Installing the Intel® Boot Agent Software Image

Overview

Installing/Updating in Windows Vista or More Recent Environment

Installing/Updating in MS-DOS Environments

Overview

Intel® desktop adapters have a factory-installed, integrated flash ROM device that has been pre-programmed with an Intel® Boot Agent software image. 

NOTE: Use BootUtil to enable the flash ROM on Intel server adapters.

Installing/Updating in Windows Vista or More Recent Environment

NOTES: Intel® PROSet for Windows* Device Manager can flash the Boot ROM. However, if you need to enable or disable the Boot ROM use BootUtil from an MS-DOS environment. The Intel Boot Agent update operation involves writing the Intel Boot Agent image into the flash ROM, which may temporarily disable the operation of the Windows network device driver. Depending on what software is installed in your system, you may need to reboot the computer following this operation. If MS-DOS installation is required, refer to Installing/Updating in MS-DOS Environments.

You can use Intel PROSet for Windows Device Manager to install or update the Intel Boot Agent software in Windows Vista or more recent environments as follows:

1. When downloading a flash ROM image file from Intel's website, be sure to save it to a temporary directory or a location where you can easily locate it for this procedure.

2. Install the Intel PROSet for Windows Device Manager software onto the system.

3. Open Intel PROSet for Windows Device Manager by opening the System Control Panel. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.

4. Select the appropriate adapter and click the Boot Options tab. If the tab does not appear, update your network driver.

NOTE: Intel PROSet for Windows Device Manager also allows you to change configuration settings for PXE environments. To do so, refer to Configuring the Boot Agent in a Windows Vista or More Recent Environment. Not all configuration settings are available for some flash ROMs.

5. Click the Update Flash Image button and follow the directions.

   The flash ROM update process can take up to 90 seconds on some systems.

Installing/Updating in MS-DOS Environments

In this procedure, you will use an executable flash tool called BootUtil that has the necessary Intel Boot Agent images stored within the executable. You will select the adapter you want to flash, and indicate whether or not you want BootUtil to create a backup image of the old flash before flashing a new Intel Boot Agent image. BootUtil then erases the flash before writing the new Intel Boot Agent image onto the flash.

To use BootUtil to install or update the Intel Boot Agent software in an MS-DOS environment:

1. Obtain an MS-DOS-bootable floppy disk containing an executable image of the BootUtil utility. If you do not have BootUtil on your MS-DOS bootable disk, copy it to your system disk from the CD ROM that came with your product under the \BOOTAGNT directory, or acquire the most up-to-date version from Intel's website at www.intel.com/support/

2. Using your MS-DOS bootable floppy disk, boot your computer to an MS-DOS prompt.
   

   CAUTION: The next several steps require that your computer be booted only to MS-DOS. These steps cannot be performed from an MS-DOS Command Prompt window or using an MS-DOS task within Windows.



3. Type BOOTUTIL -nic=x -upgrade (where x is the number of the adapter you wish to update) and press Enter. Refer to the help document for BootUtil.

               --or--

   Type BOOTUTIL -all -upgrade (to update all the adapters).

   A message similar to the one below appears showing a list of all compatible network adapters found in your system, assuming both the adapter and the flash ROM device are properly installed.

   NOTE: Actual adapter-related data may vary depending upon the adapters installed.

Adapter Choices
===	================	=======	====	==============	=======
NIC	Network Address	Series	WOL	Boot ROM Type	Version
===	================	=======	====	==============	=======
1	00D0B7D36018	Gigabit	No	PXE	4.1.17
2	000347003E35	Gigabit	No	PXE	4.1.17

4. Type Y (yes) to create a backup of the current contents of the flash ROM device (not yet updated) onto a file. If such a file already exists, you'll be asked if you want to overwrite the file. If you type Y (yes), the flash image file is overwritten with the current contents of the flash ROM. The new Intel Boot Agent image is then written into the flash ROM device used by the adapter. The process takes approximately one minute. 

    

   NOTE: The BootUtil utility automatically names the flash image file (backup file) with a .IBA extension.

    

               --or--

Type N (no) to cause BootUtil to proceed without first saving a copy of the current contents of the flash ROM device onto a file. BootUtil asks you to confirm your choice as follows:

Continue Update without Restore Image? (Y)es or (N)o:

If you type N (no), BootUtil cancels the update, leaving the flash contents unchanged, and returns to the DOS prompt. If you type Y (yes), a new Intel Boot Agent image is written into the flash ROM device used by the adapter.

5. You may need to go into the BIOS to change the boot order.

Last modified on 4/24/13.