How to recover from a bad BIOS Flash (Phoenix BIOS ONLY)

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MOD NOTE:

This is only should be used with a Phoenix BIOS.

Do not attempt to use this with the current release systems.
They use a completely different BIOS.

If you have an M18x with InsydeH20 BIOS:
Blind BIOS Recovery process for all M18x R1 in case of corrupt BIOS
(If you own an M18x R2 see the moderator note and link in the first post.)
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Ok, this just happened to me so here it goes

1. A usb thumb Drive is need. It will work.

2. Bios From dells website.

3. Extract all the files from the Dell BIOS autoexe, make sure to close down winphlash when it tries to run. Dell autoruns this after you extract the files.

4. look for a zip file called CRISDISK.RAR and extract all the files to your desktop or a folder.

Double click on the WINCRIS file that looks like a floppy diisk

It will autoinstall the ALL the files need to the USB Drive


5. Remove the battery and disconnect the Power supply.

6. Place the USB drive into the Esata port (other ports may work)

7 Press and hold FN+B key at the same time and plug in the power. Turn on power and continue to HOLD DOWN the FN+B key until the HDD lights on the alien head illuminate and stay on. At this time the USB drive lights should start to Flash.

8. In about 5-10 mins your computer should restart. Make sure to go back into BIOS and setup raid and any other settings as they were lost with the BIOS crash.

-Thanks o Z's other writing on Phoniex bios flash that i was able to figure this out.

 

wow! nice job, thanks for the guide too.

 

ummm you can extract the files with out running it


http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=0419f4ca3bc7327e7432d3c9683f450ae04e75f6e8ebb871

there is the BIOS

 

Congrats on getting your system back up and running Axman.

 

i know you can, but alot of people dont know you cant without it running.

 

Hello Sir. I was doing a BIOS A02 flash to my M17X (from DELL's site) and for some reason it froze, then (20 minutes later) I disconnected the power adapter and took the battery off of the computer because that would have been the only way to restart it, I tried the power button before this by the way. I then tried to restart the PC and nothing happened, the num lock, caps lock and scoll lock come on and the caps light blinks, but nothin else happens, black screen and I can hear the fans. I unplogged the CMOS battery for about ten hours; plugged it back in and NOTHING. I also completed this procedure without success. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance;
Ed

 

just follow the instructions as i stated above.

 

Hey. I have an M17x with the same problem. Bios flash locked up during update...I have followed your instructions over and over again several times. The computer starts, the usb drive light flashes a few times. Goes through a 5 Sec pause then flashes about 10 times again. After that nothing happens. I have given the system 15mins to do the install with no success. Any ideas as to what I might be doing wrong? Thanks for your help!

 

you sig says you have an M15x, but im not sure what to tell you. It works, ive done it twice to test it and i unbricked my computer

 

Thanks. My sig says M15x because that was my old computer. I have had my M17x for about a week. Did the A02 update and was just about done but locked up when windows turned off the display as it was setup to to. I really wish I could get this thing unbricked so I don't have to send it back. Thanks for your help

 

Hi, I purchased a M17x from a seller on eBay and he said after a bios upgrade he cannot get the LED lights to work on the laptop. If I recieve my laptop and follow this guide will it reset the laptop and make the lights turn on again?

I've never try to update/reflash the bios so I'm afraid I will brick the laptop that I just bought. If there is any solution to fixing LED lights please let me know, I might reformat the laptop but I don't know if that will fix it. Thanks

 

it prolly will fix it in a reformat

 

Interesting ... esata/usb port ... never knew the two could be one in the same. I wonder if this would work on the other USB ports.

I remember when I first found out about bootable USB. On a particular laptop I had, this only worked from the USB port on the back.

 

note that on many systems to do crisis a usb FLOPPY is needed like the compal jfl series etc. many systems can not be recovered from usb

 

Yesterday I flashed my BIOS to A03 and it failed (it was stuck on last step). I did not turn off the M17x yet, because I know I would certainly wreck it. SO I called DELL support and asked what to do...
"Please reboot your system", was the answer. "And we will make an appointment for a tech to replace your MOBO" I didn't like this sollution and couldn't agree to an appointment date either. So they would call me back comming wednesday.

In the mean time I knew somebody posted this story here so I would give it go. I followed the steps and made the BIOS USB stick.

