XPS 8920, BIOS 1.0.14, Front I/O cable failure message

I also was banned from this forum by the previous moderator (this was yesterday).   All I said in the post was "Meanwhile you fixing the issue, Dell should pulldown that bios version 1.0.14 from the driver download page".  Then I got a message "your post is being evaluated" or something like that and it never show up.  Then from that time could not post anything until now,  when a new moderator took over.

I don't blame the moderators, I blame the software Dell uses. There must be hundreds of forums without these problems. There was never a problem before Dell made the change in this forum.

I was totally banned for a whole day recently too, so don't take it personally. :Wink: If it happens again, try logging in on a different PC that has a different IP address. Eg, if you normally log in at home and are banned, try logging in at school/work/Starbucks, etc... That worked for me.

And sometimes a post may automatically be assigned to moderation, where a Moderator has to review it before it appears in the thread, which can delay its appearance.  Not always clear why moderation is invoked. So don't take that personally either. I've been sent to moderation too.  

"@DELL-Chris M, can yo u ask engineering the basis for write protecting the BIOS?  And also pass along the suggestion that, unless absolutely necessary, that future version be left unlocked, for downgrade purposes?"

I wonder if you might also pass along the suggestion that any future BIOS or driver updates that are write-protected for some reason should be marked as such, perhaps in the "Details" section of the description. 

I've been saved by the ability to backtrack from a bad driver (the a few Intel drivers of about a year ago come to mind), and I would be very careful about installing any system change that I cannot reverse.  While I understand that there is probably a good reason why this BIOS version was write-protected, I would have not installed if I'd known that the change was irreversible.  I would have waited to see if any problems were reported.

I have the same problem and was told by Dell Tech support last night to wait for an updated bios.

I just realized I had made an Acronis disk image of my C drive the day before I updated the bios to 1.0.14.

Question is, will an image restore bring back the old bios version or is the bios separate from the disk image ?

Jim

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@oceanman wrote:

I have the same problem and was told by Dell Tech support last night to wait for an updated bios.

I just realized I had made an Acronis disk image of my C drive the day before I updated the bios to 1.0.14.

Question is, will an image restore bring back the old bios version or is the bios separate from the disk image ?

Jim

 

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Acronis will not revert the system to a prior version of BIOS. Just wait until Dell releases another update to fix the problem.

No.  The BIOS is in firmware on a chip on the motherboard.  That's where the update went.  Acronis only captures or restores contents of a disk drive.  Firmware updates are not software.

As an FYI, this is the word from Dell Technical Support as of 2/24: "Your service request reference number is [REDACTED] and Service tag is [REDACTED].  This case is further escalated. Our engineering team is still working on it. We will get back to you with in next 2-3 business days with an update."

Does anyone have a sense of how widespread this issue is, both within the 8920 line and outside that line?  I maintain a baker's dozen Dell computers for family and a small museum where I volunteer (Inspiron 3000 series AIO's and 7000 series laptops, Latitude 3000 and 7000 series laptops, XPS 8700 and 8900 series desktops, and Optiplex 3000 series desktops), so I have more than idle curiosity about the extent of problem with the BIOS updates released on February 18.

Well this is frustrating, the Dell Support representative wants to "temporary archive" the ticket, even though there is no resolution, and no ETA on a BIOS release. Obviously Dell is keeping metrics on resolution times, open ticket duration, etc. So their stated reason about wanting to limit recurring status is pretty weak. It is this lack of critical thinking that likely let to this in the first place (with the BIOS). When they reviewed metrics for the release of 1.0.12, they would find all the problem tickets, but by prematurely closing the tickets (or archiving them), they are creating a false sense of resolution.

As suggested in this thread, I have disabled the Dell Support Application from automatically applying any more updates.

"My name is Vince. One of the Technical Supervisors from Dell Computers. This is concerning your call for your Dell computer. We would like to follow-up on the status of your concern logged under Service Request #: 961167XYZ regarding your system. The error you have reported does not represent an actual Hardware failure and no reason to be alarmed. This is a BIOS update that needs to be patched and we have raised this concern internally. There is no ETA on when the patch would be deployed, however once the patch is available, it would be pushed automatically by our Support Assist app. The purpose of closing the ticket for temporary archive us to avoid receiving multiple emails and call backs from us. We will be happy to reopen it within 7 days should you need further assistance, just reply to this email."

A side note:  If you enter SupportAssist, you may find that "Optimize My System" is greyed out and/or not functioning.  I checked the Dell SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets User’s Guide and found this note: "NOTE: If a hardware issue is detected on your system, the system optimization tiles are disabled."  I'd guess that this is related to the fact that the pre-boot check is reporting a 0716 hardware error, SupportAssist has disabled system optimization.  I imagine that will clear up when the BIOS issue is cleared up.

jerrym59,

I see nothing in your Forum account or roles that states that you were "banned" or on moderation?

We cannot speak to how the BIOS was passed. We are not on that team. We are simply "reactive" to what is posted out here by customers. We then pass on the data to the L3 team.

@Tom in Madison

Dell will have to speak to how extensive the problem is.  I have not seen reports from anyone but 8920 owners.  We are only seeing posts from folks who choose to use a forum and that has to be a small fraction of the 8920 owners who are experiencing the problem.  I don't know what it has cost Dell in replacement motherboards and contracted labor before the nature of the issue was caught but I wish I had a couple of those returned boards so I could do a couple of neat DIY computers with them.

(To ChrisM)

1) I was banned when I logged in from my FB acct. I now understand this doesn't always work and sometimes gives a banned indication. (I now created a new acct).

2) I'm not blaming you or any other Rep's here for the BIOS issue getting released. I just want my sediments to get directed via your Dept to the proper group(s) in hopes of eliminating future occurrences. I'm a Test Engr and fully understand that the horse left the barn before you became involved.

-- jerry

Cbarnhost writes: "Dell will have to speak to how extensive the problem is.  I have not seen reports from anyone but 8920 owners.  We are only seeing posts from folks who choose to use a forum and that has to be a small fraction of the 8920 owners who are experiencing the problem."

I'm hoping that the issue is limited to computers with the OVHXCD motherboard.  I've been looking hard, and I've not seen reports of issues with other Dell systems, so I'm becoming more confident about deploying the February 18/20 BIOS updates on Dell computers that use other motherboards.  I'm going to wait to make sure that the relevant BIOS upgrades have not been pulled before I upgrade any other computers.

I'm frustrated by this situation.  Twice in recent weeks Intel has released bad BIOS updates to its business partners, Dell has released the updates to customers, and Dell has ended up pulling the updates.  The 1.0.14 release is unprecedented, in my experience, because Dell released a BIOS that cannot be reversed.  I'm assuming that Dell had a reason to do that, but Dell needs to do some serious thinking about deploying system updates that cannot be reversed, unless Dell has a back-out plan in place, tested and ready to go.  What could have been a simple embarrassment and quick fix has turned into mess because Dell did not heed that basic IT principle.