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Could Windows Update for Meltdown/Spectre be interfering with Dell's BIOS updates?
Just curious, with all the recent "BIOS update bricked my PC" posts that there may be something that has changed with how Windows is preventing Meltdown and how the Dell BIOS updates are working?
sawkilla
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January 21st, 2018 17:00
people are updating their bios through windows instead of flashing it from a boot disk(the correct way). never update bios through windows is my advice...Plus, they are updating their bios without the known hardware installed to fix it with the bios update...8th gen processors. If you dont have one, dont update it...Yet.
sawkilla
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January 21st, 2018 17:00
No, actually Dell is one of the few companies that worked with microsoft to come up with a fix for this issue...
vtoy116
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January 22nd, 2018 05:00
It appears that Dell has pulled BIOS version 1.1.5 for the XPS 8910. I currently have 1.1.5 on my XPS 8910. The BIOS version posted is now back to 1.1.3. I am not sure what this means, but Intel had reports of randoms reboots with the micocode update for Spectre and of course there are reports here of bricked systems with BIOS updates. This Dell document, http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln308587/microprocessor-side-channel-vulnerabilities-c..., still lists Version 1.1.5 as fixing microprocessor side-channel vulnerabilities. Version 1.1.5 was also supposed to fix Intel Management Engine firmware.as a result of Intel ME/TXE vulnerability.
Ebojager
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January 22nd, 2018 21:00
Well I'm sure glad they pulled it and I didn't update :) Glad they are on top of it, too bad it wasn't sooner though for the other people. Yours updated ok, I wonder what reason is causing others not to. Have you upgraded any hardware in your 8910 ?
Ebojager
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January 22nd, 2018 22:00
Well people are doing it like the instructions tell you, with the UEFI bios mode, I believe. I've done it on mine and my Lenovo laptop frequently without ever having an issue. I think its more that there is something wrong with the update compatibility with the Windows Meltdown updates, but that's just me and my un-professional opinion. They are messing with how the CPU was meant to work so it kinda makes sense ???
Ebojager
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January 22nd, 2018 22:00
I meant to ask you about this, so can you elaborate on the 8th Gen processor thing? So the Meltdown/Spectre only affects the 8th gen? Why would Dell push the updates to systems without 8 gen like the XPS 8910?
vtoy116
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January 23rd, 2018 04:00
The 8th gen processor thing is a real mystery to me. The XPS 8910 has a Intel Z170 chipset that does not support an 8th gen (Coffee Lake) processor that requires a Z370 chipset like in the XPS 8930. I am not aware of any issues specific only to 8th gen processors so I am curious what the actual problem is.
BJL-Tucson
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February 26th, 2018 15:00
I have an XPS 8910 that "seems" to be fine until I run the Intel SA-00086 Detection Test - if says my chipset is still "vulnerable". This is after running the 1.1.5 updated BIOS file and the Intel ME update also from early January. I suspect there are a lot of users who have not run the detection test and incorrectly think Dell has addressed SA-00086.
Dell seems to think they have this issue addressed with the current updates available - but they sure don't work for my machine. The BIOS update, for example, shows the 1.1.5 number but has a date of 12/13/17 which pre-dates the whole issue. And the flash capability of the Intel ME shows to be "locked" on my motherboard.
Dell has spent several hours on my machine, I've sent in lots of log files, tried loading a new copy of windows 10 pro, etc. While they insist they have the problem addressed, it hasn't been for me - and they refuse to honor my "pro-support" warrantee - they won't send someone to the house, won't replace the chips - nothing. They are just leaving me to swing in the wind.
The one thing I haven't tried is to load the BIOS outside of Windows - I'll give that a try!
Vic384
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February 26th, 2018 16:00
I don't think the release date of 1213/17 of BIOS version 1.1.5 pre-dates any of the issues addressed in the update. Intel published information about the IME vulnerability in November and knew about and was working on Meltdown and Spectre even earlier. It was only because of non-disclosure agreements that it was not more widely known until later. I knew the microcode fix for the IME vulnerability was coming, I was surprised that it got rowed in with the Spectre update. Back in November, there was nothing about Meltdown/Spectre. What the date 12/13/17 does is it pre-dates when Dell, on Intel guidance, pulled the BIOS update. But it was re-released with no changes because additional testing found no issues with the XPS 8910 and its Skylake CPU.