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apocalypsethen
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April 15th, 2005 22:00
4600 bios update safe?
My 4600 has the A07 bios currently and I was wondering if it's completely safe to dl the "A12 bios" ( http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?releaseid=R84099&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19 ) I haven't had any problems with my current configuration, and I remember reading somewhere to not update your bios if it's working for you. Despite this, I feel naturally compelled to have the latest versions of everything in my posession. Should I dl the file and update, and is it safe?
- The need to upgrade the BIOS depends on your warranty. If your warranty has expired then the upgrade shouldn't be done needlessly since there is always a slight element of risk in doing so. If your system is still under warranty then it would be wise to update BIOS anyways. In the unlikely event the BIOS flash goes bad and the motherboard gets trashed you will have the warranty protection to fall back on for repairs. If you decide not to upgrade the BIOS while the warranty is in effect and then find out later on you need a newer BIOS version for a hardware upgrade (as many people do), the cost of out of warranty repairs from a bad BIOS flash will come out of your pocket. The smart move is to keep the BIOS versions current while the warranty is in effect. Chances are Dell will lose interest in updating the BIOS version for your model long before the warranty expires.
volcano11
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Posted April 16th, 2005 01:00
It is never "completely safe" to upgrade the BIOS. If the BIOS becomes corrupt, for example if a power failure occurs during the upgrade", it will render your motherboard unusable. That's why the advice commonly given on this forum is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Steve