The Advanced/ZE incorporates the AMIBIOS in a Flash memory component. Flash BIOS allows easy upgrades without the need to replace an EPROM. The upgrade utility fits on a floppy diskette and provides the capability to save, verify, and update the system BIOS. The upgrade utility also provides the capability to install alternate languages for BIOS messages and the SETUP utility. The upgrade utility can be run from a hard drive or a network drive, but no memory managers can be installed during upgrades.

USING THE UPGRADE UTILITY

If the utility is obtained from the bulletin board, UNZIP the archive and copy the files to a bootable MS-DOS 3.3, 4.01, 5.0, or 6.x diskette. Reboot the system with the upgrade diskette in the bootable floppy drive and follow the directions in the easy to use menu-driven program.

RECOVERY MODE

In the unlikely event that a FLASH upgrade is interrupted catastrophically, it is possible the BIOS may be left in an unusable state. Recovering from this condition requires the following steps (be sure a power supply and speaker have been attached to the board, and a floppy drive is connected as drive A:):

1. Change Flash Recovery jumper to the recovery mode position.

2. Install the bootable upgrade diskette into drive A:

3. Reboot the system.

4. Because of the small amount of code available in the non-erasable boot block area, no video is available to direct the procedure. The procedure can be monitored by listening to the speaker and looking at the floppy drive LED. When the system beeps and the floppy drive LED is lit, the system is copying the recovery code into the FLASH device. As soon as the drive LED goes off, the recovery is complete.

5. Turn the system off.

6. Change the Flash Recovery jumper back to the default position.

7. Leave the upgrade floppy in drive A: and turn the system on.

8. Continue with the original upgrade.