OptiPlex 760 BIOS update fails in specific scenario

It fails when you run it manually with those switches, or when you use a software deployment method with those switches?

Correct. earlier version of the flash seemed to have worked fine.  I usually run this as a command line step in an SCCM/OSD task sequence. But it fails right from the command line as well

I am trying to install the BIOS update O760-A13.EXE from command line with the -NOPAUSE  -NOREBOOT swtiches and it doesn't work.  Can you tell me how to get this to install silently?

Some BIOSes need the /s /f switches.  Have you tried those?

yup. the .exe appears to run for 2-3 seconds then closes.

Sounds like you need to open a ticket with Tech Support for that one too!  :)

@warren

I've tested A05 to A11, A11 to A12, and A12 to A13. All show the same behavior. This is a bug in the OptiPlex 760 BIOS. I've tested this on 740, 755,760, 960, and 990 without any issues.

During boot the error message is "Could not find the firmware image in memory". After rebooting and logging in, cctk.exe --completioncode returns 000D as the code which means "The image could not be found in memory or the header could not be located."

The above error was taken from the CCTK 1.2.1 User Guide, page 133. It is also in the CCTK 2.0 Command Line Interface Reference Guide.. <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

@dhalperin

By the way, the /nopause /noreboot switches work fine for me on the OptiPlex 760. Notice I used / instead of -

Create a batch file that runs O760-A13.exe /nopause /noreboot and then on the next line of script write echo %errorlevel% and when you run the script fromthe command line,  see if outputs 0. After rebooting the system, run cctk.exe --completioncode to see if that is 0000.

@warren

The other weird thing is that Intel ME firmware update always seems to apply successfully since the message "ME firmware update successful" always displays during boot.

I get an error level 23, no matter what switch I use

I just noticed that you also wrote that A12 to A13 does not work. This is what I am trying, but I will also have multiple older levels as well.

@dhalperin

The /nopause /noreboot switches work on all versions of OptiPlex 760 BIOS for me. My comment to Warren was about the password issue only. Setting the password on the BIOS before rebooting always makes the update fail no matter what version I upgrade too.

Run it from a script again but this time add the /forceit flag. Do you still get the same error number? If you run the BIOS update without any switches, but from a script, do you still get the same error level? When you run it without the switches, do you get any other error dialogs about a Windows configuration error?

Also try downloading O760-A13.exe again just in case it is corrupted.

Are you sure a BIOS password isn't set on the system?

Warren,

Below are a couple scripts that can be used to reproduce this. Script 1 shows the failing sequence.

@echo off

rem start the system at BIOS version of A12 or lower

rem clear BIOS password before this or make sure no BIOS password is set

rem "C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\X86\cctk.exe" --setuppwd= --valsetuppwd=87654321

O760-A13.exe /nopause /noreboot

echo %errorlevel%

"C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\X86\cctk.exe" --setuppwd=87654321

echo %errorlevel%

shutdown.exe /r /f /t 0

rem this should fail

Script 2 shows the successful sequence.

@echo off

"C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\X86\cctk.exe" --completioncode

echo %errorlevel%

"C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\X86\cctk.exe" --biosver

echo %errorlevel%

"C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\X86\cctk.exe" --setuppwd= --valsetuppwd=87654321

echo %errorlevel%

O760-A13.exe /nopause /noreboot

echo %errorlevel%

shutdown.exe /r /f /t 0

rem this should succeed

Warren, is the BIOS team for the 760 going to investigate the password affecting the BIOS update? If it was happening on many systems, then I probably wouldn't care but so far it only happens on 760 systems which leads me to believe that it is a bug in the 760 BIOS. OptiPlex 740, 745, 960,980, and 990 don't have this issue. Thanks.

On clear issues like this, the best way to ensure that a dev team reviews this issue is to open a formal ticket with Tech Support.  That way the issue gets documented properly and escalated to the appropriate team for resolution.