Alienware 15R2/17R3 BIOS 1.6.1

Thats what I feared and I am out of warranty! but the fact that support assist installed it months after it had been pulled from the dell website I think dell should cover this! But they are ignoring me

 

I also think issuing a bad Bios/bad Biod flash is Dell's full responsibility regarding out-of-warranty repairs. You basically try to be protected against vulnerabilities, otherwise you would not flash, right? The only way to be protected is flashing original Dell Baked Bios. Be persistent with contacting DELL about it, and have patience. They are unbelievably forthcoming and understanding if you are polite and during the process promise them maybe that you will buy some warranty, that you learned your lesson that even DELL makes mistakes.

p.s. Dell thinks future with customers. If they fix it and subsequently you buy warranty, I am sure your next laptop will be from DELL again.

 

you guys could opt for a clevo laptop. alienware was great back in the days but not so much anymore imho. clevo's high end laptop really separates from the rest from it's performance.

 

It is the OLED screen on 13 r3 that got my attention, otherwise I would stay Clevo. lol

 

i agree 13OLED screen is the best screen ive seen so far, also now the razer 4K screeen with 100% adobe RGB.. but yeah alienware design is supernice..

 

@Vasudev new intel thunderbolt driver for 15 r2 is out.. V17.. try it out.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-15-r2/drivers

 

@VICKYGAMEBOY @Vasudev
Just updated but I get unknown controller version and network version... Is it suppose to show unknown? I did not check before I updated. There is no Thunderbolt controller in device manager under system components.


Edit: I dont have any thunderbolt devices attached to the port. Just a USB-C witch is working as normal.
After some more googling it appears that a Thunderbolt device must be connected to the system, in order to show the information about the NVM firmware. So will the thunderbolt controller appear in device manager when a device is connected?

 

Guyz is it safe to say that no one has yet encountered bricking there laptop with bios 1.6.1. Also no new issue arise with the update? The only issue is that it didn't fix the problem with the previous bios 1.4.4 and also it sometimes doesn't update MEI Firmware.. is that correct? Thanks..

 

On another site https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/11649-alienware-15-r217-r3-unlocked-bios/ I read that somebody was able to unlock the Bios and flash custom rom with this software:
https://firmwaresecurity.com/tag/ru-efi/
http://ruexe.blogspot.com

but I have no experience to use it.
Maybe someone can update alll the part of the latest BIOS.

 

That is the Vbios.. it is for the graphic card so you can overclock..

 

I think they want to use it to hack the vBIOS, but reading the blog it looks like it works on the whole BIOS

 

@Vasudev they released one more same version BIOS

 

Fixes & Enhancements
1. Updated Intel ME Firmware to address security advisory INTEL-SA-00118(CVE-2018-3627)
2. Updated CPU microcode to address security advisory Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-00115 (CVE-2018-3639 & CVE-2018-3640)
3. Update to the latest CPU microcode to address CVE-2017-5715 and associated Intel Reboot issue.

 

It is the same bios file that was posted in July and august, just updated the description (again). So no reflash necessary if you'r on 1.6.1.

Name: Alienware_15R2_17R3_1.6.1.EXE
Date: 05.09.2018
Size: 8 MB (9,240,432 bytes)
--------
SHA-1: b4933cfefbc51a7df68c1969e25fd9f4638a385f
MD5: d17229514e1ee81b525d0b736347ad17
CRC32: 3d59f501

Name: Alienware_15R2_17R3_1.6.1.EXE
Date: 31.07.2018
Size: 8 MB (9,240,432 bytes)
--------
SHA-1: b4933cfefbc51a7df68c1969e25fd9f4638a385f
MD5: d17229514e1ee81b525d0b736347ad17
CRC32: 3d59f501

 

Yeah I saw it when you posted the link. Its same version as previously released.
@ThomasAAT Thanks for posting checksums of older and newer exe's.

 

3.Update to the latest CPU microcode to address CVE-2017-5715 and associated Intel Reboot issue
i felt third line was different..

 

Always check Platomav's repo for more info. https://github.com/platomav/CPUMicrocodes/tree/master/Intel
CPuid is cpu_506E3 for 6700hq.

 

I am unable to get my computer to update to bios 1.6.1 and I am far out of warranty, all it does is turn off the screen and keep the keyboard on, for up to thirty minutes before my patience wears out and I do a hard shutdown. How can I fix this?

 

Use this method to flash BIOS and also reset BIOS settings for fresh PC experience. *OFFICIAL* Alienware 13 R3 Owner's Lounge

 

yoo guys,

oke to cut to the chase I think that new bios update 1.6.1 ****ed up my laptop. So I have an Alienware 15R2 and been using it for about 3 years ish. So obviously its orginal battery is dead so been using it just as a desktop laptop with the charger plugged in and just keep pressing f1 to skip the classic splash screen in the beginning of it not recognizing your battery. So no problems there but couple of days ago i was like you know what ill update my pc and it said the bios update 1.6.1 size 8.8 mb i think. So did that , it restarted got loginscreen logged in and as soon as I got to the start screen i suddenly just shut down.

