How to upgrade the bios of an Intel SE440BX2 motherboard?

I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.

I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
PentiumIII450 and 500.

So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.

It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems that
it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.

I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.

Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.

Any one can help?

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:24:17 -0500, "John"
<rds1226@sh163.net> wrote:

>I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.
>
>I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
>PentiumIII450 and 500.
>
>So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.
>
>It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems that
>it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.
>
>I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.
>
>Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.
>
>Any one can help?
>
>

Do you care if it recognizes it as a PII-450? If not,
you're done. If you do care, either you'll have to get it
from Package Bell as the bios has their ID string in it, or
you might try flashing the Intel bios by an alternate method
like Uniflash. Uniflash is not without risks, use at your
own peril. There is some other way of forcing the Intel
retail bios to an OEM board, I am sure because I used to do
it all the time... but it's been so long, sorry but the
details escape me beyond that it wasn't working to flash the
usual way because of the vendor ID string difference. You
might be able to use a hex editor to change that vendor ID
string to match instead, but again I forget the details
beyond that I think some people managed to do it.

John wrote:
> I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.
>
> I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
> PentiumIII450 and 500.
>
> So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.
>
> It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems that
> it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.
>
> I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.
>
> Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.
>
> Any one can help?
>

I cannot help on the details of your situation.

If I go here, I see a reference that SE440BX2 might have been
referred to as "Seattle-2" as a motherboard name.

http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/intel/index.html

When a current-day version of a web site no longer contains
useful old content, you can use web.archive.org, to examine a
snapshot of the website at a previous point in time. The technique
is far from perfect, as things like "search" boxes on the web pages
won't work properly. And up until quite recently, the web pages
weren't even linked properly (virtually every link on an archived
page, had to be hacked by hand, to be used). So things are much better
than they used to be. Another improvement web.archive.org has made,
is the restoration of downloadable files - in the past, anything you
might want to download, was unavailable. But now you can find PDF files,
and even BIOS updates, still downloadable.

There are two references to "Seattle" on this page. But you're
going to have to fill in the details, like whether "PB870"
refers to your system or not.

http://web.archive.org/web/200306021...rt/node201.asp

I downloaded the P12 BIOS, and the notes say that it is an Intel
BIOS rather than an OEM, and the Packard Bell logo might be missing
during POST. The claim is, it won't affect the function of the
machine. When I executed the archive, it prepared a diskette for
me, and the contents were rather strange. Rather than one monolithic
file as a BIOS image, there were a bunch of smaller, separate files.
I presume the flash program assembles these, somehow, at flash upgrade
time.

I'm not getting a very warm feeling about this package, but maybe
you'll have better luck finding the right one. Since it didn't say
"Seattle-2", I cannot be 100% certain it is a relevant update.

Snapshots go all the way back to 1997, but I doubt going that far
back is going to give you an up to date BIOS.

http://web.archive.org/*/http://support.packardbell.com

I'd agree with Kony, that a working system in the hand, is worth
more than an attempted BIOS flash and a board that refuses to POST.
If the system, say, did not enable caches or something, that would
be a good reason to flash it, but if the problems are only cosmetic,
I'd just leave it as is.

Paul

If the motherboard recognizes a PIII as a PII, does it affect the
performance of the CPU?



"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
newsrer03dg0eib5oq15bnsg3d4f83t4f6hg0@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:24:17 -0500, "John"
> <rds1226@sh163.net> wrote:
>
>>I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.
>>
>>I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
>>PentiumIII450 and 500.
>>
>>So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.
>>
>>It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems that
>>it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.
>>
>>I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.
>>
>>Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.
>>
>>Any one can help?
>>
>>
>
> Do you care if it recognizes it as a PII-450? If not,
> you're done. If you do care, either you'll have to get it
> from Package Bell as the bios has their ID string in it, or
> you might try flashing the Intel bios by an alternate method
> like Uniflash. Uniflash is not without risks, use at your
> own peril. There is some other way of forcing the Intel
> retail bios to an OEM board, I am sure because I used to do
> it all the time... but it's been so long, sorry but the
> details escape me beyond that it wasn't working to flash the
> usual way because of the vendor ID string difference. You
> might be able to use a hex editor to change that vendor ID
> string to match instead, but again I forget the details
> beyond that I think some people managed to do it.

