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How to recover from a bad flash for Alienware M18X R2


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  • 11 months later...

I would like to use the blind recovery method to "go back" from A10 to A03. My current bios is A10. How can I extract the files from the M18R2A03WIN? When I click on the packet, it immediately opens the flash utility in Windows. Then it stops before completion (probably because Dell now prevents downgrading to previous versions). I would like to run an unlocked Bios version, but I can't figure out how to extract the files from the packet M18R2A03WIN. Can someone send me a copy of QBR10EC.fd or M18R2.hdr?

Thanks in Advance.

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I would like to use the blind recovery method to "go back" from A10 to A03. My current bios is A10. How can I extract the files from the M18R2A03WIN? When I click on the packet, it immediately opens the flash utility in Windows. Then it stops before completion (probably because Dell now prevents downgrading to previous versions). I would like to run an unlocked Bios version, but I can't figure out how to extract the files from the packet M18R2A03WIN. Can someone send me a copy of QBR10EC.fd or M18R2.hdr?

Thanks in Advance.

Here's a link to the file you need in my Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwdqi25LDwZyVkhJZ2E2bnNRSmc/view?usp=sharing
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Thanks again Mr. Fox. I have been reading posts for years about overclocking, most recently in the R1 and R2. I was reluctant to unlock my BIOS in the R2 due to my poor luck with flashing media in the past. I have read the threads over and over; maybe I am ready.

Do I need to install this file in a DOS-bootable USB or can I just copy and paste?

To boot or to brick, that is the question.

[email protected]

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It worked! Though I must say there were a few very distressed cats in the house; those beeps ( I stopped counting at 100) must have sounded like impending doom to all! But then it stopped -and booted normally.

Its running great now. Thank you! Thank you!

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It worked! Though I must say there were a few very distressed cats in the house; those beeps ( I stopped counting at 100) must have sounded like impending doom to all! But then it stopped -and booted normally.

Its running great now. Thank you! Thank you!

Awesome! You're welcome, buddy.

I bet those kitties were fit to be tied, LOL. Very obnoxious beeps, but it's good they are there so you know the blind flash process is working.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know I'm on the M18, but would a similar recovery be available for a M17XR4. My Bios settings are locked. I can get past the start up password and the windows password. I spent 2 weeks disinfecting my rig and got myself banned from the notebookreview site cuz some subhuman troll bas**rd Dropped a bunch of sh*te thru my wifes rig( I finally showed her the reason for not clickin on the damn links in an email.......OMFG, she's a great Nurse.....not so hot w/ trech)If a similar solution would work, I'd be a happy camper

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@SPFINATOR1993 Yes, it should work fine with Windows 8.1. Just be aware that if you installed Windows 8 in UEFI "cancer mode" you may need to reinstall your OS. If I remember correctly, A03 has no UEFI boot support.

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@Mr. Fox A03 definitely does not have UEFI boot support. I tried the A03, and my OS was installed with the UEFI, I don't think there's any alternative. Short of reinstalling Windows, I don't know what to do. I have the BIOS.exe, I extracted the contents with uniextract, but I am at a loss from there. Any ideas? I am trying to avoid taking my computer to the shop. I trust the guy at the shop, he's owned nothing but Alienware laptops forever and he is insanely knowledgeable, but I am rather broke at the moment. Any suggestions on where to go from extracting the bios.exe contents?

-edit, I reflashed to A03. My raid config screen comes up, but then I get a no POST error code of 8 beeps.

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You cannot just flash A03 on the M18xR2 if you are using a recent BIOS. You can only blind flash it.

Use this blind flash file from my Google Drive [DOWNLOAD] as it is all ready to go. Follow the instructions in post #1 explicitly. Let it beep until it finishes flashing and stops beeping. If you interrupt the process, you may or may not be able to recover. The flash drive does not need to be DOS bootable, it only needs to have the file in the root directory of the flash drive. If the blind flash process never starts, try using another flash drive. The old USB 2.0 flash drives that nobody seems to want any more seem to work best for this. Newer USB 3.0 flash drives sometimes do not work at all for this process.

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  • 2 months later...

I blind flashed A03 and now all I get is 8 beeps. I have 980 sli and it wont let me switch to discrete graphics. Tried resetting cmos still no go. When I start it up it goes to the disk config page and I can get into the crtl-i menu but not the main setup by pressing f2 what am I doing wrong? Does it only beep until it restarts itself or am I suppose to wait for the beeping after the restart as well?

