late 2013 Alienware 17 r1 bios blind flash

[hamhatch]

Hello,

 

I Recently acquired an alienware 17 r1 with the single beep error code. All my sources say it's most likely a bios corruption issue and that seems to be the case so I am trying to do a blind flash. I cannot find any guides or anything on how to do a blind flash on this machine. I have pieced together multiple guides on multiple different alienwares and I am mostly there (I am able to do the whole end key thing to start the process.) Now I need to configure the usb stick with the bios file. I put the a17 and a05 .exe file on the fat32 drive, I have renamed it to .hdr. I have extracted it and looked for a .fd/.hdr/.bin. can't find any.

 

Does anyone know how to acquire the .fd or .hdr file I need to do a blind flash?

 

I am unsure of the specs other than what's on the alienware plate on the bottom, I am trying to disassemble this but unfortunately for me the last person in here decided to strip every screw they could get their hands on. Hoping they just did a repaste instead of an upgrade to something that requires a custom bios/vbios or whatever because I'm not on that step yet so I know nothing about it.

 

thanks.

[Eban]

I could never get a blind bios flash to work on a Ranger @Maxware79 @Reciever ??

 

Resetting cmos is possible with memory insertion method, but as you have ascertained there are a LOT of screws to remove (to get all the dimm modules and cmos battery out)...stripped screws are just the cream on top.

[Maxware79]

I just tried finding the .fd file in the A05 BIOS and yeah, it's not there, as far as I can see.

 

I have done the blind flash trick on a few M17x R3's and R4's but never a Ranger. The process may be the same but it could also be very different as, from memory, the CMOS/NVRAM is a little different in the 17. Since there is no .fd file then it may not be possible. 

I think you will have to try the memory trick that Eban mentioned above. 

The Fabulous MrFox gave these instructions.

 

[hamhatch]

Alright I'm back, school has me real busy. Unfortunately the memory insertion method did not work. After reinserting the memory stick the laptop goes back to the single beep, never goes to 5. I heard that an 17 4700mq could reset a bios so I'll try that If there's no other suggestions. And if that doesn't work I will either replace the motherboard or sell this thing to someone with more free time depending on how lazy I am feeling that day. 

[sliderfra]

hi,

emergency bios recovery does not work well on aw 17r1. Use a ch341a instead and flash the eeprom directly with a clean bios.

[hamhatch]

Back again. I dropped my computer hobby because my car hobby was starting up and I had trade school. But now I'm on summer break and my chevy is basically up and running except a few minor things like a rusty exhaust, a big hole in the muffler, and a tendency to stall when idling. Anyways I'm here with my ch341a programmer, and I'm not exactly sure where to go next. I'm looking at two chips on the motherboard that I think could be bios. winbond 25q80bvsig (8Mbit) and W25Q64FVSSIG (64Mbit). I also have no idea where to find a bios file, I have a few options here but they are unlocked. I'm not super interested in unlocking my bios but I'll go for it if it doesn't require too much hassle and it's easier than finding stock.

 

I have also found this guide on usb stick bios recovery and this one includes files to put on the usb stick but unfortunately the files are not on mega anymore. So unless anyone has those files or knows where to find them, that's a dead end.

 

Any help would be appreceated, both chips seem to be 3.3 volts so I'm going to check out both and see if one of them fit or is close to the a14 unlocked bios file in file size and whatnot

 

UPDATE: I found that connecting my clip to the W25Q64FVSSIG makes the power light go dim and the programmer stops working, the other chip works fine though. I've never really done anything like this before, anyone knows what it means? might have to buy a new bios chip but that's last option since I've only ever soldered the big car wires, never any actual computers.

Edited 7 hours ago by hamhatch
New information

[Eban]

I have a .fd file but no idea where I got it or even if it's for Ranger. Use at your own peril.

 

https://www.udrop.com/ONt9/VAS00X64.rar

 

My notes say you got the insyderflash.exe from DELL, open it and without closing it goto your C:\windows\temp folder and copy VASxxx.fd file. Put that .fd file onto the root of a FAT32 usb stick (follow the rest of the guide)

 

Trouble is I cannot find an insyderflash bios update for Ranger.

 

You can try find the official bios files here

https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-au/product/alienware-17/drivers  

 

Dont click on download, click where is says Alienware 17 system bios, then at bottom of side screen click All driver versions.