The "dd" command is used on UNIX-like machines to copy portions of the disk bit by bit. This is commonly used to create bootable mediums from ISO image files. While "dd" cannot be used to apply a BIOS update, the command is vital for creating a bootable DOS medium that can apply a BIOS update under UNIX-like operating systems. Since most motherboard manufacturers only release BIOS flashing software for DOS-like environments, this work around is necessary to properly apply BIOS updates.
Instructions
1. Launch an additional browser window and enter your computer manufacturer's web page address. Click the "Support" link, then "Drivers & Downloads" to access the updates section.
2. Find the exact make and model number of the computer from the product list and download any applicable BIOS updates. If they are distributed in an archive format such as RAR or ZIP, unpack the archive before continuing.
3. Launch another browser window and navigate to the FreeDOS development website (see Resources). FreeDOS is an open source DOS-like environment, the only of its kind still developed and supported. Download the ISO image file titled "fdfullcd.iso" as it contains a Live environment that you can use to apply the BIOS updates.
4. Launch a terminal window from the desktop and use the "cd" command to navigate to the folder where you stored the FreeDOS ISO image.
5. Connct a USB pen drive to the computer. Type "dd if=fdfullcd.iso of=/dev/sdc1" where "/dev/sdc1" is the physical drive name of the USB drive on the system. You can find this by typing the "fdisk -l" command if you do not already know it.
6. Copy the unpacked BIOS update files to the USB pen drive. Before you reboot, thoroughly examine the README file that came with the BIOS updates and read any updating instructions on the computer manufacturer's website. Every motherboard manufacturer has a different BIOS procedure for its motherboards and it is imperative that you follow their specific instructions.
7. Reboot the machine and, when asked, choose to boot from the USB pen drive into the FreeDOS Live medium instead of booting into your regular operating environment. Follow the README files instructions to apply your BIOS updates. Typically you will need to use a flashing utility to apply a binary firmware file.
Tags: BIOS updates, apply BIOS, BIOS update, apply BIOS update, apply BIOS updates, browser window, computer manufacturer