(UEFI) Dell XPS 15z L511z modded BIOS - and HOWTO

[TimeWalker]

oops hehe, my bad ^^

ok, updated the old attachment and replaced old and new one service tags with *******

here is the smbiosview

No that's actually my fault, should have warned you beforehand. You haven't actually covered every number, since some of them appear in a serial string and I can see plenty of those .. make sure you either remove these attachments .. would be safer that way .. you know, the *bghghghghhg*-nty stuff.

Anyways ... we got this:

Code:

Structure Type: Base Board Information
Format part Len : 15
Structure Handle: 2
Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
ProductName: 0YR8NN
Version: A00

So your Mobo version is blank in DMI, but your version from SMBIOS is reported as A00 .. which is the same case for me (the A00 part).
I want to see some other reports, please before we make a conclusion about this ...

[kasar]

what is going on with the forums? :o

I noticed I have to post in order to see the replies when I recived the email lol xD

---

ok, attachments removed ^^

[TimeWalker]

The SMBIOS Type=11 table is OEM string table... please check this as well.
Mine appears as:

Code:

Dell System
1[04D9]
13[PP36S]

And kasar's is:

Code:

Dell System
1[04B6]
13[PP36S]

On the Acer laptop mentioned above however this contains the following:

Code:

Handle 0x000C, DMI type 11, 5 bytes
OEM Strings
    String 1: This is the Intel HuronRiver CRB Platform

... would be cool to know where is this JE40 platform string stored...

Edit:
It appears that it's something battery-related, doh..
PP36S - is the battery model number
04D9 - is Dell as Vendor
04B6 - is Dell as a Subsystem Vendor (SubVendor... for example nVidia 540M (1028:04b6) )
False alarm then ...

[marstone]

I patched the L702X_A18_UNLCK.WPH with DELL SLIC 2.1 but it still don't work.

my original BIOS is L702x A17, then I updated my BIOS to stock A18, still no luck.

I flash the WPH file in DOS with the command: phlash16 /S /X /FORCE, which following this thread: http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-HO...GINAL-BIOS

then I decompressed the stock BIOS.WPH, which I just flashed using official program.
and copy it to my USB disk, the error still the same.
so, i think this error should be nothing to do with the SLIC.

I haven't touched a bit in regards to SLIC in the original A18 BIOS I had patched for L702x. You are just increasing your chances for a brick. There's a guide in the first post of this thread you need to follow and not some oblivious random stuff related to older Phoenix bioses (non-EFI)

Here is the decompression of the A18 you have been provided:

Code:

EFI / Insyde BIOS
Finished Extracting
Tiano module compression method used
Pubkey and Marker found in F33E367F-41D2-4201-9CB7-AFA63DCCEEC9_0_5.ROM at 36135C
Pubkey and Marker found in F33E367F-41D2-4201-9CB7-AFA63DCCEEC9_0_5.ROM at 3614AE
OEM/Table IDs identified are:
1. DELL QA09
Pubkey and marker (2.1) (DELL QA09 ) (x2)

You see the last line? It mean SLIC was found in the rom.

Why would you be flashing your BIOS in DOS when this laptop uses EFI capsule to flash ? The error is actually because you are using WRONG tools to flash!

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So far I have tried these for recovery:
BIOS1.WPH as BIOS.cap -> no result
FvRecovery.fd as BIOS.cap -> no result

With FvRecovery.fd the flashdrive blinked longer than with just the capsule, also it scanned the DVD drive a couple of time and blinked the HDD for 5 times in a row and then stopped. So the entire capsule is definitely not a proper recovery image. I'm now leaning towards the image that contains PEI and DXE stuff right away (like the first part of the fw extracted /w Phoenix Tool) ...

---

Just tried the F33....ROM as well - no luck. Will have to look up Phoenix spec of some sort to determine what's needed for recovery. I guess this won't be easy ...
Well, we kind of know what's needed there (from the Packard Bell service guide) .. but since PFlash.efi (which is an Application, not a DXE or PEI) is nowhere to be found .. we pretty much have to figure this on our own.

I solved this problem by using a higher version WinFlash instead.

[TimeWalker]

I was able to find this info ... apparently you have to disassemble the unit to find some sort of a sticker which tells you the following:

Code:

Dell Vostro V130
Wistron RYU2-13 CALPELLA UMA
ProjectCode: 91.4M101.001
PCB PN: 48.4M101.SB
Rev: 10251-SB (A00)

Acer mentioned earlier used Wistron JE40-CP for the motherboard ..
here we have an example of RYU2-13 for the name we are looking for ...but it uses AMI Aptio...
When extracting the rom it shows this:
http://puu.sh/1cGTg
Which is not what the model number suggests

P.S. Found something new ...

Code:

Dell Vostro 3450
Quanta V02A/R01A DIS
Quanta Computer Inc.
Rev: 1A

Here's a schematic for it ..
http://notebookschematic.com/wp-content/...A_R01A.png
which suggests the platform numbers are V02A/R01A .. but, mine doesn't come with AMD graphics... and DMI says the maker is Intel, not Quanta ...


