Alienware m15x Bios flash crash.. Unable too boot up anything. need help.

Thanks for replying.

when i hit F2 it enters the BIOS, everything looks normal there. it even says its updated to A03 firmware.

I have only try'd to flash an older version with a cd.

Its like it cant boot up anything. f.eks where it usualy boots up to windows 7. it goes blank. with this symbol "|" on the top left corner.

ill try with a usb key

I don't have this machine, but I've had failed BIOS flashes in the past. 

Have you managed to flash the BIOS with an older version from a USB key or other external device?

If you hit F2, does it display the BIOS?  Or does it go to a blank screen?

I try'd with a usb key. same problem there, it cant boot it. the screen goes "black"

Same thing here.

The bios simply wont boot anything at all.

No Boot = cant modify the BIOS back to any older version at all!

Our Alienware is now, what we call, BRICKED!

BIOS A03 is STUPID!

Now HOW IN HELL DO WE GET IT BACK TO WORKING??????

RETURN TO FACTORY AND WAIT 4 WEEKS?

FYI. BIOS FLASH did not crashed. It ended like it did and it autoshutdown!!!!

BIG BIG GOOF OFF! We need HELP!!!! How do we unbrick this $3,000 machine back to life without waiting a month?

well after googling for a while, looks like this has happend to alot of people. :S

hehe.. unbrick the machine, without waiting a month.. good one :-)

dell are kinda slow.

OK, I don't know all the details, but for the BIOS flash that you know works on CD:

1. Get the image on a USB flash drive
2. Boot from the flash drive, run the BIOS executable
3. reboot

Or, try to boot with a Windows CD from the CD/DVD drive.  If you can get to Windows setup from the CD, answer back.  The CD might be able to alter your BIOS to point to the right boot sector.

Great ideas.

Doesn't work.

You can switch order of the boot sequence from within the full BIOS setup or using the F12 key, but no matter what you do, the screen goes blank after that with flashing cursor in the upper left - you never get access to whatever device you are trying to boot from, so there is *no method* of reflashing to an earlier BIOS.  We need a backdoor to reset the BIOS...and noone has come up with it yet

Sounds like that has been tried by several in an active posting at notebookreview.com Alienware forums

One guy was on with support for 2 hours trying everything - pulling CMOS battery, etc...nothing

Something is preventing from getting beyond POST to any kind of boot - including the embedded diagnostics if you hold down F12 while powering on (you can choose it, but then you get flashing cursor screen of death (just blank screen with the cursor in the upper left))

Great ideas.

Doesn't work.

You can switch order of the boot sequence from within the full BIOS setup or using the F12 key, but no matter what you do, the screen goes blank after that with flashing cursor in the upper left - you never get access to whatever device you are trying to boot from, so there is *no method* of reflashing to an earlier BIOS.  We need a backdoor to reset the BIOS...and noone has come up with it yet

Man, I'd love to have something else for you to try, but I got nothin'.  If it won't start after POST then you're kinda SOL.  Sounds like it it isn't handing off boot.

Has anyone tried pulling all power to the motherboard yet?  Any and all power and battery power?

That is the story:

A03 BIOS is preventing BOOT UP either it be Hard Disk, CD, USB.. Anyone tried Network?

The only thing I can think of is Physical BIOS CHIP Replacement.

I DONT wanna ship this brand new machine only to get scratched/dented.  But I wont be

able to change the BIOS chip (if its soldered) as well.  A direct unit replacement is the only

compromise I can think of considering THIS IS a DELL/Alienware screw up in the first place!

My god... I received my M15X after 52 days of my buy in Brazil.

When i make the upgrade of my BIOS v.A01 to A02, no problem. But, when the upgrade was A02 to A03, i have the identical problem. My computer now only flashing a cursor in high left corner.

If press the F2, i see normaly my BIOS in version A03... If press F12, flashing cursor in high left corner...

Sorry anything but my english is horrible.

DELL isnt reading this forum much.

If you need fast updates: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=449444

Well, as of this writing, there is no update thus far. But it was already mentioned that DELL will replace the motherboard and send a Service personnel to do the replacement.

For people who lives in locations with NO effective DELL Service Center, you will play the roulette who/where will offer help.

ie, I live in the Philippines and Dell Philippines said, "we dont sell that, we dont cover that, go to where you bought it"...

There goes the International Warranty!

Tks jsteng! Iwill go to register in notebookreview forum.

DELL,

I know you know this problem already with so many calls you are getting since Saturday.

For us who live where there is NO effective DELL Service Centers, we are still struggling to get them to even come to an action on what to do.

Can you, DELL, please acknowledge this problem and post in your website or send an email to all DELL Service Centers on the appropriate action, ie, replace Motherboard!

We, the Alienware M15x owners DID NOT DO THIS PROBLEM ONTO US. This was caused by your faulty A03 BIOS Update!

Please write all your Service Centers on the plan of action immediately to save us all the tension, anxiety of long delays.

I paid top dollars for this piece of machine and its barely 2 weeks old! Please HELP US!

Hi,

We're aware of this issue and we currently have people looking into this issue.   Unfortunately I don't have any more definitive information available to share with you but I hope to have more soon.   When we do get that information we will post it as quickly as possible.

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention.

Todd