# unable to update bios due to flashspi incompatibility



## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

I just upgraded my computer to a 6-core AMD 3.2ghz, and need to update the BIOS on it, as the one that is currently installed is an older version and is causing boot errors during POST.

I've downloaded the most recent BIOS version from the manufacturer website (Gigabyte) and attempted to upgrade the BIOS from within the OS (64-bit Win 8), but it fails to initiate because the app used to update the BIOS is a 16-bit app.

The only suggestions I have seen online are to install VMWare or similar and run the app in that, however I know this will not work because this is a BIOS update, not a regular app.

I've considered booting to a 32-bit OS from CD, but the only CD's I have are "install" CD's, or Linux-based, so I can't run the .exe file to upgrade the BIOS.

Is there any way to do this upgrade easily?

I have reached out to the manufacturer, but haven't heard back yet.


----------



## prunejuice (Apr 3, 2002)

You should be able to flash the Gigabyte BIOS from a USB stick while in the BIOS flash setup page.

I'd never recommend flashing a BIOS from within an operating system.


----------



## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

prunejuice said:


> You should be able to flash the Gigabyte BIOS from a USB stick while in the BIOS flash setup page.
> 
> I'd never recommend flashing a BIOS from within an operating system.


I tried that too... I found the Q-Flash page in BIOS and tried both from USB drive, and DVD drive, but each time it said that there was "no drive available"....


----------



## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

It sounds like you tried using the DOS flash utility in Windows, that won't work. You need to use the Windows BIOS update utility which is called @BIOS: http://www.gigabyte.us/support-downloads/Utility.aspx


----------



## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

Triple6 said:


> It sounds like you tried using the DOS flash utility in Windows, that won't work. You need to use the Windows BIOS update utility which is called @BIOS: http://www.gigabyte.us/support-downloads/Utility.aspx


Thanks! That was it. Updated BIOS successfully!

On a side note, the issue I was having (system kept saying my settings were not consistent with the hardware installed) was not fixed by the BIOS update. Apparently I installed 1600mhz RAM and the motherboard could only handle 1333mhz, but was still detecting the 1600mhz. So after manually setting the clock speed on the RAM back down to 1333mhz, I no longer received the error.

And here I thought that the motherboard would do that automatically... LOL

But at least a 6-core CPU with 32gb RAM is better than the single core (hyperthreaded) CPU with 2gb RAM I had before... lol


----------



## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Glad you got everything sorted out :up:


----------

