Alienware m15x Bios update

Hi,

Welcome to the Community.

I would like to get some information from you regarding your system before proceeding with the troubleshooting.

Please let me know which BIOS version do you currently have on your system?

Since how long you have been facing this issue?

What is the OS installed on the system?

Have you done any kind of overclocking on the system?

Have you tried to load bios defaults on the system?

• In order to check the Bios version follow the mentioned steps:

Go to start menu and in the search box type in “msinfo32”

• To load Bios defaults follow the mentioned steps:

Start your computer and press F2, on the Bios screen, press F9 to load defaults and F10 to save and exit.

Thanks,

Amardeep K

Dell | Social Media Outreach | Global Social Media & Community

Hi Amardeep,

My current Bios version is listed as quanta vX36 P3 (installed 29/08/2008).

I am using windows vista.

I have been facing this issue pretty much since I bought the laptop, it would occasionally overheat to the point where the screen goes black but the issue occurs much more frequently now and I am unable to run games on it (which I was able to do in the past). Inability to run games is an issue that has appeared over the last 2 weeks.

I have not attempted any overclocking.

I just loaded the bios defaults using your instructions but I am still unable to run the A02 exe file.

Thanks

Hi bipvoid,

Would recommend you to download the M15x A02 bootable CD upgrade for the bios from the following link:

ftp.us.dell.com/.../R248808.iso

When installing the A2 version, in case the procedure terminates before EC Ver. .96 is installed. If .96 is not installed with the A02 Bios upgrade, the system performance seems much slower.

The problem and solution:

1. After the Phoenix Bios Upgrade completes and the PC speaker beeps asking you to hit a key to exit, and you hit a key, you are taken to a command prompt that asks you to hit 'Y' or 'N' to upgrade the EC.

2. If you hit 'Y', the system pauses, issues a "Bad command or filename" error, and goes to an R:\ prompt.

3. Solution: Once you are at the R:\ prompt, type (without quotes) "DFLASH EC_W670.096", hit 'Y' when asked, and the EC update will then work.

You can download the A8 version for M15x from the following link :

ftp.us.dell.com/.../R279747.exe

Please let know if this works!

Thanks,

Amardeep K

Dell | Social Media Outreach | Global Social Media & Community

Hi Amardeep,

I downloaded the A02 iso and burned it onto a CD using power iso. I restarted my computer and tried to install the Bios update, but I just got 'Phoenix Phlash 16 error    Part ID not found in table of supported parts' again. Is there some other way I should be putting the iso onto the disk?

Thanks

Hi Bipvoid,

Apologies for the late reply. Could you upgrade the BIOS in the following hierarchy from A01-->A02-->A08-->A09 and check?

You can get the A01 version from the following link: http://dell.to/KNu7En

Please let know if this works!

Thanks,

Amardeep

Dell | Social Media Outreach | Global Social Media & Community

Hi Amardeep,

The link you sent me was broken, it just sends you to the dell homepage. I downloaded the A01 bios update from here www.dell.com/.../DriverDetails and attempted to run it using the instructions given by dell. When trying to run the exe file I got this message:

'Incompatible SMBIOS Table

An incompatible SMBIOS (system information) table was found in the memory. If the system should be supported by this flash application, please reboot and try again. If this error re-occurs, please contact technical help'

After rebooting my laptop I still get the same message.

Thanks,

Helena

Helena,

The file you downloaded was for an Optiplex computer. You have the Alienware M15x computer. You can only use files for the M15x.

Could you please link me to a A01 bios update for the m15x? I can't seam to find it via google or the dell site, only the A09 bios update is listed on the m15x drivers page.

Thanks

* Go here: http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/22
* Click "Select A Different Product"
* Click "Choose from a list of all Dell products"
* Click "Continue"
* Click "Laptops"
* Click "Alienware"
* Click "Alienware M15x"
* Under "Operating System", choose Windows 7 64-bit
* Click BIOS

Following your instructions just brings me to the normal dell drivers and download page which only has the A09 bios update. I am looking for the A01 version, as I need to update to A01 before I can use A09.

Hi Bipvoid,

Try this link:

http://tinyurl.com/7knnofu

Please let know if this works!

Thanks,

Amardeep

Dell | Social Media Outreach | Global Social Media & Community

bipvoid which m15x do you have when was it purchased it seems like you may have an older m15x possibly pre dell

bipvoid,

Did you receive a Dell Resource DVD HVW67? If yes, look on there for Bios files and tell us what versions are on it.

Sorry for the late reply I have been moving house. I downloaded the iso file that you linked Amardeep and burned it onto a CD using power ISO. When trying to install it at the boot menu I selected Y to say that I wanted to begin and the page is now stuck as follows

Flextronics EC flash utility Ver:1.00

Erase: .

Program: . _

Verify:

It has been like that for the last ten minutes, I don't want to restart the computer as I know it can break it if the bios is not fully updated, but I'm not really sure if its even doing anything at the moment. My laptop is a pre dell m15x brian, I thought the small m signified that it was pre dell with the M15x being the dell model?

Thanks

After 40 minutes I let my laptop run out of battery, thankfully it restarted fine but the bios has not changed as far as I can see as it is still listed as quanta vX36 P3 (installed 29/08/2008).