IBM Netfinity 3500 Flash BIOS Update Diskette - README-file
FileName: 10L9248 (06-Feb-1998)
IBM Netfinity 3500 Flash BIOS Update Diskette V1.25
--CONTENTS-
1 - BASIC INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
2 - GUIDELINES FOR REPLACEMENT START UP SCREEN IMAGES
3 - PROGRAM OPTIONS OF INTEREST TO SYSTEM SUPPORT PEOPLE
4 - CMOS SAVE/RESTORE UTILITY
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE PRINT OUT THESE INSTRUCTIONS OR WRITE THEM DOWN BEFORE
STARTING THIS FLASH UPDATE UTILITY.
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IBM PC BIOS UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS
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THIS CODE IS FOR THE FOLLOWING MACHINE(S)...
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Machine(s) Description
---------- ----------------------------------------------------
8644 Single and Dual P6 Pentium II Processor for Netfinity Server
===========================================================================
---- About Applied Fixes or Features Added ----
(CHANGES.NEW) is another file on this diskette that lists known problems
corrected and/or features added after applying this UPDATE to your system.
If you would like, please take the time to read or print that file before
using this diskette to update your system.
===========================================================================
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
STEPS...
1. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF ANY SETTINGS YOU HAVE CHANGED IN THE
CONFIGURATION UTILITY. THEY MAY HAVE TO BE RE-ENTERED AFTER
UPDATING THE BIOS.
2. PUT THE FLASH UPDATE DISKETTE IN THE DRIVE AND POWER UP THE
SYSTEM.. .
-YOU ARE PROMPTED TO SELECT YOUR COUNTRY AND PRESS ENTER.
-THE SERIAL NUMBER IS DISPLAYED AND YOU ARE ASKED IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THE SERIAL NUMBER
-IF YOU ANSWER "Y" THEN YOU ARE PROMPTED TO ENTER THE
CORRECT NUMBER. THEN . . .
-IF YOU ANSWER "N" THEN . . .
-THE MACHINE MODEL/TYPE IS DISPLAYED AND YOU ARE ASKED IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THE MODEL/TYPE
-IF YOU ANSWER "Y" THEN YOU ARE PROMPTED TO ENTER THE
CORRECT NUMBER. THEN . . .
-IF YOU ANSWER "N" THEN . . .
3. THE CURRENT BIOS LEVEL ON THE COMPUTER IS COMPARED TO THAT ON
THE FLASH UPDATE DISKETTE.
-IF THE LEVELS ARE THE SAME, A MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED STATING
"THE POST/BIOS CODE IN THE SYSTEM IS THE SAME VERSION AS
THAT ON THE DISKETTE. PRESS ENTER TO CONTINUE. PRESS ESC
TO CANCEL."
-IF THE LEVELS ARE DIFFERENT:
IF THE LEVEL ON THE FLASH DISKETTE IS NEWER THAN THE ROM
A MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED STATING "THE SYSTEM POST/BIOS IS
BEING UPDATED. THIS MAY TAKE UP TO 2 MINUTES. DO NOT POWER
OFF OR RESTART THE SYSTEM DURING THIS PROCEDURE.
IF THE LEVEL ON THE DISKETTE IS OLDER THAN THE ROM *
A MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED STATING "THE POST/BIOS IN THE
SYSTEM IS A NEWER VERSION THAN THAT ON THE DISKETTE
IF YOU CONTINUE, THE OLDER VERSION WILL REPLACE THE NEWER
VERSION IN THE SYSTEM."
IF YOU PRESS ENTER, A MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED "THE SYSTEM POST/
BIOS IS BEING UPDATED. THIS MAY TAKE UP TO 2 MINUTES. DO NOT
POWER OFF OR RESTART THE SYSTEM DURING THIS PROCEDURE."
4. THE FLASH UPDATE IS NOW COMPLETE. REMOVE THE DISKETTE FIRST
AND THEN PRESS ENTER TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM.
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NOTES ON CUSTOM START UP IMAGES
-------------------------------
THIS VERSION OF THE FLASH UPDATE PROGRAM GIVES THE OPTION OF
REPLACING (OR ELIMINATING) THE DEFAULT "IBM" IMAGE THAT IS
DISPLAYED DURING SYSTEM START UP. THE USER CAN SUBSTITUTE
A 16 COLOR WINDOWS BITMAP (.BMP) TO REPLACE THE DEFAULT
IMAGE. SOME GUIDELINES FOR THESE IMAGES INCLUDE:
1. SIMPLE DESIGNS (THE IMAGE WILL BE COMPRESSED AND COMPLEX
IMAGES DON'T COMPRESS WELL...)
2. NO LARGER THAN 50K FOR EITHER IMAGE
3. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE AMOUNT OF SPACE AVAILABLE IN THE
FLASH TO STORE REPLACEMENT IMAGES MAY VARY FROM RELEASE
TO RELEASE AND BY LANGUAGE SELECTION. I.E. AN IMAGE THAT
FITS IN A U.S. ENGLISH FLASH MAY NOT FIT IN A GERMAN
FLASH.
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FLASH PROGRAM OPTIONS
---------------------
THE DEFAULT OPERATION OF THE FLASH UPDATE PROGRAM IS A STEP
BY STEP DIALOGUE WITH THE USER THAT PRESENTS CHOICES AND
GATHERS RESPONSES FROM THE USER ABOUT WHICH CHOICES ARE
DESIRED.
