How to Update Intel® Boot Agent
Content Type: Maintenance & Performance | Article ID: 000005992 | Last Reviewed: 02/18/2025
The Intel® Ethernet Connections boot utility has the latest Intel® Boot Agent code for Intel® Ethernet adapters. Download this archive to update your boot agent. All functionality and command line switches that were found in IBAUTIL are supported in BOOTUTIL.
You can update the Intel Boot Agent using one of two methods:
The BOOTUTIL.exe utility can be used to update the image and control many settings of the boot agent. See the documentation supplied with the Intel® Ethernet Connections utility for details.
For boot image update or installation using Intel PROSet for Windows* Device Manager:
You can find the BootIMG.FLB file in the APPS\BootUtil folder of the software CD or in the files installed using the Intel® Ethernet Connections boot utility.
Using older version of Intel® Boot Agent and older FLB Images
Using an older version of the software or older flash images requires manual selection of the image file for your adapter type. The last character before the .FLB extension matches the file to the adapter type. See Table 1 to match the image file name to the adapter.
Table 1
Matching image file name to adapter type
| Adapter | File Name Pattern | Comment |
| Intel® PRO/100 Desktop and Server Adapters | BAxxxxL1.FLB | Supports adapters based on the 8255x controllers. |
| Intel® PRO/1000 Desktop and Server Adapters | BAxxxxL2.FLB | Supports most gigabit adapters. Adapters based on the 82542 and 82543 controllers are not supported. |
| Intel® PRO/10GbE Server Adapters (PCI-X*) | BAxxxxL4.FLB | Supports adapters based on the 82597EX controller. |
| 10/25/40 Gigabit Ethernet Adapters (PCI-Express*) | BAxxxxL5.FLB | Supports adapters based on the 82598EB controller. |
Contents of this archive are not intended for network connections that are built into the computer, such as the PRO/100 VE, PRO/100 VM or PRO/1000 CT Network Connection. For built-in network connections, the boot agent must be updated as part of a BIOS update. Contact your system vendor for information.
Some Intel adapters are not equipped with flash memory chips, but have a socket instead. For early model PRO/1000 adapters that came with a flash chip socket, there are no updates available.
Intel® Boot Agent is enabled by default on desktop adapters and disabled by default on server adapters. Disable the boot agent on all Ethernet adapters that are not using it.