Suggest Create a new Win98 boot disk, remove all files except Command.com, IO.sys, MSDOS.sys and Himem.sys with bare Config and Autoexec files. Those usually are the only files you need on a boot disk to flash a bios.
You will need to edit the Config.sys to just load himem.sys. I looked at the particular Gateway/Intel bios file 1.00.10.BR0T and it needs to be unzipped or extracted to get the real files and it includes a Autoexec.bat file.
So after making the slim version of a Win98 dos boot disk, copy all those files to it and overwrite the Autoexec.bat file if one was still on the floppy.
Do not copy the original .EXE to floppy as it might not be able to extract out proper.....only FMUP.EXE and SHOWHDR.EXE should be on the floppy as .EXE's as well as the other files....
Then boot from it and it should auto-flash the bios update (IF you removed any write protection thru a motherboard jumper IF there is one, looked but didn't see one).
attached the extracted files below, read the Readme.txt inside for more information....
Note: Warning1: once you flash with this version you cannot use recovery to go back !
Warning2: Intel was stupid and soldered the BIOS chip to the board (unlike most OEMs) so if something happens you cannot easily fix a bad flash on any Intel board of this era...
Can someone else check/add to this ?
Damn getting old and had to edit a few times. 🤣

Horun wrote on 2023-11-24, 04:01:

Suggest Create a new Win98 boot disk, remove all files except Command.com, IO.sys, MSDOS.sys and Himem.sys with bare Config and […]
Show full quote

Suggest Create a new Win98 boot disk, remove all files except Command.com, IO.sys, MSDOS.sys and Himem.sys with bare Config and Autoexec files. Those usually are the only files you need on a boot disk to flash a bios.
You will need to edit the Config.sys to just load himem.sys. I looked at the particular Gateway/Intel bios file 1.00.10.BR0T and it needs to be unzipped or extracted to get the real files and it includes a Autoexec.bat file.
So after making the slim version of a Win98 dos boot disk, copy all those files to it and overwrite the Autoexec.bat file if one was still on the floppy.
Do not copy the original .EXE to floppy as it might not be able to extract out proper.....only FMUP.EXE and SHOWHDR.EXE should be on the floppy as .EXE's as well as the other files....
Then boot from it and it should auto-flash the bios update (IF you removed any write protection thru a motherboard jumper IF there is one, looked but didn't see one).
attached the extracted files below, read the Readme.txt inside for more information....
Note: Warning1: once you flash with this version you cannot use recovery to go back !
Warning2: Intel was stupid and soldered the BIOS chip to the board (unlike most OEMs) so if something happens you cannot easily fix a bad flash on any Intel board of this era...
Can someone else check/add to this ?
Damn getting old and had to edit a few times. 🤣

Thanks for the reply!

I see what you mean about not being able to downgrade. I have a 2 GB CF card coming, maybe I should wait to see if it's recognized before updating the BIOS

Just following up, I got the 2 GB CF card, and it worked without updating the bios. I was able to install Windows 98 no problem

Dubesinhower wrote on 2023-11-27, 13:05:

Just following up, I got the 2 GB CF card, and it worked without updating the bios. I was able to install Windows 98 no problem

Sounds like you BIOS doesn't auto detect LBA drives. Maybe you can manually configure the drive in your BIOS.

You are using a BIOS named 1.00.03.BR0T. Is that for an intel 430fx chipset?

You might be able to find a BIOS upgrade on https://theretroweb.com/

[edit] Is this your motherboard? https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel- … ppa-e#downloads

Looks like there might also be an MR BIOS for that board. I find MR BIOS v3.3 a pleasure to use.

douglar wrote on 2023-11-27, 13:18:

Sounds like you BIOS doesn't auto detect LBA drives. Maybe you can manually configure the drive in your BIOS. […]
Show full quote

Dubesinhower wrote on 2023-11-27, 13:05:

Just following up, I got the 2 GB CF card, and it worked without updating the bios. I was able to install Windows 98 no problem

Sounds like you BIOS doesn't auto detect LBA drives. Maybe you can manually configure the drive in your BIOS.

You are using a BIOS named 1.00.03.BR0T. Is that for an intel 430fx chipset?

You might be able to find a BIOS upgrade on https://theretroweb.com/

[edit] Is this your motherboard? https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel- … ppa-e#downloads

Looks like there might also be an MR BIOS for that board. I find MR BIOS v3.3 a pleasure to use.

It looks similar to that, but it uses the same chipset. I ended up flashing 1.00.10.BR0T and now it detects larger drivers!

Actually, looking back at the old BIOS, I think it would have worked if I changed the IDE detection type to Auto Detect or switch the type to "Logical Block", I didn't understand before that that meant LBA.

Oh well, it works!