Bios Update While In Windows; Remote Bios Update; Fail-Safe Flash Recovery - Compaq d330 - Desktop PC Manual

To flash the computer BIOS locally, the SoftPaq provides a DOS Flash folder that can be copied to the
media. As with the ROMPAQ BIOS upgrades, administrator security is available through the use of
the setup password.

BIOS update while in Windows

HPQFLASH is a utility that is designed to flash the HP BIOS within a Windows environment. If the
computer has a setup password enabled, then HPQFLASH will prompt for the password to be entered
before completing the flash process. This utility is designed for business applications in which DOS
images may not be available, users may not be comfortable in DOS environments, or security
concerns prevent computers from booting to removable media.

Remote BIOS update

Many customer computer environments require strict control of BIOS versions. BIOS updates are only
distributed after exhaustive testing has been completed. For these environments, the HP BIOS provides
support for remote BIOS upgrades through several tools. The BIOS SoftPaqs can be delivered to
remote computers as a self-contained upgrades using System Software Manager (SSM) to update the
HP BIOS on appropriate computers on a network. Refer to
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/im/ssmwp.html for more information and for detailed instructions and
downloads. The SoftPaq can also be distributed through HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS) and
Altiris Notification Server to remotely target, distribute, and update the HP BIOS on network HP
Business Desktop computers. The HP Client Management Solutions website
(http://h18000.www1.hp.com/im/index.html) contains information about this feature and other
management options. DOS Flash (flshlite.exe) can also be remotely executed through Altiris eXpress.
Remote BIOS updating is accomplished by executing the DOS Flash within the limited DOS extended
environment that exists while running Altiris eXpress.

Fail-safe flash recovery

Regardless of the delivery mechanism, HP BIOS-based computers include a write-protected boot block
ROM that provides recovery from a failed flashing of the computer BIOS. If the BIOS image fails the
POST integrity test after being updated, the boot block code automatically executes, warns the user of
the failure, and provides the minimum amount of support necessary to allow the HP Business Desktop
computer to boot from the diskette drive and/or the CD–ROM drive. In this recovery environment, the
BIOS update can be reattempted with the appropriate ROMPAQ diskette or CD image. Security is
maintained through the setup password. If the setup password has been established, the boot block
will prompt for this password by illuminating the caps lock keyboard LED and/or displaying a screen
message, if video support is available. Most computers require that a PS/2 keyboard be used during
the boot block operation.
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