Asus M2N68 SE: 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

Chapter 2

BIOS information

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output

System (BIOS) setup.

®

1. ASUS Update:

Updates the BIOS in Windows

environment.

2. ASUS EZ Flash 2:

Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a oppy disk or a USB ash

disk.

3. ASUS AFUDOS:

Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable oppy disk.

4. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3:

Updates the BIOS using a bootable oppy disk, a USB

ash disk or the motherboard support DVD when the BIOS le fails or gets corrupted.

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS le to a bootable oppy disk or a USB ash

disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard

BIOS using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities.

2.1.1 ASUS Update utility

The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update the motherboard

®

BIOS in Windows

environment. The ASUS Update utility allows you to:

• Save the current BIOS le

• Download the latest BIOS le from the Internet

• Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS le

• Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and

• View the BIOS version information.

This utility is available in the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package.

ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet

Service Provider (ISP).

Installing ASUS Update

To install ASUS Update:

1. Place the support DVD in the optical drive. The

Drivers menu appears.

2. Click the

Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update.

3. The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.

®

Quit all Windows

applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.

Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2-1

Updating the BIOS through the Internet

To update the BIOS through the Internet:

®

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows

desktop by clicking Start >

Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate.

2. Select

Update BIOS from the Internet from the drop-down menu, then click Next.

3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click

Auto Select

then click Next.

4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download then click

Next.

5. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.

The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update

the utility to avail all its features.

Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le

To update the BIOS through a BIOS le:

®

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows

desktop by clicking Start >

Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate.

2. Select

Update BIOS from a le from the drop-down menu, then click Next.

3. Locate the BIOS le from the

Open window, then click Open.

4. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.

2.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk

1. Do any one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk.

DOS environment

a. Insert a 1.44MB oppy disk into the drive.

b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/S

then press <Enter>.

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Windows

XP environment

a. Insert a 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk drive.

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b. Click

Start from the Windows

desktop, then select My Computer.

c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.

d. Click

File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy

Disk window appears.

e. Select

Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options eld,

then click Start.

®

Windows

Vista environment

a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk

drive.

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b. Click

from the Windows

desktop, then select Computer.

c. Right-click Floppy Disk Drive then click

Format to display the

Format 3 1/2 Floppy dialog box.

2-2 ASUS M2N68 SE

d. Select the Create an MS-DOS startup disk check box.

e. Click

Start.

2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS le to the bootable oppy disk.

2.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility

The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to go through

the long process of booting from a oppy disk and using a DOS-based utility. The EZ Flash 2

utility is built-in the BIOS chip so it is accessible by pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-

On Self Tests (POST).

To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:

1. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS le for this

motherboard.

2. Save the BIOS le to a oppy disk or a USB ash disk, then restart the system.

3. You can launch the EZ Flash 2 in two ways.

(1) Insert the oppy disk / USB ash disk that contains the BIOS le to the oppy disk

drive or the USB port.

Press

<Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.

ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3.06

FLASH TYPE: MXIC 25L8005

Current ROM

Update ROM

BOARD: M2N68 SE

BOARD: Unknown

VER: 0306

VER: Unknown

DATE: 10/17/2008

DATE: Unknown

PATH: A:\

A:

Note

[Enter] Select or Load [Tab] Switch [V] Drive Info

[Up/Down/Home/End] Move [B] Backup [ESC] Exit

(2) Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the Tools menu to select EZ Flash 2 and press

<Enter> to enable it.

You can switch between drives by pressing

<Tab> before the correct le is found.

Then press <Enter>.

4. When the correct BIOS le is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update process

and automatically reboots the system when done.

• This function can support devices such as USB ash disk, or oppy disk with FAT 32/16

format and single partition only.

• Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot

failure!

Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2-3

2.1.4 AFUDOS utility

The AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable

oppy disk with the updated BIOS le. This utility also allows you to copy the current BIOS

le that you can use as backup when the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating

process.

Copying the current BIOS

To copy the current BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:

• Make sure that the oppy disk is not write-protected and has at least 1024KB free space

to save the le.

• The succeeding BIOS screens are for reference only. The actual BIOS screen displays

may not be the same as shown.

1. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support DVD to a

bootable oppy disk.

2. Boot the system in DOS mode.

3. At the prompt key in

afudos /o[lename]

where the [lename] is any user-assigned lename of not more than eight

alphanumeric characters for the main lename and three alphanumeric characters for

the extension name.

A:\>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.rom

Main lename Extension name

then press <Enter> to copy the current BIOS le to the oppy disk.

4. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS le.

Updating the BIOS le

To update the BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:

1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) and download the latest BIOS le for the

motherboard. Save the BIOS le to a bootable oppy disk.

We recommend that you write the BIOS lename on a piece of paper; you will need to key

in the exact BIOS lename at the DOS prompt later.

2. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support DVD to a

bootable oppy disk.

3. Boot the system in DOS mode.

2-4 ASUS M2N68 SE

4. At the prompt key in afudos /i[lename]

where [lename] is the latest or the original BIOS le in the bootable oppy disk.

A:\>afudos /iM2N68SE.ROM

then press <Enter>.

Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot

failure!

5. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after the BIOS update process is completed.

Reboot the system from the hard disk drive.

A:\>afudos /iM2N68SE.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))

Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.

WARNING!! Do not turn off power during ash BIOS

Reading le ....... done

Reading ash ...... done

Advance Check ......

Erasing ash ...... done

Writing ash ...... done

Verifying ash .... done

Please restart your computer

A:\>

2.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility

The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le

when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. You can update a corrupted BIOS

le using the motherboard support DVD, a oppy disk or a USB ash disk that contains the

updated BIOS le.

• Prepare the motherboard support DVD, the oppy disk or the USB ash disk containing

the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility.

• For the M2N68 SE motherboard, this utility will not function when you use a PATA optical

drive.

• Always connect the SATA cable to the SATA1 / SATA 2 connector; otherwise, the utility

will not function.

Recovering the BIOS from a oppy disk

To recover the BIOS from a oppy disk:

1. Turn on the system.

2. Insert the oppy disk with the original or updated BIOS le to the oppy disk drive.

Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2-5