Before I throw this away......

[simon h]

Also I see that holding the end key and inserting the power lead will initiate the flash ? No need to hit the power button ?

[simon h]

All the files on the Dell site are exe files so I have taken a punt at going with what I have. First attempt, it didn't seem to do anything. We one time I held home and plugged in fans on full and it's been that way for 5 mins now the usb stick's power light isn't showing any activity though....how long does this take, anyone know ? It could just sit here like this for all I know doing nothing with fans on full 

[i.bakar]

see i have no idea what is happening with ur laptop but since before it used to turn off once you turn on , but now its still on then it stand to the reason that its actually doing something ! let it be and see , u have nothing to lose .. google how to recover your bios from usb drive on the m18x r2 and u might find something that can help .

[simon h]

Didn't do anything it seems just sat there with fans on max for 30 mins.

 

Due to inactivity (access light not flashing) on the USB stick. Can someone tell me what the system does here to look at the drive.

IE. Is there any need for this to be bootable because the laptop doesnt get to POST. So there is nothing to execute. Am i doing this correctly ? as i dont think the system is accessing the USB drive. Unless, it is, and i just dont see it. Is this a case of just having the bios files on on the drive? I will also test changing the file name, i have noticed that in the bootable directory the unlocked bios files are thus named, M18R2.hdr and M18xR2.bin one including the x.

[Jerryzago]

I have to dig in to my notes. Messing with the settings for the intergrated GPU causes this. We had many cases on the old forum. I did it once for myself and saved my mobo.

 

The process is similar to Maxware79, BUT.

 

To blindflash you need the A03 version of the Bios, none other will work. Also have the USB stick formated to Fat32 and it has to be inserted to the esata port. Yes, that one. Plese give me time to find my notes in the old laptop. I belive it can b fixed.

 

 

 

[Jerryzago]

Here is what I got.

 

Download the original Alienware unmodded A03 bios from Dell at Drivers and Downloads | Dell [united States] The file is named "M18R2A03WIN"

Extract the contents of M18R2A03WIN to a new folder named "Alienware recovery" anywhere on your useable computer. In there you should have a bunch of files. (9 in total)

Look for the one called QBR10EC.fd

Rename this file to M18R2.hdr

Place the file M18R2.hdr on a formatted fat32 usb stick on its own.

Thats it. Blind created

 

Recovery process:

To do the recovery process you need to remove your m18x r2 battery.

Unplug the back power cord as well

Plug the usb stick with the file M18R2.hdr in the M18X's e-sata port

Now hold down the END key (located above the numbers key pad) at the same time while your holding the END key plug in the power cord only, you will hear the fans turn on full bolt.

Release the end key and wait

After a few seconds once the file is read from the USB stick you will hear 20 or 30 beeps (sounds like a garbage truck reversing)

After the beeps stop the m18x will shut down and reboot itself. ( 1 or 2 times depending)

Once reboot all will be back to normal A03 bios.

Connect the battery back if you wish after successful boot.. That's all folks, things should work now unless you bricked the EC controller, which is hard to do

 

Found this on Techinferno. Credits go to the user Scott Matusow and his post from 2012.

 

Take note that if you have a 980m or later gpu, flash A11 before installing your GPU, or you will have to disassemble again.

 

 

[jaybee83]

4 hours ago, Jerryzago said:

Here is what I got.

 

Download the original Alienware unmodded A03 bios from Dell at Drivers and Downloads | Dell [united States] The file is named "M18R2A03WIN"

Extract the contents of M18R2A03WIN to a new folder named "Alienware recovery" anywhere on your useable computer. In there you should have a bunch of files. (9 in total)

Look for the one called QBR10EC.fd

Rename this file to M18R2.hdr

Place the file M18R2.hdr on a formatted fat32 usb stick on its own.

Thats it. Blind created

 

Recovery process:

To do the recovery process you need to remove your m18x r2 battery.

Unplug the back power cord as well

Plug the usb stick with the file M18R2.hdr in the M18X's e-sata port

Now hold down the END key (located above the numbers key pad) at the same time while your holding the END key plug in the power cord only, you will hear the fans turn on full bolt.

Release the end key and wait

After a few seconds once the file is read from the USB stick you will hear 20 or 30 beeps (sounds like a garbage truck reversing)

After the beeps stop the m18x will shut down and reboot itself. ( 1 or 2 times depending)

Once reboot all will be back to normal A03 bios.

Connect the battery back if you wish after successful boot.. That's all folks, things should work now unless you bricked the EC controller, which is hard to do

 

Found this on Techinferno. Credits go to the user Scott Matusow and his post from 2012.

 

Take note that if you have a 980m or later gpu, flash A11 before installing your GPU, or you will have to disassemble again.

 

 

oh now im really curious if this could help the OP. nice find!

[Maxware79]

I'm not sure why only the A03 BIOS would work with the M18x R2. The same process on the M17x R4 works with any BIOS version, as far as I know. I usually do the A05 one but I've done it with other versions. 

All the other processes look exactly the same as the M17x R4 and it's good that the filename is M18R2, that was just a guess on my part. 

