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Installing firmware is a very risky process, made safer on modern devices by refusing to install incorrect firmware. In earlier days if you installed the wrong firmware or installed a firmware incorrectly the only way to recover was the replace the chip the firmware was installed into, and that usually meant replacing the motherboard.
Back in the days before Compaq was bought by HP they made what they called an Executive Laptop, designed to appeal to executives as a kind of status symbol. It was very expensive, starting at $10,000. Needless to say they didn't sell many of them and they were soon discontinued.
A few years later I found two of them in a pawn shop, complete with docking stations (these were the first laptops with modern docking stations) for sale for $75 each. I bought them.
I logged into Compaq's website and found the latest firmware for them, downloaded it and installed it on one. It failed and my laptop was dead. I called Compaq support and described what had happened and the error number, which convinced him there was a bug in the firmware. He said they no longer had these devices to test with and asked me if I'd install it on the other one. He promised he'd back me up.
I did. It died. He had me ship both units to Compaq. He replaced both motherboards. Their price was listed on the invoice it was returned with at $1800 each, but of course there was no charge. My computers were fixed. Compaq found the bug in their firmware and replaced it on their website and all was well.
In those days you didn't update firmware in iffy situations. It was always done under optimal conditions if you were smart. It was risky. Any failure of any kind would likely ruin the device.
Anyway, even today with much safer firmware installation processes it's not something you want to break the rules with unless you seriously know what you're doing.
Barry
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