Dell Vostro 3450 Advanced Options unlocking in progress

[HairyCube]

Ok guys... I screwed up my laptop.
I replaced some files named "HybridGraphics" and "SwitchableGraphics" with the ones from Lenovo E520, and now it doesn't even boot in recovery mode. Looks like the bootblock got messed up. If I turn it on, the fan spins very fast, as if it was in recovery mode, but it actually isn't. If I boot it into recovery mode, it doesn't recognize the USB disk (the same one I've always used). So I guess I won't be able to do research on Vostro 3450 anymore.

P.S. The /BBL switch for WinFlash should NEVER be used if you don't wanna brick your laptop.

[TimeWalker]

Ok guys... I screwed up my laptop.
I replaced some files named "HybridGraphics" and "SwitchableGraphics" with the ones from Lenovo E520, and now it doesn't even boot in recovery mode. Looks like the bootblock got messed up. If I turn it on, the fan spins very fast, as if it was in recovery mode, but it actually isn't. If I boot it into recovery mode, it doesn't recognize the USB disk (the same one I've always used). So I guess I won't be able to do research on Vostro 3450 anymore.

P.S. The /BBL switch for WinFlash should NEVER be used if you don't wanna brick your laptop.

Sorry to hear this. Actually I've warned the guys over at 15z thread about usage of /bbl and /ec flags. I believe jkbuha at some point even removed it from the original post, but now its magically reappeared.

[HairyCube]

Updated the first post with /EC and /BBL removed from winflash command line.
I still don't understand how it got messed up. I don't have access to my harddisk now, but I think the files I replaced were inside the F33.... module. Isn't the bootblock located somewhere else?

[TimeWalker]

Actually when you go from say A04 to say A13 you are ought to use bbl and ec to comply with changes in the rest of the firmware. If youre tampering with same version of the firmware that is on the chip then use of these flags is totally not advisable.
The bootblock part is inside the raw part of the F33 capsule, inside the nested capsule. If you fire up phoenixtool 2.14 abd hit structure you will see the contents of it easily. Modules such as FatLitePei and SystemCdExpress are part of bbl.

[HairyCube]

EDIT: [censored] that, nothing worked and I had to get a replacement motherboard.

[HairyCube]

Updated the first post with fixed links and instructions.

[dexz]

guys sorry for off topic but do you guys still have problem on windows 8 shutdown with A13 bios? I have to restart windows 8 and manually press power button to turn off my notebook.

[TimeWalker]

I personally dont have such an issue, though im running a legacy installation of 8.

[HairyCube]

TW, any luck with Fn+F2 toggle in UEFI mode? I've been contemplating to install W7 in UEFI mode just to see if the KBC initialization problem only happens in legacy mode.

Also, if you have any ideas as of why KBC doesn't initialize properly, please let me know. I disconnected the touchpad from the motherboard, but the error was still there. The only thing that worked was disabling the touchpad in Device Manager.

EDIT: Yeah it happens in UEFI mode too... I'm completely out of ideas now. Do you know if similar problems happen on XPS too?

[dexz]

I personally dont have such an issue, though im running a legacy installation of 8.

hmmm that's weird. The only problem I had was shutdown issue and the super loud fan. I'm installed using flash USB with uefi mode.