 

You really have to following the instructions perfectly or you risk a permanent brick. 

[simon h]

Interesting, ill look at this right now.

[simon h]

On 7/3/2022 at 1:43 PM, Jerryzago said:

Here is what I got.

 

Download the original Alienware unmodded A03 bios from Dell at Drivers and Downloads | Dell [united States] The file is named "M18R2A03WIN"

Extract the contents of M18R2A03WIN to a new folder named "Alienware recovery" anywhere on your useable computer. In there you should have a bunch of files. (9 in total)

Look for the one called QBR10EC.fd

Rename this file to M18R2.hdr

Place the file M18R2.hdr on a formatted fat32 usb stick on its own.

Thats it. Blind created

 

 

Unfortunately the link you quoted there does not lead to a collection of files that includes M18R2A03WIN. The screen below is what is available at the moment. The top file, the ZipPak only contains the bios exe called M18R2A03.exe and does not include the files you mentioned. I have searched and re-searched to no avail to find the bios files that are not compiled in an exe format. I continue to look for A03 bios in non exe format

 

[simon h]

Ok sussed out a few things, that i had to download 7zip first (never heard of it) and then downloaded the exe from DELL, extracted the files from the EXE using 7zip. Now i can see the files.

[simon h]

No good though. I formatted another USB stick with FAT32, no dos. Renamed the file and copied it over. Inserted it to the eSata port.

 

Cmos battery is disconnected

The main battery is out.

CPU is connected

GTX GPU is not connected

No RAM installed

No disks connected

 

Held the "End" key and inserted power lead. Laptop powers up with maximum fans, "Alienware" light on the screen illuminated but screen not powered. Just sits like that after 30 mins.

 

[aldarxt]

10 minutes ago, simon h said:

No good though. I formatted another USB stick with FAT32, no dos. Renamed the file and copied it over. Inserted it to the eSata port.

 

Cmos battery is disconnected

The main battery is out.

CPU is connected

GTX GPU is not connected

No RAM installed

No disks connected

 

Held the "End" key and inserted power lead. Laptop powers up with maximum fans, "Alienware" light on the screen illuminated but screen not powered. Just sits like that after 30 mins.

 

Maybe you just need a new screen. This all started because you noticed some screen flickering and or stuttering. Then you changed the IGFX settings, maybe it was too much for the screen. Could it be you need a new screen, I dont know the conditions a bad screen would show. Also don't think the flash worked because it did not restart 1 or 2 times.  Find it strange it stayed on for 30 mins fans on full and not shutting down. Its hard to determine which component was going bad at the start. I am no Techy but I would check each component individually 1 at a time if possible, in or on another PC, the HDD, CPU, GPU, RAM, MOBO and the screen. This seems daunting but it is not working anyway the screen and mobo can be tested by a Technician, they just plug everything in on a table totally disassembled, primarily the screen and mobo. This is more of a mechanical challenge than a software one, But this is what drives Alienware Owners

[aldarxt]

3 minutes ago, aldarxt said:

Maybe you just need a new screen. This all started because you noticed some screen flickering and or stuttering. Then you changed the IGFX settings, maybe it was too much for the screen. Could it be you need a new screen, I dont know the conditions a bad screen would show. Also don't think the flash worked because it did not restart 1 or 2 times.  Find it strange it stayed on for 30 mins fans on full and not shutting down. Its hard to determine which component was going bad at the start. I am no Techy but I would check each component individually 1 at a time if possible, in or on another PC, the HDD, CPU, GPU, RAM, MOBO and the screen. This seems daunting but it is not working anyway the screen and mobo can be tested by a Technician, they just plug everything in on a table totally disassembled, primarily the screen and mobo. This is more of a mechanical challenge than a software one, But this is what drives Alienware Owners

I Love when I can say "I can fix it" or better yet "I Fixed it" of course with alot of the help of NBR and NBT and a few sideliners LOL

[simon h]

As it happens i randomly saw this guy on Youtube. I called him earlier and had a long chat. I have put it all back together and i am sending him my Alienware and have asked him to get the video on his channel....watch this space...........

This video and one other video where he takes off the bios chip to reprogram convinced me to call him.

 

[jaybee83]

1 hour ago, simon h said:

As it happens i randomly saw this guy on Youtube. I called him earlier and had a long chat. I have put it all back together and i am sending him my Alienware and have asked him to get the video on his channel....watch this space...........

This video and one other video where he takes off the bios chip to reprogram convinced me to call him.

 

haha way to go to recruit some (hopefully competent) help 😁👌🏼

[ssj92]

Did you blind flash A03 with all components installed? CMOS battery, battery, RAM, CPU, etc.? 

 

because otherwise it will probably fail (at least if there's no RAM) 

[Maxware79]

Yeah you need to follow the directions exactly. No need to remove the CMOS battery or RAM for the blind flash. 

 

If it doesn't work then the BIOS probably won't be the problem, quite possible that the board is proper bricked. 

[Jerryzago]

I am sorry it hasn't worked for you. Try again with patience. I know I failed to do this process when I needed to, because I was frustrated from all the teardown. I had the laptop in pieces in front of me.

