All video BIOS flash
operations need to be performed in DOS, so we will need to make a DOS boot disk
first. There are two easy ways to do this; the first is to go to bootdisk.com and download one
of the DR DOS disk image files they link to on the website. Run the .exe file to
create a clean DOS boot disk in your A:\ drive.
Otherwise, you can create a
boot disk from within Windows XP by inserting a floppy and opening 'my computer'
then right clicking on the 'A:\' drive and choosing 'format.' From the format
window, check the 'create an MS-DOS startup disk' option and click 'ok.'
Now that you have a DOS boot disk, copy
the BIOS file you downloaded and the NVFLASH.exe file onto the disk.
2. Making a backup of your
Nvidia video card BIOS
Before you flash your video
card with the new BIOS version you downloaded, you should always make a backup
of the current BIOS, in case you run into trouble later on.
To do this boot your computer with the BIOS flash disk we just created.
At the 'A:\' prompt, type 'nvflash.exe -b
backup.rom' and press ENTER. The FLASHROM
utility will create a backup of your video card's BIOS (backup.rom) on the BIOS
flash disk. We can use this to restore your card's original BIOS if
necessary.
3. Flashing the BIOS on your
Nvidia card
Once you have made the backup
file of the old BIOS, it's time to overwrite it with the new value we
downloaded. Here's what to do:
From the 'A:\' prompt, type
'nvflash -p -u -f (name of the new BIOS file including the file extension)' and
press ENTER. NVFLASH will now overwrite your old BIOS information with the new
values. If you see any error messages or
odd results, do not restart your system. Consult the troubleshooting section
below for further instructions.
If everything seemed to work
correctly, restart your system and watch the video card information as it
flashes on screen during the POST process (it will be the first thing on the
screen after you power on). Make sure it is correct and that your operating
system loads correctly. You may need to install drivers if you have changed the
BIOS to that of a different type of video card.
Congratulations! You have just
achieved another step on the way to mastering your computer... :-)
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