Thinkpads Forum

Thinkpad 760XL

Where can I download BIOS updates? I've checked IBM's website, and can't seem to find the actual downloads for the 760XL BIOS. I found a link or two on this website that was supposed to take me to the BIOS for 760's ... and the links were broken once you got to IBMs site. Google doesn't seem to be of any real help here either, I can always find links, but never can find the actual BIOS update files to dowload.

Also, anyone had luck getting wireless cards to work in the 760XL's? I've read a few threads on the forums here, but no help for my situation. Having trouble with a LinkSys wireless-g card working in the 760XL. The laptop (win me and/or win 98se) picks it up, allows the drivers to be installed, then continues to have problems with irq steering or needing it to be enabled, but it won't stick after reboot when you set it to enable, etc.

I've tried downloading the ibm utility program, setting the cardbus to enable and it then wants me to keep reinstalling the drivers for the wireless card every time it reboots and it still will never work. I've tried forcing it to irq 4/5 and forcing a conflict with the onboard audio, still no luck.

Any luck, greatly, greatly appreciated.

I can check later if I still have the BIOS update file saved from back when it was available for download from IBM if noone else has it handy. And about the WLAN setup... It sounds like you're trying all the right things, including the irq 4/5 which I recall having to resort to only when installing CardBus USB adapters.

I've had a 760XL for over four years and have decided Win98SE works best. I gave WinMe several tries and every time I reverted back to Win98 was due to bad experiences getting USB adapters to work. The symptoms were as you are describing, conflicts, IRQ Steering nag messages, etc. I was recently having similar issues with WinMe and my 600x while setting up a combo USB/1394 CardBus adapter, where 98SE worked just fine. If you search the Microsoft knowledgebase long enough you'll find WinMe articles about similar issues with specific PCMCIA cards (I believe MANY others types/brands are affected...) but it's one of those deals where you have to call their tech support and demonstrate a need for them to send you a patch. Anyway, if it were me...

I would definitely confirm the latest BIOS is installed. Then I would only work with a clean install of Win98SE to rule out being bit by WinMe bugs. And I have never been able to enable IRQ Steering on the 760XL. When PCMCIA card drivers are installed properly then the "Enable IRQ Steering" nag message never appears. I've had an Orinoco Gold 802.11b on the 760XL (16-bit PC Card) working with Win98, NT, 2K and XP(!) for a long time without trouble. I stopped using 2K and XP when I decided to add USB since neither OS supports CardBus on the 760XL. I'm now running a Belkin 802.11g CardBus adapter, and sometimes a Belkin USB-to-802-11g adapter (seems to have better range than the CardBus when I really need it) without any problems. I think the Belkin WLAN adapter is happy with any IRQ (think that 11 is the default). Hope this helps.

p.s. I also had a Netgear 802.11g CardBus adapter working but exchanged it for the Belkin because it has a low-profile antenna which allows it to fit in the lower PCMCIA slot while the USB with built-in connector doghouse fits in the upper slot (with slight pressure...)

I have Windows ME running on my 760E which after upgrading to a P166 MMX and replacing the MWave with the ESS board, is same spec as a 760XL.

So far, I've never had any trouble, even when the RAM was still at 32 before I upgraded to 80. The key to having Windows 98and ME working properly is to have a reletively fast hard drive, all the drivers installed and at least 32mb RAM.

If you have a 760 with the mWave system, then you should use Windows 95 or NT as the drivers and patches for Windows 98 are becoming increasingly harder to find.

NightG wrote:Where can I download BIOS updates?

My 760XL BIOS is HZET73WW, 12/09/99. I believe it's the latest. After some digging...

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... sdhz73.exe

I just tried it and spsdhz73.exe builds the correct BIOS update floppy. Good luck!

Chris

AlphaKilo470; I have performed the same upgrades that you have on my 760EL. It now has the 166 mhz CPU and 81 megs of ram. But I still have the same problems that NightG does even with all of the drivers installed and the cardbus enabled. The latest Bios was I think HYET80WW which I got before the IBM website killed all of the 760 series information.

Photojo1 wrote:The latest Bios was I think HYET80WW

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... sdhz73.txt

Interesting, two different alpha-numeric IDs apply to the same Version 2.13 BIOS, depending on 760 model. If one checks the revision history, this Version 2.13 BIOS diskette apparently installs the HZET73WW on a TP760XL/ED/(EL: 9547-x4G, 9547-x4K, 9547-x4T only), and HYET80WW on a TP760E/ELD/(EL: all except 9547-x4G, 9547-x4K, and 9547-x4T).

For Windows 98 and ME, just so long as the bios is dated after 1998 or 1999, you should be fine. The latest bios, the 1999 one, it's primary fix is for running Windows 2000, if memory serves me right. There are other things listed, but nothing I've been able to notice when running my system.

paulchr wrote:

Photojo1 wrote:The latest Bios was I think HYET80WW

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... sdhz73.txt

Interesting, two different alpha-numeric IDs apply to the same Version 2.13 BIOS, depending on 760 model. If one checks the revision history, this Version 2.13 BIOS diskette apparently installs the HZET73WW on a TP760XL/ED/(EL: 9547-x4G, 9547-x4K, 9547-x4T only), and HYET80WW on a TP760E/ELD/(EL: all except 9547-x4G, 9547-x4K, and 9547-x4T).

I think it might have something to do with the video board. If I'm not mistaken, the 760XD and ED can display 24 bit color, while the E, EL and others display 16 bit only. This, is actually controlled at BIOS level as I have a 760XD video board but it's on a 760E motherboard and it only goes up to 16 bit color insted of 24-bit.

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