In the mean time my M17x was still stuck in the BIOS update screen.
I just closed the screen and rerun the AO3 BIOS update, again stuck! Because I kept all types of BIOS's on my system I Reverted back to A02, again stuck! Then I reverted back to A01. And this one worked perfectly! so I rebooted (fixed the RAID config in the BIOS) and it was working again!

So never turn off your system if your flash stuck's out on you! But try an old version first. Help is out here on NBR. But whatever you do, DON'T CALL DELL, unless your system is smoking!

*** The sad thing is that we had to go out.
And in the 3 hours that we were gone someone broke into my apartment and took all my laptops...

 

Damn that sucks !

... Stick you ear to the ground prime !

 

Wow that sucks man, I was going to say, nice lookin sig ...but the red part is not so nice. Sorry to hear about that man. Hopefully you can find some dutch fairy to beat down. Chance are you know the person who did it and they knew you had the laptops.

 

Hiya! I just got the same problem that you, my Alienware M17x just die, and I saw that the num, scroll and the flashing Caps, I'm still looking for a solution, I have less than a year with that computer...

 

Excuse me, what just happen to your Alienware? Tell me that something good...

 

never mind...

 

I hate alienware just get back my m17x today from "repair" they said changed the battery and the PSU non of them had problem top of that the serialnunbers match what i wrote down for myself... so what i got a broken battery now 1st poewer it up and no nvidia driver installed good after i installed it come up with code 14 good.... no sli after installed a new windows and still nothing installed cc because the light also was off now my laptop is dead not even turn on thanks dell the servicing company was the A-NOVO LTD UK and the technitian J Rembowski they had my laptop for 4 days and now i got a dead m17x thank you guys... i hope someone get fryed for it.anyway i contacted with dell and i clearly stated i want a working laptop or my money to be returned to me immediatelly that is the service you can get with a allpowerfull sit. from dell and its contractors really disapppointing...

 

Thanks for the tread. It work. Now I have to call dell and cancel the motherboard replacement.

I sent a rep to axman.

 

Very important guide!
+1

 

It was funny when I called an canceled the Motherboard replacement. The tech was asking how I fix the bios. So I sent him to this tread. It getting pritty bad when someone who own the laptop Knows more then the phone tech.

 

The amazing thing about this, is what's interprting that Fn-B command if the BIOS is FUBAR?

 

I have a few items that may help folks understand what is happening in the bios when you update it.
In the bios module (chip) there are areas called blocks as we all know. When you write your bios it only writes over the changable blocks, unless you do a full bios block overwrite.
The programmable blocks as assigned on the chip can be changed. Think of it this way. The bios chip has read and write memory. The read only memory blocks are set up for your specific machine Motherboard and components. You cannot change these. The writable blocks are set up for your machine specific hardware also like the io, hdd, the things you can change after a boot when inside the bios screens.

What I think is happening is that the Writable blocks are being corrupted, by system power fluctuations what have you. (Be sure power brick is plugged in when updating bios).

The method describe above accesses the bios non-programmable block to let the usb /esata ports be read upon the Fn-B keyin. There is other keyins also but I will not discuss them as they can lead into "Danger Will Robinson". I have used BIOS saviors in the past and that is what they do.

Background..
Think about it... If your desktop has two bios's how can the machine on boot up get to the other "good" bios saved on the board? Well it is looking in the non-programmable block for the initialization routine then you interrupt it and tell it to look in the good bios for the programmable blocks. Usually you have to flash the corrupted bios with new code after this then all is good with the world..

Correct me If I'm wrong anyone.

I have been working on computers at chip level since 1981, Yikes... What a hobby.

 

I had the same problem, had a tech come from dell and he replaced the Motherboard. Before and after the replacement I get nothing when I press the power button no fans or lights. When I plug the ac in all I get is 2 real quick flashes from the alien head. I mean really quick, if your not staring at it you wont even see it. Are there any other keys to hold down while plugging in the power to try to fix this issue.

They say they are replacing this machine with an upgrade to 2 x 5870's, but its been 11 days so far and when I call the reps tell me they see no request or approval in the system and then tell me give it 2 more weeks for a new order #. They are full of it. BBB complaint coming on monday.

 

nice
i'd like to know if there is a way (the same??) to do a such recovery with the m17 cause for now i'm using zfactor .29 but i'd like to experiment with other bios and if i get stuck ... would be kinda usefull

 

Any chance this tip would work on Lenovo Thinkpads, the W510 in particular? I have dropped off my notebook in the local service center so I don't have immediate access to try this, but it would be great if there was even a chance of this working because right now they have no idea when a replacement will be back in stock! !!