After that i just couldnt turn it on again. Now I found a guy who also did that but he basically just bought a new battery and put that in there and it worked. So im guessing i probably wll have to order a new one too. It cant be the MB since it was able to boot all the way to start screen. But just wanted to check with you guys and see what you think.

If so man Dell are finessing people out there pretty much obliging you to buy a new battery.

cheers ,

 

Dell desktop mode kills battery somehow. Mine was dead very early w/o using it at all 10% wear level and stopped working. @Game7a1 also had a similar issue on 13 r2 as well.

 

yoo, hmm that sucks so you think just replacing the battery will fix it cause im not able to turn it on even with adapter plugged in

 

This bit is confusing me... which start screen are you referring to? The Alienware splash screen on startup? Or Windows? Anyway I have/had the same problem as you... Dead battery, having to press F1 on boot to continue etc. But I did manage to update the bios via USB using the /forceit flag. (Disclaimer) Can't guarantee it'll work for you, but it did for me.

Of course I'm still stuck with the no shutdown/slow startup/tpm issues since 1.4.4 so there's that... If anyone has a solution I'd be more than grateful.

 

Hi, just want to ask since you had shutdown issues from bios 1.4.4. What did you do before flashing bios 1.4.4 and 1.6.1?

For me I make sure I undo my undervolt or overclocks and put them in default settings.
Also I always clear/reset bios by shorting the CLRP pin underneath the ram sticks..
Then flash bios in windows environment without internet connection and close all the backround appa that are running like antivirus..

My experience flashing bios 1.4.4 was that it will disable intel MEI firmware update which you won't be able to update the firmware which I think is causing the issues.. To enable it again you need to clear/reset the CLRP pins by shorting them.. To confirm that this was done properly is when you boot in the bios the clock is reset to 00:00..

I was thinking maybe clear/reset the CLRP pin first then reflash bios 1.6.1.. It might help.. Just a suggestion...

 

The start screen i am referring to is indeed the windows one so it got that far but then it suddenly shutdown. I guess i am ordering the battery cause there is literally not power going through the laptop for me to power it on. So i cant really do anything with USB , first problem i just need to be able to atleast turn it on

 

Oh, didn't realise the power supply is also not working. Thought the issue was with the battery alone.

 

Thanks for the advice, will try and update.

On 1.3.12 everything was fine. I didn't overclock. I did undervolt though, using ThrottleStop, but I can't really remember if it was before I flashed 1.4.4 or not. I don't think I reset the BIOS via CLRP (neither before 1.4.4, nor directly after it). After I got the slow startup and unable-to-shutdown errors after 1.4.4 I reverted to 1.3.12, and cleared via the CLRP pin. This solved the slow startup issue alone.

So now I'm on 1.6.1 and the slow startup issue has returned, as well as the shutdown problem, and TPM driver in Windows (both of which never went away).

I'll try clearing the BIOS again and reflashing 1.6.1 as you suggested. Thanks

 

so what ya thinking ? open it up take out battery flush out remaining power and then maybe get a new battery if still nothing. cause its weird right the timing is just too coincidental that it literally shutdown as soon as i got to windows start screen after doing the bios update 1.6.1

 

Don't know if I'm totally missing something here (I actually think I am), but if the power brick isn't working then I don't see the point of just replacing the battery... at the very least how will you charge it later on? Maybe some of the other guys can better advise you, I guess.

 

Just tried clearing the CLRP pin, then reflashing 1.6.1. I removed the undervolt as you suggested (didn't overclock). I did have to flash via the boot menu using the /forceit option, as my battery is dead and Windows won't let me.

During the flashing process I noticed that only Main BIOS and Boot Block went up to 100% (see attached image). NVRAM and ME remained at 0%. This also happened the first time I flashed 1.6.1. After Boot Block reached 100% it immediately shut off and restarted.

Thankfully, no brick there.

On the other hand, none of the three issues seems to have changed.
- TPM still unable to start (Device Manager).
- Slow Boot on startup (Last BIOS time: 115.2 seconds).
- Still can't shut down.

Thanks for the help anyway. Guess I'll just hold on a bit and see what Dell comes up with next.

Edit: I just disabled Firmware TPM in BIOS as a test and now my boot time is 15.3 seconds (still a bit too high for my liking, but definitely an improvement). Of course there's no TPM module in Device Manager (so no unable-to-start error there). However the cannot-shutdown issue is still there.

Guess I'll just re-enable TPM for the while, unless there's a good enough reason not to.

 

If you enabled USB wake disable it. I had it enabled and boots or POSTs were very slow.
You can try writing rom file if you pass /writerom argument next to exe on Windows. Afterwards grab AMI flashing utility. With /P /B /N you can erase NVRAM and reset the BIOS to default settings.

 

USB Wake was disabled actually. Think I'll hold up on messing around with the BIOS again for the time being, maybe Dell will come up with something (not really holding my breath). If you can point me to some more detailed instructions then I'll consider it.

Just to point out, when I did the CLRP thingie the BIOS was reset (time was set to 00:00:00) so I'm not sure that would have been an issue. Thanks to all for the help/advice.

