BIOS upgrade problem on Easy One Silver laptop - Packard Bell utility disk will not start
Andre Willey
laptop will require upgrading to BIOS revision 2.0x if I want to move from
Windows ME to Windows XP (motherboard version is 7521N, serial number
X207040042). I currently have BIOS 1.02, which I flash upgraded easily
enough about a year ago.
I've downloaded the relevant BIOS updater program from Packard Bell Support
(EZ1SBUD201103.exe), created the update floppy and run it. It confirms that
it's the BIOS number I want for my machine, but when I key "Y" to proceed,
it simply says "Check AC Adapter and the power cable are properly connected
and reboot the PC" (in fact AC power is just fine, and as a failsafe the
battery is fully charged also). It then forces a reboot and tries again,
with the same result each time.
To check the machine, I've tried re-running my old flash upgrade floppy disk
to install v1.02 and that still works perfectly.
Any thoughts? Could there be a bug in this upgrade program? And if so, how
do I get the correct one?
Regards,
Andre
--
Andre Willey
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Visit http://www.cix.co.uk/~neverland/dlp/ for the Disneyland-Paris FAQ List
metronid
What is the REFBIOSxxxxxxxx
listing on the PB site
I do not see the one you listed
"Andre Willey" <andr...@cix.co.uk> wrote in message
news:memo.2003051...@neverland.cix.co.uk...
Andre Willey
(metronid) wrote:
> kc IS BETTER AT THIS
> What is the REFBIOSxxxxxxxx
> listing on the PB site
> I do not see the one you listed
I've since found a note on the Packard Bell site via a different link, which
mentions this AC power mis-detect and says it's been removed from a more
decent BIOS updater, and giving a new download reference (REFBIOS00790700).
This time, it loads the BIOS file ready to flash it, but now gives an error
message before actually starting the task - I presume because this updater
appears to requires at least BIOS 2.00 before it will update to 2.01? I
currently have 1.02 but want to upgrade my system to WinXP, which the PB
website says requires BIOS 2.0x. It says that this can be done from a start
point of 1.0x or 2.0x, and the older BIOS updater would apparently have done
this task if only the AC-detect was working. :-(
Do you think Windows XP work on BIOS 1.02 if I just install it anyway?
Elector
to reply to it:
::In article <VfCdnUN0hp7...@comcast.com>, metr...@comcast.net
::(metronid) wrote:
::
::> kc IS BETTER AT THIS
::> What is the REFBIOSxxxxxxxx
::> listing on the PB site
::> I do not see the one you listed
::
::I've since found a note on the Packard Bell site via a different link, which
::mentions this AC power mis-detect and says it's been removed from a more
::decent BIOS updater, and giving a new download reference (REFBIOS00790700).
::
::This time, it loads the BIOS file ready to flash it, but now gives an error
::message before actually starting the task - I presume because this updater
::appears to requires at least BIOS 2.00 before it will update to 2.01? I
::currently have 1.02 but want to upgrade my system to WinXP, which the PB
::website says requires BIOS 2.0x. It says that this can be done from a start
::point of 1.0x or 2.0x, and the older BIOS updater would apparently have done
::this task if only the AC-detect was working. :-(
::
::Do you think Windows XP work on BIOS 1.02 if I just install it anyway?
::
::Regards,
::
::Andre
Hi Andre:
I would say if your system meets the Windows XP minimum requirements for installation then go ahead
and install it. You can run the install after you run the system compatability wizard at the
Microsoft web site http://www.microsoft.com in the search box type Windows XP compatability test
and it should bring you to the page. It does not specify any such BIOS version just the amount of
RAM and assorted devices in the system that must meet the requirements.
Additionally the Windows XP program also has a wizard that it runs prior to install. But again if
you don't want to part with that amount of money run the wizard from the Microsoft site or many
mirror sites on the internet.
I hope that helped?
Elector
View Anthony's Official ALT.SYS.PC-CLONE.PACKARDBELL FAQ page @
http://pbfaq.tripod.com
metronid
compatible
Chances are it is XP also
You were trying to use the wrong bios
1.0X is upgradable to 1.0Y etc
2.0X the same
I think you should be careful before
bios upgrades
If you read carefully their bios have a
no flash stop for the wroing one
Lucky you
All in all you are safe as elector said to go
I also prefer Windows 2000 over XP
Sublle as it may be 2000 is better
"Andre Willey" <andr...@cix.co.uk> wrote in message
news:memo.2003051...@neverland.cix.co.uk...
RTFM
intervention of XP before you install it. There are many place to reseach
98SE vs. XP home and/or 2000 vs. XP Pro. Be very careful -- YMMV.
