I like to add that I have the same problem as well with my Windows 8 Dell Inspiron 3520 Intel i5. There seems to be common problem among the recent Dells being sold recently. I may have to return this out of fear that it will stop rebooting at all. Thank you for feedback so far though.
Just Installed A12 - though my system boots with no issues, it fails to allow me to Access BIOS (F2) or the (F12) BOOT Options menu - system ignores the key press at the Dell Logo Screen and continues to load the Windows 8 OS. Only way I found that I can access the BIOS is to physically remove my Hard drive, this way I'm prompted to do something because the system fails to find a bootable OS.
Note: This was happening with the A11 Version as well. The A08 version of the Bios that the system shipped with did not have this issue.
I believe it is a problem with compatibility, this happened to me after a few weeks of buying the laptop, one day Windows tells me to restart If I want to install an important update, I restarted with no problems, but after shutting down the problem began. Searching on the internet didn't work, so I used the Refresh function of Windows 8 on PC Settings, It will "factory format" your PC without deleting your files. After I refreshed the PC the problem is gone, BUT to ensure it won't happen again I disabled Window Updates until Dell fix this.
I just installed the A12 BIOS update. No improvement. However, I can still get into the BIOS. It still does not provide any different boot order options that I can understand - it only offers UEFI Network Boot as the boot option.
Well I loaded BIOS A12 this morning and same problem with hanging on a RESTART. F2 does not work anymore but F12 does work after two consecutive tries of power off and power on. Fortunately, you can still get access to BIOS by choosing setup. This is a step backwards! Dell is putting out this stuff without proper testing. I tried going back to BIOS A11 and same problem. RESTART freeze is permanent now until Dell looks at this. Problems like this can cause many users to fumble around and destroy things such that nothing works.
The latest NVIDIA video driver is 9.18.13.707 A3 and NOT the 9.17.13.707 as listed on the Dell Download site, according to the Device Manager after loading and RESTART. Mistakes like this just gets everyone wondering whether they are going crackers with all the problems.
I think I finally see the problem in the BIOS. When I got the computer it had three boot devices (under the BOOT tab of the BIOS) in the following order:
1) Hard Drive 0 in the first drive bay
2) Hard .Drive 1 in the 2nd drive bay
3) DVD drive
When I loaded BIOS Ver. A12 these are all gone and replaced by something called "Network Boot" which I do not want or have. These never should have been erased and in fact Phoenix Technologies should be asked to put these in by default when using the "Default Option" function key.
I believe we have to Add the original 3 default boot devices back in but I need the exact procedure and exact 3 entries to be made.
I kind of believe the BIOS is written such that it will boot in the programmed BIOS order on 1st power up but will default to HD 0 by default on 2nd power up when no success on the 1st power up? Hence the two power-up's work.
Makes a lot of sense based on the symptoms - not a hard problem to fix. I hope that Engineering at Dell reads these posts and will fix it. If I hear from Senthil on this I will post it. Meantime I mostly just put my laptop to sleep when I am not using it - seems to start ok from there even if it hibernated.
Nice catch, I saw that anomaly myself but didn't equate it to it possibly being the cause of the issue. Then again when I first got my unit I didn't venture into the BIOS settings, it wasn't until I installed the A11 Version of the BIOS and I wanted to check to see if my unit would support an mSATA drive for caching that I noticed that I was locked out.
Hopefully someone from Dell Engineering will see this and get it corrected for the next BIOS release. Haven't tried the two power up F12 trick myself to see if I can get access to the BIOS but I'll give it a try and see what happens.
Hopefully jharang it will stay that way and not some how revert back to it's old ways for you. I wonder if Dell pushed out some sort of NINJA Update thru their Dell Digital Download Service or whatever they call it.
It is a miracle. My Laptop suddenly boots like a champ - normally and everything. I have no explanation. Maybe Dell snuck in an update when I was not looking. I did not do anything since the A12 BIOS update which did not fix the problem initially after the update.
I went to the bios boot section and it now shows window boot loader as the first choice before network boot. Make sense now. Still baffled as to who did the fix when.
Cortaloomy
1 Message
0
January 10th, 2013 10:00
I like to add that I have the same problem as well with my Windows 8 Dell Inspiron 3520 Intel i5. There seems to be common problem among the recent Dells being sold recently. I may have to return this out of fear that it will stop rebooting at all. Thank you for feedback so far though.
jharang
13 Posts
0
January 10th, 2013 14:00
Senthil I have nothing in my inbox from you nor can I see an friend request from you
gheredia82
11 Posts
0
January 11th, 2013 15:00
hey Senthil any word from Engineering? It's seems this is effecting a lot of people.
gheredia82
11 Posts
0
January 15th, 2013 15:00
Has anyone had luck using the new A12 bios update?
