BIOS Updates forum

I have updated a couple of BIOSs where, at least after the latest update available from the manufacturer, the POST displays a message along the lines of *found CD-ROM* so that you know the BIOS is aware of the presence of *a* CD-ROM drive but it does not actually display any kind of description of what the CD-ROM drive is.

I am interested in:

1) What causes this? I assume it is a BIOS bug where the ID string of the drive is not reported.
2) What other problems could be caused by the bug (assuming) that is responsible for this problem? This question I guess is probably not so relevent if the bug is only as simple as assumed in question 1.
3) Assuming the bug is as in question 1, would the BIOS be patchable if I were to send in a backup of these BIOSs. Would it also be patchable if the problem turned out to be more involved?

In the first instance, an AWARD BIOS, I think the CD reporting was OK before the latest update, but I no longer have the prior version (backup). In the second instance, it was a Phoenix BIOS on an Intel board, and I think the reporting was a problem in both the previous BIOS installation and the latest manufacturer update.

I only remember the "Found CD-ROM" message when the entry in the Standard Setup menu was set to "None". When it was set to AUTO, the BIOS POST would display the full info.

I remember a full ID on most POSTs I recall, but you may be right. Perhaps some BIOSs are simply not programmed to report the detail I was looking for, and if such this may not be a bug at all, but more along the lines of a limitation (of what the BIOS was intended to do).

Some OEM drives have an ID string as such "_____________OEM CD1234 V56" for instance. The BIOS POST will only display "_____________" (spaces only, since it crops the length). Only Windows removes the spaces and identifies it as "OEM etc.". I've seen this a lot with OEM ACER CDROMs.

Do some BIOSs crop the length more than others. I thought drives that I had transferred between PCs may display on one PC and not another, but now that you point out the cropping, I will have to try to take more notice of this to be sure.

Is it something that could be easily and legally patched, or is it more trouble than it is worth?

I've seen some BIOSes display the full length.
I don't know about its patchability.