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Flashing OEM (Gateway) Intel motherboard BIOS

  • 17-03-2007 7:23pm
    #1
    fluppet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 232 ✭✭


    I have an old (1997) Gateway 2000 G6-266XL (266Mhz PII). The BIOS has not been upgraded since I bought it, so it is affected by the (very annoying) 8.4GB BIOS capacity limitation (will not recognise hard disks with capacity greater than 8.4GB).

    The BIOS version is 1.00.01.DT0T

    When I enter this on Gateway's Irish website (www.ie.gateway.com) it says:

    Motherboard name: Portland 233 / 266 Mhz (Pentium II)

    Bios Manufacturer : AMI
    Bios Version : 1.00.01.DT0T
    Latest Version : No upgrade

    The motherboard is therefore made by Intel. Looking at the Intel website I can find that it is an OEM version of the Intel PD440FX Motherboard. There is an upgrade available for the BIOS - version 1.00.09.DT0 (note the missing T at the end, which indicates that it is an OEM motherboard). This upgrade was issued in 1999, so it would probably cure the capacity limitation problem if it worked.

    Do you think I should try flashing the BIOS with this upgrade, even though it is intended for the Intel-branded retail version of the motherboard, rather than the OEM version?

    I would of course back-up the current BIOS first (as described here).

    One thing that doesn't sound promising is that I found a post by someone else who has the same motherboard (from Gateway) with the same BIOS version who tried flashing it using the one from Intel and it didn't work (read it here (in French). Edit: Actually I just re-read this one and I don't see her mentioning anything about trying the Intel one... I'm sure I saw that somewhere though, hopefully I'm just dreaming.

    Any ideas? Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    This thread provides more info, someone using the same idea as you but wanting to use a faster CPU, anyway they attempted the flash but it failed and were informed to look in the FAQ.

    http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/topic908.html

    FAQ section on how to flash Intel OEM boards.

    If anyone has already tried it before you could try asking in the HD not recognised section of WIM's Bios.

    Good luck.


  • #3
    fluppet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 232 ✭✭fluppet


    Thanks for the reply.

    That was the thread I was thinking of, not the French one I linked to.

    I think I will actually delay doing it until I have another computer so I can afford to mess this one up... even with a back-up of the current BIOS it is pretty risky - I am just presuming that if the BIOS is destroyed when I start the computer it will be able to boot the floppy with the back-up on it, but if it doesn't then I might as well put the computer in the bin.


  • #4
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    You could try a PCI IDE controller as they come with their own bios but it has been so long since I have dealt with this kind of problem I have forgotten whether it works or not.


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