BIOS A04 for M17xR1 now available from Dell

** SOME PEOPLE ARE HAVING POWER ADAPTER PROBLEMS WITH THIS BIOS. IF YOU INSTALL THIS BIOS AND BOOT TO POWER ADAPTER WARNINGS OR WINDOWS REPORTING IT WILL NOT RUN OFF A/C, YOU CAN SAFELY REVERT TO BIOS A03. IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS, PLEASE REPORT IN THIS THREAD WITH YOUR POWER ADAPTER MODEL NUMBER AND THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. **

This BIOS is NOT for the R2.

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BIOS Release Notes
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Systems : QuickSilver
BIOS Version : A04
Release Date: 04/28/2010
VBIOS version: 62.79.60.00.03
ITE EC Version: 12.59

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Input filename: A04.rom with A.bat
Word checksum: 0x5FCA
Dword checksum: 0x13D7 5FCA
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BIOS change:
1. None.

EC change:
1. EC chip enter sleep mode when system stay in S5 with battery mode for reduce power consumption.
2. Allow battery to charge once it has been discharged completely.
3. Modify the 9 volts battery for wakeup from the current time to 30 seconds.
4. Fixed When system resume from S3/S4/reatrt and Stealth mode is Enable, the CPU clock did not throttle.

Drivers and Downloads

Installed on an R1 with only minor issue of dedicated 280Ms not visible to the system for the first 2 boots (BIOS reverted to integrated 9400M even though I set it to disabled on first boot after update). Everything is back up and running fine now, though. If you're running RAID, make sure you set it in the BIOS after the upgrade (including turning on the appropriate ports) otherwise you won't be getting very far.

Direct link to BIOS A03 if you want to revert, since Dell was so kind as to remove the "previous drivers" link from the BIOS section:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?releaseid=R254103&fileid=372828

 

I am not sure I understand what those changes are for.

1. Useless
2. Does that mean it does not charge today once completely discharged?
3. Useless
4. Not sure what that means...

 

You should have put R1 in the title so R2 owners don't get excited for nothing.

 

Installed with no issues, as usual with BIOS update had to readjust my BIOS settings.

 

I wasn't sure at the time because Dell did not clarify on their site whether this was even R1 or R2.

With regard to the changes, you've got me. I only installed it to stay up to date. I didn't notice any problems with anything they said they fixed.

 

MMMHMMMM! I was excited thought I was gonna be buying me a 5870

 

Maybe you didn't read through the info thoroughly and missed something by mistake. On Dell's site you have the option to pick which model you want drivers and bios for.

Just PM a mod and ask them to change the title to a more specific one.

 

Haha I was hoping to see R1 5870 support added. I initially didn't pick the R1 and it suggested this, then manually plugged my service tag in and got the same result. It must default to the R1. I don't have an R2 so I didn't investigate it any further.

 

Yeah if you search for drivers by your service tag it'll take you directly to everything for your version.

 

bios crashed my pc

 

and your pc is...

 

fixes nth for me, fn+f7 not working, touchstrip aliencommandcentre button not working, I have these problems since A03

 

Did you update the Command Center software? It says right in the update notes on the download page that it needs to be updated, as did for the A03 BIOS. If you did, I'd try uninstalling and reinstalling the software.

 

Was your system overclocked when you flashed the bios?

 

Thanks for the info

 

Update: after a few restarts, fn+f7 is working for me, brightness adjustment is shown is OSD, but the alienware touchstrip is still not working after reinstallation, i will try again the next time I do a clean install.

 

I have experienced some odd behavior, just the prompt from the boot up page about my adapter, and for some reason that boot while playing CODMW2 on the right the fan was on, but my left fan was not? But this recent boot that I am typing from has both fans running pretty high from initial boot and just finished playing a game of GTA4, and it ran pretty well. so who knows whats going on in that system of mine, lol.

 

lame.

/10char

 

Yep, these are the inconsistencies I'm talking about. Hopefully it was a few kinks that work their way out and we don't see again after it happens the first time. Otherwise, I'm actually pretty concerned about reverting to A03 working since I'm not sure that it would revert the "EC" change. I'm still trying to figure out what Dell means by "EC" vs the BIOS itself.

 

My AC adapter worked for months before....less than a day with A04 now and it says 193 watts and I am forced to run on battery...

 

I'm going to check mine now.. if that's the case I'll be a guinea pig and try reverting to A03. Unbelievable.

 

Ok mine still says 240W.. are you looking somewhere besides the BIOS? Next time I get an adapter warning I'll check in the BIOS and see what it reads.

 

It was absolutely 240w before....I have no idea what happened today....the FiOS router is out too.....doing all this tethered to my phone

 

Ugh. Sounds like a fun day. I'm still worried this power problem is a ticking time-bomb.

 

I am on phone now. Will update you all with how it goes

 

Cool, thanks. I'm going to update the A04 thread and tell people to hold off for the moment.

