Abstract: A method and apparatus in the form of a peripheral device for downloading firmware responsive to a request by an operatively connected client computer from a connected host or a source to the peripheral device of the type which has a non-volatile memory, the peripheral device being adapted to download the firmware having the operating instructions and data into the non-volatile memory with at least one backup image partition for storing basic configuration and utility operations relating to the firmware and at least one code image partition for storing the firmware. The method includes the steps of receiving a download file for the requested firmware from the client computer, saving a specific data image of the file into one of the image partitions designated by the data image, performing an error check on the data image saved in the designated image partition, terminating the process if an error is found, and repeating the steps of the process for the next data image of said file if no error is found.