Why does Dell send frequent BIOS updates ? (Inspiron 1464)
Al Dykes
me about updates has sent me several BIOS flash updates, every two
weeks it seems. I installed the first one but old experience (not
with Dell) makes me nervous. The dates on the updates are always new.
Can't Dell get the BIOS right?
--
Al Dykes
News is something someone wants to suppress, everything else is advertising.
- Lord Northcliffe, publisher of the Daily Mail
Daddy
> I've had an Inspiron 1464 for couple months. The RSS feed that tells
> me about updates has sent me several BIOS flash updates, every two
> weeks it seems. I installed the first one but old experience (not
> with Dell) makes me nervous. The dates on the updates are always new.
>
> Can't Dell get the BIOS right?
>
>
Does Dell create the BIOS, or does it come from the motherboard
manufacturer?
Daddy
William R. Walsh
> Can't Dell get the BIOS right?
In most cases, it's only one of a few things they are doing...fixing
quality issues with the BIOS, improving the behavior of the hardware
(removing speaker clicks or adjusting fan speed control/thermal
stuff), correcting a potentially bad interaction with software, or
adding support for new CPUs and video cards.
Dell is actually pretty good about stating what a new BIOS fixes. If
you're not having a certain documented problem with your system,
there's no need to update to the latest BIOS.
Usually the BIOS updates come to a close when a Dell system leaves
production, or shortly afterwards. You might as well get the last
release at that point, just so you have it.
I've only had one Dell BIOS flashing attempt go wrong, with a
Dimension L566cx. The BIOS flashing software went through all the
motions and then the system rebooted to nothing other than a grumbling
noise from the speaker. It took a LOT of diddling around to get the
recovery mode to work, but it did and the system still works fine
today.
William
Justin Credible
"Daddy" <da...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:htf1v9$h7q$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
> Does Dell create the BIOS, or does it come from the motherboard
> manufacturer?
>
> Daddy
Current Dell-approved BIOS for that model is A07 (released 23rd May).
Daddy
That doesn't answer my question.
Daddy
William R. Walsh
> Does Dell create the BIOS, or does it come from the motherboard
> manufacturer?
That depends upon the vintage of the Dell system you are talking
about. With the early Dell systems, Dell branched off from an old
PhoenixBIOS (1988!) release and modified it to be what they wanted it
to be, updating it for new systems along the way. This BIOS has a few
different faces--you've seen it in the systems where the majority of
the setup utility text is in blue (black background), in the
"predominantly grey" setup utility and the "blue background/green
foreground" setup utility. This is probably the closest thing there is
to a "written by Dell" BIOS as they have had to take that old Phoenix
code base and update it as new CPUs, hardware, storage devices, or
whatever came along.
Systems using this BIOS include the LatD800, OptiPlex GX520/620,
OptiPlex GX400, Dimension 2400, 45/46/4700, 81/82/83/8400 and others.
Sometimes, especially with newer systems, Dell just customized an
existing BIOS, like they did whenever they put a designed-by-Intel
motherboard in a system. In this case, the motherboard and the setup
utility both look a lot like the original product upon which they are
based, with some options removed. Someone else did the heavy lifting
here. Systems using this sort of BIOS would include the whole of the
Dimension L5xx/2100 series.
Today's Dell systems, having very generic motherboards, usually have
no Dell influence on the BIOS other than in the setup utility (where a
great simplification takes place) and in the startup logo. Any of the
Inspiron desktops use this BIOS.
The laptops won't have as generic of a motherboard, but I suspect that
considering how Dell has now totally farmed out the low end/home end
desktops, that the contract assembler does most of the BIOS creation
work and slaps a Dell logo on it.
William
Hank Arnold
something in an update that is needed.
While the update process is extremely bullet proof, there is always the
chance of a problem. Most likely is loss of power (or turning the
computer off) during the update. This can leave you with a door stop.
When it comes to BIOS updates, the rule "If it ain't broke, don't fix
it!" definitely applies.
Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services
http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/personal-pc-assistant/
Al Dykes
>I've had an Inspiron 1464 for couple months. The RSS feed that tells
>me about updates has sent me several BIOS flash updates, every two
>weeks it seems. I installed the first one but old experience (not
>with Dell) makes me nervous. The dates on the updates are always new.
>
>Can't Dell get the BIOS right?
>
Another week, another BIOS update.....
It'a version A08 and called "recommended".