SOS!!!! Failed BIOS Flash Dell XPS L502

My nvidia card disappeared from my Windows 7 device manager and the last thing I tried to solve the problem was flashing the BIOS. I went to Dell website, downloaded v. A06 and after restart my laptop turn on but is not working!!!

I have read many threats in this and others expert's chats but I need advise from someone who have recovered this BIOS before, so I can be sure that am doing things the right way.

Thanks in advance!

 

Have you tried 'scan for hardware changes' in the device manager? It may see it again and tell you to restart your laptop.
edit: oh, I thought it was the nvidia card not working.

 

Thanks for your reply, my problem now is that I did a BIOS update and it failed, so my laptop is not working!!!

 

I think it is time to call Dell support

 

Ask captainsakar about this, I remember reading how to recover L502x BIOS from him.

 

Thank you man, I read Captain's thread about "modding L502X BIOS", very interesting... Is there a way to contact him directly in here, like a PM? Sorry for asking, this is my first post.

 

oops, srry, I missed this topic,now I found this topic thanks to the url Calimero13 posted in another topic I'm subscribed.

unfortunely, the recovery method is not working "yet" for the l502x laptop, we are trying to find the correct recovery rountimes in the bios-mods forums with ahmed's help, but as for the moment we dont have anything solid working yet. (we still working on the recovery method.)

I know I already posted something mentionating BIOS recovery at the another topic, but I was wrong, it was just a diagnosis tool built in bios wich could be found by pressing FN+ B or FN+B key at the startup,its function was to test memory, cpu, screen, speakers, .... however it was just a diagnosis tool, this means it still need a proper bios to start.

as for the moment, all I did modding the bios has been made with no backup method, and just with some knowledge and a major ammount of luck.

since you probably need a working computer as fast as posible and probably we will take some time before we get something working solid as a recovery method for the L502X, I recomend calling dell support or trying with another methods, you can try some methods mentionated on some forums, but dont expect too much about they will work on your laptop model.

 

Thanks capitankasar, that sound not good at all :-( . Anyway, I am going to try with a Dell Crisis software someone posted in here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/451601-bricked-xps-1645-help.html
I am using a BIOS group of files that I found in one of your threads (A07 + extracted stuff) where I could find the BIOS.WPH file.

The first question I have for you is which one of the BIOS.WPH is the correct file to use? I found two of them (WPH and WPH1) in the files you posted, so I am a little confused.
Please, send me anything I could use or any advice you have cause I'm going to need them for sure. Thank you.
PD: Trying to contact Dell as you suggest, but that is something I was leaving as a last resource :-(

 

By the way, you're very brave modding BIOS with no recovery tool...That's another question I have for you after solving this mess!!!

Saludos ;-)

 

well, to be sure you can download any of my modded bioses packages, since it include both wph files, the one modded and the original one too, so you can rename the original bios wph file to the one mentionated in the recovery method, I wish you luck with the recovery method since I didnt had any while looking for a working one for the L502X model.

well, I suggest you also doing tests with the recovery.fd file renaming them

to QA09HW.FD or QA09.FD , recovery.fd , bios.fd ... and the same with the wph file, like bios.wph, recovery.wph, dont worry about copy the same file several times with different names, since if it works, it will pick the correct one by itself.
I wish dell could share its bios recovery mode if they already have one, but I highly doubt about, I supose they will pick the entire system for some days and maybe replace the whole motherboard :/

I'm sorry if I couldnt help you, but I dont have anything solid about bios recovery atm

lol thanks, well, it could be, and it also could be I would be also a little dumb or crazy for doing that ,because I can imagine my face expresion the day I flash a corrupted/invalid/failing BIOS test image leaving my best machine unsusable like a cheap brick, anyway lets hope my luck aura keeps working at least for a little longer hehe xD

anyway, if you get your bios working back by yourself, consider posting what you did, it will definitly more users in your current situation and also will help the BIOS modding attemps like my situation.

really wish you luck, let me know if I can do anything else for you.

Animo y buena suerte

 

Hi Capitan, I could access the computer via Fn + B, and after the tests the laptop accessed my usb stick, it loaded the BIOS but finished with the message "no operational system" or something like that; I then pressed enter and the computer continued normally to load Windows but it went to a place like "safe mode" where the icons were big (like low resolution). When I tried to reboot to check things out the machine didn't turn off completely (the power light was lit), and after ten minutes I had to turn it off manually. Now it seems to be in the same way as the beginning, no response at all, only fan and lights turn on.
The other thing is that I couldn't enter the test mode (Fn + B) again.

Questions:
1) How do you access test mode consistently, I mean the way you get the screen with all the video and memory tests running?
2) How long is the process to load the BIOS completely? It's possible that I have been shutting the BIOS loading process down before completion?
3) I used the BIOS.WPH file v. A07 that I found on files you provided as I told you before (around 5 MB), I am thinking of using v. A01(original) instead and see what happen. How did you unpack the .exe file that Dell is providing? I used DosBox with no luck.

Again, thanks for your support!!

 

it sounds like a semi-brick to me, because there was another user with a bricked xps 15 who pmd me, he tried similar stuff you tested with no luck.

but in your case you were able to access the FN+B utility, the "no operational system" message sounds also the system were trying to load from dvd or another drive like a usb stick, and when you hit enter,it seemed to load from the next bootable device, like your hdd with OS installed.


1) as far I know there is only one way to enter in the diagnosis mode, and it is the one you did, If I remember correctly, it show a screen with colors and it ask u a Y/N message asking if you saw the image, and it keep with another tests.

2)it usually do it really fast, seconds or even less than a second, if you mean about bios FLASHING, It take several seconds or even some minutes in some rare cases and then it should reboot by itself.

3) to extract the files from the dell's exe files, just follow the procedure I discovered and documented at this topic:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/632899-modding-l502x-bios-project.html

about getting the A01 bios version, not sure if it is still avalible even at the dell ftp site, give it a look.

edit: found it

http://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/L502X_A01.exe

since you have a newer bios version, you may have to use the flashing parameters I used for the modded bioses, you can edit the " flash the modded bios.bat" file to check the parameters.

anyway, if you got your windows booting, it seems a semi brick to me, you are really lucky! because most functions are still working, and it even was able to boot the OS, I would flash again in your case from windows to repair the BIOS image, but make sure you dont interrupt the flashing process under any circustance, else you may have a complete brick leaving the system fully unusable.