(UEFI) Dell XPS 15z L511z modded BIOS - and HOWTO

[TimeWalker]

okay then ... :O
I just experienced the weirdest thing ever.. I used 7-zip to get BIOS.cap from the stock A04, I had already copied the WinFlash folder from Temp ages ago so I had the corresponding .fd file around. I had setup a catalog hierarchy like it was proposed above ... but I was unsure about the file structure so I had all the files in root, in /EFI and in /EFI/BOOT as well .. except the PFlash.efi .. still looting around for it ..

What has happened is that I pressed Fn+Esc by accident instead of pressing Fn+F2 to toggle Wi-Fi since my router forze... so it hibernated on me. Well, I've proceeded to wake my machine from sleep using the power button and this is what happened ...

It launched PFlash.efi from nowhere and started flashing me to stock A04 ... dafuq ???
So i'ts definitely a step in right direction!

---

Where'd my post go ? oO
Basically I somehow entered recovery by accident .. by putting the laptop to hibernate (Fn+Esc) and waking it back up again by pressing the power button. I had a USB flash drive plugged in with this catalog setup:

Code:

echo -off
fs0:
PFlash.efi/bb1/silent/sv/sd FvRecovery.fd
echo Recovered!

Instead of waking up it entered Phoenix UEFI Shell Flash Utility and re-flashed me back to stock A04 (this is what I had put) ... it left me puzzled for a good minute ...

[TimeWalker]

Well, it seems like PFlash.efi is nowhere to be found as a standalone module. But something is flashing the bios from capsule (.cap), right ?
Well, what else could it be and what else could flash from Phoenix UEFI SHELL other than an *.efi module? So it's either in the bios firmware/fd/scap (which in a nutshell is the same thing only packer/unpacked/compressed) or it's inside the WinFlash application (also there's is an .efi module/driver in the folder, but at quick glance it only acts like an initialize of some sort). This is our first problem - to figure out how and where the flasher is, I guess a somewhat good idea is to dig through modules' strings and look for the text from the flasher's gui .. the second problems requires to dig deeper - how on earth would one launch a crisis recovery if by-fault Fn+Esc upon boot brings up ePsa Diagnostics tool ...? Fn+B ? Windows + B ? Why with Insyde everything is so easy ...

[kasar]

sweet, I can smell a working recovery soon, seriusly nice find

[Fawar]

Here are some questions if anyone could answer me.

1.How do i know if my 15z is the L511z model?

2.What does your modding bios give me? is there some kind of txt file where i can read all the changes mades and unlocked options?

3. If my gfx is a 525m which package shoud i install?

4. What is the use other than battery time gain from undervolting some piece? Wouldn't performance drop aswell?
Thanks!

[kasar]

@fawar

as far I know, there is just 1 xps 15z model.
anyway to be sure, check the sticker with the model name under the machine.

or check it via windows with some tools like aida64

every 15z have a gt525m gpu, so I think you dont have to worry about ^^

undervolting will also make the machine run cooler (less heat, and probably longer life)

gpu undervolting doesnt drop the performance ^^

you can ask jkbuha for more info anyway

[Fawar]

@fawar

as far I know, there is just 1 xps 15z model.
anyway to be sure, check the sticker with the model name under the machine.

or check it via windows with some tools like aida64

every 15z have a gt525m gpu, so I think you dont have to worry about ^^

undervolting will also make the machine run cooler (less heat, and probably longer life)

gpu undervolting doesnt drop the performance ^^

you can ask jkbuha for more info anyway

Thanks alot, but is there any risk I just destroy my bios? and can't use my computer after? Is there something i can do wrong?

[kasar]

yeah, there is allways a small risk by flashing a bios, however if you ensure you are flashinga bios into a computer compatible with that bios chances are minimal.

I also flashed my bios more than 50 times while doing some tests with the bios mods.

any my computer still alive, using it to reply this post

like I said, confirm you have a L511z machine before flashing and then proceed to flash the bios.

anyway you should NEVER stop the flashing process unless you want to use you want your laptop as a brick.

also ensure the battery level is 100% and it is plugged to a wall before flash it.

[Fawar]

yeah, there is allways a small risk by flashing a bios, however if you ensure you are flashinga bios into a computer compatible with that bios chances are minimal.

I also flashed my bios more than 50 times while doing some tests with the bios mods.

any my computer still alive, using it to reply this post

like I said, confirm you have a L511z machine before flashing and then proceed to flash the bios.

anyway you should NEVER stop the flashing process unless you want to use you want your laptop as a brick.

also ensure the battery level is 100% and it is plugged to a wall before flash it.

i confirm via dell website that i have a l511z with the service tag

what happens if my computer goes brick?



So this modded bios is better than the last release of dell which is A11?

[kasar]

then go for it ^^

yeah, usually modded bioses have extra features and options the stock bioses doesnt have.

relating if your computer gets bricked, the chances are minimal, however if it happens, you are screwed since there arent yet a full 100% working recovery feature, that means you will need to replace the motherboard or get a new computer, but like I said, chances are minimal if you check carefully your laptop model is compatible like you did and you ensure the power doesnt cut while flashing the bios

[Fawar]

then go for it ^^

yeah, usually modded bioses have extra features and options the stock bioses doesnt have.

relating if your computer gets bricked, the chances are minimal, however if it happens, you are screwed since there arent yet a full 100% working recovery feature, that means you will need to replace the motherboard or get a new computer, but like I said, chances are minimal if you check carefully your laptop model is compatible like you did and you ensure the power doesnt cut while flashing the bios

which one should i be getting there is like 4 .zip ?

would having change my network card 6230 to 6250 be a problem?