BIOS Update AMI , Award , Phoenix

This BIOS Update documentation will demonstrate how to update a computer’s BIOS that may be required in order to fix computer bugs or add new features to your system. It is important that you have a specific reason for updating your BIOS, doing so when there is no need is an unwanted risk that should not be taken into consideration. Usually, a motherboard or computer manufacturer will tell you if an update for your system is required. Additionally, if you have a greater knowledge of your PC and want to modify your BIOS to achieve a specific goal, consider making an inquiry in our Forum.

The first thing to identify when updating your BIOS is what platform you’re system uses; the most common being Award, AMI, and Phoenix, which we will go into further detail later.

To identify what platform your BIOS uses, check to see if any of these logos appear on bootup:

If none of these images help you identify your motherboard BIOS company, the easiest way to check this information is use identification tools like Everest or CPUID, or simply consult your manual or OEM manufacturer.

After you have determined the BIOS type, you can use the correct corresponding methods listed below. We will also review situations where the manufacturer provides the easy “one click” solution.
The “One Click” Solution: This is a term that refers to computer companies that package BIOS updates that are designed to be run in windows without any hassle. If you are simply trying to update to the latest BIOS released from a computer manufacturer and are not computer savvy, please download the package found on your support page (only applies for prebuilt systems!) A generic list of links to support pages is listed below:

Acer | ASUS | Dell | eMachines | Gateway | HP | Lenovo | Toshiba

If you don’t fall under the one click cattegory, then its time to prepare a bootable USB drive that we will use to boot DOS. This is needed to run the FLASH routine.

Download the HP USB disk format tool and install it here

Once installed, open the utility and select the USB to format. Below, tick the bubble for creating an MSDOS startup disk. It will then want you to point it to a DOS image folder. You will need to download and unzip this DOS image (do NOT use your own DOS image) here Once it has completed formating your drive, open up the USB in My Computer. Verify that there are only three files on the USB, making sure to unhide protected operating system files in explorer to see them. If you see three DOS files, you are ready for the next phase.
Then, copy the BIOS update image that you want to update. (If you are unsure of where to get this, please post in our forums) For the award platform the bios file should be named bios.bin; for AMI name it bios.rom; and for the Phoenix BIOS bios.bin
The final preparation stage needed for our USB is the flash utlity itself, which varies according to the platform. According to your platform, download the appropriate utility to your flash drive below.

Award BIOS= Award Flash

AMI BIOS= AFUDOS

Phoenix BIOS= PHLASH

Finally, reboot and select your USB as your boot DOS. Then, enter the following command based on your BIOS: (for a complete list of switches, consult our forums)

AWARD= awdflash  bios.bin  /py /sn /f /cc /r

AMI= afudos bios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /Q /REBOOT

PHOENIX=phlash bios.bin

While the update is in proccess, do NOT touch your keyboard or turn off your PC. Avoid doing this while there is a possibility of a power outage as well.
If you followed all of these steps correctly, then your computer will successfully reboot with the updated BIOS!


AMI Bios flash tool - AFUDOS.EXE 
 

Here's the command line syntax for AFUDOS.EXE "AMI FLASH UTILITY for DOS". Type these commands just like you see them, while replacing "mybios.rom" with the name of the file and ext you are trying to flash. This should help alot of people struggling with understanding how to type these commands properly.

Display ROM file's ROM ID

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /U

Save current system BIOS ROM into disk

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /O

AFUDOS Help

Code:

afudos /h

Update Boot Block only

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /B

Update main BIOS image only

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P

Update NVRAM only

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /N

Update Embedded Controller Block only

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /E

Update Embedded Controller Block if newer version is detected

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /ECUF

Update 2nd non-critical block only

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /K2

Update main BIOS image, Boot Block and NVRAM at once

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N

Update whole BIOS ROM

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K

Update whole BIOS ROM and load current CMOS optimal settings

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /L0

Update whole BIOS without checking ROM ID <-Don't use unless your sure

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /X

Update whole BIOS with quiet execution

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /Q

Update whole BIOS in quiet mode and REBOOT quietly

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /Q /REBOOT

Update BootBlock MAC address<-Used for changing MAC if your mobo has onboard Ethenet that supports the option to boot from network

Code:

c:\>afudos /M "MAC_ADDRESS"

Update whole BIOS and BootBlock MAC address<-Used for changing MAC if your mobo has onboard Ethenet that supports the option to boot from network

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /M "MAC_ADDRESS"

Update whole BIOS except existing SMBIOS structures<-this prevents overwriting current DMI and CIM data in the bios

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /R

Update whole BIOS but preserve SMBIOS type 0 and 11<-this prevents overwriting current DMI and CIM data at specific locations in the bios

Code:

afudos mybios.rom /P /B /N /C /E /K /R0 /R11