Question : Problem: Can’t flash bios on Dell running Win98.   “This bios cannot be reflashed because of installed memory managers”.

My customer has a Dell Dimension L___r  running Win98.   The symptom is that we can’t get display properties more than 16 color 640x480.  When I try and reset them I get the message: “At this time display properties are limited to trouble shooting changes only.”  

I’ve tried various things, including installing new video card with driver and new Intel chipset drivers.  It’s an Intel 810 based chipset.  Then I tried to flash the bios from A2 to A14.  When I do that I get a message:
“This bios cannot be reflashed because of installed memory managers”.

The customer said that at one point her hard drive crashed.  The Dell tech walked her through various things, at the end of which she could reboot but could never change the display properties again.  I believe there was a language problem with support, so now she’s come to me.  

She’s coming to my workshop this afternoon and expects a computer.  

Any idea what’s going on here?  

Thanks,
Al

Answer : Problem: Can’t flash bios on Dell running Win98.   “This bios cannot be reflashed because of installed memory managers”.

hi alansilverman,
there is special partition mostly hidden and it's called Dell Utilities try to check if this partition is damaged:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk_doc/examples.html TestDisk is called this utility which can reenable lost "Dell Utilities" partition,,,

so i think i found your link:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1011158&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19

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Theese links could be also interesting for you(just to metion ,surely you are aware of this stuff):
staright from dell us:
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dmum/

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http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?DN=RG1026845
http://docs.us.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dmum/specs.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dmum/syssetup.htm
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so i also found a new driver for the graphic chipset of Intel - 810e but be careful:
http://www.intel.com/design/software/drivers/platform/810.htm?iid=ipp_810echpst+body_drivers&
http://www.intel.com/design/software/drivers/platform/inf.htm

later!