Only essential parts are needed, if I can remember. No hard drive, no dvd drive, a stick of ram, no gpus, the screen was just simply connected to the board.

 

It took me a couple of tries to do it. I don't believe you risk a brick because if you succeed you will have a board with tha A03 bios, or with the original bios. 

 

Also I remeber it is tricky to connect the usb to the esata port. If 'feels' wrong to do it!

 

[Azther]

22 hours ago, aldarxt said:

Maybe you just need a new screen. This all started because you noticed some screen flickering and or stuttering. Then you changed the IGFX settings, maybe it was too much for the screen. Could it be you need a new screen, I dont know the conditions a bad screen would show. Also don't think the flash worked because it did not restart 1 or 2 times.  Find it strange it stayed on for 30 mins fans on full and not shutting down. Its hard to determine which component was going bad at the start. I am no Techy but I would check each component individually 1 at a time if possible, in or on another PC, the HDD, CPU, GPU, RAM, MOBO and the screen. This seems daunting but it is not working anyway the screen and mobo can be tested by a Technician, they just plug everything in on a table totally disassembled, primarily the screen and mobo. This is more of a mechanical challenge than a software one, But this is what drives Alienware Owners

this actually jogged my memory of an issue i had when upgrading my m18x r1 (going from faulty 580m to a single 780m) and the screen was showing up green and pink glitchy colors on first rebuild. Turns out the screen connector was dirty, used some compressed air and plugged it back in and voila it was perfectly fine. funny how sometimes the simple things that people might overlook turn out to be the solutions lol

[simon h]

Thanks ever so much guys for the support and the ideas and replies, it really is great that you care for another Alienware.....

I really do not want it to die, i want it with Nvidia RTX Quadro 4000 and possibly the MXM conversion to NVMe as well (not so important). So i can also say "Ha, meet my 2013 laptop!"

 

It is my main development Laptop running all the servers, Visual studio's, Databases, etc etc. Performance wise it beats some work laptops with ease with its RAID SSD's and 32GB ram...and you know what, i dont even notice the speed difference with the processor or RAM @ 1866mhz. It is more important that i have 32GB to work with not that it takes half a second longer to do something.  I have 1 game installed, Elite Dangerous / Horizons / Odyssey.

 

Anyway, I shipped it off today to be looked at by the guy in the above link, he really impressed me on a few of his videos and i know he knows what he is talking about after i spoke to him on the phone. He has the gear to do it properly so, fingers crossed.

[simon h]

14 hours ago, ssj92 said:

Did you blind flash A03 with all components installed? CMOS battery, battery, RAM, CPU, etc.? 

 

because otherwise it will probably fail (at least if there's no RAM) 

Where were you when i needed you lol. Its gone past the eleventh hour....

Did you blind flash A03 with all components installed? CMOS battery, battery, RAM, CPU, etc.? 

answer is No, No, No, YES and no to disks installed

 

All of the advice on threads to do this and that share the same thing in common....there are no pre-requisites to the processes at all ever mentioned. Assumptions have to be made, and i tried all manner of combinations of "this and that" throughout this but not the above. Not to worry, the BIOS chip will be removed from the board and re-programmed directly in the next few days, maybe tomorrow.

[simon h]

I just want to reiterate here one thing. My laptop was running beautifully until ;

 

The stuttering in windows on a few vids and graphics was lag.

 

but then ;

 

I altered in bios the integrated allocated memory and raised it to 512mb, and raised the reserved value to 1024mb saved and exit.

Laptop restarted and powered back on......then just powered off. 

  

[Jerryzago]

5 hours ago, simon h said:

I just want to reiterate here one thing. My laptop was running beautifully until ;

 

The stuttering in windows on a few vids and graphics was lag.

 

but then ;

 

I altered in bios the integrated allocated memory and raised it to 512mb, and raised the reserved value to 1024mb saved and exit.

Laptop restarted and powered back on......then just powered off. 

  

That is exacty what went downhill. Though there is a setting, maybe hardware-wise it isn't possible, and the laptop just doesn't know what to do.

 

Either forward this information to the guy you sent it, to try it by himself, or maybe replace your bios chip with a working one.

 

I see no other solution to it. Blindflash our bios was a 'thing' back in the day, when swick first gave us his unlocked bios to finaly use 980m on our machines. I belive that time was a braking point were this old dinosaur of laptops, would be futureproof. 

 

Hope you fix it. It is by far, a simple procedure to fix it, if you get it right.

 

[aldarxt]

On 7/5/2022 at 10:55 AM, simon h said:

As it happens i randomly saw this guy on Youtube. I called him earlier and had a long chat. I have put it all back together and i am sending him my Alienware and have asked him to get the video on his channel....watch this space...........

This video and one other video where he takes off the bios chip to reprogram convinced me to call him.

 

I dont know how you found this guy, but looks like you made the right choice, his list of video repairs is amazing! I hope he makes a video repairing your OLD 2013 18 so we can learn more about our Prized machines!!!