XPS 13 9365 2-in-1 brick after BIOS XPS_9365_1_0_21

That update is a couple of months old.  Mine seemed to install fine, so far.  

What actually installed it, did you download first or let a Dell utility do it?  I assume you did it in Linux and the update was for that OS?

Have you pulled or inserted the power supply and try to boot?

Hi Saltgrass, thanks for answering.

Unfortunately I have already tried to boot with and without the power supply cable with no results. When I boot I get the keyboard light on, and nothing else.

It is perhaps curious to know that if I hold Esc + Ctrl and I plug the cable (to enter the pre bios mode) the laptop blink the keyboard lights twice, but then shut down again.

I bought it in the US, I am in France now and it is still under warranty, but before to send it over I would like to see if I can recover it myself.

Hi Alasdair, I tried all the listed methods yesterday without success. I'll PM you, thanks

Can you try the BIOS recovery methods outlined here?

If the BIOS recovery fails, can you send me a PM with the service tag and your contact details?

Thanks

Hi guys, an update: I am very happy with the Dell service, the day after I've call them, an engineer came and replaced my motherboard. I was happy until I applied the firmware upgrade again and again I ended up with a brick. If you end up here don't upgrade your firmware, until it is not clear where is the problem.

The system does not show as being capable of Ubuntu.   I asked this earlier but received no answer.  Are you running the Bios update from within Ubuntu?

It seems strange a system would break doing exactly the same thing twice, unless there was something wrong with the process.

Do you have the original drive or did you overwrite it to install Ubuntu?  I have not done the Bios recovery procedure, if it would even work, so I can't help with that.  I am just thinking, if you have the original drive with Window 10, it might work better.

Hi Saltgrass,

no, I am running the Bios update from the Bios. Ubuntu just gave me the "alert there is a new firmware upgrade".

the fact that the system broke twice in EXACTLY the same way lead me to think that:

a) something is wrong with the machine at a hardware level

b) the bios has not been tested in all scenarios (like having the bios with HDD in SATA and not RAID mode? or having ONLY linux installed?)

Also when I say bricked device is because it is really bricked! I cannot run the Bios recovery or anything else, it is simply dead: hitting the power button turn on the keyboard backlight, then they go down and that's it.

Thanks for helping.

I run my system with the SATA in AHCI mode or disabled.  So, when using Windows that would not seem to be a factor.

I am not going to be willing to install Ubuntu on my system, but I might think about installing it on a separate drive.  Your system is not dual boot, correct?  You just have the one drive with Ubuntu?  In that situation, are all the devices supported?

What procedure are you using to run the Bios recovery?  I notice there are sections for different types of systems and one was "Convertibles".  You basically pull the power adapter, then hold some buttons and plug in the adapter, does that sound about right?

Overall, of all of my systems, I have seen several different ways the system appears to be dead.  Hopefully yours is not but needs some special action to get it back.  Whether that means holding the power button for 25 seconds to make sure it is shut down or changing the status of the power supply, it is always trial and error.  I would even remove the Ubuntu drive and try booting to Windows Install Media but I am used to opening the system.

Keep in mind, this system is not a normal computer considering the SoC capability.  Using Ubuntu may not be advisable.

I hope you get it straightened out..  

Hello.

Just to share something similar happened to me.

After installing some updates, including for BIOS, I can't boot my system anymore. Not even the BIOS. I tried  BIOS recovery methods from above but nothing worked. Only the power button and keyboard lit for about 10 seconds and then off.

From what I remember, here is the files/updates I installed:

- Intel Integrated Sensor Solution Driver (3.10.100.3429 ,A00  from 16 Oct 2017)

- Intel Management Engine Components Installer (11.7.0.1035 ,A00  from 29 Nov 2017)

- Dell XPS13 9365 System BIOS 1.1.0 (1.1.0 ,1.1.0  from 29 Nov 2017)

- Firmware update utility for enabling/disabling DBC (Dynamic Backlight Control) feature. (0.0.0.15, A00

from 09 Fev 2017)

I hope it helps troubleshooting

The Bios update 1.1.0 did not seem to bother my system.  I never do updates while connected to a dock.

I sort of thought the CMOS and Bios were the same thing.

So you know, I never used the Display Brightness firmware update..  I think I have done just about all other updates.

Looks like Dell only offers BIOS updates as a Windows executable file. Is it possible the Windows executable was written instead of an ordinary BIOS file?

Edit: removed odd mention of the CMOS

denix mentioned the BIOS was updated from within the BIOS. The running BIOS might not check if the file selected for updating the BIOS is an actual BIOS file or not. Looks like Dell only provides Windows executables that extract the BIOS file from itself and write it. I think denix may have written the Windows executable rather than just the BIOS file.