive!  K.I.S.S. - especially when flashing the BIOS.

Mike LKM · Answer

@dspman wrote:
I'm amazed at the gyrations folks go through to avoid a $29 USB floppy drive! K.I.S.S. - especially when flashing the BIOS.

With USB thumb drives around, why spend $29 bucks on a floppy drive?

NemesisDB · Answer

haha, my USB floppy drive ($5 on ebay) is so unreliable I'd never use it for a bios flash ;-)

it's only purpose was installing some old dos-based games ... virtual floppy would actually be useful for that though, so I'm glad I read this thread at least for that

Mike LKM · Answer

@NemesisDB wrote:

haha, my USB floppy drive ($5 on ebay) is so unreliable I'd never use it for a bios flash ;-)

it's only purpose was installing some old dos-based games ... virtual floppy would actually be useful for that though, so I'm glad I read this thread at least for that

Yo Nemesis,

I have some old dos based games like Ultima, but I can't seem to get them to work in XP.

What Dos emulators for XP do you recommend?

BTW: I tried all kinds of XP settings and dos emulators but to no avail.

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How to upgrade your BIOS with a Virtual Floppy!!!

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