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August 24th, 2023 02:47
XPS 8700, BIOS verify or re-install?
XPS 8700
Looking for a way to reload (or verify) BIOS on XPS 8700. I was rooted while running Linux ever since have had problems booting. Can't access BIOS setup, no Dell logo on boot. Have REPLACED hard drive, cleared CMOS (rtcrst) & PSWD Pulled CMOS battery.
Tried to access BIOS w/o hard drive. Dell logo only shows once out of +- 30 boots.
Have also checked & replaced CMOS battery. W/O BIOS access can't force USB boot etc etc. F2 / F12 only work when Dell logo shows.
No Events found!
RoHe
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August 28th, 2023 02:09
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - The (covered) onboard HDMI port won't be active when an add-in video card is installed unless you (1) enable the Intel Multi-Display option in BIOS setup, and (2) have at least one monitor connected to the add-in video card before you connect a monitor to the onboard HDMI or DP port.
Is that adapter connected HDMI(video card)>DVI(monitor) or DVI(video card)>HDMI(monitor)? There are many different "flavors" of DVI ports, so are you sure the adapter is the right type for your cable and monitor input?
Video adapters typically work only in one direction. You have to make sure it's designed to be used the way you need. You can't just flip them around and use them in the other direction. The adapter should be marked to show which port connects to PC and which port connects to monitor. So make sure you're using it the right way...
RoHe
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August 24th, 2023 19:14
Did you press/hold power button on PC for ~30 sec after removing old CMOS battery, before installing the new one, to make sure BIOS really got cleared? Sure the new battery is good?
What color is power button and steady or blinking. If blinking, count the blinks because that's an error code.
You could try doing a BIOS Recovery. You first need to save the latest XPS 8700 BIOS .exe file in the root directory (not a sub-directory) of an empty (nonbootable) 2-GB USB stick (FAT32 format). Then change the file name to: BIOS_IMG.rcv on the USB stick. You can do this on any Windows PC.
Plug the USB into the XPS 8700 with power fully off. Then power on and the follow instructions using Ctrl-Esc to launch the BIOS Recovery.
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 24th, 2023 21:58
@RoHe Thanks for your thoughts....
Yes, did wait 30/40 seconds with the jumper on & power applied.
As for Beep Codes, only get them when I try to boot w/o a CMOS battery.
As expected 5, clears when re-boot with CMOS battery installed.
BIOS recovery (as I grasp it) is only for units MFG/sold after 12/2015, my unit is 12/2014 and I did not see any suggestions on how to do this on units older than 12/2015. Do correct me if I am wrong on this!! I did try to boot holding the Ctrl-Esc (no USB stick installed) has no impact on the boot, thinking not supported, too old?
No Dell logo appears like 80% of the boots. When it does appear system will do as expected boot or allow access to BIOS. When it doesn't appear system just hangs at a gray screen only waited 20/30 min with no further results. This happens with or w/o a hard drive or USB stick installed. Still have DVD on the SATA connector, but no disk in place.
RoHe
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August 24th, 2023 23:58
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - Did you put the CMOS jumper back on correct pins?
Did you press/hold power button for ~30 sec with PC unplugged and battery removed (jumper in "normal" position) before reinstalling battery?
I asked about blinks in the power button, not beeps, when there's no Dell splash screen and no boot.
Guess it doesn't support BIOS Recovery.
Is PSU diagnostics LED on rear of PC on, off or blinking, when PC won't boot? Have you run the PSU BIST test using the instructions for PCs with a BIST button?
What type video port are you using on PC and what type port on monitor? Have you checked the video cable connection at both ends? Can you try a different type video port? Have you tried a different monitor?
Have you re-seated RAM, video card, and all other internal cards in their slots? Have you checked all connections to/from motherboard and front panel?
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 25th, 2023 00:59
@RoHe
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - Did you put the CMOS jumper back on correct pins? (Yep, not that out of it (yet) :-))
Did you press/hold power button for ~30 sec with PC unplugged and battery removed (jumper in "normal" position) before reinstalling battery? (No, Didn't see that on the Dell support, only to move the jumper, power on wait 30 sec, power off and put the jumper back. Will try it next time it happens)
I asked about blinks in the power button, not beeps, when there's no Dell splash screen and no boot. (Didn't look, will next time, it all is working for now, booted 2x w/o any problems)
Guess it doesn't support BIOS Recovery.
Is PSU diagnostics LED on rear of PC on, off or blinking, when PC won't boot? Have you run the PSU BIST test using the instructions for PCs with a BIST button? (PSU led always green, never flashing)
What type video port are you using on PC and what type port on monitor? Have you checked the video cable connection at both ends? Can you try a different type video port? Have you tried a different monitor? (HDMI - HDMI Pretty sure not a monitor problem. Although hate to rule it it w/o testing?)
Have you re-seated RAM, video card, and all other internal cards in their slots? Have you checked all connections to/from motherboard and front panel? (Ram yes, other stuff, no. When it is working, have left it on 24 hr while gently tweeking to see if something might fail, stays working).
Will go back and try your suggestions: Still my 'gut' feeling is BIOS or Motherboard Virus. All this started the day I was rooted.
But just to be safe, will pull the cards just to be safe / sure.
Thanks again, Ya don't know what the problem is till Ya fix it!
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 25th, 2023 01:55
@ronnie__g_c7e85d Oh My Gosh!!!
Ya might have pushed me to find more info on what is going on.....
Win10 did updates (over and over) on re-boot gray screen.
