Impossible BIOS Update for XPS 13 9365 2-in-1

First, I suppose, is the battery fully charged and operating normally?  You have the power plugged into the correct port?

When you download and run the Bios update, it runs for a while and sets up the change.  Then it reboots the system and goes through updating several sections of the Bios.  If it were to fail, it should leave a log you could access.

So, with the downloaded file, where does your system break down in this process.

As a note, I don't use the Dell utilities to update drivers..  If you do, make sure and check if those are updated.

For some reason, I think I do remember having to let Win 10 update to the 2.15 version..  But I was already on the 2.14 version prior to that update.  And I am referring to the optional driver updates from the Win 10 Settings Updates page.

Thank you very much for your answer, Saltgrass!

The battery is operating normally, BIOS says it is in good state, charged to 100%, or almost, and the power is plugged to the left USB-C port as I always have done.

I have tried to download using Windows 10 update (optional drivers, yes). No success. The Dell utilities are updated as well.

When I do it with the donwloaded file (XPS_13_9365_2_15_0.exe)  it sets up the change, as you say, then it reboots, but then it boots up normally, I cannot see any difference with a normal bootup (I think I remember seeing some message during the updating process...). If I look at the logs in the BIOS, nothing shows up. No message at all in the BIOS log.

Just guessing, but something must be wrong the "installation" of the update program. Maybe a permissions issue? (I have tried to execute the program as an administrator, as well).

OK, if you open the Windows 10 Settings-Windows Update and look at that page, is there an indication of a driver update available?  If you don't see one available, you might manually do a check for updates to see if it shows up.

The fact you are using the dell utilities may have an effect on this but I have no way to test since I do not use them.  Maybe someone from Dell will look into this.

You seem to have tried other methods so not much I could suggest there.  The log I was referring to was one created by the installer, since it usually does that and puts it in a Dell folder on your system, possibly at the location below.

C:\Dell\UpdatePackage\log

I also checked for my system and noticed you can download the Bios Recovery Image file, which is the update in an .rcv format.  I think you tried using the process but stated the .rcv file was not on the USB drive.  This is the file needed for the System Bios Recovery process you may have been trying.  When you see a directory such as X: you are normally looking at a RAMDrive in memory.  So the location of that file would be where you downloaded it.

Thanks for all the tries!

In Windows Update I always have the availabe "driver" update of "Dell Inc. - Firmware - 0.2.15.0" under "Optional Updates">"Driver update". It always fails.It reboots and I think I have seen a glimpse of a message saying "preparing to update... blah blah", but immediately reboots again and nothing is executed.

No "Dell" folder is created in my hard drive, so I have no logs to look at. I can see however under "Device Manager">"Firmware" an entry saying "System Firmware 2.15.0" with an exclamation mark. And, of course, the firmware hasn't been updated (I checked it with the BIOS or with the update program and the current version continues to be 2.13.0).

Regarding the BIOS Recovery procedure, I said I could not find the .RCV file because the process described here:

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS-13-9365-2-in-1-cannot-update-BIOS/td-p/6126641

stated that I should find an already existing .RCV file in the EPI partition (it is not the Ramdisk, is it? I mounted it using mountvol X: /s).

Since I cannot find the folder specified in this procedure, nor the already existing .RCV file I have not tried, but I will do it today, creating the folder, and tell you about the outcome.

I still seem to feel some of my responses are not making it into the forum.

But I had mentioned the X: your are seeing was a drive letter placed on the System partition by using a command.

Mountvol X: /s

The .rcv files are on my system in the directory indicated.  If you want to add a drive letter to check, just run the command and keep the admin command prompt window open.  Use cd and dir commands to go into the folders.  In the Attachment, I used the drive letter Y:

It is interesting you show a yellow Bang (triangle) in the Device Manager.  If it was me, and I am not suggesting you do this, I would try uninstalling the faulty 2.15 version.  Since all indications seem to show your system is still running 2.13, it should not matter.

Maybe you can find a way to revert your current install to a prior time using the info in my prior post..  Or, maybe waiting for the next Bios update would bypass everything..

My system shows only the 2.15 in the Device Manager under firmware.

Ey, thank you. Yes, I had tried this before. Nothing happens. When I try to update again after removing the 2.15.0 driver, it fails as always.

I was using "mountvol X: /s" already to mount it using the command line with administrator privileges, and in my case the .RCV files are not there. The cause is probably that I formatted the hard drive at least twice: I had dual boot before, with Windows and Linux, some time ago I restored it to the original configuration with a Windows 10 with the hard drive in RAID mode (not AHCI). I was able to update the BIOS after recovering the Windows only configuration.

I just tried to copy BIOS_PRE.rcv and BIOS_IMG.rcv (which are both a rename of XPS_13_9365_2_15_0.exe) to the following locations:

C:\

X:\

X:\Dell\BIOS\Recovery

X:\EFI\Dell\BIOS\Recovery

X:\EFI

G: (where G: is a mounted USB unit also present at boot time).

no success As it did before, when, with the computer switched off, I press Control+Esc (which is the sequence to enable Boot Recovery) and connect the AC POWER the computer keyboard is illuminated and the light in front of the laptop blinks 3 times orange and 3 times white, repeating this sequence 4 or 5 times until the laptop turns off again.

My boot mode is UEFI and all the Boot Recovery options are enabled. These instructions didn't give me any insight either:

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/es-es/000132453/how-to-recover-el-bios-on-a-dell-computer-or-tablet

I'll keep searching...

2.14 is available, just check the older versions link.

Below is how you get to the place to check.  This will be my last post for a while since we seem to be getting out of sequence.

Oh, I wish I had 2.14.0

The Dell FAQ indicates the folders have to be there, unless you had reinstalled or re-imaged your system is a way that did not bring them forward..  If, for some reason your do not have an EFI partition they also would be missing and the /s part of the mountvol command would not work.

So, just is case this should be the procedure in a Admin Command prompt window.

mountvol X: /s

x:

cd efi\dell\bios\recovery

dir

The folder BIOS inside X:\EFI\Dell did not exist, so I created it, as well as the "Recovery" folder inside. I copied these two files inside.

There shouldn't be any issues with the 2.15 update, mine flashed without any incident however here are some screenshots from a reflash in case it helps.

First create a non-bootable USB using Rufus (you don't want to bother with FreeDOS or Legacy Boot Settings on a Skylake model or newer): 

Delete the autorun files from it and copy your UEFI BIOS Update:

Next power down your Dell and Power it up and press [F2] to enter the UEFI BIOS Setup:

Select the Security Tab to the left and the UEFI Capsule Firmware Updates tile:

Then ensure Enable UEFI Capsule Firmware Updates is checked:

Next select the General Tab and then System Information:

You should see your model and UEFI BIOS Version.

Then insert your non-bootable USB Flash Drive and power down the system. Press F12 when powering it up to enter the Boot Menu:

Select Update BIOS:

Then Flash from File:

Select USB:

Select your UEFI BIOS Update:

Select Submit:

Select Update BIOS:

Select Confirm:

The UEFI BIOS should update: