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

[kasar]

hey all, I am finally at home ^^

however I am having issues again with the chip programing on windows, I will have to use another pc, I also have some extra work since one of my spare pcs died and I will need to take it appart and replace some parts, however I probably will be able to test it today or tomorrow.

oh, another thing.



I has been talking with twntysvns

he said his L502X machine got hard bricked by flashing a 15z bios on his machine.

for some reason now the END key trick doesnt work, but the right arrow works, like on the 15z. (curius, but since he flashed a 15z bios by mistake, it makes sense)

he tried the recovery method and it doesnt work for him.

so we both talked about the posibility of doing a hardware programing.

basically, build a hardware programer like I did, dump the contents of the chip.

then pick my working backup, and edit it by adding his hardware stuff like MAC address and tag numbers instead mine.

that probably will work, I sent him the schematics and info about to how build and get the required items and he acepted.

I think that is also worth of following, what do you think about it? any ideas or alternate solutions or it is ok like it is ? ^^

[TimeWalker]

that's why you never update the boot block :< (\bbl)
the only good solution is the one you have suggested - reprogramming via hardware. your dump shouldn't be hard to edit.. I only wonder if express service code is also somewhere in the bios or it's just a sticker information.

[kasar]

@tw

okay, we will go for it then

@all

okay,srry for the little delay ,I was messing with some old broken laptops and getting some them to work.


but I finally tested the modded roms timewalker edited with the ME8 firmware

I got access to a desktop PC with parallel port and usb booting to make the tests.

I also decided to label the chips in order to get better control and management of future tests





well, relating to the experiment results.

both versions booted the machine fine (TW's v1 and v2 modded chip images)

however, I also got this with both of them



what do you think guys?

[twntysvns]

Yeah, I personally never would have updated with the 15z. One of my coworkers did while I had it up on the screen, while I was with a client. I was checking them both out, and he flashed without permission. Needless to say I am not very happy with him...

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

[kasar]

yeah, bricking a laptop is not something to be happy at all ^^
I supose he will check twice the bios model in future before flashing

mmm, I feel a little bad for this, since this topic were initially for the 15z, but me and TW with different laptops joined also to this and shared our work.
and in my case, I am the guy with the l502x D:, that may confused people to DL the stuff from the first topic even jkbuha said clearly those ones are just for the 15z (and I think there was more bricks caused by crossflashing 15z bios into L502X laptops)

do the laptop is yours? a laptop you use at your work? or is is from someone else like a friend or a client? (just curius ^^)

another test I can try, is replicate what you did, pick one of the 15z bioses, flash it on my l502x to brick my machine on purpose.

I should be able to recover it.

however, the think makes me mad is that I was able to power the machine when there was no chip at all with the END key.

but twntysvns is unable to boot it with the END key even with the chip on board.

this makes me to worry again about the other flash chip located at the L502X motherboard (the 512kb one), the problem is, I dont have backup from that chip,spare chips, or socket installed on that place at all.

so if the 15z update messed something from that chip, I would probably be screwed too.

[TimeWalker]

Don't update /EC either and it will be unable to mess the second chip nor the boot block as said earlier.

The second one had the versioning string in proper place, so it should have read the numbers properly. Which may indicate that it simply does not support v8 at all.

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2

[kasar]

ok

just curius, what parameters you use for flashing?

I used those with my shared BIOS mods at the other forums

Code:

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

well, as for ME8, is there any other test we can make? or are we screwed relating ME8 implementation?

remember me,my chips, programer,and sockets will be pleased to perform any other test you suggest.

[TimeWalker]

When I do just the bios mod attempts I use /BIOS /SA /SV /CVAR, but when I flash a full upgrade image I add /EC and /BBL just because I'm totally sure that it won't butcher the boot block or EC part of the firmware.
I currently don't have any more ideas on how to implement the ME8 into your rom, sorry.. but variations can be multiple.

I have 2 more exams left, on on the 9th and one on 14th, so I'm still kind of short with time since I've spend holiday season for other things then studying for obvious reasons

[CodeRush]

It looks like ME incompatibility either with BIOS or with chipset.
Both of them have such symptoms: unreadable ME version and inability to start ME.
It's sad to say it, but there is almost nothing to do in both cases.
If it's BIOS problem we need an example of Phoenix SCT 2.0 BIOS with similar structure and ME 8 support, which can be provided only by Dell, who simply don't care.
If it hardware incompatibility we need to replace chipset to IB-supporting one (AFAIK, they are ball-compatible) and new BIOS as well.

[kasar]

well, then I'm glad I didnt bought the ivy proccesor for testing, it would probably be just a big waste of money ^^

I also ran out of ideas, and about chipset replacing ....

well, that is crazy, I dont have the tools for that, it is imposible to do that with a soldering iron, and the process would be difficult, and also would require bios drivers moding like you said.

would be easier to get a entire new laptop since you are replacing the chipset