IBM ThinkPad 600 BIOS update without working battery

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

hey, i have an IBM Thinkpad 760D and i cant find a bios update on the IBM site, where can i look? or if someone knows where to find one, i would appreciate it.

I am going to explode this laptop...

IBM Thinkpad - 600E

I am trying everything that everyone posted, but I don't see solution.

I don't have a floppy drive and my battery is DEAD.

I tried bootcd.com and tried Nero to create a bootdisk (cd-rom.) Whenever I get 'Flash2.exe /u', I get this... "not enough memory to allocate buffer." I understand that those bootdisk are not working.

Everyone that had a success of this bio's update, don't have what bootdisk they used.

Quote: (from above Message.):
"4. Create a new boot disk (if you need one get an image from online) "

I have tried several boot disk and I get the same answer 'not enough memory to allocate it." Now "wareynolds," you used Roxio EasyCD Create (which one) and did the bootdisk built into Roxio? I would like more information to do this. Question 4. is vague and I would like to know which boot disk is going to work.

Thanks for your time...
4q2

OK... I fixed it, and since others would like a easy fix for this, I created them for you guys.

This is IBM Thinkpad 600E, that has NO floppy drive and a DEAD battery.

I created a .iso that is a 98SE Bootdisk CDRom (corrected for this purpose.) It also has the files for the Bios Update.

===============================================
1.) Hold F1 when the laptop is booting up and enter the BIOS menu, under Config -> Network, Enable the Flash option. And Restart.

2.)Download this (Right Click - Save As:) - http://www.files.bz/files/4073/Win98SE.mp3
(i had used a free file hosting site that only allows certain files... so, RENAME Win98SE.mp3 to Win98SE.iso)

3.)Burn the ISO (I used Nero - Nero Burning Rom>>>Recorder>>>Burn Image)

4.)Start up your IBM 600E, with this CD in. The choose the 1st choice. And when it's done... you will have a A: prompt

5.)Type - "D:" (without the quotes)

6.)Type - "flash2.exe /u" (without the quotes)

7.)Update is completing and just restart

8.)Now install XP

I hope this makes it easier for everyone because it kicked my a$$. I spent 10 hours trying to get this right... SHOW SOME LOVE!!!!!

4q2

I have been working at this for three days now and my bios just won't update


The only way I even get close to it is if I remove the hard drive, but it still comes up with this message "the rom and the image file do not match after an update".

If I leave the hard drive in it comes up with this message "the products data file not found".

I have done plenty of searching but I cannot get a solution for either of these problems. Any help would be greatly appriciated! Thanks in advance.

So...I tried burning the .iso image to a cd that 4q2 posted, the Win98SE.mpg, after changing it to a .iso, and when I boot my IBM ThinkPad 600E, it goes to a screen with a floppy disk and an arrow pointing to put a floppy in a floppy drive, that my computer does not have. It also has the F keys on the bottom of the screen with two arrows pointing down at the F1 key, pressing this key takes me to a blank screen and returns two different strings of numbers. I have absolutely no idea as to what's going on...How do I fix it?

FYI: I'm trying to install Xubuntu and I was hoping to use the Win98SE.iso to get the command prompt started and then install from D: after it was in session.

4q2 wrote:

I hope this makes it easier for everyone because it kicked my a$$. I spent 10 hours trying to get this right... SHOW SOME LOVE!!!!!

4q2

Man thanks!!!! This works like a charm, now finally i can update my BIOS.

If you ever come to puerto rico let m know i will invite you to grab some cervezas.

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know that I just updated my BIOS on a 600E without a floppy drive in either the 600E machine or my other laptop. What I did was (on the other laptop):

1) downloaded the BIOS update from IBM
2) downloaded this VFD tool: http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html
3) used VFD to mount a virtual a: drive as a blank 1.44 floppy
4) ran the BIOS extract tool pointing it to virtual a: drive
5) Burned a bootable CD from the virtual floppy
6) Used this bootable CD in the 600E to update BIOS

This worked for me. Just thought I would post in case it helps any one out.

Cheers,
Chris

The simplest way to flash a Thinkpad that has a dead battery (this applies to 390E & 390X for sure) is to press and hold the NumLk/ScrLk key at each prompt where you are invited to press 1 by the BIOS update program. You can use the standard IBM disk for this. You can see this documented if you open the file Btflash.f04.

