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

[jkbuha]

This is the second 15z with the same issue. You need to enter recovery mode and flash a backup bios. kasar has posted a 15z iso a few pages back - download that and use my guide on the first post to enter recovery.

On another note I need to understand why certain 15z's work fine (such as mine) and certain others don't. Can you let me know when you bought the laptop, and what hardware config it has?

[Crawler45]

This is the second 15z with the same issue. You need to enter recovery mode and flash a backup bios. kasar has posted a 15z iso a few pages back - download that and use my guide on the first post to enter recovery.

On another note I need to understand why certain 15z's work fine (such as mine) and certain others don't. Can you let me know when you bought the laptop, and what hardware config it has?

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have burnt the ISO image that kasar has posted onto a CD and followed the instruction that you have posted. But the beeping continues and I cannot go into recovery screen.

Also here's the system spec for my laptop: (I purchased it during end of June 2011)

Specifications Dell XPS 15z

Processor 2.7GHz Core i7 2620M processor

Memory 8GB, 1,333GHz DDR3

Hard drive 750GB 7,200rpm

Chipset Intel HM67

Graphics Nvidia GeForce 525M (2 gig)

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

[jkbuha]

You need to press the correct timing for the key sequence (right key 0.5s after inserting power) and the bios should automatically boot. If the laptop switches on but you still hear the beeping sounds try connecting an external display via HDMI and/or DP and see what happens.

What commands did you use to flash the bios?

[Crawler45]

Just went and tried to connect an external display through HDMI. The CD seems to be running at first but the beeping starts up again a few seconds later. Then all processes die out.

I used the command line in windows:

winflash.exe /BIOS /EC /SA /SV /CVAR /BBL file.WPH

[Crawler45]

Some progress.

I disconnected the battery as well as the optical drive and loaded up a USB flashdrive with BIOS to recover. No beeping. The computer is currently running with the main power light blinking. Hopefully it is in the process of recovering.

I'll keep you updated

[jkbuha]

i don't think it's recovering though - i recall the power light blinking as being an error on bootup.
if after ~5min you don't get any progress, try initiating recovery again (usb/cd inside, finger on right arrow, release 0.5sec after inserting power) and see what happens.

[Crawler45]

Had to get some sleep before trying to repair this laptop.

Anyways, it seems like you're right. It is not booting from the USB stick. It just runs the fan and that's it (no beeping noise).

However, when I plug back in the optical drive with the CD created with the ISO image that kasar uploaded, the system starts to beep 6 times.

I'm kinda out of options now, don't really know what else I could do.

[nebster]

Just to make sure, your laptop turns on by itself? You don't press any other button but the right arrow?
Also, try placing the USB drive in different USB ports just in case.

[TimeWalker]

The 6 consequent beeps are VBIOS related .. so it must be the new Intel VBIOS that new models don't seem to like very much.
Two cases in a row with same behavior is kind of sad.

@jkbuha
As promised here are the kexts for Audio (10.8.2 though, if you need for 10.7 - I can share as well)

Layout is 28:

Code:

Method (_DSM, 4, NotSerialized)
{
Store (Package (0x06)
{
"hda-gfx",
Buffer (0x0A)
{
"onboard-1"
},
"layout-id",
Buffer (0x04)
{
0x1C, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
},
"PinConfigurations",
Buffer (Zero) {}
}, Local0)
DTGP (Arg0, Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, RefOf (Local0))
Return (Local0)
}

Edit:
Uploaded for 10.7 as well.

[thorbsd]

@kasar

Sorry to hear about your laptop. It takes a lot of guts to get that deep in just to try to push your system a little further! I really hope that the replacement chip will get you up and running. Worst case scenario, the laptop is toast. It's an expensive lesson, but please don't let this discourage you. Your curiousity, passion, and obvious talent are not something anyone wants to see disappear. Keep up the great work!

For everyone else, how hard is it to get a copy of OSX loaded on the 15z? Is there anything that doesn't work correctly? I've only briefly started looking into what is needed and I'm definitely a little confused.