 

Updated original post with warning about multiple users having power adapter problems after this update. If anyone else has problems, please reply to this thread with what you are experiencing so that we can help Dell resolve this issue.

 

Dell/Alienware engineering fail again?

 

Apparently. More to come.

 

Remove battery and disconnect the AC Adapter.
Depress and hold the power button for a 20 count.
Attach battery and reconnect AC power. Reboot.

Touchstrip controls should be fine now.

 

Good call, Batboy. I forgot about that "reset" feature. Wonder if that might help with the adapter troubles some of us are having after A04..

 

I am seeing no issues with A04. No problems with Adapter.

 

My pc is in R1 and i am getting a new board tomorrow for my pc.

 

Ouch, what exactly happened when you applied the update? Did it just not boot back up, crash in the middle, catch fire?

 

Greetings,
I'll be giving this bios a test run very soon. Based on numerous problems discovered with A03, I'm concerned that they're still evident in A04.

Previously Discovered A03 Issues:
1. OSD not working properly
2. Occasional touch panel failure
3. Driver instability (only noticeable on a fresh restore)
4. Video driver instability (fairly noticeable if you take advantage of stealth)

Thanks,
Gabe

 

Ya I am not impressed so far. They are sending me a new AC adapter and mysteriously after hanging up it now works again......going back to A03.

 

I just did a small test to compare the A02 and A04.
I reverted back to A02, OCed to 3.2 (10x multi, 1280 FSB)
Run InteBurn Test, it stopped with error after 36 sec. No increase in the CPU temperature. Tried again, the program stopped with error at 21 sec.

Installed the A04 same BIOS settings, runt the program, after a few sec a very nice BSOD, run it again, the same ...
I don't know how this is translated in terms of OC ability. Obviously my rig is not for that high CPU clocks but what made me wonder is the error message instead of BSOD...

 

scook9: I'm wondering if it's just randomness with the power adapter not reporting properly. Between my mysterious 9400M re-enabling itself after the first boot and then the one power adapter error last night, I'm thinking something is "just off" with the BIOS but not enough to trip on a constant basis. So far hasn't happened again to me, yet. Next time it happens, I'm also going to try an A03 revert. Only problem I can see is, does A03 revert this "EC" change? The update notes said the BIOS itself had no updates in the A04, so I'm not sure if the "EC" is integrated into every BIOS update. We need to figure out what the "EC" actually is.

stamatisx: 3.2 on the QX9300 is too high for almost everyone. I'm stable at 9.5/1290.

 

@Elkay
I know that, I didn't post it for this reason, my point is the difference in the behavior
A02, no increase in the temperature and windows error that stops the program without crashing (it displays the time)
A04, increase in temperature and BSOD

 

I am back on A03 for now. Cannot afford to have that happen again with the adapter dropping out - if that was indeed the reason (which seems the only likely thing)

 

I agree with it being likely the cause since what you saw wasn't isolated and I'd never seen the problem prior, either. Good to know that A03 took.. still a question of whether this "EC" was reverted, though.

 

I did not have a reason to upgrade unless it had the OC stuff I wanted. I will let someone else guinnea pig this one

 

I had the adapter show as a 193 watt and therefore was forced to run off battery. Of course it worked fine after getting off the phone to have a new ac adapter sent out....back with A03 for the time being

 

Scook, where was the adapter showing as 193W? BIOS screen?

I just checked and in the BIOS it shows my adapter as 240W.

 

I have the adapter warning pop up everytime I boot up, I then manually have to go in and change my card set up then reboot, then it prompts me again this is while the unit is plugged in, after the third reboot its fine and doesnt pop up....but on the battery meter below it doesnt show it connected I have to manually pull out the cord and reapply it everytime now....what gives. Can someone please give me a link to the AO3, thank you.

 

After I flashed A04 I only had the chance to boot the computer once and I had that issue with the opwer adapter failing. I continued to load Windows and it showed the laptop running on battery even though the adapter was plugged in. After a shutdown, took out the adapter , plugged it back in and restarted, no more failure. Then shortly I had to turn it off and go change the baby.

Will try more today (I am currently posting from another pc).

 

Has anyone noticed the right fan kicking in faster or noticably more pronounced than before.

 

I tried to go back to A03 couse I keep getting errors related to the power adapter but when running the A03 setup it keeps crashing at "writing new bios" step. Tried 2 times, both failed and I stopped couse I really don't wanna mess it up.

 

I wonder if it has anything to do with the PSU model - can someone who is seeing the PSU warning post the PSU model# they have?

I have DP/N# 0J211H - (Made by Delta)

 

I've seen the warning, as well as Windows refuse to charge. Same model as you, Batboy. I'll be a second guinea pig for reverting to A03 for the time being and see if the problem stops. Again, I'm a little concerned about this "EC" change being reverted by A03, as the update description says the BIOS itself had no changes so I'm not sure if this "EC" change is a part of every BIOS update.