XPS 8930, problem updating to Bios 1.1.30

If you power on (2-GB USB disconnected) and tap F2 at the Dell screen, can you open BIOS setup?

Is the USB stick formatted FAT32?

Is the file on USB the BIOS .exe file, not the .rcv file?

Can you try using a different, non-bootable USB stick (FAT32) with fresh download of the BIOS 1.1.30 .exe file?

Do you have an add-in video card, or only onboard Intel Graphics? If you have an add-in video card, is the monitor connected to the card or to onboard Intel Graphics? Can you try using a different video port on PC (video card) and on monitor?

And try this: power off and disconnect power cord from rear of PC. Press/hold power button for 30 sec. Plug USB with the .exe file into PC. Then connect power cord to rear of PC, power on and opening the F12 menu again...

@RoHe​ Thanks ron. Glad its you.

The USB is a Fat32. I formatted before saving the file. I did not download the rcv file. When saving i had a message that not all the properties of the file were there.

My Video card is a NVidia RTX 1050Ti. I just noticed that I had one monitor in the Display port on the card and the other in the HDMI on the computer. Both now on the card.

I will run through the other suggestions and be back.

Thanks

If you got an error when saving the .exe file, it's not going to work.

So delete it and download a fresh copy of the 1.1.30. Save it first on your PC and then copy onto the USB. If you get another similar error, just stop and post the message here. Don't risk bricking your motherboard!

@RoHe​ This is the error message.

On another note, First I discovered my system time was 2 hours out.(No idea how or when that happened).

I Powered off and was able to get to the Bios screen. It showed the Update file but would not let me continue . Said incorrect command.

You can't update BIOS from the BIOS setup screen (F2). I asked if you could open BIOS setup, just to see if there was an issue with video output or some other problem that needs fixing. So if system time is wrong, it sounds like you need to replace the motherboard battery before going any further. Check Service Manual for instructions.

Never got that error message. There are claims this error happens when you try to copy a file from an internal drive (NTFS format) onto an external USB (FAT format). So you could try downloading the 1.1.30.exe file directly onto your empty USB (FAT), rather than saving it on an internal (NTFS) drive first. (Note: Don't reformat the USB as NTFS because that format isn't recognized on the F12 menu.)

If none of that helps, try Solution 5 here. With the exception for "special permissions", the Properties>Security tab for that .exe file on my internal drive allows all permissions for all users listed on that screen.  So if yours have different permission settings, change them to "allow".

As a test, I just downloaded a new copy of 1.1.30.exe file onto my internal HDD (NTFS). Then I tried to copy/paste it on a USB stick (FAT). That worked fine. Deleted the file from the USB and then tried to drag/drop it onto the same USB and that also worked. 

@RoHe​ Sorry Ron. Wasn’t clear in the reply. Meant to say I was able to get into the F2 after resetting the clock and putting both monitors on the card. After that I shutdown and tried the F12. This loaded as it should. The file showed and the Flash Bios button highlighted. But it would not start the process.

Also I have never had this issue before. Last 2 Bios upgrades have gone smoothly as suggested in one of your old posts which I printed and save.

NOTE: I just tried something. I still had the previous Bios upgrade in my downloads. This went without issue  back then. But if i try to copy it to the USB, it gives me the same properties message.

There's been an odd change for whatever reason in this BIOS update package....

Plug in USB with 1.1.30 .exe and power on. Use F12 to get to the Flash update screen.  In the past, all you had to do was tab to the Flash BIOS button and select it.  Now, you have to highlight the BIOS exe file name. You may have to press Enter (don't remember!) before tabbing to next box.

You have to do this in boxes where that file name appears.  IIRC, you have to select the file name in left and right middle boxes. Then confirm top left has current BIOS info and top right has new BIOS info. Then tab to the Flash button. Should launch now. And as always, just leave PC alone until it's safely back at the desktop...

I tried just before reading this. I downloaded the file directly to the USB. Powered on and into th eFlash update screen. It looks like the file is showing where it should. But when I select the Flash Upgrade it tells me Bad Command.

Screes attached

If you use this web page to download the BIOS firmware, you can verify the integrity by by running check sum value.

Sometimes, the issue can be resolved by turning off your Windows security, or virus scan prior to download.

@camdids  - Not sure where the (2) is coming from in the file name in both the left and right boxes in your image. I don't remember seeing that when I updated to BIOS 1.1.30, but it's been a while...

Do you have more than one copy of the update file on the USB? You may need to edit the file name on the USB to be exactly:  XPS8930_1.1.30.exe and nothing else.  And when the file name is highlighted in the box on the right, did you press Enter and then tab to the Flash button?

@RoHe​ Thanks Ron. Came home tonight and re downloaded the file. Saved directly to the USB drive. The (2) was in fact because it read i still had a download on my C drive. I deleted all before redownloading.

Went into Flash Bios, made sure hit enter and viola. One happy latest bios computer.

It was never that difficult before. 

Thanks again Ron.

Yea!  Glad you got 1.1.30 installed.  Lesson learned...pay attention to file names in both middle boxes before trying to launch the Flash Update!  ;o))

Don't be surprised if there is another new BIOS update in maybe a month or so. Intel is about to release updated microcode to PC manufacturers to fix the serious "Downfall" security hole that affects 6th - 10th Gen CPUs. Certainly took Intel a long time to find/fix it! 

Obviously I'm assuming Dell will implement the new microcode for the XPS 8930 which has either an 8th or 9th Gen CPU.  Time will tell...

@camdids - And one more thingy...

Now that the new BIOS is installed, reboot and open BIOS setup. Make sure you have these settings:

BIOS Recovery from Hard Drive = Enabled

BIOS Auto-Recovery = Enabled

Always Perform Integrity Check = Enabled

UEFI Capsule Updates = Disabled

Save the changes when exiting BIOS setup...

What to do? Have XPS 8930 and tried updating to a Dell monitor P3223QE

1. Connected USB-C on the back and it would not work. Switched to HDMI and it worked.  Thinking I may need a bios update from 1.1.24 to 1.1.31, I downloaded the file XPS8930_1.1.31.exe to my computer and the a flash drive formatted to FAT32 as has been mentioned, also tried NTFS. When the computer boots and F12 is depressed, I get to the BIOS FLASH UPGRADE menu and it freezes and can't do a thing. It does not see the file.

Note: Using HDMI will not show the DELL logo and it takes much longer to boot, if at all. I usually hit the power button and start again. Switching back to the standard connection with my old monitor brings back the DELL logo.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Nvidia card is only used when connecting is this manner. HDMI or USB-C (if it worked) does not use this premium card. So a quality hit is taken.

Can you help?