XPS 12 BIOS Update via USB Flash (DOS)

Hi Proff Shadow Cool,

Please elaborate the issue you are facing with the system. Please let me know what happens when you power on the system. You may share if you are getting any error messages. I would suggest you to run hardware diagnostics on the system for hardware functionality, by following the steps below:

• Reboot and press F12 to enter the Boot Menu
• When the boot device list appears, highlight Diagnostics and press Enter
• The computer begins to run the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of embedded diagnostics that perform initial testing on your system board, keyboard, hard drive, and display
• In case any hardware component is bad, you will get a corresponding error

Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist you.

Hi DELL-Amogh G

Basically I can't boot into windows 8, as there is no hard drive option in F12, Boot menu.

When I boot up normally it just give an error message, No Boot device found.

I have ran diagnostics, with no error. The hard drive is also seen in the BIOS, but not the BOOT menu.

So the issue is not so much the windows 8 not booting, it more about the BIOS FLASH.

The BIOS update file I have downloaded from the support site doesn't want to run when I boot from USB flash drive.

Reason I want to flash the BIOS to the latest, I had an Inspiron 5720 with the same "NO BOOT DEVICE" issue.

I downloaded the latest BIOS for the Inspiron 5720, copied to the bootable Flash drive. Used the flash drive to boot the system. Ran the BIOS update file. It updated the BIOS. When restarted the system was working fine.

So all I needed is a XPS 12 DOS executable BIOS FLASH, as the one from the Dell Support site seems to be only Windows executable.

Hi Proff Shadow Cool,

Please ensure the BIOS settings are as mentioned below:

• ‘Boot List Option’ should be ‘UEFI’
• ‘Secure Boot’ should be ‘Enabled’.
• ‘Secure Boot Mode’ is ‘Standard’
• ‘Load Legacy Option Rom’ should be ‘Disabled’
• Highlight ‘UEFI Boot’ and press . ‘Windows Boot Manager’ should be listed under it.

Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist further.

Hi DELL-Amogh G

Ok just confirmed

Boot list = UEFI

Secure boot = Enable

Secure boot mode = Standard

Load legacy Option Rom = Disable

Highlighted UEFI Boot - and there is nothing there.

Thus I need to update the systems BIOS. I need a DOS mode BIOS flash.

Like I said, I had the exact same issue with an Inspiron and after I updated (DOS MODE) the BIOS everything worked fine.

Also I have swapped the SSD card with a KG one and still same issue. The systems SSD card I placed in a KG system and it worked fine.

Hi Proff Shadow Cool,

You may try adding the hard drive as boot device in the system BIOS. Please follow the steps below:

• Power on the system and tap at Dell logo to enter setup
• Go to the Boot tab
• Go to ‘Add Boot Option’
• Type the Boot option name as HDD.
• Please ensure the option with ‘HDD’ in the end is selected in the next line.
• Go to ‘File name’ and hit .
• Choose ‘Boot’ listed under ‘Directories’ and choose ‘BOOTX64.EFI’as ‘Files’ and hit enter.
• Press to ‘Save Changes and Exit’

Hope this helps. Please feel free to reply for any further assistance.

Hi DELL-Amogh G

Ok went to Boot TAB

Went to "Add Boot option"

Type HDD

Saw it was in the next line

Scrolled down to HDD

Pressed enter

Then All I can see is : Select a file system.Nothing else.

Nothing to select.

Nothing where I can select "File Name"

Just a thought. Won't it be easier just

get an BIOS update that will run in DOS MODE?

Hi Proff Shadow Cool,

You need to hit enter once you reach at ‘File Name’ and another window will pop up with directories and file name. In directories highlight ‘Boot’ and in ‘File’ choose ‘BOOTX64.EFI’ and hit . Save the settings and exit BIOS.

Keep me posted with the results. I will be glad to assist you.   

UEFI Secure Boot DOES NOT SUPPORT MBR Dos Partitions and therefore NO DOS will run.  ONLY 64 bit Windows 8 is supported.

Hi

Yes and no.

The answer, is answering the question on why there is no BIOS MODE Flash. Which in my case is very. . . . not good.

But I'm still not getting ANY luck with the HDD boot. I have tried everything I could think of. "ENTER" everywhere in the BIOS, and still I can't get the window or option to select a file name.

It is a shame that UEFI Secure Boot security is soooooo good that I can't even work on my system, but I take it the MOST secured laptop is the one that is OFF.  :(

Hi Proff Shadow Cool,

I regret for the inconvenience. Please provide me the Service Tag and the name as it appears on the account via private message (click my username and then click Start Conversation) so I may access your records and check for further course of action.

Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist you.

1Z9BYW1 I recently needed to reload the Windows 8.1 (64-bit) Enterprise edition on my XPS-12. In order to be able to boot to a USB DVD drive I turned off Secure Boot and set up boot to legacy. The OS loaded fine, but I now I can't get it back to Secure Boot with UEFI. I followed your 12 Aug 2013 instructions below: Hi Proff Shadow Cool, please ensure the BIOS settings are as mentioned below: -‘Boot List Option’ should be ‘UEFI’ -‘Secure Boot’ should be ‘Enabled’. -'Secure Boot Mode’ is ‘Standard’ -‘Load Legacy Option Rom’ should be ‘Disabled’ -Highlight ‘UEFI Boot’ and press . ‘Windows Boot Manager’ should be listed under it. All good until the last step - on UEFI Boot brings up a gray screen with the words "UEFI BOOT:" and nothing else (no Windows Boot Manager). Next I tried your other instructions about adding an HDD option: "You may try adding the hard drive as boot device in the system BIOS. Please follow the steps below:" -Power on the system and tap at Dell logo to enter setup -Go to the Boot tab -Go to ‘Add Boot Option’ -Type the Boot option name as HDD. This is where I got confused: -Please ensure the option with ‘HDD’ in the end is selected in the next line. . -Choose ‘Boot’ listed under ‘Directories’ and choose ‘BOOTX64.EFI’as ‘Files’ and hit enter. Thanks!