This is what I found on the motherboard:

182461

AA 724531-203

IUS 284916517


The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:

4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04

I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17

However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.


"Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message news:eukf41$qkv$1@aioe.org...
> John wrote:
>> I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.
>>
>> I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
>> PentiumIII450 and 500.
>>
>> So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.
>>
>> It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems
>> that it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.
>>
>> I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.
>>
>> Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.
>>
>> Any one can help?
>>
>
> I cannot help on the details of your situation.
>
> If I go here, I see a reference that SE440BX2 might have been
> referred to as "Seattle-2" as a motherboard name.
>
> http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/intel/index.html
>
> When a current-day version of a web site no longer contains
> useful old content, you can use web.archive.org, to examine a
> snapshot of the website at a previous point in time. The technique
> is far from perfect, as things like "search" boxes on the web pages
> won't work properly. And up until quite recently, the web pages
> weren't even linked properly (virtually every link on an archived
> page, had to be hacked by hand, to be used). So things are much better
> than they used to be. Another improvement web.archive.org has made,
> is the restoration of downloadable files - in the past, anything you
> might want to download, was unavailable. But now you can find PDF files,
> and even BIOS updates, still downloadable.
>
> There are two references to "Seattle" on this page. But you're
> going to have to fill in the details, like whether "PB870"
> refers to your system or not.
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/200306021...rt/node201.asp
>
> I downloaded the P12 BIOS, and the notes say that it is an Intel
> BIOS rather than an OEM, and the Packard Bell logo might be missing
> during POST. The claim is, it won't affect the function of the
> machine. When I executed the archive, it prepared a diskette for
> me, and the contents were rather strange. Rather than one monolithic
> file as a BIOS image, there were a bunch of smaller, separate files.
> I presume the flash program assembles these, somehow, at flash upgrade
> time.
>
> I'm not getting a very warm feeling about this package, but maybe
> you'll have better luck finding the right one. Since it didn't say
> "Seattle-2", I cannot be 100% certain it is a relevant update.
>
> Snapshots go all the way back to 1997, but I doubt going that far
> back is going to give you an up to date BIOS.
>
> http://web.archive.org/*/http://support.packardbell.com
>
> I'd agree with Kony, that a working system in the hand, is worth
> more than an attempted BIOS flash and a board that refuses to POST.
> If the system, say, did not enable caches or something, that would
> be a good reason to flash it, but if the problems are only cosmetic,
> I'd just leave it as is.
>
> Paul

John wrote:
> This is what I found on the motherboard:
>
> 182461
>
> AA 724531-203
>
> IUS 284916517
>
>
> The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:
>
> 4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04
>
> I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
> 4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17
>
> However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.

Packardbell also has a forum. There is a reference to 4S4EB2X0 here.

http://forum.packardbell.com/en/view...light=4s4eb2x0
http://support.intel.com/support/mot.../CS-013634.htm

With the 2X0 on the end of the BIOS string, it almost implies you have
an Intel BIOS at the moment, and not a Packard Bell. Maybe the Packard
Bell flasher will only go from a Packard Bell 0X2 BIOS, to the Intel
one, and when you have an Intel BIOS, from then on you have to use Intel
flashing tools ? It's all very confusing...

