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14 Posts
0
523408
Dell Precision M4700 (Windows 7 pro) won't boot after configured with UEFI and Secure Boot
To anyone who can help:
I had a Dell Precision M4700 and i had perform the newest bios A05 update.I intended to upgrade to Windows 8. Everything was fine and the bios update was successful. I booted the new bios with Windows 7 Professional (base OS factory installed) and was fine.
However, i can't enter the bios (not even see the Dell POST or Logo) after i had enable the UEFI and Secure Boot.This was before i upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. Now i am stuck with a empty screen (LCD not even lit up) and nothing to boot. It's just like a dead PC.
Please help. Is there anything that i can do or should i contact Dell Support for repair?
Thanks
bennykanezza
6 Posts
1
November 28th, 2012 22:00
I fixed it! Just removing the CMOS battery did it, the BIOS got reset back to factory default. So I did:
1) take out battery
2) hit power button to ground case
3) take off bottom panel
4) unplug CMOS battery (this is fiddly)
5) I hit the power button for a while (30s) to clear any capacitors or whatever, that was my theory, but I doubt that's necessary
6) plug it all back in and start up
When I turned it on it turned on and off several times before finally staying up and I was then able to get into the BIOS and all of the settings were restored to factory default. I'm back into Windows 7 on my machine so I'll start the process again, this time without disabling the legacy option roms!
Here's the manual with disassembly instructions for the Precision M6700 and M4700 if anybody needs it:
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/wsm6700/en/om/om_en.pdf
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/wsm4700/en/om/om_en.pdf
I told Dell support about the problem and the guy said he would talk to his senior manager about it and see if anything should be done, so I guess we'll see if anything happens.
Hope it works for you!
Ben
vikssr
5 Posts
2
March 18th, 2016 15:00
Nothing worked for me. Clearing the CMOS doesnt help at all when secure boot is on, only works if Legacy disabled and Secure boot off.
The only solution that worked for me was opening the whole machine (m6700 in my case with the same problem). Remove the Quadro Graphics card. Remove the Screen Connector.
Attach an external monitor to the D-sub VGA port and you will have the display. Now disable secure boot and enable Legacy ROM and UEFI.
If you are not okay with opening the hardware, just take it to a tech.
Thanks.
bennykanezza
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 18:00
I have exactly the same problem! I'm on the A06 bios, brand new machine, and was starting to upgrade to Windows 8 so switched the bios to UEFI mode and disabled Legacy BIOS Option ROMS and then saved and applied. I didn't enable Secure Boot, but it could possibly have been enabled by default once you turn on UEFI? I remember there being some message about Secure Boot and the display but I can't remember what... maybe somebody with a working one can let us know?
I called Dell and they got me to go through taking RAM out and trying to run diagnostics, but nothing brought it back. They're coming out with a new motherboard tomorrow.
I thought maybe my motherboard was just busted till I saw your message. Maybe it's a bug with the new bios?
So I guess you'll have to call Dell to fix it up. I'll let you know if the tech discovers anything tomorrow.
Cheers,
Ben
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 19:00
By the way, I read up more on the Legacy BIOS options ROMs.
I am suspecting it has something to do with that since you mentioned you disable that without enable the Secure Boot.
What GPU are you having in your Dell Precision mobile workstation? Mine is Firepro M4000.
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 19:00
Yeah, totally the same problem as you except that i enable the Secure Boot. I followed the steps as:
1. Enable UEFI mode.
2. Disable Legacy BIOS Option ROMs.
3. Enable Secure Boot.
4. Save and exit BIOS
I had yet to formatted the computer to install Windows 8 and it fails.
After that, my laptop refuses to boot up. It tries to check for HDD and DVD and then the screen doesn't lid up. No Dell POST or Dell Logo. I think the main culprit is the bios bug.
I had called Dell support on this issue, i had tried booting without HDD but still faiture. I think the bios is blocking everything.
PS: Are you having Dell Precision M6700 (as it is A06 bios). Mine is M4700 (A05 bios).
bennykanezza
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 19:00
Yep, M6700. I've got the ATI card too, FirePro M6000.
I thought it might be the legacy option rom thing too. I disabled that because I figured I would install Windows 8 then enable Secure Boot, and they need to be disabled for Secure Boot anyway.
And my HDD lights do the same as yours. It checks the HDD, but nothing comes on screen. I tried putting in the WIndows 8 DVD to see if that started going, but it didn't appear to. So I guess the machine has halted rather than just the screen stopping.
Pity there isn't a way to reset the BIOS back to factory defaults.
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 20:00
Was wondering if it's the problem with the ATI Firepro card. Maybe it doesn't support UEFI driver, that's just my guess since the screen doesn't lit up. Or maybe it's other problem, like storage controller.
Hopefully Dell will sort out this bios problem before more people get trapped at this Secure Boot/Legacy Option ROM thing.
I will call Dell to ask whether there is anyway to reset BIOS to factory defaults, if not they will had to replace the motherboard for me.
bennykanezza
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 21:00
Here's an interesting link about video cards and Secure Boot.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/4677/p/19475186/20224924.aspx#20224924
So I guess it is the video card that's the problem. I also checked the Windows 8 compatibility page for the M6700 and it only says that the Nvidia cards might have problems with Secure Boot, not the FirePro.
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 22:00
Yes. It works for me.
It's gotta be the AMD Firepro graphics card that lacks the UEFI driver. Nvidia card doesn't have this boot error problem since they have Optimus technology enabled which uses integrated with Secure Boot (useless they uncheck the Optimus and use discrete card entirely)
Let the Dell support team know the cause of this problem and make this thread Sticky!
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 22:00
Read this thread:
en.community.dell.com/.../19473294.aspx
It seems Alienware community has the same problem, but not as worst as ours since we can't get it to boot.
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 22:00
WOW, great find. We could take out the graphics card and run the system using integrated graphics card and reset the bios without secure boot.
I don't know whether this will void the warranty though. I will update on this matter after i call Dell in a moment. This will save them the trouble to exchange a motherboard. If not, let them know this issue when they come to service, if this is the true problem, we could save Dell a brand new motherboard.
Thanks for sharing the information.
bennykanezza
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 23:00
I'm going to do UEFI + Legacy Option ROM. The UEFI stuff boots faster (apparently) and is the way of the future! And if Dell fix this Secure Boot problem, maybe with a video bios or something, then you can enable Secure Boot without having to reinstall your OS. At least I think it works like that :)
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 23:00
Solution:
Delete all the partition, resize to the one that you need. Install Windows 8 Pro.
Good luck!
bennykanezza
6 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 23:00
Yeah, the UEFI depends on a different way of storing the partition table on your hard drive. Hence it complaining about needing GPT. That means you will lose your recovery partition and everything. If you didn't want to do that you can just install it via normal BIOS. Otherwise yes, you need to delete everything and start the drive from scratch.
I burned my recovery disks just in case, and then I'm deleting everything on the drive and starting it again. I won't be doing it till I get home later though so I haven't tried anything yet!
Hope it goes smoothly from now!
zweigoh
14 Posts
0
November 28th, 2012 23:00
Here's i i face right now:
I enable UEFI mode, Insert Windows 8 USB drive, setup windows 8,tried format the 3rd HDD partition (there are 3 partitions,one of it is OEM,one is Recovery,one is OS) but it says something like this, "this hard drive has MBR and EFI system can only install on GPT disk).
This EFI this is killing me!
Do i need to delete all the partition and resize it again?