PowerEdge T30 Bios Update stuck at Preparing to Update (possible solution)

Since this issue has been closed, despite being unresolved (such a Dell support... ???), I'd just like to add my 2 cents - maybe it will help someone looking for a solution (as I did)...

After booting from a DOS USB key with the latest update (1.15.0) - as I have linux installed, so no Windows utility... - and launching renamed file (T30_1150.exe - because of a DOS 8.3 limit...), update stayed at "Preparing...".

First time, I've waited for quite a long time. Nothing. After, I've tried 1.14.0 / 1.13.0 / 1.12.0 updates, all seemed to a kind of crashed (DOS cursor appeared at the bottom right part of the screen, after the "Preparing..." progress bar.

Thanks to DELL moderators help, I've messed with my settings and tried all suggestions, without a success. What disappointed me the most is an advice to stay with the old version (despite "an important" update has been out in between, and we were advised to update as soon as possible).

I've found somewhere an advise to try to restore BIOS formware from an USB key, entering the utility through a CTRL-ESC keys on boot. Holding those keys haven't brought me to a BIOS restore utility, but to an advanced one-time boot menu (F12). I've found a BIOS update utility on this menu, and - it worked like a charm! After selecting the .exe file on my USB key, and waiting a couple of minutes, system restarted automatically and the latest BIOS is here.

So - if BIOS update .exe file doesn't seem to work (DELL?!), try to get into the one-time advanced boot menu (F12, or - if it doesn't seem to work, try CTRL-ESC...) and choose BIOS update tool or utility or whatever it is. Select your BIOS update .exe file and you should be good...