XPS 8930, new BIOS version just released, 1.1.28

FWIW, I'm running 1.1.27 on my XPS 8930 (Win 10), which installed without issues via F12 Flash Update. And I'm going to hold off on 1.1.28 for a while. And so far Windows Update is still offering me 1.1.26.

@Mike Schmieg - I've alerted my Dell tech contacts about the failure you received while attempting to install 1.1.28 inside Windows. But it's not clear -to me- if "Windows method" means you used SupportAssist/Dell Update or just manually launched the update .exe from the Win 11 desktop. So please be specific, as this is an important detail.

@spotteddog  - If you've already have BIOS Recovery from Hard Drive, BIOS Auto-Recovery, and Always Perform Integrity Check enabled, there's nothing you need to do before updating to 1.1.28 via the F12 Flash Update option with a USB. That's no guarantee 1.1.28 will install without problems but having them enabled may provide extra chances for a recovery if things should go sideways.  Just remember to re-enable those same three options and disable UEFI Capsule Updates again after 1.1.28 is installed ...

And everyone should be backing up their personal files (or imaging the entire drive) on a regular and frequent basis...

My system backs up automatically every night and three times monthly does a full backup of all files and makes an image backup as well. I maintain a month of backups at all times. Novastor works great.

I made the attempt to install 1.1.28 by clicking on the .exe file in the download directory while in Windows. I do not have Support/Assist installed on my machine. I removed it as it was utilizing a ton of resources and I didn't find it that useful. I did not see the caveat about using the F12 method until later. It was the F12 method that I used to attempt to install 1.1.27 and which resulted in a motherboard replacement. While I had used that method in the past, I am hesitant to use it at the moment until I see whether others have difficulty with 1.1.28. Most likely, Dell changed something with the installation instructions in the installation file which now requires the F12 method instead of the (formerly Dell preferred) installation under Windows. Either that or it's something that changed with the 22H2 Windows release.

You can never have too many backups...!

Has anyone installed 1.1.28 yet? 

@RoHe 

Someone had to go first.  As you know, BIOS Version 1.1.27 borked my computer.  With your help, I was able to initiate a BIOS recovery back to Version 1.1.26.

I downloaded BIOS Version 1.1.28 about an hour ago from Dell Support and copied it to my FAT32 dedicated Flash Update USB stick and then initiated a Flash Update via the F12 menu, as I always do, since I learned better from you over a year ago.

The update to Version 1.1.28 went fine.  There were the usual several on-off cycles and a short hang of about a minute on the Dell logo, which made start to wonder why I had been so stupid to be the first, but the update process continued and my Windows  11 Pro desktop appeared.  MSINFO32 and Aida Extreme64 both confirm my XPS 8930 is running BIOS Version 1.1.28.

I then booted into the BIOS and restored it to the recommended settings that are changed which each BIOS update.

YMMV

Good luck everyone.  Let us know how you fare.  Have a great weekend.

Regards,
Phil

That's encouraging, but I still haven't worked up the courage to try it.

@garioch7   - You are brave!  Glad the update worked ok for you.

Thanks for being our first Guinea pig for this latest BIOS update!

@RoHe 

I knew you would have my back!   I also am fastidious about my backups, so there would have been no data loss.

I interpreted the lack of complaints in two days to be a positive sign.  Like I said, someone had to go first.  I always like to think Dell would have upped their game and not released two buggy BIOS updates for the 8930 in a row.  Except for not being in RAID (my former Samsung SSD preferred AHCI), my 8930 is pretty much a standard configuration.

I am happy that I was proved right, but I was also grateful for the knowledge that you would have shared your expertise with me to recover from being so brash.  Without that assurance, I would not have been so reckless.

Your turn now.  You were successful with 1.1.27.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for your many hours of sharing your expertise here.

Regards,

Phil

Well, I wouldn't say 1.1.28 is totally bug-free since it errored-out for @Mike Schmieg when attempting to install it manually in Windows. If it's not going to install that way, IMO, Dell should completely remove that option from the installation instructions.

Since 1.1.27 installed successfully on my XPS 8930 without problems, with my luck, updating to 1.1.28 will brick this motherboard....

What would be more practical to users who're having reservations about updating is if each who has attempted and either been unsuccessful or successful, to include:

• what (if any) "addition(s) to" or "replacement(s) of" were made to their factory installed hardware.
• what is the current SATA controller mode with details of changes to the BIOS setting and Windows, or if the SATA controller mode is still in the factory RAID On setting.
• How the BIOS update was performed, e.g, downloading and launching the utility within Windows, flashing the BIOS from the file copied on a USB flash drive and booting into the one time boot menu (F12) etc., etc.

It would assist not only Dell contacts but also others in the community as well who're likely thinking what is having an effect on some systems and what is not having an effect on other systems.

If the moderators don't pull down this post, it may prove to become helpful to all

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@garioch7 wrote:

@RoHe 

I interpreted the lack of complaints in two days to be a positive sign.  Like I said, someone had to go first.  I always like to think Dell would have upped their game and not released two buggy BIOS updates for the 8930 in a row.  Except for not being in RAID (my former Samsung SSD preferred AHCI), my 8930 is pretty much a standard configuration.

 

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You are not alone. I do not run RAID either and my boot drive is a Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB. When I returned the unit to Dell, I took the Samsung out and returned it with the Samsung OEM drive it came with as I did not like the idea of having a lot of sensitive data being unsecured. It came back with RAID enabled, but they had set the SSD up for it, so I could boot it up and download 1.1.26 and install it over the 1.1.27 that trashed the system whenever the CMOS saved the BIOS. So my test was entering the BIOS setup, disabling RAID and seeing if it would work with 1.1.26.

@Mike Schmieg wrote:

"....the Installation Instructions saying that if you are running 1.1.26 or later . .  ."

I know what you meant to write, Mike. But anyone who didn't find the installation instructions as you pointed out, may not know that it actually reads: if you are running 1.1.26 or earlier. . . 

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@RoHe wrote:

Well, I wouldn't say 1.1.28 is totally bug-free since it errored-out for @Mike Schmieg when attempting to install it manually in Windows. If it's not going to install that way, IMO, Dell should completely remove that option from the installation instructions.

Since 1.1.27 installed successfully on my XPS 8930 without problems, with my luck, updating to 1.1.28 will brick this motherboard....

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To be fair to Dell, they have added instructions to the Installation Instructions saying that if you are running 1.1.26 or later and have Windows 11 22H2, you need to use the F12 installation procedure. However, it is hidden and you have to go looking for it. That may be the reason that my installation attempt failed. I have used the F12 procedure in the past, but I used the Windows procedure to restore 1.1.26 over the problematic 1.1.27 as I thought it might provide more safeguards. When I called Dell Support about the bricking of the machine, they didn't understand why I used the F12 on 1.1.27, but I went back and looked before they took it down and they had the same instructions.