 

anyone??????

 

still no news ? no one has yet been experiementing with the m17 or on how to recover an alienware laptop?

 

Anyone could help me out because i crash my alienware and i am using another laptop to extract the file but could not find the CRISDISK.rar file .
WHERE ISIT

 

I have M17xR2 and this method and numerous others from the web did not work. I also talked to several Alienware tech. and they all told me that it's not possible with this computer. I have Dell replaced the motherboard twice because of the bad flash.
@lunna06: if you have M17xR2, you can find older BIOS which has the CRISDISK in it (I don't remember how much older you have to go back; just start downloading backward).

 

I tried and it doesn't work on my m17x R2. I also have a cd in it. Could the CD block the USB stick from working? The alien eyes do not light up with the fn+b keys pressed. They light up only for one second.

 

After a bios upgrade, at two blocks remaining, the laptop froze. Couldn't do anything. Now it won't start., nothing. No light no sound. Can I do something to at least see some light so I can try a crisis boot?

 

what methide are you using and what usb key

 

I used the A02. The thing is I am the unluckiest person in the world. After I worked you how to do a crisis boot on an R2, and successfully doing it I wanted to update to the latest bios A09, because with the A02 I had some errors, but I was able to get the windows going. And surprise surprise, it froze again when I tried to flash the bios, and now it won't do anything. I am from Europe with no Dell service around in my country. Will they ship a motherboard for me to change, or a replacement laptop?

 

how do i use this technique when i cant texts on my screen but my computer just boots then reboots itself non stop.

 

This will be useful for testing the new bios mods that have been made for the R1 and R2

 

Just can't wait for them

 

I'm having issues with this. For some reason, running the WINCRIS in Win 7 won't work. WINCRIS comes in Dells A10 bios, and is used to create a recover USB, but I've had no luck so far. The zip folder comes with all the right system tools. I havn't tried a floppy disk since I don't have one, but am using a 2GB Sandisk Cruzer.

It looks like it will work, but when I run the recovery (power on with FN+B) it doesn't recover. From what goodstone has found the Crisis USB recovery drive needs to be created off a Win XP system. I've tried running it in Compatability mode through win xp service pack 2, and service pack 3, but I think compatibility mode is just not enough. If anyone else gets it working in Win 7, be sure to let us know.

 

^^
I'm affraid it should be done under XP, we still need old tech to solve new problems.

 

Hi, axman
interesting post on bad flash recovery on vostro 2510 i would like to try it but i cant fing a bios that contains crisdisk folder any idea how it can be obtained?
paul

 

Hi,

I am trying to recover from a bad BIOS flash as well, but I cannot follow axman's instructions. I've downloaded the BIOS from here but I cannot extract any files from this .exe (at least not using winrar). Any suggestions? Am I missing some step?

Thanks

I found a fantastic solution to my problem using the instructions here and here

The second link no longer has the download files, but has good instructions on the procedure.

As far as downloading the correct files, they are found on the dell support site (mine were here) and from the first link, at the bottom of that post.

These instructions are similar to axman's, but with a bit more detail and tailored to the xps 1340. I hope these help!

 

you are not the only one who's unlucky ...... okey

I might not be using alienware ..... i use a studio and mine was stuck at piece no. 1 and then was bricked ........ and I dont know what to do. I had paid for warranty extension but my warranty wasn't extended and now these dell guys are asking for $300 for the repairs and change my mobo

btw did you get to fix your crash ??

 

I have similar problem just now - have tried to update bios to 029 z's and bricked the laptop - it wasn't starting up at all as you would expect. After pushing the reset button it just stays on permanently - pushing the power button just turns restarts it.

I have tried holding the end key on my M17 R1 but it doesn't work (to start with there is no end key so had to hold Fn+right arrow). Maybe I should try a different combination?

Any ideas on how could I fix it?

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

does anyone know clevo bios button?

Fn+B doesn't work.

 

What BIOS?
This guide is for the Phoenix BIOS.

 

phoenix of course.

my mobo, clevo m520n. still blank now.

after bad flash.

 

Try the Win key(the one with the windows logo on it) + B, on some other laptop models is Fn+Esc or Fn+F (Fujitsu siemens especially).

Also try other USB/eSATA port.

Good luck

@ BatBoy Thanks for editing the title and the added info