Vista - Issues updating MB BIOS - Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R

I recently ordered a custom computer with the following specs:

Case: Antec P182 ATX Black Mid Tower
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-DS3R
Memory OCZ Reaper Hpc Edition PC2-8500 DDR2 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 Dual Channel EPP Memory
Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor LGA775 Kentsfield 2.40GHZ 1066FSB 8MB
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar SE16 640GB SATA2 7200RPM 16MB
OSMicrosoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
Graphics CardDiamond Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDCP HDTV Out


It came with everything supposedly checked to make sure it was running fine. Well, when I first went to boot up, it didn't give me the POST beep, and it went as far as the vista loading bar then a black screen and nothing. I reset it and tried once more and it did the same thing.

I turned it off, pulled everything out and reseated it, and it started up and launched into Vista. I thought I had fixed it but once I rebooted again, the same problems occurred.

After doing some reading on the Gigabyte site, it appears it's a common problem with the MB, and all I have to do is update the BIOS and everything will be fine. After I downloaded the correct file from the site, I tried to run the flasher from the desktop and it tells me it's not compatible with a 64 bit OS.

I have no idea what to try now, how can I update my MB BIOS if it won't update on a 64 bit OS? I don't have another HD with a 32 bit OS I can install, and I don't have a floppy drive to try and do it from DOS.

Any ideas?

what bios are you currently running? is it F8? I had a similar problem building a rig for a mate with that mobo i had to drop the memory speed a little using the divider in bios , try that and see how it goes , they have a problem with 1066 ram i think , but it seems from the site an update has solved it , worth a quick try though

WinFlash
techPowerUp! :: Download Winflash 2.0.1.2

Thanks for the link and fast response.

I looked at what you showed me, it appears that the link is only for flashing ATI video cards, or am I looking at the wrong application?

Perhaps, not sure. I don't usually recommend that you flash a bios from within Windows; however, as you pointed out, you have no other choice. I've used this once or twice, it does the job. Perhaps I'm just finicky and like to do it the long way?

Here's a step by step, along with a link to winflash if you're uncomfortable with the techpower link. http://www.overclock.net/faqs/12418-...ing-award.html


***edit***

Your board also has a bios update feature: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/...ech_a_bios.htm

I tried running the auto update feature you linked last night, it gave me a generic "failed to update" style of error. I'll try the winflash link though, see how I manage with that one.

Best bet - don't update BIOS from inside the OS - download the .ISO, burn it and boot off the burned CD and let it burn.

Technically you can spend some time making a bootable USB device so that i will be reusable later on - but personally CDRs are so cheap I'd use the disc myself.

That sounds like a great idea.

From the gigabyte site, they give you an .exe file for updating the BIOS. It auto extracts to wherever you want and leaves you with an MS-DOS Batch File "autoexec", the flashspi application file, and an "ep45ds3r.f8 file.

Forgive my ignorance, but I have no idea how I'd make that into an ISO.

If you have a version of Nero that's Vista compatible you can burn an ISO, if not then ImgBurn, listed in the Software section of these forums in the sticky "free software" is a very good alternative. I've been using it instead of Nero since going 64-bit and just love it: The Official ImgBurn Website

ImgBurn can create an ISO (image file). To be honest though, I don't know all that much about creating image files and have always preferred to use a floppy when flashing. ISO's just scare me for some reason? ISO, UDF blah blah blah... it's all Greek to me.

Hopefully someone with experience will come in and layout the steps... I know I would like to hear them... but if it gets too complicated, floppy drives are less than $5.00.

Well, that would take some work - and more than likely more work than you want to put into it - however, if you look at Bootdisk.Com you'll see a free DOS boot disk for flashing BIOSs :P