New BIOS 3.23

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#1 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:19 am

I am trying to load the new BIOS 3.23 on a T41 (in windows). The executable runs without any error messages. and the machine reboots to windows. I check 'Thinkpad Configuration' and the old BIOS is listed (3.21). Has anyone else seen this problem or if not can you offer any suggestions?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-50273

SHoTTa35 · #2 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:08 pm

Oh thanks for the update, seems it came out yesterday

I wonder if that portion about video memory affects how much of the RAM it can steal, maybe that'll help my Vista epenis grow a lil more. LOL

Anyways, as for the issue, did you check the BIOS screen? Maybe the Windows program just hasn't updated yet or something, check the BIOS to see if it's actually changed.

#3 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:03 pm

Thanks, I did check the BIOS screen, no dice. It's still at 3.21. "Vista ePenis"...LOL.

SHoTTa35 · #4 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:07 pm

on the T4x are you using Vista or XP as it wont work from Vista. Also when you install in XP it should copy then reboot the system and then finish the install in DOS mode so if it doesn't restart then it hasn't done anything yet.

(and yes my Vista ePenis needs to get bigger, i'm only at a 2.0 score!)

#5 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:16 pm

I am running XP. Here's exactly what happens;

1.) I start the executable from the start/run command line
2.) I get 3 or 4 screens asking me to agree to the license and to confirm that I am not running on battery or in the dock...also to unplug any external drives and to shut down any programs.
3.) The machine reboots
4.) XP starts

SHoTTa35 · #6 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:20 pm

That's weird, it's supposed to go in that order but between step 3 and 4 there should be:

Boot up IBM Info screen about flashing
Flash the system
Notify user flash is complete and reboot again
4.) XP starts

Are you running the exe from a external drive or something? Just copy it to your desktop and double click it and run it then let it do it's thing.

#7 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:26 pm

There is no external drive hooked up. I dragged the file to my desktop, same problem. Has anyone successfully flashed this BIOS version?

schimmi · #8 Post by **schimmi** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:32 pm

SHoTTa35 wrote:on the T4x are you using Vista or XP as it wont work from Vista.[...]

Hm...on my T42 (running Vista) the Update ran without problems.

@HarryC
Have you set any (PowerOn/Boot/BIOS) Passwords?
What's your Embedded Controller Program Version?

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:37 pm

My Imbedded controller version is 3.04. I am not using any passwords, and I am logged onto XP as an administrator. The only thing odd about my build is that it's a clone from another T41 which I sold. In BIOS, the option called "Flash BIOS Updating by End-Users" is 'enabled'. The "IBM Security Chip" option is 'enabled', would that have any bearing on the problem? Everything on the 'Password' screen in BIOS is disabled.

#10 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:19 pm

I have the new version running fine. I use my trusty diskette drive, but once running, that should be the same as the disk version. I also have the newest (and correct) embedded controller. The instructions say to remove passwords, but I never have, and the power on as well as Hard Drive passwords were properly retained.
... JDH

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:24 pm

Has anyone installed the Windows version of the 3.23 BIOS update?

wmdunnslo · #12 Post by **wmdunnslo** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:47 pm

I ran the update just like always on my 41p, and it installed without a hitch . . .

sugo · #13 Post by **sugo** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:02 pm

My T42 is still on factory BIOS 3.06f. It works without any issue.

Is there a reason everyone is upgrading to the latest BIOS whenever one comes out?

#14 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:15 pm

sugo wrote:My T42 is still on factory BIOS 3.06f. It works without any issue.

Is there a reason everyone is upgrading to the latest BIOS whenever one comes out?

I usually don't unless there are problem fixes/new features that I am interested in. In this case there are (2) of them -

# (Fix) ThinkPad will not resume after undock from a docking station while a system is in hibernation mode.
# (New) USB storage drive letter handling modified.

#15 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:18 pm

wmdunnslo wrote:I ran the update just like always on my 41p, and it installed without a hitch . . .

I am not good at guessing

. Was that using the diskette or non-diskette method?

#16 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:20 pm

sugo wrote:My T42 is still on factory BIOS 3.06f. It works without any issue.

Is there a reason everyone is upgrading to the latest BIOS whenever one comes out?

If you check through the instruction document for BIOS, there have been numerous fixes provided in the last two or three years for hibernation, suspend, speed step and so on.

So while your version may be serving you well, there is no real need to avoid the upgrades. I do them to prove that they work (or otherwise) and have been able to point one problem to IBM to fix. This helps with client work, but then, not everyone has my needs.
... JDH

SHoTTa35 · #17 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:22 pm

the non-diskette version is the one you've been using, you download the file and run it in Windows.

