390, won't accept Bios from A11 To A14?

the 390 is old  2011 with H61 chip set.,(and all its funny limits that chip)

and does not have the wonderful F12 hot  key like all modern Dells have. even 2010 models have F12. mine do.

power hammer F12 key see black menu see, update bios bingo safest way there is. put binaries on USB stick formatted to FAT32, should be best.

never flash from Windows if you are smart , wise, and do not want to brick a good PC,

windows will be corrupted, and the HDD can be weak (smart fails) and that corrupts the BURN and  corrupts then new binaries for the burn.  why DO THAT?>

why flash it at all>?

the real issues is using w7 at all, that is the big issue.  DON'T unless you like running w7 with no support at all soon. that is your call.

Buy W10 - and install it.

leave bios alone, IMO.

7 Plutonium! savvy2! At last some meat for my potatoes!

If the installation environment is this persnickety, there should be a list of such prerequisites on the download page for the BIOS update -- especially stuff as specific as requiring the Intel Management Engine! Who would figure?

I've met most of these requirements, having first wiped the drive (not just deleting the partitions) and trying the update after installing the basic drivers but before any security software. I'll check out the Intel Management Engine, which is something that I have not included before my previous attempts.

Given some of the caveats presented here, I may opt to not even try to install A14...

I have already installed Win7 HP under a UEIF environment, figuring that it was going to be unlikely that I would ever be able to get the A14 update to take. It ended up that where I couldn't do it with my slipstreamed installation DVD, I could do it if I made a bootable USB with the Rufus utility, using the settings given by Dr. Yip in response to my post about installing Win7 under UEFI.

Anyway, this gives me some food for thought as to whether I still want to go for the A14 update.

Thank you all, for your responses. Both 7 Putonium and savvy2 might hold pieces of the puzzle to answer my question, but I can't give you both the official thumbs-up. Thus, I'll give it to & Plutonium because he posted first, but with the understanding that it's shared.

Grant

I've NEVER done a BIOS update from Windows and probably never will (at least not intentionally).  It's way too risky for me.  I try to do everything I can to reduce the chance of bricking a machine during a BIOS update.  Taking Windows out of the equation has been best practice for me for a long time.

DOS on a bootable USB stick with the BIOS update on it is the way I'd go.  It doesn't even matter what's on your hard drive (or even if you have a hard drive in the machine).

See here for a Dell Support article on updating the BIOS without Windows.  See "3. Creating a USB Bootable Storage Device Using FreeDOS (Legacy Sytems)"

what about windows 10 will it update with windows 10

I have totally cleaned my 390 off windows 7 on it and nothing on SSD and it still wont update from a11 to a14 windows 10 will run on old legegy i own one that is but can someone please help me update my bios

Has upgraded A04 to A14 (optiplex 3020M) can boot windows but after choose bios to optimized default, pc on but no display.

friend do you have solution for my problems? Thanks

persnickety yes,  sounds like what Iron man would say and is SPOT on!~

: here is one more to my list ( dream of them all as I sleep,) how about the horror for UEFI, first

the horror is that the laws (here and EU (GDPR) now changed to rules (my guess never this PC but IDK)

but the new rules are , no regressions of BIOS allowed from Strict UEFI to lax or none.

That is a fact, the reason it is  fact is because that would allow you to steal A PC and regress the PW to none.

rendering  UEFI/TPM inert, or 1 step closer to goal of stealing data.  that is all I know on topic here. (regress rules and if you brick it , will regression stop you? oops does on some makers PCs)

FLashing any EEPROM is persnickety.  (timing is not flexible. at all burning any EEPROM wrong lands you in **purgatory** any PROM )

I've work proms all my life from 1975 to 2009,  even designed the programmers from scratch . and coded it.

Doing this on any PC has always been a problem from windows 1? (3.2 is lions share then) to now.

The problem is leaving the single task'er and going multitasking the poor users then  look  in memory using task_manager and says to self gee, which of those 100s of processes will brick my next  burn.

answer is DON'T H3ll Don't use freeddos. as dell did.

what dell does NOT do is rate the 3 ways to burn,.  by bricking grades,  How many folks out of 100 brick it.

if you go to all forums on PC and look this up, hits endless bad news.  for all the reasons stated.

the best way to burn is no HDD or SSD in the system and only USB stick present as MEDIA booted

DDDP did that, I think it sill works, ok. mostly. I can't test it on new PCs but it sure worked up to Vista 64bit.

I will do some tests today on DDDP on  3020. PC.

adrs168:

I cant see what is inside your PC, so.....

but if there is GPU card there, in bios click video, then click PCI-slot noT CORE (gpu intel HD)

ok or there will be no video, some have and AUTO choice so avoid that if failed, use the correct choice in bios

Also some 2014 made video cards are buggy, with defective VBIOS then, (cured now Im told by NVIDIA)

the new card work, and can do legacy, CSM or UEFI no issues. (gee, why reduce sales of cards with bad VBIOS, gee why would they but they did and fixed it later) some makers do not have VBIOS upgrades, at all

avoid them>?

and one more point the bios on mine has  line called OPROM or option rom enable,  turn it on ,or just maybe the GPU card, Vbios will be born dead or  lame..  please post your own PS configs/. ok>?

desktops can have huge rages of option unlike any thing else

so post what you have, in the BOX or in USB ports (not kbd/mouse)

got more,  if by change you have even more fancy GPU Card.

some have even 4 or more output jacks, even no VGA< today.

like this DVI-D, DVI-I, HDMI and HD>

learn that your BIOS (for sure DOS using It) will only allow one port to work,.

my card has that and dos liked, (Vbios really) the DIV-I port seems best,  some GPU cards are PISTOL here,

some will get to thinking (VBIOS) that there is no monitor there, at all, and shut the card down.

