I just timed it and it took over *40 seconds* from leaving the BIOS until the Dell logo comes back on screen as part of the boot. Something is not right.
Does the POST read the hard drive for data at any point before starting to boot? Is there any way I complete re-image might fix this, or is it a setting in the BIOS that has got messed up somehow?
Also, I ran the diagnostics and there were no errors.
So I tried to downgrade the BIOS to the previous released version and it won't complete, but doesn't throw up any errors at all. I have enabled the option in the BIOS to allow downgrading, and have tried from within widows, from USB DOS and from the boot option, and non of them work: it starts to load, seems to be going fine, reboots, but always stays on the current version.
Hmmmm... doing some googling, it appears there is no way to downgrade de to the "Spectre / Meltdown" issue - although it never comes up with any errors - it just reboots and stays at 1.23.3.
I've now tried completely wiping the hard drive, removing all the partitions and installing a fresh version of Windows 10 from the MS website without any of the Dell partitions etc.... but still no luck - its taking anywhere between 40 second and a minute to POST.
something more odd is now happening - if I set the BIOS up to boot using UEFI (not legacy), it doesn't boot into windows and immediately goes into the support assist ePSA thing to run diagnostics (which find no errors).
The bottom line is that I now can't seem to get it to boot into Windows 10 using UEFI - I have to boot using the legacy option.
@Cokcsywrote:
something more odd is now happening - if I set the BIOS up to boot using UEFI (not legacy), it doesn't boot into windows and immediately goes into the support assist ePSA thing to run diagnostics (which find no errors).
The bottom line is that I now can't seem to get it to boot into Windows 10 using UEFI - I have to boot using the legacy option.
You check SATA operation is set to AHCI and secure boot is enable in the BIOS ?
Also, you reset BIOS to defaults to see if it will make any difference?
How to restore the BIOS (System Setup) defaults on a Dell Product
Thanks for the post. I've checked the SATA is set to AHCI, but I couldn't get secure boot to work as it needs UEFI to be turned on, and when i did that it wouldn't boot into Windows. So I decided to try the Dell OS Recovery Tool and its in the middle of the rebuild now - it seems to be working fine, so not quite sure how I managed to mess that up!
With respect to the BIOS slow to boot / POST issue, I searched through the forum and found this thread which is similar in that it won't let the user downgrade to a previous version, although theirs comes up with an error - mine just reboots with no error at all.
I have reset the BIOS to the default settings, both the "factory" and the "BIOS default" settings - neither option has helped the slow boot issue (but has sorted the booting in UEFI mode).
Any ideas what could be causing the slow BIOS POST?
" I just timed it and it took over *40 seconds* from leaving the BIOS until the Dell logo comes back on screen as part of the boot "
My apologies. I went back and read your posts again, I thought you were preferring to powering on the system to the Dell logo as to the slow boot time. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to your question. Hopefully someone with knowledge of this problem or a Dell rep will charm in and help answer your question.
Dell has made it much harder to downgrade because of the Spectre / Meltdown issue however, you can check to see if there's a BIOS recovery tool on the system by following the steps below.
By the way, I'm assuming you right click BIOS file and "Run as administrator"? Also you temporary turn off the system's Anti-virus software and firewall. The Anti-virus software sometime will take Dell downloads as a threat and will block it from installing onto the system.
Keep in mind, you could always wait until Dell release a new BIOS update .
It does appear to be difficult to downgrade! Will check out the link when I get home - thanks.
The update file works fine in windows, and I've tried it from a boot usb as well as from the BIOS all with the same result - it appears to go fine and restarts as expected, but always at the same version.
Looks like I might just have to wait for an update, but I can't believe it is just me having this issue, unless something went wrong with the update? I would expect the issue to affect all of the laptops with the same model or it's something specific to my machine, but I have no way of knowing that!
Frustratingly, I couldn't get the ctrl-esc method to work again to update the BIOS to 1.23.3, so I tried to do it in Windows just using the downloaded exe file from the dell support drivers page (in run as admin), but it didn't work either.
I'll have to see what luck I get tomorrow as I'm done for the evening now!
Dell has made it much harder to downgrade because of the Spectre / Meltdown issue however, you can check to see if there's a BIOS recovery tool on the system by following the steps below.
Great - thanks - thats the set of instructions I was struggling to find. I successfully reverted my BIOS back to 1.21.1 using the ctrl-esc & power boot method... however...
The first time I restarted the laptop, it came up with the Dell logo and some text underneath saying "please wait while we install an update" (I don't think it was Windows text - looked like Dell / BIOS / firmware text) and when it rebooted a couple of times. Then in Windows, it comes up with a notification saying "your pc needs to be restarted to finish installing firmware update to 1.23.3" - but for whatever reason, the firmware update never completes when restarting.
And it still takes up to a minute to POST when powering up....
Arrgghh! I thought you had got it cracked for me with the BIOS recovery option!
I'll try using that to upgrade back to 1.23.3 and see if that helps at all.
Well i have no idea whats going on - I can't get the laptop to update to 1.23.3 from windows, from USB boot, or from the BIOS and I now can't get into the BIOS recovery tool using the ctrl-esc-power combination.
Any ideas? Is there anyone from Dell who can help me?!
Cokcsy
27 Posts
1
April 8th, 2018 12:00
I just timed it and it took over *40 seconds* from leaving the BIOS until the Dell logo comes back on screen as part of the boot. Something is not right.
Does the POST read the hard drive for data at any point before starting to boot? Is there any way I complete re-image might fix this, or is it a setting in the BIOS that has got messed up somehow?
