XPS 13 9310 stuck in Manufacturing Mode after battery replacement (Service Tag won’t save)

Hi

I think you have covered most every possible path... so it is likely a new board.

ELSE

Program Service Tag

In BIOS → look under “Maintenance” → “Service Tag”.

Enter the correct Service Tag as printed on the bottom of the chassis/label.

Apply changes, then explicitly “Save & Exit BIOS”.​

Power off fully, then cold boot and see if:

Manufacturing Mode message disappears, and

The Service Tag now shows correctly in BIOS and stays after another reboot.​

If this works, you’re done; that’s the canonical way users have fixed “Manufacturing Mode activated and can’t be disabled” when the tag initially refused to save.

​

This is the situation you described: BIOS lets you type the tag, but after saving and rebooting it’s gone, and Manufacturing Mode comes back. That behaviour strongly suggests the NVRAM/SMBIOS region on the board is not writable (or is corrupted outside what the user tools can repair).

Unlikely this is relevant..................

Download: “Dell Platform Tags Utility” (Dell Platform Tags BIOS Utility, version 4.006) from Dell’s driver page.

OR

Go to Dell Support → Drivers & Downloads, then use the driver ID in the URL (e.g. r80775 for AssetTagA01, r263955 for Asset Utility 0.02, 7738M for Platform Tags).

Thanks for your answer. Can you can more specific as to how the specified downloads would help or are to be used? 

If you haven't tried a full reset (unplug the system and disconnect the battery from the mainboard, hold the power button for 30 sec), that's next.  Reassemble and check again.

If the problem isn't solved, you have two options:

Replace the mainboard, or

Find a shop that can do board-level repairs and have the NVRAM chip replaced.  Dell won't be an option here -- nor will most computer repair shops, since they'll all do only a board replacement.  

Contact Dell GHN (Get Help Now) chat technical support Monday through Friday. Click the blue "Get Help Now" on the right to start a private live chat session. Share the private Service Tag with them so that they can verify the ownership and warranty status. This will also generate a unique Technical Support case for your unique Service Tag. If already out of warranty, click here for the Dell out of warranty offerings.

Typically we would refer to the following articles when a service tag won't stay programmed:

Dell Computer Boots to Manufacturing Mode

Manufacturing Mode or Management Mode Settings Guide

The only other thing I can recommend here is a Real Time Clock Reset:

1. Turn the system off.
2. Leave the AC adapter plugged into the system.
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds.
4. RTC reset occurs after you release the power button.
   

   1. Note: Holding the power button for longer than 40 seconds will abort the RTC reset.

5. The unit should restart a few times, then power on to a time of day not set page. Set the time and day.
6. Attempt to program the service tag once more

If the service tag will not remain programmed, then as others have said you'll want to look into replacing the motherboard. 

Thanks for your suggestions so-far.

There are a few more details, I'm not sure if they are relevant, but I'll add them here in case it helps in identifying the problem (and hopefully its solution)

* When entering the boot-up (harddrive?) password, or when in bios, every key press is accompanied with an annoyingly loud beep. 

* In bios, the mouse is not working

* The fans do not ever spin down, even tough I've selected "quiet" in the bios.

If it weren't for the last bullet point, I'd probably just move on, I just want a working system again and I do not have the time to invest another 2 days in resolving it and/or finding a repair shop with the risk of them messing things up further. But with the constant fan noise it's unbearable. So if someone knows how to solve that specifically, I'm all ears!

PS: I ran diagnostics, and the fans indeed came up as having a problem now:

@rudiw​ 

The beeps and lack of fan control are due to the Manufacturing Mode errors. Since the tag isn't programmed it'll continue to provide that failure. If none of the previous recommendations had any change with keeping it programmed, then unfortunately the motherboard would have to be replaced. 

Thanks Daniel for your information.

I tried the "full reset" mentioned above, as well as setting the RTC. Nothing helped.

Anyway, to continue on to your proposed solution: Dell no longer has the motherboard for this model on stock, nor is it being produced anymore. 

Can you offer a workaround so I can at least use my hardware again? I really regret trying to extend the useful life on this device.

---

PS: Just so that I correctly size my frustration: is it correct that the manufacturing mode is solely there for vendor security, i.e., to avoid tampering with the device, and would not need to exist if Dell had a more open policy around repairability? I'm not understanding what's the function of the 100% fans and the loud beeping, and I'm just feeling defeated that something as normal and quick as swapping out an aging battery could result in a huge pain and massive time-burden. Rant over.

You can still find boards for this system -- see link below.  That supplier offers a 1-year warranty on the board, which few others do.

That said, you may also want to compare the price to that of a complete used system.  It may be similar in price or cheaper than a board by itself.  If you go that route, be absolutely sure the seller guarantees there are no passwords on the board.

Parts-people.com is one source of boards:

https://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=41909

They also do board-level repairs, which while not inexpensive, may be a more cost-effective solution to the problem.

The manufacturing mode is exactly what it indicates - it's designed for use at the factory, where systems are then programmed with service tags.  That's common to all electronic devices now -- even modules that are included with automobiles and even household appliances.  They largely need programming with manufacturer tools before they will work, and like notebook mainboards, are highly integrated, specialized devices that can fail when any of the dozens or hundreds of components on the board do.  The market demands the features and small size, and the manufacturers comply with the demands -- which unfortunately leads to expensive or even impossible repairs years later.  Mainboards are built by machines -- any board level repairs are done by human beings, and anyone with the skill set to do the work will charge accordingly for their labor.

@rudiw​ 

This Manufacturing Mode really should only be present when a new motherboard is installed. Our replacement motherboards need to be programmed to match the original service tag and configuration. I wouldn't have expected the error to appear for a simple battery swap, or any internal hardware swap for that matter. This kind of error was pretty rare to see, and in the instances that it was present, most users were able to exit out of it or program the service tag and go about their day. In the even more rare cases in which the tag remained unprogrammed, then that's where we would say "motherboard it is" as there was no alternative. It was also pretty random as to when it would appear. 

I wouldn't say this was related to a vendor security issue. Certain users even require flashing a custom BIOS during a motherboard repair. I suspect that replacing the battery ended up shorting the NVRAM component containing the tags programming. Even if we used an OEM battery or a 3rd party one, it'd be unclear as to why it shorted. Unfortunately, the only option I can think of would be to go 3rd party for a board should you wish to get the unit back to a normal state. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer me.

It doesn't make sense to pay 400 USD for a motherboard for a 6-year-old laptop, plus another 100-200 USD to have it installed and incurring the risk of yet another unexpected issue arising. Also, swapping the old battery back in does not resolve the issue.

I'll consider the laptop a lost cause, and next time I'll just have to think twice before doing what I consider an easy and routine fix.