Put another monitor on video card, and has 2 lines of text not showing on original display. Swapped back to original, still gray, power cycle and see the text.
I don't know what is going on, but apparently at times my display is now not showing full screen? When screen is blank, it is dark gray, not quiet black. With power cycle it is Black & White......... Hidden text is telling me RTC has been reset, f1 to boot f2 setup.
Still didn't see Dell Logo, but now not sure if Display is the problem.
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 25th, 2023 11:39
@ronnie__g_c7e85d Strange, not sure if monitor or video card or cable is going bad.
Went to dual monitors on 1 video card. At boot HDMI has no output, yet DVI is 100%
Main monitor is only HDMI so will have to do more testing....
Thanks again for the 'thoughts'.... I never would have guessed I had a video problem.
RoHe
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August 25th, 2023 18:47
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - Definitely reseat video card etc in slots and check cables to/from motherboard before going any further.
Does 2nd monitor that works with DVI also have an HDMI port you could test without the primary monitor connected? Or, can you test primary monitor on different PC (even a laptop) that has an HDMI-Out port?
RTC (real time clock) errors suggest the motherboard battery may be at least part of the problem.
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 25th, 2023 23:15
@RoHe Problem found (I think)
My HDMI port on my Nvidia GT 720 de card is intermittent.
Same video card, DVI output is (so far) 100% but HDMI is not.
Most / many times at power up no output from the HDMI.
Swapped displays, problem stays with HDMI output.
In dual monitor / mirror mode HDMI will stay blank.
I can use the DVI to go through the login. Once logged in the HDMI will always come to life. Like their is a bug in the Video Firmware (back to the virus?).
So far the DVI output has been 100%.
RoHe
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August 26th, 2023 01:21
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - That's some progress.
Are you turning HDMI monitor on a few sec before powering PC on, and powering PC on before monitor says "no signal", or monitor goes into standby mode?
What version of Windows are you running?
It's possible the NVidia driver got corrupted. What NVidia driver do you have installed? (Check in Device Manager.) I only see NVidia driver for GT 720 on Dell's XPS 8700 support page for Win 7. Don't see any firmware updates for this card for Win 7, 8.1 or Win 10.
You can go to NVidia site and put in info for GeForce "700 series" card, including version of Windows to find the latest driver. There is one available for Win 10, so GT 720 is still being supported.
You may want to totally remove the existing NVidia driver before updating to a new one, to make sure all the junk gets removed:
If you're lucky that solves the HDMI problem, or at least you still have a work-around for now...
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 26th, 2023 02:42
@RoHe THANKS AGAIN!!!
I already went to NVIDIA, their is a 6/2023 update, I installed it but no change.
Will try the driver un-install then re-install like you suggest, in a day or so..
Windows 10, Linux Mint & MX Linux. Also boot USB VenToy.
If you have not tried VenToy ya should, makes it really easy to boot any ISO's
One monitor is 30" Samsung TV, other is 24" HP Display.
Problem stays with the HDMI port when I swap monitors. Samsung is hot, HP in sleep still HP will wake up on the DVI at boot, but on the HDMI doesn't wake till the OS is running. Most of the booting for the testing has been Win10, not Linux.
HDMI display stays dark till OS is running.
RoHe
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August 26th, 2023 20:15
@ronnie__g_c7e85d Something to do with how all those multiple boot options are configured..?
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 27th, 2023 23:34
@RoHe How about I throw a wrench into this process.......
My XPS 'was' my go-to Desktop till I was rooted 6/22/23....
Since then Have been using other desktops to avoid more damage.
Finally got the bug to just re-load the 8700 from scratch.
That's when the boot problem grew into a no go situation.
Your suggestions have proven to me it is a display issue rather than a boot issue.
I was about to download the un-install program and try that.
But I got another thought.....
I swapped the Video card out of the 8700 (NVIDIA GT 720) and installed a MSI GeForce GT 710 instead from my Dell 780.
Put the NVIDIA in the 780 & the MSI in the 8700. Problem stays with the 8700 computer.
780 NVIDIA HDMI port comes alive at power on, 8700 with MSI only wakes up once OS (Win10) is loaded.
Next step: I removed HD from the 8700 and HDMI port doesn't have any output. DVI has output at power on. NOTE: on the 8700 I have a DVI to HDMI adapter so I can swap HDMI cables running to 2 displays. DVI output has yet to fail, HDMI still no go.
Booted off MX 23 DVD, HDMI only wakes up when OS is fully loaded.
Went into Dell Bios and re-set all screens (F9 as I remember, F10 save) to defaults, no change.
Next will pull the CMOS & short the RTC reset (10+sec) to see if that changes anything.
ronnie__g_c7e85d
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August 27th, 2023 23:47
@ronnie__g_c7e85d No hard drive, did the
Boot w/o HD or DVD, reset TOD clock and reboot, Still no HDMI output.
Now I am back to wondering if my BIOS has been corrupted.
??? What is the Service_mode jumper for? ???
(edited)
RoHe
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August 28th, 2023 01:43
@ronnie__g_c7e85d - You are using the HDMI port on whichever add-in video card is installed, not the onboard Intel HDMI port, correct?
How is the Intel Multi-Display option set in BIOS setup? You could try enabling that option if currently disabled.
Does the "HDMI monitor" accept other video inputs in addition to HDMI? Have you opened the monitor's own On-Screen Display" (OSD) to see what video port it expects to use? If it's set to "Auto-Select", try changing it to "HDMI".