I have dummy DVI (eDid) plug that get me out of  trouble doing service.

this is why it will be more easy removing the GPU card and using the CORE HD GPU (intel inside) to flash.

it solves the pain of any Vbios that is problematic. as 2014 cards love to do, on or near.

if you read the BIOS update page at dell, for you  now.... just to see what is there  and not there.

each revision level must  be read, you  must read each text file called per below.

for 2 reasons, 1: applicability, and reason 2, Jump rules.

and read  the first to, "important information" it tells you this.

so fore sure A02 is min. starting point to higher. !

Note: Please note that if the A01 or before A01 BIOS is currently installed on your system, you must first update to A02 BIOS and then flash to the latest A-Rev BIOS.
A02 BIOS link: http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/drivers/DriversDetails?productCode=optiplex-390&driverId=1CR51

--------------------------

                                         Versions below A14,  (12, 13 are not released ever)

ok ill read them all for  you

Ax (early older than A01 (call them day one beta PC 390, IDK but tells you to do A02 first)

then a03 shows

Note:(digital sign)
You may run O390-A03.exe if you are already updated to A02 BIOS.
Otherwise, please update to A02 BIOS first and then flash to the lastest A-rev BIOS.

each version shows, A2 is mandatory  min. starting point but forgets to say higher is ok. (a2 to a14?) not told.

no mention of regression paths at all if a flash fails on these page.

the install instructions there shows (for PC lacking windows) this is best, in all cases , do the DOS way

DOS is not multitasking nor is it infected like your bad HDD is or the like.

DOS and F12 mode burns are most safe burns possible so EEPROM timings are not compromised.

factoid  #1:

learn that any PC makes a very poor, EEPROM  burning platform, unless using F12 (or ezflash or like ways)

or using DOS.   will do a near perfect EEPROM clock timings.  Timings are critical burning any EEPROM

so your job is to make that safer. (sure luck happens sure,,, but why trust luck?)

later DELL had to abandoned DOS , due to 100% UEFI PCs and DOS will  not run with UEFI at all.

UEFI blocks DOS.  if the PC has no CSM or legacy mode or Dual DOS mode as some do not have.

There are no DOS valid Certificates at all. (not sure on DRDOS made by DELL.com)

The PC blocks DOS, but not this 390,not ever (UEFI turned off). but is good to know what PCs block DOS. for sure.

This is why F12 exists now, and is the best and only way to burn Now.  (looking forward)

even more odd than all this BIOS upgrades can in fact change UEFI features, and then is more restrictive now.

wow. that is food for thought NO?

greetings to Chrishol

there are many pitfalls flashing any PC, for  sure using windows (just don't)

NO HDD/SSD/or DVD needed or wanted really (all those are infected, right? or the HDD fails SMART tests wow.

but here is my list. (seen vast times)

• not following the jump rule list,  a1 to 1a14 ,long jumps not allowed, read all the text files of all versions to learn that or you will fail, do not guess, read the text files, in each version OK?
• F12 is best but is missing, IDK never saw A14 maybe A14 has the F12 key added,???????? wow or at A11?
• The DOS you use to burn can fail, for many reasons, wrong DOS used, DRdos best.
• DOS and UEFI do not play together turn off all those UEFI things, secureboot, safeboot
• DOS can't read you formatted , flash binaries due to formatted USB stick is not FAT32, or as dell told you.
• wrong Binary not matching your mobo model number and version level of the HW.  must match!!!!
• and last why burn at all its now 8 years old, be happen it even runs at all, no really or retire it, get T5610
• The DDDP by dell is fresh and clean and will burn the firmware, easy, I think, but documents on it are lacking IMO.  DDDP.exe runs (admin) and it makes STICK then you boot the stick after planting your binary.rom  file on it.

2011 is 8 years ago. lots changed since then and F12 burns tops the list of safe.

find and try using the DDDP.exe builder at Dell.com

this  may work, this builds a USB stick FLASH burning  setup, (no HDD need be present or SSD or DVD )

this USB stick boots DELLS DOS< called DRDOS. (not Digital Research DOS) Dell RTO DOS better named.

this is safe, but make sure all UEFI things are turned off as DOS is not compatible with UEFI at all and never will be, nor is FREEDOS, or MSDOS.

DRDOS means I thing Dell Realtime DOS.

I think this is the only safe way, but not sure A14 even is allowed on all 390s only dell knows that.

Thanks mate..

My optiplex its  tiny / micro PC thats used graphic intel on board. HD 4400

I’ve no knowledges for computer, just need to know how to silent / blind flash bios.

with condition can’t see bios setup, windows, etc just blank display.

My bad .. update bios will ruins my life