#Check_AC&BAT // [--] Check AC and highly charged battery. Press <ScolLock> to bypass

Happy flashing

Thanks for the awesome download. Question: will the BIOS flash for this work for a 600 (no E)? Any idea if they're the same?

Alex

Hi

I have no idea. Look inside the Btflash.f04 (or similar files) for a line like the one indicated or just try it. Don't forget to hold the NumLk/ScrLk key at each and EVERY prompt where you are invited to press 1 by the BIOS update program. Let the forum know how you get on....

Regards
Richard

0.- If you have a UPS connect your IBM TP600
1.- Download BIOS flash disk creator program from IBM web page
2.- Create Disk (1.44 floppy)
3.- Save files from the floppy to a PC folder for later use
4.-Create boot CD for bios flashing using this image file from bootdisk.com
BOOTABLE CD
CD To Read/Write/Copy/Delete/Edit Files On NTFS DRIVEs
[b]Need To Flash Your BIOS On A PC With No 1.44 Read.1st[/b]
5.-Use ultraISO or similar to add files from step 3 to boot ISO for flashing downloaded in step 4
6.-Burn with nero or similar iso writing program
7.-Place boot cd in the cd drive of your IBM TP600 and boot
8- files will be in a drive named R:\
9- change from A:\ to drive R:\ and execute file named
flash2 /u
10 wait until program displays flashing has finished
11 now you can install windows xp

I made a BIOS update boot cd for the TP 600.

It has v1.22 of the BIOS on a cd rom with Dr. Dos (freeware). It will not ask for the battery. You just have to type "flash2.exe /u" as described in the other posts.

If you need another BIOS, let me know...I may be able to make another if enough people want it.

Just put it in the CD drive and reboot.
Make sure the CD Drive is set in the boot sequence, of course.
Type "Flash2.exe /U"
Cross your fingers...

I tried sharing the iso on Rapidshare, but somebody complained (WHY?) If you need it, just send me a message and leave me your email. It is a 2 mb iso file, so I can just attach it in an email to you.

OR Try this link...maybe it will be up for awhile?:
http://www.mediafire.com/?atoxitznxyg

Thanks,
Sean

Hy moley,
thanks, but didn´t work for me. Downloaded it created the CD and let it run. It asked for date and time no problem, then typed in flash2.exe/U and it started, but then said no AC power cable progress stopped.

But AC is working, battery is full, but always the bios update utility says error no AC cable. Also with your CD version, stop and says no AC cable.

I think something with my board with the power is wrong. I noticed that when i´m loading the battery no led is blinking or on, all are dark. But the battery gets charged perfectly and the book works with the AC adapter without battery. Normaly i would say everything is Okay, but it won´t make this bios update.
Ihope i don´t need the update xp is working, w-lan works, lan works, i really hope that i don´t need it. Now i´m on 1.10 ibet41ww. Hope thats enough`.
Perhabs anybody has an idea ?
best wishes Mav

Get a motherboard on ebay for like $25. The only thing I would be worried about, though, is getting one with a bios password set!

There is definitely a problem with yours and the way that it reports AC power connectivity to the BIOS. What OS are you running? If it is Windoze, does it show the little plug in the bottom right when the AC power cord is plugged in?

My OS is Windows XP Home, and yes it shows the little plug in the bottom when the power cord is plugged in.
I don´t want to try the 1byte Hack, because first it´s dangerous and second it´s "made" for flashing without battery and not without ac adapter.
I found one in the german thinkpad-forum, he has exactly the same problem, but that was December 2006, and the e-mail i wrote him came back unknown. So i´m not alone with this problem, but can´t reach this guy perhabs he solved the problem.
I´m buying now a ac adapter with 4.5A instead of 3,36A, perhabs this works.

But i´m still not shure if i even need this update from 1.10 to 1.22, the only interresting change that i found was (New) Support for Microsoft Windows XP, and 1.12 fixes a problem with the Battery charging parameters changed to optimize battery function.
Would be interestant, but do i really need it ? I don´t know.

I wrote a detailed e-mail to IBM perhabs they answer me.
best wishes Mav