[Solution] M18x R2 Fails POST with 8 Beeps Switching Graphics Mode from IGFX to PEG

Thank you for the reply.

I did try to remove the GPU and place it back in its slot, but still no progress.

I will try doing it once more anyway.

And could I get a link for the unlocked BIOS? Cause like I said in my earlier post, I don't know much about BIOS and stuff and don't want to put in a random version and make this thing even worse.

Thank you 

EDIT : I found the page for the unlocked BIOS, can I install the A12 unlocked version or do I need to get the A05 as the post mentions?

I just hope my GPU is not fried.

Yeah, I have the A09 Version now. 

And thanks for the link will See what I can get from that topic and get back you.

Thank you :)

EDIT : I just loaded the unlocked A05 version, and checked the video configuration, the primary display is set to SG and niether PEG nor IGFX.

Should I go ahead and change it to PEG??

What version do you have now? If you are on A05 or earlier, you don't need to do anything special to apply an unlocked version of your same BIOS.

However, if you are on a newer version than A05, that changes things and you have to follow specific instructions because of flashing restrictions Dell put in place after A05. I would recommend asking questions relating to this in the Tech|Inferno forum. The BIOS editor (svl7) is an awesome guy and he will answer any questions you may have about applying it. If you are unsure, please ask. 

[M17x R4] - 'unlocked' BIOS versions 

I also hope your GPU is OK. 

Try setting it to PEG and see if that works. If your GPU is messed up, you should run into issues using PEG and that might be a good way of finding out. If you set it to IGFX I believe it will ignore your GPU. I have not tried this with an M17xR3/R4.

SG=Switchable Graphics (does not apply to M18x - only Optimus/Enduro)

IGFX=Integrated Graphics

PEG=PCI Express Graphics (discrete GPU)

Note: anyone with an M18x that reads this, do not select SG mode or your system will not boot. (Although the fix in the opening post should correct it if you do.) This is only applicable for the M17xR3/R4 with Optimus and Enduro.

Going to try this right away thanks :)

EDIT : I tried setting it to PEG. But after the settings were saved it started giving me the 8 beeps again. I used your technique and got back my system running on the Intel GPU and the video config setting has been reset to SG. I also tried reseating my GPU but nothing much differed. 

So I can be sure that my GPU is no more?

And thank you very much for taking time to help me out :)

Hi,

Just wanted to tell you that my laptop finally stopped working yesterday, the adapter's blue light turns off whenever I connect it.

Not sure what caused this, I did not open it nor did anything with its BIOS for the past two days. (It worked fine after my last Tear up / BIOS flash)

Called the DELL guys and they say my motherboard is dead and that they do no have any spares.  :\

Thank you very much for taking time and helping me out Mr.Fox. Really appreciate it :)

Good Day

I was goofing off with mine, and I usually get 8 beeps and have to do all the steps to recover.. but last night, I changed mine from PEG to IGFX and was able to reboot a few times with no problems. Seems like it's using the 560M graphic card too.

MX17R3

I don't understand why putting it on IGFX in the bios helped, seemed to me that would force it to use the Intel Graphics..

�

Ah well, hope no more 8 beeps :)

Sorry you guys are having such a hard time with this. It sounds like your 560M cards may have bitten the dust.

Setting the BIOS to IGFX should cause the system to use the Intel HD Graphics and should make the discrete graphics inaccessible. I don't have an M17xR3/R4 available to test this to confirm. 

You can pull the GPU out completely if it continues to cause problems and use exclusively IGFX until you can obtain a replacement GPU. Now would be a nice time to upgrade to 680M. 

Hello BJFOX. This solution worked 2 in 10 tries. The summary is everytime I turnoff my laptop it loses its CMOS and I need to keep trying many times these steps to get in on again. I have a m18x R1 and my BIOS is V03. I cant update it because if I were able to turn on the machine it doesnt allow me to update because battery is not plugged in, and if I put it in during the step of reconnect AC the laptop doesnt start, always 8 beeps.

What do you suggest? CMOS Replacement?

Im writing from my cellphone so some errors might appear.

Thanks!

