Help: trying to update AST Ascentia 910n laptop

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john
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I'm trying to install a larger (used) 1.2 G hard disk on an AST Ascentia 910n 486 laptop, but think I need to update my bios so a drive that size will be recognized. The setup screen lets me click on a program to update the bios, and asks that I insert a floppy in Drive A with the updated bios data. So I downloaded an update from the AST site. But when I unpacked it, I found it is too big to fit on a floppy. (The Disk.img file alone is 1.4mb, and there are also files called Disk, Diskfile, Extract, Readme.1st and Readme. These readme files have only a few words in them, so are no help!) My question is, should I reinstall my old hard drive with WIN95 (OSR2) and copy the bios files to a folder on drive C, then try to load that folder instead of the floppy when the computer asks me to insert a floppy with the bios data? Could this possibly cause a problem and ruin the whole computer? As you can see, I'm new at this, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rainbow
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You should extract the files to a folder on HDD and run extract (on any computer) - it will create the BIOS update floppy which you can then use to update the BIOS.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
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john
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Thanks for the suggestion. However, when I run the extract, I get six files, and one of them (disk.img) is 1.4 MB, so even it alone will be too big for a floppy. I assume disk.img is one of the files that I need. (The others created with the extract are called Disk and Diskfile, along with Extract and two useless readme files). So, do you think I can just try to update the bios off the hard drive instead of the floppy, since even the disk.img file is too big for the floppy? Do you think disk.img is the only file needed, or would the files Disk and Diskfile be necessary too?
Rainbow
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disk.img is image of the floppy you need to update the BIOS (data from the floppy saved sector-by-sector into a file). Some of the files that are there should create the floppy from this image.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
john
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Sorry, but I'm still confused. Do you mean that if I can copy the file called disk.img onto a floppy, I can then insert this floppy when requested and it will flash the bios?????? What about those other files which appeared when I did the extract (called Disk and Diskfile). Can I just forget about them, since they won't fit on the floppy once I put disk.img on it.
joegib
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All you did when you double-clicked on the download file is unpack the files needed to create the boot disk.

Now:

(1) Open a command prompt window (still under Windows -- in XP it is under Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt).

(2) Navigate using the command prompt to the folder containing the unpacked files.

(3) Put a blank formatted floppy in your drive.

(4) Enter at the command prompt "EXTRACT" and press Return.

(5) Follow the prompts and your machine should write the boot disk image to the floppy.
john
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Thanks for the reply, joegib. However, I still don't quite understand.
I am running WinMe on the desktop I used to download the bios file for the laptop. I put the downloaded file in a folder in My Documentson the desktop. I also unpacked them within that folder.
I'm not sure what you meant by telling me to open a command prompt window. In WinMe, is that the same as an MSDos prompt window? (There is no Programs/accessories/command prompt choice in WinME, but there is an MSDos choice).
If I use MSDos, I can't figure out how to get to the Bios update files stored in My Documents, if that's what you were suggesting I do. Sorry to sound so stupid, but can you clarify this? Thanks.
joegib
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An MS-DOS window under WinME is fine for this purpose.

(1) Under Windows, create a folder in the root (top) directory of your "C:" drive. Call it, say, "Update". Copy all the decompressed files to this folder.

(2) Open an "MS-DOS" window. This will probably show a prompt something like: "C:\blah\blah\blah>" (not literally!). You need to get to the root directory so enter:

CD\ (then press Return).

(3) The prompt should now have changed to "C:\>". Now enter:

CD UPDATE (press Return — CD means change directory).

(4) The prompt should now be "C:\UPDATE>". Put a blank formatted floppy in your drive and enter:

EXTRACT (press Return)

You machine will then write the boot floppy.
john
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Thanks for the additonal clarification, joegib. I followed your instructions to the letter . . . and my computer beeped and sputtered and is now as dead as a dodo. No, just kidding. Actually, I did follow your very clear instructions to the letter, and amazingly, it created a beautiful floppy, packed to the gills with just the right files, it seems. Then I put the floppy in the laptop, and even more amazingly, it updated the bios swiftly and perfectly.
(Tonight I tried to load WIN98 on the newly invigorated laptop, but it froze half-way through -- something about a SUWIN file causing a fatal error, or something -- but that is another matter.) Anyway, thanks very much for the clear instructions on the BIOS problem, as I never would have figured it out for myself. Your answer was a lifesaver.
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