[M17x R4] Bricked BIOS FIX

[AngieAndretti]

I've done this successfully with both my M17x R4 and M14x R2 (using respective original BIOS files of course.) The names to use on your flash drive for these laptops are M17R4.hdr and M14R2.hdr respectively. Also I've seen that you can leave the laptop's battery attached if you're feeling lazy and it still does work - just be sure to unplug the power supply cable before holding END and re-inserting cable. The part I've always wondered about is if you REALLY need to use an otherwise empty flash drive. I have three brand new Sony flash drives in use, one with just the M17R2.hdr file, a second with the M14R2.hdr file, and a 3rd with a DOS boot setup, ATIFlash, and some different BIOSes for my AMD 7970m graphics card. I'd be willing to bet I could combine all of this onto one drive, by adding the .hdr files to the ATIFlash drive, but haven't taken the risk and tried it yet.

[Pahcixam]

Hi.

I'm pretty sure I know the answer but I want to be really sure of what I did since my last BIOS flashing on my old Samsung Notebook finish in a nice sort of brick ^^ without any chance of recovery. I would like to flash the new A11 unlocked BIOS to access the HPET parameter . For now, I run the official A10 BIOS from Dell. The best way to achieve this is to flash first the official A11 BIOS, then start with the DOS flash disk and flash the A11 unlocked. Because if I flash the A05 with the recovery method I only be able to flash the unlocked A10 since there is no non-FTP version of A11 unlocked BIOS available for the moment. Am I right ?

Thanks in advance.

[darkwill666]

Could anyone, please, tell me how much time the system must stay ON with the fans at total speed? How do I know when it finish?

[darkwill666]

(Obs.: 15min with the M17xR4 ON after doing this. I turned the notebook off. My BIOS version is A09, so I think you are right and I can't downgrade to A05 for some reason O.o)

[codral]

I seem to have the same problem as darkwill... I have a m17xr4 with A11 which i've been trying to hard enable the 7970m on (some work software keeps defaulting to the 4000 even when I set it up to use the 7970m on max performance) so I need to wind the bios back to this version, to install a hacked bios over the top of, to tweak.

I follow the instructions, and when I turn on whilst holding Home the PC resets once or twice and then just beeps, for ages. Then eventually I manually turn it on and it's still A11.

So I guess A11 isn't downgradeable?

[Oleg Kutsy]

I seem to have the same problem as darkwill... I have a m17xr4 with A11 which i've been trying to hard enable the 7970m on (some work software keeps defaulting to the 4000 even when I set it up to use the 7970m on max performance) so I need to wind the bios back to this version, to install a hacked bios over the top of, to tweak.

I follow the instructions, and when I turn on whilst holding Home the PC resets once or twice and then just beeps, for ages. Then eventually I manually turn it on and it's still A11.

So I guess A11 isn't downgradeable?

To switch on 7970 ONLY (without HD4000) you have to press Fn+F7, after get prompt to reboot and you can see in Device manager ATI 7970 only!Not necessary to install modified BIOS for desactivation HD 4000, this is the main difference between Alienwere and other brands based on Clevo barebone.

[Jason Pool]

I tried to downgrade like this to do an upgrade to A11 unlocked. After beeping quite a few times, it just hung there. I made the mistake of unplugging it, and now not only do I get no response when trying to power up, when I try to repeat the process again to restore the BIOS, that won't even work. Holding power with no power cord/battery to discharge system doesn't help. Do I have any hope on this except to have Dell repair it? I got this under Dell Financial Services, and they are refusing to do the repair until the account is verified, which I've been trying to do for 2-3 months with their incompetent Indian call center. Funny how they can bill me and send the product, but still act like the account isn't open, and not only not allow me to pay online through their website, but block warranty service.

[John Wong]

anyone know if this method works on alienware 17 r5 ?

[svl7]

Yes, same method will work.

[Jason Pool]

Whatever you do, don't assume that a quiet system means its done and try shutting it off. It takes a long time for the End button trick to work, and I learned that the hard way. Permanently bricked the motherboard and had to have it replaced, which was a headache dealing with Dell in it's own right. At least the new system is a better refurb model than the old one.

[NoRocel]

Noticed as well that "disable" function from device manager does not do the same thing and enables itself after a while .

[fatkidbuu]

can you still flash a modified a11(unlocked)?

[J95]

can you still flash a modified a11(unlocked)?

First flash stock A11 -> A11 unlocked (Second method - FPT) http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/1964-%5Bm17x-r4%5D-unlocked-bios-versions.html

[fatkidbuu]

First flash stock A11 -> A11 unlocked (Second method - FPT) http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/1964-%5Bm17x-r4%5D-unlocked-bios-versions.html

Thanks!, I followed the guide and actually downgraded to A05, now Im waiting to flash the unlocked version as soon as I find the file

[FOOTMAN]

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

I have m17 r4 I recently updated the BIOS from a05 to a12 and now the computer does not respond I have tried the above but it is still saying that its on a12 can anyone offer any help to this? one thng that is possibly wrong is that the file I tried to download for the a05 bios wasnt for the usb the one for the usb woulod not show up on the ISO to USB software?? I know I am doing something wrong just need a swift kick

Thanks

D

[hardpartying4u]

after trying this to fix a problem I had I am now getting 7 beeps, wtf have I done and is it possible to fix this?

[godfafa]

after trying this to fix a problem I had I am now getting 7 beeps, wtf have I done and is it possible to fix this?

Try it again, and if you still have 7 beeps then I dont think this method can solve your problem.

What was the initial problem? Why did you try to do this in the first place?

[hardpartying4u]

I had recently installed a gtx 780m with no issues until this morning, basically when i tried to turn it on, all i got was one single beep that didn't repeat.

I tried pulling out the gpu and I was able to get a post and get into windows, but it shutdown while I was looking for bios updates, I then proceed to try and flash the bios using this method http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/1978-%5Bm17x-r4%5D-bricked-bios-fix.html

The computer just kept beeping for 5 min so I turned it off and tried again, after the second attempt the 7 beeps started to happen and now I am stuck.

[svl7]

That sounds more like a hardware issue when you say the laptop shut down unexpectedly. Did you try to start it again after that happened? I mean before trying the blind flash. Which BIOS was installed and which one did you try to flash?

Also turning off the machine while trying a blind flash is really not a great idea.

[hardpartying4u]

Once the computer shut down and I tried to restart it, it gave me the single beep again, I was using the A11 unlocked bios, trying to flash to the one at the beginning of this forum. (a05 I think)

This method wont even work now, when I hold the end button with the set up usb stick it doesnt even light up now, Is there a way to reset it again. (and yes in hind sight it was a very poor decision to turn it off, but I believed it to not have worked as it just kept beeping.)

[svl7]

If the method described here doesn't work anymore then that's not really good news. You could try the same method without the usb stick, that might load the defaults but for me it seem that your bios is messed up. Any warranty left?

[hardpartying4u]

If the method described here doesn't work anymore then that's not really good news. You could try the same method without the usb stick, that might load the defaults but for me it seem that your bios is messed up. Any warranty left?

No Warranty left FML LOL

- - - Updated - - -

If the method described here doesn't work anymore then that's not really good news. You could try the same method without the usb stick, that might load the defaults but for me it seem that your bios is messed up. Any warranty left?

No Warranty left FML LOL

[svl7]

I have bios chips here if you want to go that route. Needs soldering to be replaced though.

[hardpartying4u]

I have bios chips here if you want to go that route. Needs soldering to be replaced though.

Nice I didn't know they existed, how much, I'll just take it to an expert to solder for me.

[svl7]

Depends on where you're located, let me PM you.