Paul

>
>
> "Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message news:eukf41$qkv$1@aioe.org...
>> John wrote:
>>> I have an old Packard Bell Pentium II 350 desktop.
>>>
>>> I just found that its motherboard is an Intel SE440BX2 which supports
>>> PentiumIII450 and 500.
>>>
>>> So I found a used PIII450 and replaced the old PII 350.
>>>
>>> It works fine. Only one problem, when the machine starts up, it seems
>>> that it recognizes the CPU as a PII 450.
>>>
>>> I downloaded the latest BIOS update from Intel, but it doesn't work.
>>>
>>> Packark Bell's web site is awful. Just cannot find the appropiate BIOS.
>>>
>>> Any one can help?
>>>
>> I cannot help on the details of your situation.
>>
>> If I go here, I see a reference that SE440BX2 might have been
>> referred to as "Seattle-2" as a motherboard name.
>>
>> http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/intel/index.html
>>
>> When a current-day version of a web site no longer contains
>> useful old content, you can use web.archive.org, to examine a
>> snapshot of the website at a previous point in time. The technique
>> is far from perfect, as things like "search" boxes on the web pages
>> won't work properly. And up until quite recently, the web pages
>> weren't even linked properly (virtually every link on an archived
>> page, had to be hacked by hand, to be used). So things are much better
>> than they used to be. Another improvement web.archive.org has made,
>> is the restoration of downloadable files - in the past, anything you
>> might want to download, was unavailable. But now you can find PDF files,
>> and even BIOS updates, still downloadable.
>>
>> There are two references to "Seattle" on this page. But you're
>> going to have to fill in the details, like whether "PB870"
>> refers to your system or not.
>>
>> http://web.archive.org/web/200306021...rt/node201.asp
>>
>> I downloaded the P12 BIOS, and the notes say that it is an Intel
>> BIOS rather than an OEM, and the Packard Bell logo might be missing
>> during POST. The claim is, it won't affect the function of the
>> machine. When I executed the archive, it prepared a diskette for
>> me, and the contents were rather strange. Rather than one monolithic
>> file as a BIOS image, there were a bunch of smaller, separate files.
>> I presume the flash program assembles these, somehow, at flash upgrade
>> time.
>>
>> I'm not getting a very warm feeling about this package, but maybe
>> you'll have better luck finding the right one. Since it didn't say
>> "Seattle-2", I cannot be 100% certain it is a relevant update.
>>
>> Snapshots go all the way back to 1997, but I doubt going that far
>> back is going to give you an up to date BIOS.
>>
>> http://web.archive.org/*/http://support.packardbell.com
>>
>> I'd agree with Kony, that a working system in the hand, is worth
>> more than an attempted BIOS flash and a board that refuses to POST.
>> If the system, say, did not enable caches or something, that would
>> be a good reason to flash it, but if the problems are only cosmetic,
>> I'd just leave it as is.
>>
>> Paul
>
>

John wrote:
> This is what I found on the motherboard:
>
> 182461
>
> AA 724531-203
>
> IUS 284916517
>
>
> The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:
>
> 4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04
>
> I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
> 4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17
>
> However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.
>
>

You have to change the headers in the BIOS file to look like a PB. That is;
use a hex editor to change the headers in files:

P17-0024.BI1
P17-0024.BI1
P17-0024.BI1

John wrote:
> This is what I found on the motherboard:
>
> 182461
>
> AA 724531-203
>
> IUS 284916517
>
>
> The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:
>
> 4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04
>
> I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
> 4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17
>
> However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.
>
>

Oops. Hit a key combination that sent it before I was done. As I was
saying ...

If the problem is your PB MB won't accept the Intel BIOS when you try to
flash, then you might simply have to change the headers in the BIOS files to
look like a PB. That is; use a hex editor to change the headers in files
from 4S4EB2X0.86A. to 4S4EB2X0.11A. Note the only change you need is 86 to
11. Change the headers in all 5 files below.

