Aurora R9, BIOS update brick my pc

Not sure to understand? I do the BIOS update and I would need to buy a new motherboard? Did you already hear of that problem?

Contact DELL-cares and use your Dell Support Warranty (motherboards are pricey).

If still DIY, I suggest you try a BIOS-Recovery.

If you look-around a bit here, it apparently happens sometimes, to various machines over the years ... Firmware updates going badly. 

Hopefully, the motherboard is just confused, and it is not actually completely bricked/killed. 

Seems to happen less frequently now that all systems are "UEFI-based" . F12 on boot should get you to UEFI Boot Environment, which is near BIOS after POST-ing.

Try the BIOS-Recovery as this is exactly what it is for. 

My 2 month old Aurora R10 is now also semi-bricked. (5900, 3080, BIOS 2.2.1)
Similar scenario: Update then unable to boot.
It sometimes POSTs 2,1 then shows the Alienware logo and the rotating dots. Or, if booted from Windows 10 boot USB the Windows logo and the rotating dots.
Booting from a Zorin Linux USB shows screens of messages and a similar lack of progression.
I've been chatting to Dell Support and we've done all the power drain, CMOS clear, Remove RAM, reset BIOS stuff. To no avail.
The SupportAssist in the BIOS also finds no faults, but it still won't get past the revolving dots. It seems like the OS doesn't like something that the BIOS check isn't seeing.

Just in: Dell will be replacing the motherboard.

Ya so the guys or bot from the email had me do:

Power drain : didn't work 

Cmos battery rest : didn't work

diagnostic test of PSU : that not the problème

he had me take out graphic card , memory stick and hard drive : it didn't work

Then he want me to do a Bios recovery with usb blah blah blah but it didn't fix probleme because like i said to him earlier the monitor is not connecting to the pc ( it works on laptop came cable) .

I never heard this pc quiet its weird there for shure something wrong , fan does not seem to turn its open put dead inside . im about to lose it . 

Waiting for another option from Dell-cares

They contacted you ?? For the change ?

They reached out to me after reading a post in this forum on another, related, thread. We have been in discussion to troubleshoot the problem. All the usual fixes lead to nothing and the machine itself found no problem.
Finally they arrived at the conclusion that the mobo needs replacing.

@shawnMcRay @PCRead @Tesla1856 

Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

Aurora R9 Drivers

Bios recovery with USB 2.0 FAT32 flash drive is possible for that model without replacing the board.

OptiPlex XX60, XX70, 7080,

Alienware Aurora R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R11,

XPS 8910, 8930, 8920, Vostro 3690

Are you seeing a 3-6 or 3-7 LED No POST diagnostic error on your OptiPlex, Alienware or XPS PC?

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000130691/

BIOS recovery fail, 3,6   3,7  blinking led

You need the latest bios file and FAT32 USB KEY usually I get 32 gig sandisk retail drives.

Model:SDCZ60-032G-A46

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sandisk-cruzer-32gb-usb-2-0-flash-drive-black/9288807.p?skuId=9288807

Aurora_R9_1.0.11.exe

EDIT conversion from exe to rcv is no longer needed because you can download the RCV file directly.

BIOS_IMG.rcv

 copy BIOS_IMB.RCV file the USB 2.0 FAT32 Flash Drive. Insert that drive and no other into the machine BEFORE turning it on.

sandisk 32gb USB 2.0 Flash Drive

You need to disconnect all storage including M2 or Sata etc and ONLY have wired keyboard, monitor, and power cord attached.

WIRED USB KEYBOARD Should be attached to USB2 port.  NOTHING ELSE other than USBKEY and USB KEYBOARD and MONITOR must be attached.  USB-C and USB3 ports cannot be used.

Flash Drive should be USB2 flash drive 16 gig  or 32 gig.

Working PC needs to erase the drive FAT32.

EXFAT NTFS ETC is NOT working.

hard drives should be removed including m2 if you have that.

• Remove the power cord from the affected PC.

• On a working PC with Internet access, download the latest BIOS.exe

• On your Windows Command-line application, navigate to the location you saved the BIOS update (i.e. cd c:\temp\) and type the following command to extract the recovery file:

• Copy the recovery image file BIOS_IMG.rcv to the root directory of a bootable USB2 fat32 key
• Plug the USB key to the affected system.
• make sure the only storage is the usb drive hard drive and m2 should be removed.
• Plug the power cord back into the affected PC.
• When you power the system on, press and hold down the CTRL + ESC keys until the BIOS Recovery page appears. (If it cannot enter the BIOS Recovery page. Remove the power cord and CMOS battery coin and wait for about 1 min. Replug the power cord and reseat the CMOS battery and repeat )
• Select the Recover BIOS option on the screen to perform a BIOS recovery.
• The system will show a process bar of the BIOS Flashing Process. (It may take several minutes to complete.)
• Once the BIOS flash process is complete, it will display an on-screen message asking you to Press any key to reset the system.
• 

   

  done

blink codes

BIOS Recovery Steps for a No Post issue on OptiPlex, Alienware, and XPS Desktop PCs
Summary: The following article provides information about steps available to owners of OptiPlex XX60, XX70, 7080, Alienware Aurora R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R11 and XPS 8910, 8930, 8920 systems.

