From: James Wilkinson <fedora@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Bios flashing w/fed4_64 To: For users of Fedora Core releases <fedora-list@xxxxxxxxxx> Message-ID: <20060123232226.GA2848@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii David Fletcher wrote: > That's why it's best to flash the BIOS if an update is made available. The alternative point of view is that flashing a BIOS is not risk free. If the power goes or the computer crashes while you are in the middle of flashing a BIOS, you may have problems. Some motherboards (those with Gigabyte Dual BIOS, for example) should be able to pick itself up and recover automatically. Some motherboards may have just enough of an emergency BIOS to load a DOS floppy and the flash routine (but not necessarily PCI/AGP/PCI Express drivers, so you may be doing this in the dark...) But if you're unlucky, you may end up with a dead motherboard, or at least one that requires a replacement BIOS chip. So unless you expect to get a real benefit from flashing a BIOS, you might want to leave well alone. Hope this helps, James. I guess I'll just leave it alone then...it's my only box. Thanks, George -- G. Hare