CyberMaxX360
272 Posts
0
January 15th, 2013 16:00
Just Installed A12 - though my system boots with no issues, it fails to allow me to Access BIOS (F2) or the (F12) BOOT Options menu - system ignores the key press at the Dell Logo Screen and continues to load the Windows 8 OS. Only way I found that I can access the BIOS is to physically remove my Hard drive, this way I'm prompted to do something because the system fails to find a bootable OS.
Note: This was happening with the A11 Version as well. The A08 version of the Bios that the system shipped with did not have this issue.
Necronos
11 Posts
0
January 15th, 2013 17:00
I believe it is a problem with compatibility, this happened to me after a few weeks of buying the laptop, one day Windows tells me to restart If I want to install an important update, I restarted with no problems, but after shutting down the problem began. Searching on the internet didn't work, so I used the Refresh function of Windows 8 on PC Settings, It will "factory format" your PC without deleting your files. After I refreshed the PC the problem is gone, BUT to ensure it won't happen again I disabled Window Updates until Dell fix this.
jharang
13 Posts
0
January 15th, 2013 17:00
I just installed the A12 BIOS update. No improvement. However, I can still get into the BIOS. It still does not provide any different boot order options that I can understand - it only offers UEFI Network Boot as the boot option.
Bill Alsip
92 Posts
0
January 16th, 2013 15:00
Well I loaded BIOS A12 this morning and same problem with hanging on a RESTART. F2 does not work anymore but F12 does work after two consecutive tries of power off and power on. Fortunately, you can still get access to BIOS by choosing setup. This is a step backwards! Dell is putting out this stuff without proper testing. I tried going back to BIOS A11 and same problem. RESTART freeze is permanent now until Dell looks at this. Problems like this can cause many users to fumble around and destroy things such that nothing works.
The latest NVIDIA video driver is 9.18.13.707 A3 and NOT the 9.17.13.707 as listed on the Dell Download site, according to the Device Manager after loading and RESTART. Mistakes like this just gets everyone wondering whether they are going crackers with all the problems.
Bill Alsip
92 Posts
0
January 16th, 2013 16:00
I think I finally see the problem in the BIOS. When I got the computer it had three boot devices (under the BOOT tab of the BIOS) in the following order:
1) Hard Drive 0 in the first drive bay
2) Hard .Drive 1 in the 2nd drive bay
3) DVD drive
When I loaded BIOS Ver. A12 these are all gone and replaced by something called "Network Boot" which I do not want or have. These never should have been erased and in fact Phoenix Technologies should be asked to put these in by default when using the "Default Option" function key.
I believe we have to Add the original 3 default boot devices back in but I need the exact procedure and exact 3 entries to be made.
I kind of believe the BIOS is written such that it will boot in the programmed BIOS order on 1st power up but will default to HD 0 by default on 2nd power up when no success on the 1st power up? Hence the two power-up's work.
jharang
13 Posts
0
January 16th, 2013 17:00
Makes a lot of sense based on the symptoms - not a hard problem to fix. I hope that Engineering at Dell reads these posts and will fix it. If I hear from Senthil on this I will post it. Meantime I mostly just put my laptop to sleep when I am not using it - seems to start ok from there even if it hibernated.
Thanks
CyberMaxX360
272 Posts
0
January 16th, 2013 17:00
Bill,
Nice catch, I saw that anomaly myself but didn't equate it to it possibly being the cause of the issue. Then again when I first got my unit I didn't venture into the BIOS settings, it wasn't until I installed the A11 Version of the BIOS and I wanted to check to see if my unit would support an mSATA drive for caching that I noticed that I was locked out.
Hopefully someone from Dell Engineering will see this and get it corrected for the next BIOS release.
Haven't tried the two power up F12 trick myself to see if I can get access to the BIOS but I'll give it a try and see what happens.
Cheers and thanks again for the information.
CyberMaxX360
272 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2013 16:00
Hopefully jharang it will stay that way and not some how revert back to it's old ways for you. I wonder if Dell pushed out some sort of NINJA Update thru their Dell Digital Download Service or whatever they call it.
jharang
13 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2013 16:00
It is a miracle. My Laptop suddenly boots like a champ - normally and everything. I have no explanation. Maybe Dell snuck in an update when I was not looking. I did not do anything since the A12 BIOS update which did not fix the problem initially after the update.
jharang
13 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2013 17:00
CyberMaxX360
272 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2013 17:00
Well this is a good sign, progress at last :D - I'm hoping it is a Ninja Update and they actually figured out what they did wrong.