which comes first, new BIOS or Embedded controller

[nikemen]

Well, I am going to make the leap and see if the new EC will fix my fan issues. IBM says yes, web site says yes, any users want to chime in?

Which comes first though, when installing? EC says, it only works with BIOS 3.06, and BIOS 3.06 says it only works with EC 3.03f or something.

So I ask youz, how is one to install it? BIOS first, then Ec, or Ec then bios. Or, older bios then EC then newer bios.

currently, I am still on 2.14 I think.

[eriqesque]

If you are installing both the BIOS and EC
you should install the EC 1st.

[sktn77a]

Yeah, I've seen this recommendation but how does this work in practise? Update the EC, but then you have the new EC and the old BIOS - does this not create a problem before you update to the new BIOS? And can you update a very early BIOS wuth the latest EC before updating to the latest BIOS? (I have an early T40 and had considered updating the BIOS but wanted some other poor unfortunate to be a guinea pig first )

[nikemen]

I just did this, it worked fine,

used the newest of both, bios and Ec. Bios first, then EC

haven't been able to test fan issues though

[sktn77a]

So, what exactly did you do? Did you use the non-diskette version? Can you confirm your original BIOS and EC? Then what did you do? Upgrade the BIOS. Then shut down and let the system boot to windows with the new BIOS and old controller? Then upgrade the EC?

[nikemen]

I downloaded the lastest bios update I think the ending was CD or something. Then, the latest EC update. On the IBM site they will be the ones at the bottom of hte list, about 1.3-1.4 MB each. The last file is the .txt files, so it is not that one.

Then, I just ran the EC update. That took 30 seconds, then powered down. I rebooted and let it get to desktop, then rebooted again and hit the Access key to suspend startup and checked the BIOS info, EC 3.03 or something like that.

Then, I let the boot continue and ran the BIOS update. That took about 1 minute, and then rebooted. I let it get to desktop and then rebooted again and hit the Access ket to suspend startup. In the BIOS is said 3.06f.

Let it startup and everything worked fine. Deleted all the files and was done. Took about five minutes total.

[jdhurst]

I use the diskette-based versions of these updates and I have a floppy disk drive for my T41. Also, the instructions clearly say to update the Embedded Controller first in the case where one depends on the other and neither is current. That said, I:

1. Make a disk for the Embedded Controller and a disk for the BIOS and label them so I know which one is which.
2. Shut down the T41.
3. Attach the USB Floppy Drive.
4. Insert the EC diskette, boot, update and let the machine shut itself down.
5. Insert the BIOS diskette, boot, update and let the machine shut itself down.
6. All done, and restart normally.

This process has worked properly three times for me - once on a T30 and twice on my T41. ... JDHurst

[jsteele]

So what order would the group suggest if I were backstpping BIOS and EC? I'm still having USB problems (no USB 2.0 support) since upgrading the BIOS and EC and I'm thinking about going backward until I find a combination that works properly --- which it did when I got the machine earlier this year.

[OL]

For the usb trouble, install all windows updates : before sp1, wxp didn't recognize usb2 correctly. Maybe you should check your version of intel drivers for the chipset and download it using ibm matrix drivers on its site. I don't think you should downgrade your bios.

[jsteele]

Well, IBM tech support told me to load an update for the USB, an update they provide if you do NOT have the IBM installed XP (I have the factory IBM XP SP! load but they had me install anyway) and it made no difference.

I have been keeping my system current since I got it in February so all the the latest updates are already there. And, last night I installed SP2 hoping that would fix the problem but it didn't.

The strange thing is that I plugged my USB HDD in and apparently Microsoft has changed the error message for hispeed devices plugged into low speed ports. I removed and reinsrted it several times and it kept telling me I had a hispeed device on a low speed port.

However the 4th time I plugged it in it DIDN'T complain!. I was able to copy the Rapid Restore backup to the USB drive at full speed!. Then, after the copy completed it complained that I had a hispeed device plugged into a low speed port!