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

[Brabbelbla]

About custom BIOS logo; there is a module named DellSplashDxe, GUID 0C7F41A9-... which contains just all the images used in the splash screen in plain JFIF format. Couldn't you those replace those?

   

As it comes from the module. Nicest thing is them having squeezed the image horizontally, so when it gets stretched horizontally, it appears round.

[kasar]

yeah, I located that module long time ago, however I dont know the required tools needed to convert normal image to jfif image, the max image hight and widt, and if there are any color or size restrictions I should know while picking the new image.

also I cant open the file with photoshop or any other image software, I tried renaming from rom to .jfif extension, just 1 software could open it, and it is just "viewable"

[Brabbelbla]

The ROM contains 8 images and has some bytes preceding them, so I guess trying to open the ROM doesn't work.

It all doesn't seem to be too strict. There are files with Exif headers, a file with a Photoshop header. Files seem to be 8-bit RGB, 72 px/inch resolution. Stay under the 232x307 size Dell uses for their splash logo, and I think you'd be fine.

[kasar]

thanks for the info!

oh, so the rom file it isnt a single image.
it is basically a bunch of mixed images with extra bytes.

now it makes sense why it didnt open.


thanks also for the images, yeah, those are the ones in my bios.

how did you managed to extract them so easly?

also not sure how I can reintegrate the modified ones with all that format and headers mess ^^

I feel a little lost here

edit: gave u some rep points

[kasar]

oh, also someone said before something about the new intel ME firmware update.

here is it

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps...ost9454167

[jkbuha]

Upgraded to latest firmware - no noticeable changes (yet). In theory there should be an even more recent firmware; 7.1.70.1198 which I haven't yet seen in the wild.

On a related note; has anyone managed to flash this successfully via windows 8.1? Despite having the latest (or even 7.1.x) ME drivers installed I could not flash with FWUpdLcl.exe - had to boot a Win7 PE, install all drivers and flash from there...

[ReFiRnE]

Still didn't get how to flash my bios, from dell drivers it can be done easily in 2 clicks, but I didn't get how it works with custom bios help please

[kasar]

@ReFiRnE well, this topic is a little more focused for people hacking their own bioses, if you just want download and flash a xps15z bios

go to this topic:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps...-more.html

@all

did someone else had some luck modding the logo files?

with the the images Brabbelbla sent to me.

I am unable even to save them with with software and get the same file size and format.

allways getting different size and file content even without modify the image at all

[jakebour]

Has anyone found the correct method to downgrade the bios on this L511Z? I am running the modded A12, and I would like to go back to A12 stock or A06. I also forked over the 300 bucks to dell to get the motherboard replaced, the HD replaced, as well as the battery (I used this as an HTPC without the dell utility to disable charging so battery died - I use it without battery - the hd drive and 525m card also died - the HD I understand, the video not so much) Anyways, I have a laptop that will have the MB replaced as soon as I ship it so I can play without worry of bricking it. I have tried phlash16, phlash17 via dos, I have tried win flash, and winphlash via windows PE, The KASAR win xp disc listed in the original post does not work for me, bluescreens after the xp logo. I have tied every switch ever documented in downgrading threads...all fail. invalid flashInt.Bin, invalid interfaces errors, non stop. How in the [censored] do you downgrade/reflash this thing? Also, the regulars switches like /forceit /jabil dont work regardless..I have no battery and sometimes it fails for that reason, but never inside a usb bootable PE. Any solid leads would make me such a happy man! Please and Thanks!

[kasar]

@jakebour

to use that windows xp disk, you have to be in recovery mode or set ahci to ide in bios

that will make the xp disk to make it work, after use the disk, leave it back to ahci

about the flashing parameters, I usually use

WinFlash /all /sa /sn /sd /sp /svs /sv /cvar BIOS1.WPH

and can flash back to any version on my xps 15z