On Saturday 28 October 2017 22:41:41 Felix Miata wrote: > Gene Heskett composed on 2017-10-28 21:43 (UTC-0400): > > On Saturday 28 October 2017 20:23:33 Felix Miata wrote: > >> Gene Heskett composed on 2017-10-28 15:28 (UTC-0400): > >> > Bios is 2.3.1, I wonder if a newer one might still be available? > > > > Gee, thats ancient compared to yours. :( > > > >> My 745 has 2.6.2. Primary Grub is on /dev/sda3 on 1TB rust. I > >> downloaded BIOS 2.6.6, but never got an urge to install it. > >> Download page also offers 2.6.4: > >> <http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicet > >>ag/901dsc1/drivers> >> Better to cut, paste, and edit in your own 7 > >> digit service tag. > > > > I'll have to get it, I saw it in the bios. I assume its put it on a > > cd and reboot to the cd? > > CD boot to flash a BIOS is not something I can recall ever trying. I > boot DOS to run DOS flashing utilities, which vary from brand to brand > and model to model. Though my 745 has a floppy drive, apparently I > never tried to do it yet, but I do know I've successfully upgraded a > bunch of OptiPlex BIOSes, starting way back with the 110. > > I commonly have a bootable DOS sda1 on my multiboot machines and use > it. Otherwise I most often do a temporary HD swap that I have added > the flashing utility and/or BIOS file to by attaching it by eSATA or > USB to whatever machine downloaded the update(s). Making a USB stick > bootable to DOS is something else I can't recall ever trying yet. Lots > of machines here can't boot USB. > > http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/drivers/driversdetails?drive >rId=GRJ7T does have a crude instruction how to proceed with flashing > the 745. If your 745 has no floppy drive I think you'll probably have > to use USB to suffer through this one on your own, or with help from > http://www.bootdisk.com/ and/or something from http://www.freedos.org/ > . The 2.6.6 BIOS file is barely more than half the capacity of a 3.5" > floppy. > My problem, despite having several machines with floppies in them, is finding one that actually works. Even if removed and cleaned and lubed.
> Whether your old 745 BIOS in fact has anything to do with Grub failure > is another matter. :-p I have doubts myself Felix, besides, I managed to get enough ducks in a row to fix that since I posted, with some help of course. So we're booting ok now, if at the downright leasurely pace of a trs-80 color computer. :) Post on this thing is glacial. But once posted, it begins to wake up and act like a 3.4 GHz Pentium D that it claims it is, marching along at a more reasonable pace. Thanks Felix. Cheers, Gene Heskett -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
