[Max_Carnage]

## Note: There are risks associated with BIOS updates. Follow this process at your own peril. ##

1. Create a DOS bootable USB stick on your Windows computer
1a] Download USBDOS tools from the end of this guide.
1b] Unzip and run HPUSBFW with a spare/empty USB stick plugged in. Select 'Fat32' & 'Create a DOS startup disk', and point the 'Using DOS system files' to a systemfiles folder wherever you unzipped USBDOS.zip. I used WinMe, but either will work.
1c] Download the BIOS update utility from Dell (select DOS Version) and save it to your USB stick: Drivers & Downloads

2. Flash your BIOS
2a] Make sure your Mini 10v is plugged in to power.
2b] Boot the Mini 10v from USB stick.
2c] Run the BIOS update utility by typing the file name and then the force options - in my case "R225278.exe /forceit /forcetype" (without quotes)
2d] The utility will run, beeping loudly (!do not try this in the middle of the night or when wife's favourite TV show is playing nearby!) for several minutes while displaying progress.
2e] System will reboot. If successful, you now have A04 BIOS. If not, you now have a borked Mini 10v. May I suggest... doorstop? :-P

Credits
Dashken: Creating A DOS Bootable USB Key (All-in-One Package) - Dashken's I-Blog
Drumma92: 10v OSX Install Freeze

Edit: It turns out that although the HPUSBFW supports a wide variety of USB sticks, some have incompatible chips. In that case, you can try the MKBT (2nd) method from here:
Creating A DOS Bootable USB Key (The Easy Way) - Dashken's I-Blog

[jeffeh]

What am I doing wrong? When I go to the Dell website for downloads and drivers, I get a file that is called DellDriverDownloadManager.app and when I open it, it says there are no files for download. Where do I get this .exe file?

---------- Post added at 03:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------

nevermind. Got it. Thanks a lot. worked good.

[el_cucuyy]

So I keeep trying to downgrade my bios to A04 but my computer won't do it.. I get as far as typing in "R225278.exe /forceit /forcetype" (without quote) and it starts beeping and everything but the right away it makes an ugly noise like I did something wron then a message says "File has diifernt BIOS part number." Bah? Any ideas... pleas help kidd_ay@yahoo.com

[Montala]

Hi el_cucuyy and welcome to the forum!

I am not trying to be funny here, but are you sure your Mini is actually a 10v (1011) rather than a 10 (1010)?

Just a bit curious too as to why you actually want to downgrade your BIOS, as if you are thinking of 'hackintoshing' this is no longer necessary if you follow Mechdrew's guides, which can be found here.

No.2 is probably the most popular one, if you don't have access to a Mac.

[el_cucuyy]

Yea, it turns out my mini is a 1010, I feel dumb now...

Anyway I wanted to install snow on my mini using a guide I found on gizmodo.com. The guide is similar to the link you gave me. My system meets all the requirements but I'm unsure about the graphics card. My comp didn't come with a spec sheet or anything and I did a little reasearch and I think I have intel gma 500 but I'm going to call dell later today to try and make sure.

My next question is: What do I need to do to install snow on my comp? My dell is currently running on Ubuntu with bios A07.. Can you help?

And I have that usb with snow ready to go...

[Montala]

I hope for your sake that someone will tell me I am wrong, but I am fairly sure that it is not possible to install Snow Leopard on a Mini 10 (1010) due to the different 'architecture' involved.

Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news!

[el_cucuyy]

Yea that's what I thought but I've done some research and apparently some people have done it on a 1010... I haven't really found anything as straight forward as the guides for 10v tho....

I guess I'm just gonna try and install windows 7 instead... I kinda wanted snow so I could run windows as a secondry OS and have the best of both worlds but I guess I'll just have to sacrifice....

[esensini]

Originally Posted by ldoogy

I actually have a far easier way of doing this, assuming you have Windows installed. Basically, you download the Windows A05 installer from Dell (that appears to be the only version they have for A05).

You then run it on Windows (I'm assuming you still have a working Windows setup on the Mini 10v). That program decompresses the Windows BIOS installer program into C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\WINPHLASH, and immediately launches it. Open the file C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\WINPHLASH\PHLASH.INI in notepad. In it you'll find the second line that says "Advanced=0". Change that to "Advanced=1", save, and close notepad.

Now launch WinPhlash.exe from that same directory (if it's already running, close it). Click the button "Advanced Settings", and in it, uncheck the box for "Flash only if BIOS version is newer than system". You can now go ahead and click Flash BIOS -- it'll downgrade your BIOS from A06 to A05 right there in Windows, no DOS, USB sticks, or other hassles. Worked perfectly for me.

Cheers,
-- ldoogy.

hello, I followed your guide with WinPhlash. The end PC is stuck on white screen. Then I turned off the computer by removing the battery and the PC will not turn anymore. He is dead!

[goyaboy]

Okay, I've flashed BIOS on a 10v before no problem. This time, lots of problems!
First of all, my 10.6 install USB drive prepped with NBM 0.8.3 (final) kept kernel panicking, so I decided to downgrade BIOS to A04 and use my old install drive which has worked in the past.

Well, after prepping a USB drive for that (with same files as I had before), I can't get past "Prepare Utility..." (spinning forever) after the R225278.exe/forceit/forcetype command. That was with ME sys files. So I reprepped the bios update drive with win98 sys files and with that I get a "Rom file is not found, or no available space! Null pointer assignment" message. If I repeat the forceit command, then I get the same as with the ME sys files.

What's going on?? Is this Mini bricked???

Help, please....