 

Its written in 3rd method called Beta. http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-17-r3-or-possibly-other-bgas-as-well.813803/
I flashed the BIOS using AMI flasher. Beware, keep a usb for bios recovery just in case.

 

Thanks. I'm a bit in two minds about trying the beta method as it is untested. Curiosity/Impatience might get the better of me soon though, so who knows!

 

I flashed the BIOS that way and it works. @radji did this but didn't help in solving slow boot.

 

Guess I didn't last too long... just tried it but my dead battery prevented any progress. Is there a flag similar to /forceit for this line: "AFUWINx64.EXE alienware_15r2_17r3_XX.rom /P /B /N /REBOOT"?

Edit: There is a /jbc flag. The help says 'Don't check AC adapter and battery'. However I'm getting the same error as without it.

- No battery presented.! Please insert Battery before BIOS flash.!

As a side note, I've noticed that 1.6.1 has been uploaded again on September 5th. Is this the second one or third? (For some reason, I'm thinking third).

 

yeah thats the thing though, nothing wrong with ac adapter tried different ones, maybe ill check other forums. I just need to be able to turn it on atleast, it seems like it doesnt hold a charge if any other people on this forum got any ideas holla at me . Been using my sisters HP laptop with an HDD in it, dont know how long ill be able to stay patient ;D

 

Regarding the bios version, yes it is the same bios file that was posted in July and august, just updated the description (again for the third time). So my conclusion is that no reflash is necessary if you'r on 1.6.1.


Name: Alienware_15R2_17R3_1.6.1.EXE
Date: 05.09.2018
Size: 8 MB (9,240,432 bytes)
--------
SHA-1: b4933cfefbc51a7df68c1969e25fd9f4638a385f
MD5: d17229514e1ee81b525d0b736347ad17
CRC32: 3d59f501

Name: Alienware_15R2_17R3_1.6.1.EXE
Date: 31.07.2018
Size: 8 MB (9,240,432 bytes)
--------
SHA-1: b4933cfefbc51a7df68c1969e25fd9f4638a385f
MD5: d17229514e1ee81b525d0b736347ad17
CRC32: 3d59f501

 

Guys is it worth it spending money and time to send my laptop to Dell their repair service. Especially since I am from Belgium. Or just try to figure it out on my own ?
Cheers

 

My laptop did the same thing after a power surge. It would not charge the battery at all. The laptop would only run being plugged in but it did show it was charging. I tried everything including removing battery, CMOS battery, bios update. Nothing worked to fix the issue. I had to send it back to repair center. They changed the MB and battery.

 

Thats the thing I dont think it can be the MB out of the blue though. Anyhow how much did ya pay just to have a reference ?

 

My laptop suffered a power surge and right after it immediately didn’t charge anymore. Dell did a remote system test and test came back nothing wrong. We updated bios to newest bios and still same issue. Did everything like uninstalled the battery adapter drivers , cmos reset, battery unhooked and then pressing the power button. Sent it back to dell repair center and it requires MB, battery, replacement. My laptop has warranty as they treated the case as accidental incident. No cost to me.

Updating your bios will NOT fix your issue.

 

So after "upgrading" from 1.4.x to this I've been experiencing the following (AW15 R2):
* More severe USB issues (like have to reconnect a mouse to get it to work), particularly if the device is connected to an USB-C hub
* Laptop fails to wake up more frequently
* Blue screens started popping up

These AW BIOS upgrades are hell. Just feeling like taking the hit and following the hacky route to downgrading.

 

New Bluetooth driver for Intel 3160 7260 3165 7265 8260 8265

Fixes:
- This package fixes the Bluetooth pairing vulnerability CVE-2018-5383.
Enhancements:
- This release contains certified drivers for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (RS3) and Windows 10 April 2018 Update (RS4).

I updated to this driver on Windows October 2018 update (1809) with no issues.

 

New dell touchpad driver:
Fixes:
- N/A

Enhancements:
- Enhanced security design of the driver.
Versjon
Versjon 19.2.17.70, A11

I had to extract the driver package and then extract with Winrar in order to install this driver. Follow this instruction (I skipped the device manager step and just ran the setup.exe from within the 64 Bit folder)
If you just double click the driver package as described by dell it trows an error (at least on windows 10 version 1809)

 

Uninstall older drivers using Revo and try the driver from microsoft update(Keyword: Synaptics SMBus) http://download.windowsupdate.com/d..._15a98e1310ccebf6c55c75fccc80a7743442df6a.cab
Use 7zip to extract it and ignore payload errors and use device manager to point SynPD.inf and Click Yes if device manager reports any warning.
@Ultra Male You should try HID drivers for synaptics, it feels so natural and touch sensitivity is Ultra feather touch.
Note: AW or MSI users might want to change Touchpad sensitivity from Most sensitive to High if using drivers from MSFT update catalog. AW users might see LuxPad driver in Touchpad settings

 

Thanks for the update. I may try it and if so I know what to do. Did you get an error when trying the version from dell?
I also saw the Intel ME driver 1815.12.0.2021 on windows update. I used windowsShowHide updates so it wouldn't install. I am a bit hesitated to update the driver knowing all the issues... Is it safe to update? I am now on 11.7.0.1054 ,A02