Inspiron 3650, BIOS boot problem

Can you get into BIOS setup by rebooting and immediately pressing F2?

If you can, check the setting for Secure Boot. If it's enabled, try disabling it. Don't change anything else. Be sure to save the change to Secure Boot -if any- before exiting setup.

If that doesn't help, contact Dell Tech Support ASAP. Have your Service Tag available.

Same thing happened to me, Inspiron 3650 - windows 10, called Dell and they want $150 to fix it over the phone. This is only a year old. -

Anyone have a fix?

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@SueO67 wrote:

Same thing happened to me, Inspiron 3650 - windows 10, called Dell and they want $150 to fix it over the phone. This is only a year old. -

Anyone have a fix?

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Same advice. Contact Dell Tech Support ASAP. If you get the same price quote, ask the person to escalate your issue to L3 support.

@RoHe Just got off the phone with support, they are saying there is no bad BIOS update, would not transfer me Level 3 support and will not do anything  with out paying $150  was on the phone for an hour

I just got a Dell Inspiron 3650 from someone this past weekend to check out for them with boot guard error message also.  Cant get into bios or anything.  Was there an update this weekend that hosed these machines up.

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@nfear24 wrote:

I just got a Dell Inspiron 3650 from someone this past weekend to check out for them with boot guard error message also.  Cant get into bios or anything.  Was there an update this weekend that hosed these machines up.

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Did you try clearing BIOS by removing the motherboard battery and pressing/holding the power button for ~30 sec, and then reinstalling the battery? Always power off, unplug and press/hold the power button for ~15 sec before opening the case.

You can also give this a try: BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet. The Inspiron 3650 isn't specifically listed in the table, but it was probably shipped in or after 2015 and it has the Intel  H110 chipset, which appears to be in the Skylake chipset series, so it might support the BIOS recovery 2 feature described in that article.

Start by rebooting and immediately pressing CTRL + ESC at the same time. If that works, select Recover BIOS (but don't save the existing NVRAM settings).   

If that doesn't work, carefully follow the instructions for Creating the USB key on that page.  Use the 3.4.1 version of BIOS (Jun'17) which you can download from the support page. Then connect that USB to the 3650 (with power off). Power on and immediately press CTRL + ESC.

Hopefully one of those will launch the recovery.... Fingers x'd ! 

I would refer the Dell agent you spoke with to check out what's being reported in numerous tech news websites about Intel issuing faulty microcode updates that is causing numerous issues with older computers. Here are just a few of the headlines.

 Intel Confirms Fresh Spectre, Meltdown Patch Problems
Latest CPUs Also Suffer From Frequent Rebooting Problem

Reported on Jan 18, 2018 on Bank Info Security

 Update: Intel now says to stop installing Spectre patches due to reboots
Last week Intel was warning about random reboots, but it's apparently too widespread an issue

Reported on Jan 22, 2018 on Techspot

And then there is this 

Intel: Stop firmware patching until further notice

The chip giant believes it has found the root cause of the issue forcing Haswell and Broadwell chips to unexpectedly reboot.

Intel is recommending that people stop pushing its current firmware updates designed to address the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities, and hold tight for further information later in the week.

We recommend that OEMs, cloud service providers, system manufacturers, software vendors, and end users stop deployment of current versions, as they may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior," Intel Data Center Group general manager Navin Shenoy said in a security note.

Reported from ZDnet Jan 23 2018

So I would basicly ask the Dell agent if he/she is aware of this and if not ask to be transfered to a higher up level. As it seems that Dell should be fully aware of these issues as indeed there is some bad bios updates being issued causing random reboots and all other sorts of issues.

Thanks,  but yep been down that road and a no go.  When it turns on you see the dell logo for a split second then it goes to that error screen.  Cant get anywhere else.  Then it immediately recognizes a key being pressed and shuts down.  Tried the USB method and nothing.

Thanks

I went ahead and contacted dell for about the 4th time and they will be getting back to me about a possible compensation.   I had ordered a motherboard replacement and waiting for that to arrive.  But I sent them the cached page of the Bios they released and pulled for this system due to issues.  They released BIOS 3.5.2 for it and it was a urgent update.  But they have since recently pulled that update.

@nfear24 I also have Inspiron 3650, Monday the 22nd I got the same notice for that update, Dell support is telling the last time they sent an update was June 2017. 

nfear24 has it right. BIOS version 3.5.2 was pushed for the Inspiron 3650. Tech Support is probably looking at the Support page now and the last BIOS listed is from June'17 because BIOS 3.5.2 got taken down.

Call again and, If necessary, give Tech Support this link so they can see on Dell's own list that BIOS 3.5.2 was issued for the Microprocessor Side-Channel Vulnerabilities.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln308587/microprocessor-side-channel-vulnerabilities-cve-2017-5715-cve-2017-5753-cve-2017-5754-impact-on-dell-products?lang=en

@RoHe & @nfear24

Update 1-24-18 at 4:30 est

Highest level of "support" called. They are still denying there is a problem and actually said "I should be doing their downloads in front of a Dell technician"

He said there has not been a Bios update since June 2017 even though they did release Bios 3.5.2 and then pulled it!!

Do you have access to another Dell pc that keeps getting the pulled updates from Support Assist? I would have a Dell tech agent via the remote connection see this for himself.  This is beginning to look like an extra cash grab $$$ by taking advantage of people who has no warranty or warranties just expired.  There is numerous evidence on the net about flawed updates to bios disabling and breaking Windows computers.  If they continue to deny then you may wish to contact your state's attorney general for consumer affairs and let them contact Dell on your behalf with your very much warranted complaints Dell refuses to address.

 @GamerdudeForever

I don't have access to another Dell. Yesterday when I was supposedly talking to the highest Level of support, he actually said, l should be doing all DELL updates in front of a Dell Technician...

i have sent an email to Michael Dell about this whole mess.