XPS 8930, bricked by  BIOS 1.1.27

Remove the NMVE SSD. Put the BIOS .rcv file for the BIOS downgrade (eg, v1.1.26) on a FAT32-formatted USB stick and plug into PC with power off.  Power on and immediately press Ctrl and Esc at same time and HOLD both keys down until the recovery screen opens, which may take ~5-10 sec.

And even if that doesn't work, with SSD removed, put the downgrade BIOS .exe file on a FAT32-formatted USB and plug in with PC powered off. Power on and tap F12 to open that menu. Select the Flash Update option.

One or other of these two methods has worked without replacing the motherboard for various XPS 8930 users.

 Just downgrade the BIOS back to v1.1.26.

I informed Dell support in Brazil. They thanked and did nothing!

Thanks for this. I had the same issue with 1.1.27, and downgrading to 1.1.26 got me up and running again. I have never had an issue with BIOS updates on Dell in almost 25 years of using their PCs and laptops. I was never aware of the Ctrl+Esc command, either. It took a couple of attempts to make it work (timing of the keystrokes I assume), and I think I was a bit impatient in expecting the BIOS Recovery screen to pop up, but I got there in the end.

I would like to add that I attempted to re-update 1.1.26 to 1.1.27 using the F12 menu, it bricked the PC again, forcing me to BIOS recover a second time. I can definitively say that it is an issue with the BIOS package. The symptoms were similar to other reported issues: update, reboot, intermediate reboots, then stuck on the Dell logo and dead machine.

It looks like Dell took down 1.1.27 and replaced it with 1.1.26.

I can confirm that the buggy BIOS Version 1.1.27 has been pulled from the list of available updates for my XPS 8930 SE.

Finally!

Regards,
Phil

@tbuck41055  - Did you try doing a BIOS Recovery 3, using the BIOS 1.1.26 image recovery file (.rcv) and a FAT32-formatted USB stick?

Yeah, me too!!! Since it is out of warranty, I have spent the last 4 days trying unsuccessfully searching the internet and trying different things to fix it. I am a disabled senior citizen and I supplement my income with work I do on my 8930; ACAD, research and consultations.
And I am in the market for a new desktop that can have 128 G memory and since I have bought and used Dells for the last 20 years or so, my plan was to buy it from them. An obviously untested, but released as "urgent" upgrade BIOS update that bricks the computer definitely makes me reconsider that fact. Especially when DELL made no effort to publicize that fact along with a working fix.

I have not yet tried that exact solution. One of the solutions I found online said to use a formatted exFAT USB and I tried that with the file and process you noted. My laptop does not show FAT32 as a formatting option so now I am looking for ways to do that and then I will follow your advice.
Thanks!!

@tbuck41055  - Any Windows PC should be able to format the USB as FAT32. Chances are it's already formatted "FAT" or "FAT32". Either of those should work for BIOS Recovery.

Plug the (empty) USB into a working PC and open Windows "This PC" screen. Right-click the USB entry and select Properties. The General tab will show you the File System on the stick.

If it's not FAT or FAT32, right-click the entry for the USB stick on the "This PC" screen and select Format. When that opens, select FAT32 and start the process. (NOTE: All files already on the USB will be deleted!)

Now copy the BIOS 1.1.26 .rcv file onto that USB and proceed with BIOS Recovery on the XPS 8930.

Sorry for that. Thanks for the help. I did discover that my USB was FAT32 and I tried the USB into a USB 2 socket last night but got a 5 blink power light; CMOS battery. I got some today and tried it again several times, but I never got a caps lock light, only a num lock light on the keyboard. I tried that as a signal to release cntrl-esc and never got anything but a blank screen. I am not quite sure what to do next. I have seen other posts that people had to remove the SSD and then do this procedure.

Ron,

Thanks so

Did you clear BIOS after you removed the old motherboard battery?

1. Open case and remove motherboard battery (check Service Manual for details)
2. Press/hold power button for ~30 sec
3. Reinstall fresh battery
4. Close up and connect mouse, monitor and keyboard

Do you have the BIOS 1.1.26 .rcv file on the USB stick? Did you plug the USB in with power fully off?

You might only see the Num lock LED turn on. Some have said it can take ~30-40+ sec after you release Ctrl-Esc before the recovery screen opens. Did you wait long enough?

Do you have an add-in video card (NVidia or AMD) in this PC or only have onboard Intel Graphics? If you have an add-in video card, make sure the monitor is connected to the card, not to either of the onboard Intel Graphics ports.

When monitor is correctly connected to the right port, what type video port are you using on PC and what type port on monitor, eg, HDMI(PC)>HDMI(monitor), DP(PC)>DP(monitor) or something else...?