Latitude E6430 BIOS Downgrade

Hi Stargoose,

It is imperative to have 'administrative privileges' before attempting BIOS upgrade/downgrade. Please ensure that you log into 'Windows' with an account that has 'admin credentials'.

1. If you already have the 'admin rights' the 'security features' in the system BIOS may be preventing the BIOS downgrade. Please get into the BIOS set-up and try disabling the below mentioned 'security options' before you flash the A03 BIOS version:

- Restart the laptop
- As 'Dell logo' appears on the screen, repeatedly tap < F2 > to enter BIOS system set-up
Note: Mouse is non-functional on this screen. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate; < Enter > to select a value in the selected field (if applicable) or follow the link in the field; < Spacebar > to expand or collapse a drop-down list; < Tab > to move to the next focus area; < Esc > to move to the previous page till you get a main screen (Also gives an option to save any unsaved changes)

- Navigate to 'Security' table
- Disable 'Intel TXT (LT-SX) Configuration'
- Disable 'TPM Security'
- Save changes
- Exit system setup
- Boot to 'Windows'

2. Downgrade BIOS to A03 by running the file as an 'Administrator'
- Download the BIOS file that you want to install
- Right click the file and click 'Run as an administrator'
- Click 'Yes' if prompted with 'User access control' message
- Follow the on-screen instructions and try flashing BIOS again

3. Try disabling 'User Account control' in 'Windows 7'
- Click 'Pearl / Start' icon
- In 'Search Programs and Files' text box, type 'UAC' (User Access Control Settings link appears in search results)
- Click 'User Access Control Settings'
- To turn off 'UAC', move the slider to the 'Never notify' position, and then click 'OK'.   If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- Restart your computer for 'UAC' to be turned off.

If the issue still persists, please reply with the following information:
- List all security options available in your system BIOS
- At what stage of installing BIOS, do you get the security related error message?

Hope this helps. Do reply is you have any further questions. I would be glad to assist.

Hi Saurabh,

thanks for your fast reply. I disabled TPM Security in BIOS as well as every kind of Pre-Boot Authentification, such as Admin-, System- or HDD-Password. The Intel TXT Configuration is not present in my BIOS. Except of Computrace there are no more security features enabled.

Then I tried downgrading the BIOS again with administrator privilieges, but same result as before. The error message doesn't appear in windows, it's shown after rebooting the machine.

Hi,

Thank you for your prompt response.

1. Please try disabling 'UEFI Boot option' from the system BIOS and check if that makes difference. Take the laptop in BIOS system set up as before:
- Restart the laptop
- As 'Dell logo' appears on the screen, repeatedly tap < F2 > to enter BIOS system set-up
- Navigate to 'General' table
- Navigate to 'Boot Sequence'
- Select 'Boot list option'
- Disable 'UEFI'
- Save settings, Exit BIOS
- Try flashing BIOS again

2. Try flashing BIOS alternatively:
Note: Before flashing the BIOS please check the following:-
- Battery should have 10% or greater charge.
- Adapter should be connected
- No external devices should be connected
- All other programs should be closed and documents saved
- Download the BIOS file (A03 version)

• Click on the 'Start icon' and then type in 'Search programs and files' (cmd)
• Right-click on 'Command Prompt'
• Click on 'Run as administrator' from the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen
• Click 'Yes' if you're prompted with a 'User Account Control' message
• An elevated 'Command Prompt' window will appear
• Download the BIOS upgrade and save it to your desktop---C:\Users\"UserName"\Desktop
• Type in "cd desktop" after "C:\Users\"UserName"> when you are in Command Prompt. It will look like this: "C:\Users\"UserName">cd desktop. The space between "cd desktop" is important. Tap "Enter" This will take you to C:\Users\"UserName"\desktop>
• Type in the last part of the BIOS upgrade file name after "C\Users\"UserName"\desktop> (the last part of the file name being something like 'E6430A03.exe' when the full location of the file is "C:\Users\"UserName"\Desktop\E6430A03.exe). In command prompt, your command will look like this: "C:\Users\"UserName"\desktop>E6430A03.exe (Do not press "Enter" yet)
• Type in /forceit at the very end of the command prompt you've been entering, which will look like this:
  C:\Users\"UserName"\desktop>E6430A03.exe /forceit (A space is required between .EXE and /forceit)
• Laptop may produce some beep sounds and will restart itself

Hope this helps. Do reply with the results. I would be glad to assist.

