9

I want to update my EX58 GIGABYTE motherboard but there is no 64-bit BIOS update tool available. I'm getting this:

--------------------------- Unsupported 16-Bit Application
--------------------------- The program or feature
"\??\X:\Downloads\motherboard_bios_ga-ex58-ud4_f7d\FLASHSPI.EXE"
cannot start or run due to
incompatibility with 64-bit versions of
Windows. Please contact the software
vendor to ask if a 64-bit Windows
compatible version is available.


--------------------------- OK   
---------------------------

What can I do?

2
  • Have you tried a DOS boot disk? I think FLASHSPI can run from DOS.
    – hyperslug
    Sep 21, 2009 at 19:38
  • Warning: Because BIOS flashing is potentially risky, if you do not encounter problems using the current version of BIOS, it is recommended that you not flash the BIOS. If you want to flash the BIOS, do it with caution. Inadequate BIOS flashing may result in system malfunction.
    – user68129
    Feb 18, 2011 at 12:00

5 Answers 5

13

GIGABYTE has a tool called @BIOS which will check their main server for the most recent version of firmware for your motherboard, download, and flash the BIOS.

Here is a link: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Utility_DownloadFile.aspx?FileType=Utility&FileID=150

3
  • 3
    The URL in your post is a broken link; here's a working one: gigabyte.com/MicroSite/121/tech_a_bios.htm
    – strager
    Sep 21, 2010 at 15:48
  • Be careful when relying on @BIOS to update your MB firmware, it doesn't always get the latest version available from the GIGABYTE support site.
    – Mint
    Jul 1, 2019 at 23:05
  • The servers are down but you can download from your countries website and flash from file as well! Jan 21, 2020 at 20:53
3

If there is a Floppy based version of the BIOS update, use that (if you have to, you may need to buy a USB based floppy drive or barrow a friend's).

Other ideas include creating a BartPE/UltimateBoot CD for Windows (UBCD4WIN)/Windows PE CD and trying to install from that.

Is there a specific reason you are updating the BIOS? When it comes to BIOS, I GENERALLY follow the thinking that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" - if you need some new functionality of the new BIOS, that's one thing, but if you're upgrading just because there's an upgrade, at least with BIOS, I don't consider that wise.

Reference Links:

EDIT: Also remembered - there are boot CDs you can make - DOS boot CDs that can skip the floppy - I've only done it once and it worked ok. Check out www.bootdisk.com (but just remember, you need a DOS version of the BIOS updater for that to work)

And just to clarify - 64 bit versions of Windows have ZERO support for 16 bit applications, so that 16 bit app will never run. If there's a 32 bit version, that MIGHT work, but apps that interact directly with hardware like that often NEED to be 64 bit on a 64 bit system. (Although I suppose if a 16 bit BIOS update app works on a 32 bit system, then a 32 bit BIOS update app might just work fine on a 64 bit system)

0

Thanks the suggestions found a better solution called Qflash - http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/NewTech/old_motherboard_newtech/tech_qflash.htm . A feature of GIGABYTE motherboards.

0

Have you tried it from FreeDOS? http://www.freedos.org/

0

The above link is outdated. Here is the updated link

https://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/121/tech_a_bios.htm

1
  • 2
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