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I blind flashed A03 and now all I get is 8 beeps. I have 980 sli and it wont let me switch to discrete graphics. Tried resetting cmos still no go. When I start it up it goes to the disk config page and I can get into the crtl-i menu but not the main setup by pressing f2 what am I doing wrong? Does it only beep until it restarts itself or am I suppose to wait for the beeping after the restart as well?
You cannot boot 980M in Legacy and blind flash sets defaults, which is Legacy. You are going to have to remove the 980M cards any time you do the blind flash, set UEFI without Legacy and put them back in, but A03 does not support UEFI, so you will need to upgrade to at least A08 unlocked before you can reinstall them.

You may need need to blind flash again. Just pull the GPUs, flash A08, A09 or A10 unlocked and set it up for UEFI boot.

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You cannot boot 980M in Legacy and blind flash sets defaults, which is Legacy. You are going to have to remove the 980M cards any time you do the blind flash, set UEFI without Legacy and put them back in, but A03 does not support UEFI, so you will need to upgrade to at least A08 unlocked before you can reinstall them.

You may need need to blind flash again. Just pull the GPUs, flash A08, A09 or A10 unlocked and set it up for UEFI boot.

Thanks for response, I was afraid of that.

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  • 1 month later...

I followed the steps but it won't work:

- format 1 usb drive with fat32 format;

- put the a03 stock bios inside with nothing else;

- shutdown the computer and unplug everything, and remove the battery;

- insert the usb drive into the esata port;

- plug in the power cord while holding down the end key

- release the end key once the keyboard lights go on and fans spin

everytime, about 1 min later, the computer reboots but the bios version is never changed :(

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  • 2 weeks later...
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FYI: CMOS clear as it was told to me by Alienware support for my R2 was to unplug both AC and battery and hold the power key down for 30 second. Hook up the AC adapter and hold down the Fn key while pressing the power key, do so until the machine reboots a second time. Let go, and there you have it, a reset CMOS for those that choose the wrong BIOS settings.

Has anyone got this to work? I have given it a few hours to day with no success. And a further 8 or so trying for the blind... fff not a crappy camper at the moment 

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

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I was just rather brave and tried:

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

Turn the system off and disconnect the AC adapter

Disconnect CMOS battery and system battery

Do a power drain (press and hold power button 30 seconds)

Remove all memory modules

Reconnect AC adapter and power system on

Let laptop beep until it turns itself off

VERY QUICKLY, WHILE IT IS OFF, BUT BEFORE IT ATTEMPTS TO BOOT AND LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN, INSERT A MEMORY MODULE

System will start to beep 5 times

Power system off

Reconnect CMOS battery and system battery

Replace any panels removed for access to memory modules

Done…

It is fair to say I was crapping it! It didn't how ever go to plan. After 40 mins of waiting for it to power down to put the ram in i pulled the plug. So it went from 2 to 5 and then back to the 8 beeps I have had all day. No harm done... I think, no sign of the m board bleep anyway. I did how ever realise that I pulled another wire in line with the battery, wrongly assuming it was from the battery. Hopefully that was the cause! [emoji52]

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Hahaha 1ST attempt at the blind flash took though!!!

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

... streight back to 8bleeps after the flash. It seems I may need some advice.

I was fiddleing around with a gpu program before bit went down. Cant remember the name, it was one I saw Lord Fox using on a screen shot. The icon is an X... [emoji30]

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On 1/9/2016 at 5:55 AM, Potestatem said:

 

Hahaha 1ST attempt at the blind flash took though!!!

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

... streight back to 8bleeps after the flash. It seems I may need some advice.

I was fiddleing around with a gpu program before bit went down. Cant remember the name, it was one I saw Lord Fox using on a screen shot. The icon is an X... emoji30.png

was it precision X by any chance?

as that is known to cause 8 beeps LCD/GPU Failure with nvidia GPU's, and its well documented especially under windows 10, Mr Fox has done quiet a few sum up of that over at NBR, 
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/windows-10-nvidia-whql-drivers-are-killing-alienware-and-clevo-lcd-panels.779449/page-158#post-10090770

 

have a look, 

i hope you are able to fix it. and its not the LCD failure. 

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  • 11 months later...
On 12/16/2013 at 5:43 PM, Mr. Fox said:

 

goodday mr.fox..  maybe im very late with this , but i really want to recover my old m18x r1, and i having 8beeps, no screen activities. i tried to fix it by removing my gpu, cleaning it , repasted and heated it, i also tried to start it up without the Dgpu, but still problem persist. i did blind flash it and i think the flash was successful because it restarted but still got 8 beeps. i remember before it happened i getting total screen freeze that makes me hard restatrt it by pressing the power botton to 10sec untill it restart untill such time this 8beeps no post comes along the way... i wanted to recover it because it has sentimental value to me.. 

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