Command-Line Switches for Dell BIOS Updates

Summary: This article provides information about Command Line switches to employ when managing Dell BIOS updates.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

What Are The Available Command-Line Switches For BIOS Management?

IT Professionals use command-line switches when updating the Dell BIOS on the latest models of Latitude, OptiPlex, and Precision Workstation computers. For more information about these options and the appropriate syntax to use them, see below.

Utilizing The Recommended Windows Switches

Below is an example output from the Latitude E6520 BIOS executable "E6520A05.exe." General usage:

Typical Syntax: Filename.exe [/<option1>[=<value1>]] [/<option2>[=<value2>]] Option - Description: (none) - Display of the user interface for the guided update

  • /? or /h - Displays this Dell System BIOS Update usage information.
  • /s - Suppresses all user interfaces of the BIOS System BIOS Update.
  • /l= - Define a specific path for the Dell System BIOS Update log file.
  • /f - Override a soft dependency error returned from the Dell System BIOS Update.
    NOTE: Requires /s option
  • /r - Reboot the computer to complete the update.
    NOTE: Requires /s option
  • /p= - Provide the BIOS password (if needed) to perform the BIOS update. Examples:
    • Update the computer silently: Filename.exe /s
    • Change from the default log location (example target path: C:\my path with spaces\log.txt) Filename.exe /l="C:\my path with spaces\log.txt"
    • Force update to continue (even on soft qualification errors): Filename.exe /s /f

If the ability to remotely update the Dell BIOS across a network is wanted, the Dell Client Configuration Toolkit (CCTK) is recommended. CCTK is available for download from the Dell Support website for the computers in use.

NOTE: The complete list of switches and their descriptions can be obtained by running the executable (filename.exe /) with either the /? or the /h switch from the command prompt in Windows.
CAUTION: When updating the BIOS on a computer with BitLocker Enabled, be aware of the following issue.
If BitLocker is not suspended, the next time you reboot the computer it will not recognize the BitLocker key. You are then prompted to enter the recovery key to progress, and the computer asks for this on each reboot.

If the recovery key is unknown, this can result in data loss or unnecessary operating system reinstall.

For more information, see Dell Knowledge Base article Updating the BIOS on Dell Systems With BitLocker Enabled.

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Affected Products

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Article Properties
Article Number: 000136752
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 19 Jun 2025
Version:  10
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