17 R2, BIOS update failed, bricked

Dear @crimsom 

Thank you, that sounds like an easy alternative solution. Just so I understand the following steps right, this is so that the BIOS can be fixed from the image on the new drive? Because before most people mentioned that in cases with a failed BIOS flash the motherboard would have to be replaced to actually fix the issue.

Hi @V8200T5  thank you for sharing update. 

A failed BIOS flash does not damage parts on the system board. 

This fix is in response to the POST diagnostic seven beeps = recovery image found, but invalid.

The BIOS recovery information is stored in a hidden partition on the OS(C:) drive. When this recovery image is corrupted, BIOS, and POST, and ePSA have irrecoverable problems, which result in the laptop having been bricked. That is why the disaster recovery plan should always include a clone of the original fully functional OS(C:) drive, that can be swapped in to get the system up and running in minutes.

If there is no clone, we create a generic clone, that will then be customised for the 17 R2 when boot has been reinstated. (Lets try and be positive, that this fix will be successful.) If you have a spare drive and use free cloning software, this fix will not involve money, just your time. 

This is one of the laptop bricked scenarios. There are other scenarios, that include parts failing on the system board, and the POST diagnostic will give a different error code. Fixing one problem, will not provide the Solution if there are many other problems to fix. 

Your system says seven diagnostic beeps problem, so why not see if this fix works. 

Hi @V8200T5  your POST is working, and giving a diagnostic error code = recovery image found, but invalid. 

You are at liberty to try the "creating a USB recovery key is the only option".

Ok, thanks for the clarification. I already followed your recommendation and went on eBay to get a new drive with a pre-installed system but I was a little worried because in the knowledge base article it says:

If your system is NOT in a working state, for example, a No Post/No Boot situation and the BIOS Recovery file is not on your HDD - It obviously will not be possible to attempt to flash the BIOS to add the BIOS Recovery file to the HDD.

If the recovery image is not available on the primary hard disk drive, or the affected system is experiencing a No POST/No Boot issue, then creating a USB recovery key is the only option.

Thank you for your patience @crimsom. Please don't misunderstand, I am not questioning your knowledge regarding possible solutions for the BIOS issue but for an amateur user like me all the (sometimes contradictory) information is a little confusing and I don't know how to correctly interpret the current status of the device.

In my last post I only quoted some paragraphs of the long knowledge base article. The line "creating a USB recovery key is the only option" obviously didn't work in my case as I tried all BIOS versions from A04 to A12 without success both with AMIBOOT.ROM and BIOS_IMG.rcv so I assumed you would disregard it anyways.

I only kept asking because this method was my biggest hope as it seemed to have helped all the other users with the same issue before me, so my intention was to identify any possible difference between their cases and mine.

Now my last hope is the new hard drive. So fingers crossed. Thanks and best regards!

Hi @V8200T5  thank you for sharing update. 

We trying to get a 17 R2 M.2 SATA boot drive with the BIOS, POST, ePSA recovery image. The new M.2 SATA drive with windows preinstalled, will not have ePSA installed in its recovery image. The ideal would be to put the new drive into your Dell Vostro laptop as the OS(C:) drive and install the most recent version of SupportAssist so that the new drive's recovery image also has ePSA diagnostics. But your Dell Vostro might not have M.2 SATA drives and you may not have access to another Dell laptop that accepts M.2 SATA drives. 

The new drive's generic BIOS, POST, (ePSA) recovery image can then use its on-board diagnostics to test the 17 R2 hardware, to hopefully say that all hardware tests pass. If we can get ePSA installed, the F12 Diagnostics window will provide more detailed information. 

Download BIOS update onto your computer, then Run as Administrator, wait for BIOS installed successfully window, and Restart (not Shut Down). Install your BIOS updates incrementally (one-at-a time) so that all of the BIOS improvements get installed.

Dear @crimsom once again thanks for your patience. Now I finally understand better what I will need to try the fix with the new hard drive. You were right, the Dell Vostro does not have M.2 SATA drives. Would it be worthwhile to buy a case or an adapter for M.2 SATA drives and connect the drive from the 17 R2 to install the most recent version of SupportAssist?

Will ePSA work if I just copy the files over to the current drive?

Dear @crimsom, thanks for the clarification. I already feared it wouldn't be that easy. As I see it currently there are not many options or at least I don't feel confident that any one will enable me to solve the issue 100%. It feels more like an experiment, so I am considering which is worth to spend money and time on:

1. Buy a new M.2 SATA drive with M.2 adapter and use another Dell laptop to install SupportAssist and the ePSA application. (maybe the extra drive does not work and then I have no use for it)
   
2. Send the 17 R2 to Dell for diagnostics and repair. (unclear what the charge would be for a repair)
3. Buy a new mainboard. (seems very expensive)
4. Buy a new Alienware laptop with M.2 SATA drive and just swap that drive to fix the old 17 R2.

As I said before, I wasn't questioning your kind suggestions on how to solve the issue, I am questioning my troubleshooting skills because I am not sure if there is a problem with the USB, or the hard drive or the mainboard/BIOS chip.

Hi @V8200T5  thank you for sharing update. 

If only life was that easy. To the best of my knowledge, SupportAssist is installed on the OS(C:) drive and it knows how to use this environment to install the ePSA application on that drive's hidden partition.

To replicate this environment (with M.2 SATA drive installed within M.2 adapter, plugged into USB socket) the Dell Vostro boot order must be changed so that the USB socket appears as the first item in the boot list. Then install SupportAssist on the new M.2 SATA boot drive so that it installs the ePSA. 

That is a lot of extra work and more money. If you are going to get an external M.2 adapter, might as well get one that accepts both SATA and NVMe solid-state drives (more money). But the laptop will only accept the type of M.2 drive that it has been designed to work with. 

Then the new M.2 SATA OS(C:) drive is installed in the 17 R2 as its boot drive. This new boot drive will have the full suite of diagnostic tools and hopefully get your 17 R2 to boot. 

Sorry if I am giving multiple choices, information overload, and thereby confusing you. 

Hi @V8200T5  thank you for sharing update. 

You are currently interested in fixing the 17 R2. You could get a refurbished or used, laptop or desktop. Then sell the 17 R2 on eBay for parts. Interesting though it might be to try and fix the 17 R2, you would have more spare time getting a different, fully working system to enjoy. 

@crimsom​ hello, sorry to contact you suddenly and so long after this original post. 
I am wondering if you can clarify the steps in the process. Let’s assume I am starting from just having bricked the r2. I have a spare Vostro running windows 10. That is not a stock build, but can I download the Dell tools then simply swap the SSD into the bricked r2 ? Thank you for your great support