Hi,

the boot option was already set to "Legacy Boot". The "UEFI" setting doesn't even start the OS and reports "No bootable device found", so I can't try it this way.

I followed all the installation steps you told me in your last post, then Windows shuts down but the BIOS won't downgrade and I receive the known error message :emotion-18:

Do you have any idea what is blocking the BIOS downgrade?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Hi,

Thank you for your prompt response. We are researching on this issue. I have also forwarded the details of the BIOS error to the product group team. It may take 2 to 3 business days for me to get back to you on this subject. I will keep you posted.

I just received a brand new E6430.  Immediately it did this BIOS upgrade to A06.  After the upgrade I got the same error message unable to boot.

After reading the postings I went into the BIOS on the General Tab I chose to reload Default settings and I was able to get to the OS.  Hope this may help.

RichV1ok

Hi,

I appreciate your patience. We are still researching on the issue. Could you send me the snapshots/photographs of all BIOS screens on your computer? That will help us get a better understanding. It may take 2 - 3 days more; I will keep you posted.

Hi,

I would like to share some information in regards to the issue that you are facing. The image mentioned below represents the BIOS setup page of Latitude e6430 if upgraded to A06. It should have the 'secure boot option'. Please retry and see if you can locate it. If yes, please disable it and save the settings. Then try downgrading the BIOS.

  

If this option is unavailable or the issue persists even after disabling it, please reply with the BIOS pictures.

Hope this helps. Do reply if you have any further questions. I would be glad to assist.

Hi,

I already had a look at this option. In my case, it was disabled. Nevertheless, the BIOS downgrade failed.

Today a Dell technician came and changed the mainboard which brought me the A02 version back, so I could upgrade it to A03 and all my problems have been solved now.

Thank you very much for your help and your patience!

Stargoose

Hi Stargoose,

I'm glad the issue has been resolved. I apologize for the delay though. Please do get back to us for any further queries. Glad to help.

Actually, to be more specific, I have a similar issue to the one described above.  The only difference is that I do not see a message indicating the BIOS update was blocked for security reasons.  Instead, after I execute the .exe to flash the BIOS, my computer restarts and the BIOS has not been updated.  Thankfully I can still use my OS, but the BIOS is still A06 no matter what I do.

Hello all,

I have the same issue as the user above.  I cannot downgrade to A03.  I've tried all of the steps above.

Am I correct in assuming that the only way to fix this is to get a new motherboard?  Does Dell plan on releasing a BIOS upgrade that will somehow fix this error?

I'm surprised Dell would release a faulty BIOS (A06), and then not develop some sort of fix for the issue.

Any response you can provide would be greatly appreciated.  I am noticing that the A06 BIOS has made my computer (6430E) unstable, and it is quite annoying.

Thanks!

Hi 6430,

Thank you for writing about the issues related to A06 BIOS update for your computer. We are aware of the situation and I have escalated the matter to the concerned team. I would appreciate if you could provide some details about the instability that BIOS version A06 is causing in the computer. Does it freeze up or slow it down? Does it cause any errors? Please describe the exact problems or abnormalities that you witnessed while using the system. This information will help us get a better understanding of the issue.

I have forwarded this issue to the product group team. It may take 2 - 3 business days. I will keep you posted.  Do reply if you have any further questions. I would be glad to assist.

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

Since updating to BIOS A06 (from A03), my computer will shut down with no warning, roughly every twenty minutes.  I haven't timed it yet, but it happens so regularly that I wonder if it is an exact amount of time.  Once I boot up, I know I have a certain amount of time to work on the computer before it shuts down completely.  The shutdown is almost instantaneous, without any Windows 'Shutting Down' screens or messages.  Just a sudden black screen, and then I have to use the Power button to turn the machine back on.  Upon restarting, I see a message saying something like 'Windows shut down abnormally, do you want to take any action".  I select 'Normal resume' (or something like that), and then the machine restarts.