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jamesst20

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Posts posted by jamesst20

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    @jamesst20

    thx for your answer, but I used the Old version to Flash back to A05.

    After that, I flashed the original Dell A05 and than the unlocked A10 BIOS with Software Update under Windows (InsydeFlash). Is that wrong?

    So you didn't use the [FPT] version right? It should be fine hmm it's odd. Give a try to the second method which is the recommended one and the one I used, flash the retail A10 update using insydeFlash and then follow the method 2 instructions :)

    Works well for me

    Disable USB 3.0

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    Hi,

    I have an Alienware m17x R4 on Unlocked A10 Bios and I would like to disable the USB 3.0 so Mac OS X Mountain Lion see my USB ports as a normal 2.0 port because right now USB 3.0 isn't supported and I can't plug anything..and it looks like Bluetooth is running on USB Bus so it doesn't work either

    Thanks

    Edit : xHCI is USB 3.0 and EHCI for 2.0

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    It won't change anything regarding the USB recovery method. It's theoretically possible to flash A05 the same way as you now flashed the unlocked A10, but as mentioned it will only flash the bios and not the complete firmware, which means the EC won't be downgraded. I'm pretty sure this will work without issues in this case, but it's not meant like this, and it could cause problems in certain cases. Therefore I recommend staying on A10. Or is there any particular reason you want A05?
    I prefer using switchable graphics for saving battery life...

    But as an occasional linux user, It frustrated the hell out of me that I couldn't get the AMD drivers to work with the alienware, unless i disabled the onboard in bios.

    The generic intel drivers ubuntu installed by default were ok.. But I couldn't watch HD videos with it, or use compiz effects. Plus I had severe page tearing when dragging windows around.

    It drove me mad for such a powerful computer that it should be.

    .. Now I'm dual-booting: BackTrack Linux - Penetration Testing Distribution - and it's nice to have that kind of arsenal at your disposal when needed. :)

    I've got the NVidia GTX 660M and it works well on Fedora 18 :)

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    Removing the battery won't ruin the warranty.. Nobody has to know anyways..

    I left mine out.. unplugged my machine, large battery out. - Let sit for an hour.. and it went back to normal.

    I thought pushing the power button would speed up the process of the drain, but no luck.. I had to let it sit for awhile.

    Be patient.

    If you wanted to disable Onboard Video, The method SVL7 told me was to switch video to PEG, and disable Onboard Video.

    And that worked for me without getting the beeps.

    Thanks, that looks right, removed the CMOS battery for a min a when I turned back on the laptop, it still kept beeping. What I did instead is to take the AC & (Laptop not CMOS)Battery, hold power 30 sec, plug back AC. Hold FN + Press Power then it goes directly in 'Diagnotisc mode or testing mode and it worked'. Unsure yet if it is the FN trick or the AC + Battery removed once again that made the difference. All I know is that I had removed those + the CMOS Battery at first and it didn't work.

    Finally I will stick with normal Graphics Settings :P The FN + F7 just work fine ^^

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    It won't change anything regarding the USB recovery method. It's theoretically possible to flash A05 the same way as you now flashed the unlocked A10, but as mentioned it will only flash the bios and not the complete firmware, which means the EC won't be downgraded. I'm pretty sure this will work without issues in this case, but it's not meant like this, and it could cause problems in certain cases. Therefore I recommend staying on A10. Or is there any particular reason you want A05?

    No need of A05 anymore as I am unlocked but I was just wondering :)

    Now my Alienware wont boot, looks like disabling integrated graphics was a really really bad idea. I thought it would only disable my HD 4000 but now the computer when I turn it on has no display and beep really loudly :/

    If I need to take the motherboard battery away, am I gonna lose warranty?

    [M17x R4] Bricked BIOS FIX

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    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 ! :)

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    I can finally download files from the forum :) Looking for your new method or how to downgrade my BIOS from A10 to A05 :)

    Edit : I might not flash it finally, dépends if it is really needed to install Mountain Lion on my m17x R4 :)

    Edit 2 : Looks like I like to but unable to downgarde my Bios :/

    @svl7 Any clue please? Also tried the unbrick tuto, please see my comment in that topic :) Can I disable USB 3.0 with Unlocked Bios? I can't install OS X from USB because it's incompatiblr with 3.0

    Anyone please?

    M17x R4 Display

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    Nop because if i use he nVidia trick it works just fine on 1080p, maybe theres some sort of driver or something like that for the monitor to enable the 1080p res.

    I'm pretty sure it's not softwarely locked, you can't add pixel that way :P

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    I'll post the details and files for a very safe upgrade procedure soon. There's no more need of the blind flash method.

    Sure there are ways... one of them is the recovery method which is part of the current AW systems. Also the so far only way to flash the modified bios has been a bit risky... but as mention above, I'll post the instructions to a safer procedure soon.

    I can finally download files from the forum :) Looking for your new method or how to downgrade my BIOS from A10 to A05 :)

    Edit : I might not flash it finally, dépends if it is really needed to install Mountain Lion on my m17x R4 :)

    Edit 2 : Looks like I like to but unable to downgarde my Bios :/

    @svl7 Any clue please? Also tried the unbrick tuto, please see my comment in that topic :) Can I disable USB 3.0 with Unlocked Bios? I can't install OS X from USB because it's incompatiblr with 3.0

    [M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    Thank you so much for amazing work @svl7.

    I want to do this my self, but how risky is it to flash the bios with an unlocked version, eg. are there any who got their laptop bricked beyond repair, and could not fix it again even with the "take out coin battery reset to original bios" and the "Bricked BIOS FIX" ?

    Or should it be more or less safe with the above mentioned fixes ?

    There is no way to fix a bricked BIOS afaik but if it is only corrupted settings or something like it, you can fix by removing the battery like you said. However, it is not really risky unless the bios files is broken :P Never turn off computer or anything while updating a BIOS.

    Alienware M17x R4 Adding a second hard drive

    in Alienware M17x / AW 17

    Posted

    I did install a second hard drive on my Alienware M17x, it came with the 1TB HDD 5400RPM which is too slow to me so I got the Sandisk Extreme 480GB SSD from Newegg for only 350$ and made it as second hard drive. At first I thought I would need to buy a new adapter to plug it but luckily, Dell attached the adapter to the HDD panel :) It is really to install :) Go ahead ;)

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