Your not alone, but I'm starting to think windows 8 or my dell is messing with the BIOS. I was working fine till I got a windows update yesterday. Then bam the problem came back. But for me (Mx17R3) I set it back to what I did in my previous post and it works again. I have a feeling dell needs to do a better job of BIOS development. I say that, cause if all we have to do is reset it, then they have the problem with corruption in the first place.

Your not alone, but I'm starting to think windows 8 or my dell is messing with the BIOS. I was working fine till I got a windows update yesterday. Then bam the problem came back. But for me (Mx17R3) I set it back to what I did in my previous post and it works again. I have a feeling dell needs to do a better job of BIOS development. I say that, cause if all we have to do is reset it, then they have the problem with corruption in the first place.

It is not a problem unique to Dell/Alienware systems. They don't have a unique BIOS. InsydeH20 BIOS is used on many different brands and all are subject to the same hiccups. Windows 8 is a mess, but it should not have affected your BIOS. Windows Updates are also a terrible mess. I have needed to do a clean install of Windows more than once due to automatic Windows Updates making wrong decisions that screwed everything up royally.

If Windows Update pushed the wrong Intel HD Graphics driver to your system, it is possible that is what caused it. I had a serious problem with that once where the incorrect Intel HD Graphics driver was installed by Windows Update and my system would not post with IGFX. I had to do a blind flash to reset the BIOS to PEG and then everything was fine again. I don't know if the driver from Windows Update contained some sort of firmware or what. All I know is that it made a mess that I had to straighten out, and it was very inconvenient to have to deal with it. I recommend disabling automatic Windows Updates. I check for important security updates and apply what I think I need based on personal discretion and I no longer have serious issues with Windows Updates ruining the functionality of my systems. 

Hello BJFOX. This solution worked 2 in 10 tries. The summary is everytime I turnoff my laptop it loses its CMOS and I need to keep trying many times these steps to get in on again. I have a m18x R1 and my BIOS is V03. I cant update it because if I were able to turn on the machine it doesnt allow me to update because battery is not plugged in, and if I put it in during the step of reconnect AC the laptop doesnt start, always 8 beeps.   What do you suggest? CMOS Replacement?   Im writing from my cellphone so some errors might appear.   Thanks!

If it does not, you should try a blind crisis recovery. There is a very good chance it will fix this for you. Something is most likely corrupted. This is done without the system battery. The steps are outlined here: Blind BIOS Recovery process for all M18x R1 in case of corrupt BIOS

The file you need to do this is no longer available in the post linked above, but you can download it from my Google Drive and extract the file from the RAR archive. [ Download - M18xR1 Blind Flash File ] - I have done this DOZENS of times to fix problems with the Alienware M18xR1/R2 and so have many others, but there is always a risk. You assume all risk with this endeavor. Do not interrupt the process and everything should work out fine. Be patient and let the system beep until it shuts down. If you interrupt it you will brick the motherboard.

The above link is for an M18xR1 only. If you have an M18xR2, you would use this: [ Download - M18xR2 Blind Flash file ]. Process is the same... see this post for more info.

Do no use either of the above files for an M17xR3/R4. The crisis recovery process works for those systems the same as described in the link above, but I do not have the correct files for the M17xR3/R4. If you look in the Alienware M17x threads at Notebook Review Forums or Tech|Inferno, you may find someone with the correct file for your system. If you don't find a thread, ask in one of the Owner's Lounge threads.

Owners of older systems, such as the M17xR2 should see this thread for crisis recovery help.

Hello BJFOX, thx for answering!

Yesterday when I was trying to run the turn on process again, I found out an intersting behaviour that might help here to identify what is going on. Somehow, if I let the laptop turned off for more than 12 hours, if I try to turn in on as regular, it works! but if right next I restart it, like 2 minutes later, it starts 8 beeps again. I did it twice, and for both tentatives, it turns on normally and after restart, dead. At this exactly moment I`m writing from It, and I`ll not turn it off again! lol

I ran Alien Autopsy right now to check the hardware, and not failure appears, even CMOS, or GPU, both were OK for Autopsy.

What do you suggest might be the issue?

thank you!

Diogo

Just to confirm if my laptop is really R1:

is it?

I'm curious what screen do you have? I have a 120Mhz panel for 3d.