P17-0024.BI1
P17-0024.BI2
P17-0024.BI3
P17-0024.BI4
P17-0024.BIO

The BIOS in the MB will now recognize the BIOS files as a "PB/NEC" bios thus
allow the flash. This site explains how to do it for an LX MB. Same
concept.

http://home.earthlink.net/~billselk/...0OEM%20version

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:33:35 -0500, Paul <nospam@needed.com>
wrote:

>John wrote:
>> This is what I found on the motherboard:
>>
>> 182461
>>
>> AA 724531-203
>>
>> IUS 284916517
>>
>>
>> The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:
>>
>> 4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04
>>
>> I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
>> 4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17
>>
>> However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.
>
>Packardbell also has a forum. There is a reference to 4S4EB2X0 here.
>
>http://forum.packardbell.com/en/view...light=4s4eb2x0
>http://support.intel.com/support/mot.../CS-013634.htm
>
>With the 2X0 on the end of the BIOS string, it almost implies you have
>an Intel BIOS at the moment, and not a Packard Bell. Maybe the Packard
>Bell flasher will only go from a Packard Bell 0X2 BIOS, to the Intel
>one, and when you have an Intel BIOS, from then on you have to use Intel
>flashing tools ? It's all very confusing...
>
> Paul

"mdp"'s post jogged my memory, what was written is correct,
it's the 11 vs 86 string difference that needs hex edited to
reflect it's a PB bios. It is true that it was already an
Intel bios, just that part is changed as a (cruel joke?) way
to thwart bios changes.

Once the hex edited bios is flashed to the board, the
situation remains the same as it is currently- a PB bios can
be flashed to it because it has same vendor ID string, but
the Intel flasher will not flash a bios with the Intel ID
string. To convert to use of the Intel vendor ID string is
where using an alternate method of forcing the bios (like
Uniflash) comes in.

Frankly I would not flash the bios for this cosmetic
identification issue. A better reason to flash would be if
there were a known bug to fix or if OP had a Tualatin
slotket adapter and needed a more recent bios to get a
Tualatin working. Another better reason to flash might be
support of larger HDDs, or possibly ACPI compatibility for
Win2k/XP, but only the CPU ID reason was stated so...

kony wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:33:35 -0500, Paul <nospam@needed.com>
> wrote:
>
>> John wrote:
>>> This is what I found on the motherboard:
>>>
>>> 182461
>>>
>>> AA 724531-203
>>>
>>> IUS 284916517
>>>
>>>
>>> The bios number appears when the machine is turned on:
>>>
>>> 4S4EB2X0.11A.0005.P04
>>>
>>> I googled and found it is Intel SE440BX2 which has the latest bios:
>>> 4S4EB2X0.86A.0024.P17
>>>
>>> However, it does not work on this OEM mother board.
>>
>> Packardbell also has a forum. There is a reference to 4S4EB2X0 here.
>>
>> http://forum.packardbell.com/en/view...light=4s4eb2x0
>> http://support.intel.com/support/mot.../CS-013634.htm
>>
>> With the 2X0 on the end of the BIOS string, it almost implies you
>> have an Intel BIOS at the moment, and not a Packard Bell. Maybe the
>> Packard Bell flasher will only go from a Packard Bell 0X2 BIOS, to
>> the Intel one, and when you have an Intel BIOS, from then on you
>> have to use Intel flashing tools ? It's all very confusing...
>>
>> Paul
>
> "mdp"'s post jogged my memory, what was written is correct,
> it's the 11 vs 86 string difference that needs hex edited to
> reflect it's a PB bios. It is true that it was already an
> Intel bios, just that part is changed as a (cruel joke?) way
> to thwart bios changes.
>
> Once the hex edited bios is flashed to the board, the
> situation remains the same as it is currently- a PB bios can
> be flashed to it because it has same vendor ID string, but
> the Intel flasher will not flash a bios with the Intel ID
> string. To convert to use of the Intel vendor ID string is
> where using an alternate method of forcing the bios (like
> Uniflash) comes in.
>
> Frankly I would not flash the bios for this cosmetic
> identification issue. A better reason to flash would be if
> there were a known bug to fix or if OP had a Tualatin
> slotket adapter and needed a more recent bios to get a
> Tualatin working. Another better reason to flash might be
> support of larger HDDs, or possibly ACPI compatibility for
> Win2k/XP, but only the CPU ID reason was stated so...

There are a lot of HEX editors out there. I use Tiny Hexer, it's free and
has a useful compare feature.

http://www.mirkes.de/en/freeware/tinyhex.php