Dell XPS 720: Xeon E5450 support?

[DeathBringer]

Well.
Try to flash my mod, reboot and make new screenshot of regedit with "Windows 7 DVD".

[EvieSigma]

Is there a way to flash it without needing to be in Windows? If not, that's okay, I'll just have to put the old CPU back in.

[DeathBringer]

You can try to run it in DOS. Or in command line with "Windows 7 DVD".

[EvieSigma]

Well it took a lot of fighting but I managed to get your mod installed. I didn't notice any changes in the BIOS options but now instead of just crashing when I try to boot Windows, I end up at a black screen with a cursor where things get stuck. Progress, I guess?

I don't know if this would help but I took another screenshot of that regedit section you told me to look at before and comparing to my previous picture, some values definitely changed.

https://i.imgur.com/onybhBR.jpg

[DeathBringer]

Microcode is updated. But I don't know how to help you with Windows 7.

[EvieSigma]

Well, I appreciate all the help you've given me so far. Thank you very much.

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Did you set back to AHCI (or IDE if you were using that previously)? Check boot order page too, and make sure main HDD/SSD is at top of the boot disk priority section.

[EvieSigma]

I've never touched any HDD options but I think the boot order does have the optical drive before the HDD. I'll have to fix that.

[Lost_N_BIOS]

When you reflash BIOS settings will be changed, so you probably need to set AHCI/IDE again, whichever you were using before. And then on the hard drive priority list, move the main hard drive to the top. This is not the same settings where you choose to have a CD or USB device first, look for a hard drive boot priority list. But yes, the setting you mention should also have HDD first unless you are wanting to boot to CD or USB and cannot use the Boot menu option hotkey.

[EvieSigma]

I don't actually have any options for hard drive type or a hard drive priority list, just a list of all SATA devices with the option to turn them on or off.

As a lark I decided to try installing Windows 10 and that installer crashes with a Kernel Security Error the first try and a System PTE Misuse error the second time.