The following section of this article will take you through the steps that are needed to use the built-in BIOS recovery facility. This facility aids you in recovering from a No POST issue on your system.
Affected Systems:
• OptiPlex 3060, 5060, 7060, 3070, 5070, 7070, 7080
• Precision 3440
• Alienware R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R11
• XPS 8910,8920,8930
• Steps to using BIOS Recovery:
• Note: The BIOS Recovery operations cannot be completed with a wireless keyboard. We suggest that you use a wired keyboard.
•  
• This article will take you through how to perform BIOS recovery procedures. Either from the USB Key or the HDD. These are used once the BIOS has been corrupted and is reporting a startup issue such as a No POST error. (Such as the power LEDs blinking amber repeated in a pattern (3, 6) or (3, 7) during system boot.)
• Resolution
• Recovering the BIOS from the USB Key
• Recovering the BIOS from the HDD
• Recovering the BIOS from the USB Key:
• Remove the power cord from the affected PC.

• On a working PC with Internet access, download the latest BIOS.exe:
1. Go to the Dell Support Site.

2. Enter the service tag or express service code of the affected PC to get drivers specific to how the system shipped.
Alternatively, you can choose the affected PCs system type from the product list to get a general list of drivers for that system.

3. Click the Drivers and Downloads drawer in the menu.

4. Ensure you have the correct operating system set.

5. Select the BIOS drop-down category.

6. Look for the System Type BIOS Update Driver.

7. Click the Download button and follow the onscreen instructions to save the update file to a safe location on the working PC.

• On the working system, click the Start Menu icon. Navigate to the CommandPrompt/PowerShell application. Right-click on the icon to run the command-line application as an administrator. (You will need administrator rights on the working system for this work properly.)

• On your Windows Command-line application, navigate to the location you saved the BIOS update (i.e. cd c:\temp\) and type the following command to extract the recovery file:
C:\ \ /writehdrfile /writeromfile

• Rename the file from downloaded BIOS filename.hdr to BIOS_IMG.rcv.

• Copy the recovery image file BIOS_IMG.rcv to the root directory of a bootable USB key.

• Plug the USB key to the affected system.

• Plug the power cord back into the affected PC.

• When you power the system on, press and hold down the CTRL + ESC keys until the BIOS Recovery page appears. (If it cannot enter the BIOS Recovery page. Remove the power cord and CMOS battery coin and wait for about 1 min. Replug the power cord and reseat the CMOS battery and repeat step 9.)

• Select the Recover BIOS option on the screen to perform a BIOS recovery.

• The system will show a process bar of the BIOS Flashing Process. (It may take 1 minute to complete.)

• Once the BIOS flash process is complete, it will display an on-screen message asking you to Press any key to reset the system.

•
• (Figure.1 BIOS Flash Complete Message [English Only])
• Note: BIOS recovery from a USB key is only applicable in the FAT32 format:
• Follow these steps to format the USB key as FAT32:
• Plug the USB key into a working PC.

• Press the Windows + E key together to open the File Explorer application. (also known as Windows Explorer)

• Right-click on the applicable USB drive and click Format.

• Change the File system to FAT32.

• Check the box next to Quick Format.

• Click Start to begin formatting the USB key.

@shawnMcRay @Tesla1856 

Some INTEL and AMD processors require GPU installed because they do not have onboard integrated graphics.

You did not say which model CPU you have.

@speedstep  ,

Correct.

Not particularly easy and I've seen some slight variations on actual instructions. I think most users just give it a half-hearted try and then give-up.

But the users that stick with it ... people with some technical experience ... it often works and the motherboard is recovered.

@PCRead 

"It sometimes POSTs 2,1 then shows the Alienware logo and the rotating dots. Or, if booted from Windows 10 boot USB the Windows logo and the rotating dots."

Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

Showing logo and rotating dots is not a bricked board.  It is a system with corrupt windows install and or failing hard drive. Reinstall clean on a new drive and use a dock to recover your data if possible.

Well there saying its my motherboard so ill wait till it get repair to see. 
and intel i7 9700

This also happens when booting from a USB stick with Windows10 Installation Media and a Zorin Linux USB (not the dots, but pages of Linux messages).

In fairness though, a gaming enthusiast buying a pre-built gaming pc shouldn't require that level of technical experience.

I'm one of the fortunate (?) ones with system builder experience. Unfortunately I have a R10 with the exact same issue and the only thing that fixes it is replacing the mobo. The windows install remains perfectly intact. Soon as a new mobo is installed it works fine again. Whatever the 2.2.1 BIOS is doing it seems to sit in the interface between the mobo and the OS. The OS itself does not appear corrupted.

There was apparently some issue with the previous bios version for the R10 regarding CMOS resets, which has been rectified with the latest bios upgrade.