Packar...@Yahoogroups.com
View the only OFFICIAL and UPDATED FAQ for alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell
Andre Willey
andr...@cix.co.uk (Andre Willey) wrote:
> In article <VfCdnUN0hp7...@comcast.com>, metr...@comcast.net
> (metronid) wrote:
>
> > kc IS BETTER AT THIS
> > What is the REFBIOSxxxxxxxx
> > listing on the PB site
> > I do not see the one you listed
One other thought... is it worth trying the BIOS updater disk issued by NEC
for their Versa Premium laptop? It's the same basic machine, same
motherboard & chipset, same OS revision numbers, same FAQ page except
for "Easy One Silver" being cut'n'pasted to "Versa Premium" - well mostly,
anyway; at one point it does refer to the Easy One Silver by mistake! :-)
Andre Willey
(metronid) wrote:
> The bios you jave is windows 2000
> compatible
> Chances are it is XP also
>
> You were trying to use the wrong bios
>
> 1.0X is upgradable to 1.0Y etc
>
> 2.0X the same
According to the PB web site, 1.0x or 2.0x should both be upgradable to 2.0x
(but not 3.0x or above). The first install disc I downloaded was quoted as
able to do that (but it failed due to this CD-power check).
Anyone know why PB say that WinXP needs v2.0x, when my current 1.02 system
already has a "Certified for Win200 Pro" label on it?
Andre Willey
wrote:
> Andre: XP is very much a double edged sword. Be very certain you want the
> intervention of XP before you install it. There are many place to reseach
> 98SE vs. XP home and/or 2000 vs. XP Pro. Be very careful -- YMMV.
I use WinXP on my main desktop PC, so I'm happy that I know how it behaves
and what it does. My laptop's WinME setup has gone a little flakey (odd
blue-screens, networking lockups, etc) & rather than re-install ME I'd
prefer to go the full way to XP (which I do happen to prefer) so both
machines are running the same OS.
I plan to do a clean install by the way of XP, i.e. wipe the HD, remove the
WinME restore partition to give me 1.5Gb of drive space back, change to
NTFS, etc. I've always found a clean install works better than trying to
upgrade a cluttered system with known minor niggles. I've downloaded all the
OS patches from PB's web site, and PowerDVD is the only free software I
really want to keep from the old ME install - but I have a separate install
disk for that anyway, and if worst comes to worst there's always Media
Player to play DVDs.
I'm not sure how the WinXP upgrade CD will take to performing the task,
though; will it still know I have a valid copy of WinME without anything on
the HD or a restore CD to prove it? All I'll have left will be the Microsoft
certificate giving the Windows ME serial number on the base of the
machine... Any suggestions as to the best route to take (remembering that
I'll want to FDISK & FORMAT the HD during the install process).
Elector
Andre: You must have missed my posts on this so I will post it again. You can do a full
and complete install of Windows XP with just the Windows ME disk. When the system install
reaches a point it will look for the previous OS and then you will get a message stating
that it needs a valid OS of Windows Me insert it in the CD ROM and it will scan it and
then tell you to come back with the Windows XP Disk. It will then continue with the full
install of XP.
As far as a Good DVD Player you might be surprised that Microsoft's own Media Player 9 for
Windows XP does a pretty good job. I have the Win DVD and the Power DVD as well as the DVD
Player that Came from ATI and Windows Media Player 9 and they all work pretty dammed good.
So not to worry on that count.
Just remember if its going on anything Packard Bell or NEC you will need any PB drivers
for your system on a restore CD or on disks so as to make the install easier. Windows XP
may have the drivers (generic) so you may be in luck.
On a personal note, be wary that (RTFM, G, A.Grayson Walker III) from FDN is a net troll
and kook be very careful when taking any advice from it. Please check Google if you need
to know who the regular posters are to this group and the help that has been given over
the years. (Anthony, KC, TnT, Ben, Metronid, Drydem,Simon, Velix, Ray, myself and a few
others are regular contributors here so be careful of the kook boy, who morphs).
Andre Willey
(Elector) wrote:
> Andre: You must have missed my posts on this so I will post it again. You
> can do a full
> and complete install of Windows XP with just the Windows ME disk. When
> the system install
> reaches a point it will look for the previous OS and then you will get a
> message stating
> that it needs a valid OS of Windows Me insert it in the CD ROM and it
> will scan it and
> then tell you to come back with the Windows XP Disk. It will then
> continue with the full
> install of XP.
Many thanks for all your help, my problem here is still that I don't have
a WinME master CD for this laptop. This particular laptop has all its
restore information stored on a hidden partition on the HD, and Packard
Bell do not supply a WinME CD with it. In fact, one of the things I want to
do when I install WinXP is to repartition the HD to regain my 1.5Gb of
(hopefully soon to be redundant!) WinME restore space and have a nice clean
fresh 10Gb NTFS drive that I can re-install what programs I need onto.
But I can't remember whether the WinXP upgrade disk will verify its upgrade
eligibility when it's run from within WinME, and then allow me to FDISK and
FORMAT the HD before continuing to install the OS. If that's OK, everything
else I can handle (I've already downloaded the necessary XP-compatible
drivers for video, audio, touchpad, Easy-Start button, etc. from the PB
website; I'll put them on floppies and/or a CD before I start the upgrade
process).
Oh, and I've now been informed via the PB user-support forum on their
website that BIOS 1.02 is fine for use with XP, so I guess I can tackle the
BIOS upgrade later, if and when I need to (I only wanted to do it because
the PB support site said I needed to to run WinXP).
Elector
Hi Andre:
If you already have Windows ME on the system then when you install Windows XP it will find
it and install the Windows XP.
I would recommend you borrow a copy of the Windows ME from a friend just in case.
Like I said the BIOS did not matter in the installation of Windows XP but only the basic
system requirements.