Also, I ran the diagnostics and there were no errors.
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 10th, 2018 12:00
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 13th, 2018 11:00
So I tried to downgrade the BIOS to the previous released version and it won't complete, but doesn't throw up any errors at all. I have enabled the option in the BIOS to allow downgrading, and have tried from within widows, from USB DOS and from the boot option, and non of them work: it starts to load, seems to be going fine, reboots, but always stays on the current version.
Any ideas?!
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 14th, 2018 14:00
I've now tried completely wiping the hard drive, removing all the partitions and installing a fresh version of Windows 10 from the MS website without any of the Dell partitions etc.... but still no luck - its taking anywhere between 40 second and a minute to POST.
Is there no-one who can help me...??!!
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 14th, 2018 15:00
The bottom line is that I now can't seem to get it to boot into Windows 10 using UEFI - I have to boot using the legacy option.
LSUFAN51
4 Operator
•
6.5K Posts
0
April 14th, 2018 17:00
You check SATA operation is set to AHCI and secure boot is enable in the BIOS ?
Also, you reset BIOS to defaults to see if it will make any difference?
How to restore the BIOS (System Setup) defaults on a Dell Product
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln245206/how-to-restore-the-bios-system-setup-defaults-on-a-dell-product?lang=en
Please click on the link below for additional information that might be helpful to you.
How to Fix a Boot Up Problem (Official Dell Tech Support)
https://youtu.be/uJcqHY7YbmA?list=PLdLDGmnHB07NVpbsbTGeiW-NLjpVZufxB
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 15th, 2018 05:00
Hi LSUFAN51,
Thanks for the post. I've checked the SATA is set to AHCI, but I couldn't get secure boot to work as it needs UEFI to be turned on, and when i did that it wouldn't boot into Windows. So I decided to try the Dell OS Recovery Tool and its in the middle of the rebuild now - it seems to be working fine, so not quite sure how I managed to mess that up!
With respect to the BIOS slow to boot / POST issue, I searched through the forum and found this thread which is similar in that it won't let the user downgrade to a previous version, although theirs comes up with an error - mine just reboots with no error at all.
I have reset the BIOS to the default settings, both the "factory" and the "BIOS default" settings - neither option has helped the slow boot issue (but has sorted the booting in UEFI mode).
Any ideas what could be causing the slow BIOS POST?
LSUFAN51
4 Operator
•
6.5K Posts
0
April 15th, 2018 08:00
The boot time is still around 40 seconds or more after reinstalling windows 10?
EDIT / Dell BIOS Updates:
www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln129956/dell-bios-updates?lang=en#Issue7
When a PC is first started, BIOS activates all of the basic hardware required to startup or boot to the operating system including but not limited to:
LSUFAN51
4 Operator
•
6.5K Posts
0
April 15th, 2018 09:00
" I just timed it and it took over *40 seconds* from leaving the BIOS until the Dell logo comes back on screen as part of the boot "
My apologies. I went back and read your posts again, I thought you were preferring to powering on the system to the Dell logo as to the slow boot time. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to your question. Hopefully someone with knowledge of this problem or a Dell rep will charm in and help answer your question.
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 15th, 2018 09:00
Is there any way to force a BIOS downgrade somehow so I can check the previous version... Or even a way to force a reinstall of the current version?
LSUFAN51
4 Operator
•
6.5K Posts
1
April 16th, 2018 06:00
Dell has made it much harder to downgrade because of the Spectre / Meltdown issue however, you can check to see if there's a BIOS recovery tool on the system by following the steps below.
BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet
By the way, I'm assuming you right click BIOS file and "Run as administrator"? Also you temporary turn off the system's Anti-virus software and firewall. The Anti-virus software sometime will take Dell downloads as a threat and will block it from installing onto the system.
Keep in mind, you could always wait until Dell release a new BIOS update .
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 16th, 2018 08:00
The update file works fine in windows, and I've tried it from a boot usb as well as from the BIOS all with the same result - it appears to go fine and restarts as expected, but always at the same version.
Looks like I might just have to wait for an update, but I can't believe it is just me having this issue, unless something went wrong with the update? I would expect the issue to affect all of the laptops with the same model or it's something specific to my machine, but I have no way of knowing that!
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 16th, 2018 14:00
Frustratingly, I couldn't get the ctrl-esc method to work again to update the BIOS to 1.23.3, so I tried to do it in Windows just using the downloaded exe file from the dell support drivers page (in run as admin), but it didn't work either.
I'll have to see what luck I get tomorrow as I'm done for the evening now!
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 16th, 2018 14:00
Great - thanks - thats the set of instructions I was struggling to find. I successfully reverted my BIOS back to 1.21.1 using the ctrl-esc & power boot method... however...
The first time I restarted the laptop, it came up with the Dell logo and some text underneath saying "please wait while we install an update" (I don't think it was Windows text - looked like Dell / BIOS / firmware text) and when it rebooted a couple of times. Then in Windows, it comes up with a notification saying "your pc needs to be restarted to finish installing firmware update to 1.23.3" - but for whatever reason, the firmware update never completes when restarting.
And it still takes up to a minute to POST when powering up....
Arrgghh! I thought you had got it cracked for me with the BIOS recovery option!
I'll try using that to upgrade back to 1.23.3 and see if that helps at all.
Cokcsy
27 Posts
0
April 17th, 2018 13:00
Well i have no idea whats going on - I can't get the laptop to update to 1.23.3 from windows, from USB boot, or from the BIOS and I now can't get into the BIOS recovery tool using the ctrl-esc-power combination.
Any ideas? Is there anyone from Dell who can help me?!