Here's one for XPS 15z:

Code:

Dell XPS 15Z (nVidia N12P-GE)
Quanta SS8
Quanta Computer Inc.
Rev: 3A

http://notebookschematic.com/wp-content/...5Z_SS8.png

Here is one for L502x:

Code:

Dell XPS L502x
Quanta GM6C MLK DIS Optimus, Discrete & UMA (nvidia N12P/E-GE)
Quanta Computer Inc.
Rev: 1A

http://schematiconline.com/wp-content/up...CMB8D0.png

And here would be the Acer we had seen before:

Code:

Acer Aspire 4750, Acer Aspire 4750G
Wistron JE40-HR DIS/UMA/Muxless (Nvidia N12P)
Wistron Corporation
Project code : 91.4IQ01.001
PCB P/N : 48.4IQ01.0SA
Revision : 10267-1
Document Number: JE40-HR
Rev: -1

http://schematiconline.com/wp-content/up...5/4750.png
So the idea is correct - we probably have to use this number .. also I'm not sure how Quanta has set up the recovery procedure (all of us have Quanta apparently ... also I'm not exactly sure about myself, while the Acer has Wistron)

[jkbuha]

Interesting detective work TimeWalker! Well done!
So do you mean we need to rename the BIOS.cap file to V02A.cap or SS8.cap?

[TimeWalker]

According to what I had compared, the Acer JE40 rom used for recovery resembles (by GUIDs and contents) the first part of the BIOS1.WPH we get in the official updater, extracted with Phoenix tool. It may be named SS8Axx.FD, SS8Axx.bin .. just SS8.FD or SS8.bin .. or .cap or .rom extensions (Axx depends on the version you are trying to use for recovery, at least it was the case with the Acer machine) for that matter. Might as well try and cram them all onto the flash drive.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a UMA schematic for my Vostro, but I got hold of schematic for DIS (Discrete AMD) version of Vostro 3450 and 14R (told you they were identical machines, some pins on the silicon chips used are soldered differently though) and there's this part in the spec.

So there may very well be a chance that bios is only being side-loaded as a capsule (external device which holds temporary bios) whille in recovery mode in order to allow you to boot into the OS and re flash the NAND

HairyCube could try playing around with the names for recovery .. since he's got the Vostro 3450 with AMD so the platform number is known for his machine (well, kind of, there are 2 possible identifiers)

[TimeWalker]

Here's a little inside info for you:

Quanta are known for naming their motherboards with 3 symbol indexes such as OT2, AT8, JE2 and similar. Sometimes the refined revisions of the boards produced by Quanta don't get a new index number. It appears that they assume the changes were minor, those do not require a new index assignment. In such cases they add an additional character to the already established index so it ends up being 4 symbol long.
On the mainboards the encoding is always ridiculous and consists from a range of symbols that a person otherwise wouldn't be able to decode.

The DA or sometimes DA0 part is irrelevant, so is the MB (Main Board) part and what comes after it. Basically what's left is the platform identified (index) .. in this case it's Quanta ZL5. On daughterboards there may be other codes such as DB, TB etc, which are also irrelevant and shouldn't be used as a reference. Quanta motherboards are also found in server boards and barebone sets.

Source: http://notebook1.ru/forma1/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=34166

So this explains why 15Z has got 3 character platform index whereas L502x and Vostro - 4 character index. Which potentially means that for 15Z usesrs it would be easier to figure out what is the name of recovery image.. because there's a possibility that even though V3450 and L502x have a 4 character index only 3 of the chars are used in the recovery name...

[HairyCube]

HairyCube could try playing around with the names for recovery .. since he's got the Vostro 3450 with AMD so the platform number is known for his machine (well, kind of, there are 2 possible identifiers)

I'd be glad to help, but I'm not exactly sure where I should start. Should I place a recovery image file on a USB stick and boot the PC up by pressing End+Power? I only have an 8GB stick though... Also, what are the platform identifiers for Vostro 3450 with AMD graphics? Sorry I kinda lost track of what's been going on in this thread recently and it's not so easy to catch up...

[TimeWalker]

I'd be glad to help, but I'm not exactly sure where I should start. Should I place a recovery image file on a USB stick and boot the PC up by pressing End+Power? I only have an 8GB stick though... Also, what are the platform identifiers for Vostro 3450 with AMD graphics? Sorry I kinda lost track of what's been going on in this thread recently and it's not so easy to catch up...

Dell Vostro 3450 is Quanta V02A/R01A DIS
So it's either V02A or R01A... or like I mentioned above just V02 or R01.
Extract the BIOS1.WPH with Phoenix Tool and rename the first part of the rom (the F33E367F-41D2-4201-9CB7-AFA63DCCEEC9 ... ROM) and try naming it all sorts of thing, like:
V02A.FD
V02A.bin
V02A.cap
V02AA11.FD
V02AA11.bin
V02AA11.cap
V02AX64.bin
V02AX64.FD
V02.FD
V02.bin
V02.cap
V02A11.FD
V02A11.bin
V02A11.cap
V02X64.bin
V02X64.FD

.... and the same naming sequence for R01A .. put all of this nonsense onto a flashdrive formatted as FAT (FAT16) or FAT32 .. (with a LED light!!)
That's why people with 15Z can have a greater chance to figure this out lol.

Shut down your computer
Disconnect the power cable
Plug the USB drive into the left most port towards you.
Press and hold End key
Plug the AC cord into the laptop's socket and after 1sec let go of the End key
The laptop will turn on, the screen won't come on .. the fan will blow at full speed and your USB drive should start binking.
Wait at least 10 minutes before you cut down the power to the machine .. even if the light is not flashing on the USB drive.... or else you could toast the boot block of the BIOS.