BIOS for IBM PC 340??

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

by **Twain28** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:10 pm

G'morning!

I'm trying to revive my old IBM PC 340 machine, but, to do so, I really need to update its bios (IBM SurePath BIOS, dated 03/08/99), or, if possible, to replace it with a better one. The main issue is that the actual BIOS does not support boot from CD/USB, and that's one hell of an isse, since most linux distros have now dropped boot-from-floppydisk support.
Is there a way to find an updated BIOS, or flash in something different?

Thanks in advance.

Tw@in 28

by **edwin** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 4:24 pm

what is the xxxx-YYY code on the casing? There are several models with their own bios. The Lenovo support site is near impossible to navigate without this code.

by **Twain28** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:34 pm

Uhm....haven't got the thing right here...it should be a 6560440.
Here follows the BIOS details. They should provide enough information, for now:

SurePath BIOS,
p133
internal memory 640k
external memory 47mb
cache 256
video Cirrus Logic GD-5436/46 VGA
RAM shadow 384k
System ROM F000h-FFFFh,
memory type: non parity
machine model 6560440
Flash EEPROM LXKT27AIT
System board identifier X9FWM605YZQ
System serial no. 559W65Z
Bios data 03/08/99

I can't provide more details 'till saturday, when I'll get back to my seaside home. I hope the above is enough....

by **edwin** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:20 pm

that will be a 6560-440 with ID LXKT**AIT (Italian?). Off to hunt for a possible solution...

by **edwin** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:06 pm

revision 27 is the last ever released. you have it right there. the only option I can think of is buying a bootable PCI to IDE add-in card of which you can boot your bigger harddisk. Promise technologies were god at that back in the days, maybe you can find a 2nd hand card somewhere...

by **Twain28** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:07 pm

Thanks for your suggestion.

No hope for some kind of franken-bios, then? :lol:

by **edwin** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:33 pm

nope. award-bioses we can patch, IBM surepath is really closed-code stuff...

by **Twain28** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 5:27 pm

Bummer...I was hoping about something like a substitute bios would be hanging about...

Oh, well, I guess I'll stick to what you suggested.
Many thanks again for your fast and competent answer.