The other creates a floppy disk that you boot with and that flashes the BIOS. I rather using the floppy one (now that i have a floppy drive) I have to use it in my dock tho and i was scared about doing it but it worked just fine without any problems.

#18 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:58 pm

SHoTTa35 wrote:I rather using the floppy one (now that i have a floppy drive) I have to use it in my dock tho and i was scared about doing it but it worked just fine without any problems.

I ended up doing the same with a floppy drive attached to the dock and it worked. I got lucky, and I've got a USB floppy drive on order for next time. Thanks for the help everyone.

#19 Post by **richk** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:37 pm

I was reading this thread and was going to say that I once had a BIOS update die (out of about a zillion BIOS's), so I only apply them if I am experiencing the problem that is being addressed. Having said that, I saw that the new update being discussed fixed the docking/undocking problem with hibernation, and since I have experienced that problem, I put the update onto my T42p

agarza · #20 Post by **agarza** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:39 pm

I don't find a reason to update the BIOS on my T42p. No problems here ATM.

dagordon · #21 Post by **dagordon** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:41 pm

There's been a problem for almost a year now with the non-diskette BIOS updates for T and R machines not running; the DOS updater never runs, Windows just boots as normal.

See, for, example, this thread that I started:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

I can't run the non-diskette 3.23 updater on my T40 or R50p.

The diskette version works fine (or, at least, has in the past; I don't have a floppy drive on me right now).

You'd think that IBM/Lenovo would have done something about this by now.

#22 Post by **jdhurst** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:30 pm

I have a T41 and the system board was replaced under warranty last year. At the time, the servicer (who I know personally) ran the non-diskette BIOS updater on the new board and it ran fine.

Later, there was a new BIOS and I could not run the diskette version, which I reported to Lenovo and which was fixed. At that time, I ran the non-diskette version, and it worked fine.

All other times (the above two excluded), I ran the diskette version and they all ran fine.

Just my own experience in the mix. ... JDH

#23 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:11 pm

jdhurst wrote:... which I reported to Lenovo and which was fixed.

How did you do that, report a problem to Lenovo that is?

#24 Post by **jdhurst** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:31 pm

Harryc wrote:
jdhurst wrote:... which I reported to Lenovo and which was fixed.
How did you do that, report a problem to Lenovo that is?

As a member of the Admin and Moderator group, I am able (along with the other members of this group) to put a problem to Lenovo and they are able to respond.

... JDH

#25 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:09 pm

jdhurst wrote: As a member of the Admin and Moderator group, I am able (along with the other members of this group) to put a problem to Lenovo and they are able to respond.

... JDH

Great!. Would you mind reporting this one?

dagordon · #26 Post by **dagordon** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:18 pm

Harryc wrote:
jdhurst wrote: As a member of the Admin and Moderator group, I am able (along with the other members of this group) to put a problem to Lenovo and they are able to respond.

... JDH
Great!. Would you mind reporting this one?

I second the motion. My case number about this issue, from many months ago, is 23Q8ZZ2.

If you search these forums you will find many complaints about this problem even apart from the thread that I linked to.

#27 Post by **jdhurst** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:40 pm

I did report the issue. Let's see what happens. ... JDH

#28 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:51 pm

jdhurst wrote:I did report the issue. Let's see what happens. ... JDH

Thanks!

Stargate199 · #29 Post by **Stargate199** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:19 pm

I have BIOS 3.14 on my T41 and have not found a single reason to update it. Everything runs smoothly. I'm going to guess some of the fixes deal with Vista compatibility.

dedmeet · #30 Post by **dedmeet** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:27 am

Harryc wrote:
SHoTTa35 wrote:I rather using the floppy one (now that i have a floppy drive) I have to use it in my dock tho and i was scared about doing it but it worked just fine without any problems.
I ended up doing the same with a floppy drive attached to the dock and it worked. I got lucky, and I've got a USB floppy drive on order for next time. Thanks for the help everyone.

I am actually surprised that IBM does not give out bootable iso images of the floppy version. So we can have : non-diskette, diskette, bootable cd.

I recently had to update my bios on my t43, to see if it would fix an issue I have with a screen upgrade.

As I don't have a usb floppy drive, I used my desktop machine to turn the floppy version into a bootable cd, which I could then boot on my thinkpad. Worked 100% for both bios and controller update.

This must have been the first time in about 3 years that I actually used a floppy, took some time to find a good one in all my 'junk' boxes.

Just think in this day and age, a bootable cd image would be more practical, and save the 'end-user' from having to create one themselves.

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