[ale] OT (kind of):Updating a BIOS

[Phil Turmel]

Or an EFI file.  That's how I update my HP laptop's BIOS, without
booting anything.

On 11/28/18 4:20 PM, Lightner, Jeffrey via Ale wrote:
> Are you sure they don't have BIN file for the BIOS?  (BIN files can be executed from within Linux.)
> 
> Doing a web search just now for terms "acer laptop bios bin file" I see multiple hits.   You might want to try same with your specific laptop model.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ale <ale-bounces at ale.org> On Behalf Of Passauer, Billy via Ale
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 3:23 PM
> To: Todor Fassl <fassl.tod at gmail.com>; Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
> Subject: Re: [ale] OT (kind of):Updating a BIOS
> 
> Maybe boot from Hiren's Boot CD and then run your BIOS updater from a flash drive?
> 
> https://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd
> 
>  ... Billy ...
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ale [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Todor Fassl via Ale
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 3:04 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
> Subject: [ale] OT (kind of):Updating a BIOS
> 
> I am looking for suggestions for running a BIOS program that must be run in Windows on a laptop currently running debian stretch.
> 
> I was trying to update a friend's Acer Aspire 5315 laptop that is running debian. The problem is that linux cannot control the fan so the system overheats and shuts down after about 10 minutes. I have reason to believe that a BIOS upgrade will fix this problem. However, the BIOS upgrade program I downloaded from the Acer web site has to be run in Windows. I tried freeDos and got the message, "This program cannot be run in DOS mode."
> 
> Anybody have experience dealing with a problem like this? Is there a way to install Windows just long enough to upgrade the BIOS? I don't have a Windows license key thingy whatever it is.
> 
> -- changes will cause
> Todd