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naldor

[M17x R4] Bricked BIOS FIX

By naldor, in Alienware M17x / AW 17

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naldor    29

naldor
Posted

I make this thread for people who have bricked their bios on their r4(not the vbios), since the release of the A05 I have seen multiple people bricking their bios. The solution to this problem is really easy.

Go to Drivers en downloads | Dell [Nederland] and download the .exe file. Use winrar to extract this file, you will have a file named like this QBR00EC.fd, rename it to M17R4.hdr.

Now format an USB stick to fat/fat 32, and ONLY put this file on it. We are almost done!!!

Unplug the battery from your laptop and be sure the power adapter is not plugged in, and put the USB in the eSate(NOT USB SLOT). Now hold the end button and plug in the adapter, your alienware should come back to live now!!!! It will beep some times and restart few times.

Note: Leave CMOS battery in, or it wont work :D

Thanks to SVL7/Brian, clearing things up for me, just go back into bios flashing :P

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Tazadar    11

Tazadar
Posted

This fixed my former M17xR3 when something went wrong with my flash, this is a computer saver ^^

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Wei Lu    17

Wei Lu
Posted
This fixed my former M17xR3 when something went wrong with my flash, this is a computer saver ^^

Hi,you have rename also the file fd like PAR00MEC.fd to M17R3.hdr for M17R3?

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widezu69    252

widezu69
Posted
Hi,you have rename also the file fd like PAR00MEC.fd to M17R3.hdr for M17R3?

No, rename the "PAR00MEC.fd" to "PAR00X64.fd". Then everything else is the same.

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Wei Lu    17

Wei Lu
Posted
No, rename the "PAR00MEC.fd" to "PAR00X64.fd". Then everything else is the same.

Thanks! How can you find this tips?

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lastOne    10

lastOne
Posted

Let me see if I got this right... battery is out and the power cord is not plugged in... how can the system power up?

does this work with M15x too?

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svl7    5608

svl7
Posted

Read the first post again ;)

And nope, it won't work for the M15x. The M15x comes with an old-school bios, you'll need a crisis disk, and you need to create it before you start messing with a modified bios.

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PsychoMantis    10

PsychoMantis
Posted
Read the first post again ;)

And nope, it won't work for the M15x. The M15x comes with an old-school bios, you'll need a crisis disk, and you need to create it before you start messing with a modified bios.

Hi I've tried this and nothing happens doesn't matter how long I hold end key... Please help...

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svl7    5608

svl7
Posted
Hi I've tried this and nothing happens doesn't matter how long I hold end key... Please help...

What exactly did you do? Brick your board with a bios update?

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ehau    10

ehau
Posted

I followed the OP instructions and it worked successfully and am now on A05 stock. :)

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Michael    1315

Michael
Posted

More details please. How did it happen exactly, what happens when you turn on the computer?

Also, is it R4 as the subject says or R2 as the body says?

If you want people to help please be more precise.

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naldor    29

naldor
Posted

If some1 upload an R2 bios, or give me a link where to download it, I could take an look at it, but I think some1 already figured out how to fix it coz R2 has been around for a while. But as Brian says be more precize, what bios update when did it shut down, does it do anything when you power it on? Any lights, fans?

- - - Updated - - -

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=351421 is what I found on google you could give it a try

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corydoan@gmail.com    11

corydoan@gmail.com
Posted

Hi...sorry I know it says R4 but I am desperate, I was trying to update it to A10 when it locked up during the flash in Windows Environment. Now when I turn on the Laptop I dont have any display but keyboard is lit up...and yes fans and everything work.

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franky52    10

franky52
Posted

Another happy R4 downgrade 8) From A09 to A05.

Now time to test mod BIOS

Edit: Alienware completely bricked due to a bad flash upgrading to A10 mod. Waiting for tech to replace motherboard :(((. I think I won't repeat the exprience ;)

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svl7    5608

svl7
Posted

From A05 you can flash totally normal by using the InsydeFlash utility. I'll update this thread soon with another flashing method so that blind flash isn't necessary anymore, unless someone wants to go from A08 or newer to A05 or older.

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jamesst20    10

jamesst20
Posted

Tested to downgrade and the fans are running max speed since more then 5 mins now :( how long is it supose to take? It didn't reboot at all, i'm scared to shutdown..

Edit : Holded power button and no changes still on A10

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jamesst20    10

jamesst20
Posted
Tested to downgrade and the fans are running max speed since more then 5 mins now :( how long is it supose to take? It didn't reboot at all, i'm scared to shutdown..

Edit : Holded power button and no changes still on A10

Any help? I would like to downgrade..

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jamesst20    10

jamesst20
Posted

I bought a new USB Key and still same. What am I missing? You sure it works for the Alienware M17X R4 on a A10 Bios? Is the name : 'M17R4.hdr' different?

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svl7    5608

svl7
Posted

The recovery name is correct. Your system came with A10 already installed, right? It's possible that systems which come with A10 pre-installed won't allow to downgrade to something pre-dating A08, even though it seems a bit weird to me.

I'm gonna post the files for the other flashing method now, so you can still go to the unlocked bios. Downgrading to an older bios doesn't really make sense anyways, at least not as long as the newer one doesn't have a severe bug.

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jamesst20    10

jamesst20
Posted
The recovery name is correct. Your system came with A10 already installed, right? It's possible that systems which come with A10 pre-installed won't allow to downgrade to something pre-dating A08, even though it seems a bit weird to me.

I'm gonna post the files for the other flashing method now, so you can still go to the unlocked bios. Downgrading to an older bios doesn't really make sense anyways, at least not as long as the newer one doesn't have a severe bug.

That's right it came with A09 if I remember good, maybe we can't go lower then the lowest Bios version it had :P Your new method worked like a charm ! :)

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