IN SOME SITUATIONS, (SUCH AS A LARGE ENTERPRISE WITH MANY
SYSTEMS THAT NEED UPDATING) IT MAY BE DESIRABLE TO CREATE
A FLASH UPDATE DISKETTE THAT REQUIRES NO MANUAL INTERVENTION
TO PERFORM AN UPDATE OPERATION. THIS CAN BE DONE BY
MODIFYING THE CONFIG.SYS FILE ON THIS DISKETTE WITH
THE FOLLOWING:
SHELL=FLASH2.EXE option1 option2 option3......optionxx
OPTIONS
-------
/U UNATTENDED MODE. ALL DEFAULTS ARE ASSUMED (UNLESS
OVERRIDDEN BY OTHER OPTION STATEMENTS) AND ALL
PROMPTS ARE BYPASSED. ANY ERRORS WILL RESULT IN
PROGRAM TERMINATION WITHOUT ANY ERROR INDICATION.
<<< USE THIS OPTION WITH CAUTION >>>
/US COUNTRY CODE (LANGUAGE). THIS CAN BE ANY OF THE
VALID COUNTRY CODES (UK, SV, SU, SP, PO, NO, NL,
IT, GR, FR, DK, CF, CE, BE, LA, US, SF, SG, BR,JP,
or TK)
/B:nnnnnnn SYSTEM SERIAL NUMBER
/M:nnnnnnn MACHINE TYPE
/N USE THE CURRENT FLASH IMAGE ON THE SYSTEM RATHER THAN
THE IMAGE ON THE DISKETTE. THIS IS USED TO UPDATE
MACHINE TYPE AND SERIAL NUMBER IN THE EVENT OF THE
REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN SYSTEM BOARD.
/L:xxxx.bmp CUSTOM START UP IMAGE FILE NAME FOR THE LARGE
CENTERED IMAGE. AN IBM LOGO IS USED BY DEFAULT
BUT ANY 16 COLOR WINDOWS BMP FILE CAN BE USED
INSTEAD. THE UNCOMPRESSED IMAGE FILE MUST BE
LESS THAN 50K. ONLY RELATIVELY SIMPLE IMAGES
CAN BE USED AS REPLACEMENTS.
FOR NO IMAGE, USE /L:NONE
/LL:yyyy.bmp CUSTOM START UP IMAGE FILE NAME FOR THE SMALLER
IMAGE IN THE LOWER RIGHT OF THE SCREEN. IT
SHOULD BE NO LARGER THAN 50K. AS WITH THE
OTHER IMAGE, IT NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE.
FOR NO LOWER RIGHT IMAGE USE /LL:NONE
/R AUTOMATIC COLD BOOT AFTER AN UNATTENDED (/U)
FLASH UPDATE.
/E:ON TURNS ON THE ENHANCED SECURITY OPTION.
/E:OFF TURNS OFF THE ENHANCED SECURITY OPTION.
/BB THE FLASH UTILITY WILL ONLY UPDATE THE RECOVERY
SECTION OF THE FLASH. THE BIOS SECTION WILL NOT
BE UPDATED.
/D THE FLASH UTILITY WILL GENERATE AN UNIVERSALLY
UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (UUID), REPLACING THE ONE THAT
IS CURRENTLY IN THE FLASH.
/A:nnnnnnnn ALLOWS THE OPERATOR TO SELECT THE 32 BIT ADDRESS
WHERE THE FLASH UTILITY WILL COPY THE FLASH
IMAGE FROM DISKETTE TO MEMORY BEFORE PREFORMING
THE FLASH UPDATE.
A FLASH UPDATE DISKETTE USING THESE PROGRAM OPTIONS IN IT'S
CONFIG.SYS SHOULD BE TESTED CAREFULLY BEFORE WIDESPREAD
USAGE.
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CMOS SAVE/RESTORE PROGRAM
---------------------
THIS DISKETTE INCLUDES A CMOS SAVE RESTORE UTILITY
FOR SAVING AND RESTORING THE SETUP AND CONFIGURATION
MAINTAINED IN THE CMOS BATTERY BACKED RAM. THIS UTILITY
IS INTENTED FOR USE AS AN AID IN CONFIGURING MULTIPLE
IDENTICAL SYSTEMS. TO USE THIS UTILITY, COPY THE EXECUTABLE
FILE (SRCMOSNG.EXE) TO A DOS BOOTABLE DISKETTE. TYPE
'SRCMOSNG' AT THE COMMAND PROMPT FOR INFORMATION ON
COMMAND SYNTAX AND OPTIONS.
USAGE NOTES:
1) THE BOOT SEQUENCE INFORMATION INCLUDES PASSWORDS.
SAVING AND RESTORING THE BOOT SEQUENCE INFORMATION
WILL ALSO CHANGE THE PASSWORDS TO THOSE SAVED IN
DATA FILE (IF ANY).
2) SYSTEMS WITH ENHANCED SECURITY STORE PASSWORDS AND
BOOT SEQUENCE INFORMATION IN A PROTECTED EEPROM.
IN THESE SYSTEMS, THE BOOT SEQUENCE AND PASSWORDS
CAN BE NEITHER SAVED NOR RESTORED.
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Please see the LEGAL - Trademark notice.
Feel free - send a 
for any BUG on this page found - Thank you.