I will second that! AI will just give you generic troubleshooting tips, which may or may not work on your particular system. It is like asking AI for medical advice, which may end up killing you instead!
Rico, could you try the command line method of entering the BIOS? I don't think this has been attempted. Edit...make sure you use an Admin command prompt.
Brian, it failed, when it fails it fails good, back to win..! I'm going to try the Rufus thumb drive with BIOS_?.rcv on the boot drive. If Rufus gets me there hold ctrl+esc continuously, till boot recover file starts loading. The message is the latest from Dell.. I'll be curious if it adds a partition, if not that will be the normal way of entering BIOS. Or Factory Reset. Or Macrium older bu The reasoning behind remove/replace CMOS battery called for prior to booting from Rufus is? That is not called for in other how to
Option: it was June 26, 2021, I posted a rocky install of the new Sata HDD. And Special Thanks to Brian & XXJack I looked I have a 5/26/21 Macrium image. Seagate messed up & sent two drives <they said to keep it> so the drive is was Identical (so believed. A restore fixes all. Not quite! UEFI
@Brian K[/USER][/USER][/USER] - retried the command using 'terminal admin' failed, try 'cmd admin' progresses post handoff 'failed' it seems once Windows 'logs off' the instructions seeded in the message does, not get to Write the message, failing space to write, the boot continues to Windows. So it seems UEFI does not get momentarily turned off, nor msg received previously within Windows does not write. The BIOS recovery, if arriving at BIOS or just rebuilding and updating, may be all that is installed. If BIOS recovery boot disk a new partition. That would work. No partition new part. after bios recovery, then future updates or visits if possible to BIOS via Rufus. Last Ace, factory reinstall IMO
All attempts to reach BIOS Dell 8930 Desktop FAIL! Tried & failed: F2 & F12 Rufus boot disk Dell's cold boot, while 'continuously' pressing ctrl+Esc, till recovery screen appears...pressed continuously 30 min fail to enter recovery Also a new addition SSD would most likely fail to install as it would not be allowed to write to bios. Perhaps Macrium rescue DEAD defeated by UEFI In this situation formating boot disk would be defeated by UEFI: Though MiniWizard partition was able to adj size of the 'Recovery Partition' ca Mini make a new Partiton (proper size name etc) a place to "write to" reboot retry enter BIOS. What files could the newly made Dell Factory Partition require, and how to aim those files to the new partition.
If this defeats UEFI, navigating to BIOS update file is possible and allows updating the BIOS. Rufus for that deep part of the system updating... is it 'select' UEFI - GPT, or GPR - MBR (Windows my recollection is MBR my guess?)
Have you tried removing the CMOS battery for a minute or two and then tried to enter the BIOS using the command line or Raza's instructions?
Rico, this Rufus function of converting your disk from UEFI/GPT to MBR/BIOS will not resolve your issue. Your UEFI/BIOS is stored on the motherboard and has nothing to do with the hard drive. In fact, you should still be able to access your UEFI/BIOS even if there is no hard drive present in the system. Keep in mind that if you do convert from GPT/UEFI to MBR/BIOS, you will be unable to install Windows 11, as Win 11 requires UEFI/GPT for installation and boot. As Brian suggested in the previous post, please remove your CMOS battery from the motherboard, this will reset your UEFI/BIOS to factory default, and you will most likely resolve this issue of being unable to log into the BIOS. Please keep in mind, you need to unplug your PC from main power before removing the CMOS battery. There should be no power going into the system for a reset. CMOS battery is a coin size battery on the motherboard and after removing it, you need to wait a few minutes before putting it back in. If you are successful in entering the BIOS, then afterwards please restore your PC back to the Macrium image you mentioned earlier. I am assuming that it was an image of the entire hard drive and everything was functioning when that image was made? If not, then you need to restore your Dell factory image, if you still have it somewhere. Doing this will resolve all the Intel Optane issues you are currently facing.
Not yet! I stumbled upon that procedure, with CMOS. And asked relevance of doing so. Then thinking about I remembered way back, CMOS is more than, a timekeeper, that's usually what I saw repairing was messed up time, = CMOS, thinking CMOS approach a rational try! Prior to CMOS plan was Rufus UEFI mbr (defeats UEFI), which would allow, Macrium image restoration, or update bios, or factory reset. Anything that tries to write to the BIOS currently will fail now, so bypassing UEFI with RUFUS would allow, the opportunity to fix. CMOS is an elegant approach, worthy of a try Thank You
system unplugged > removed CMOS bat. 10 > reinstall CMOS > boot to Windows > Drll support Dl/drivers dl install ok in windows return to windows same old BIOS version. CMOS fail Back to Optane for a moment: Mis config here? SATA OPTANE Raid0 for me, volume to match to. Or is showing volume correct? perhaps this? Jeez sure hope it's one stroke Populate to re gain optane. Populate fills briefly Shows C drive & 640 MB partition, hit save, going back to check, empty, populate save, return gone.
Rico, They weren't the instructions. You were supposed to remove and replace the battery. Boot into Windows and then use either method to enter the BIOS. The exercise was to get into the BIOS. Nothing else.
Sorry I thought I posted regarding: CMOS fail Your command 'failed' Dell BIOS recovery hold ctrl+esc to enter BIOS recovery Fail Dell dl recovery tool failed to find issue, it did not look or eval boot mgr <It has factory restore option, but its not a slam dunk it will work> Planning Rufus boot disk, UEFI_MBR " to enter the BIOS using the command line or Raza's instructions" Would require an OS Windows type the command, or Raza's failed I believe all failed attempts share the same flaw to fail. No F2 or F12, hints, all attempts update BIOS fail at the same point, after windows sign off. In the boot sequence at where the BIOS LOGO SCREEN was, the message does not get to the BIOS, F2 & F12 fail, Optane All those errors occurred at the sata hdd replacement! Prior to sata breakdown, optane worked well, new sata with deleted Dell partition. the methods all fail to reach, BIOS. Factory restore > .... or?
Rico, Maybe I misunderstood but I wonder whether your failed attempts to update the BIOS have corrupted the BIOS. That's why I wanted to keep it simple. Remove and replace the battery Don't try to update the BIOS Try to enter the BIOS
The method you are using to update the BIOS is failing. What other methods does Dell offer? With my Gigabyte MB I can update the BIOS from a UFD and I don't have to enter the BIOS. The update can be run with the computer turned off.
This keyboard that you are using is it directly connected to the PC or does it go to a USB hub first? In order for the BIOS to recognize the keyboard commands, the keyboard has to be directly plugged into the PC's usb port, preferably the usb ports at the back of the PC. -- I found an excellent 20 minute video about BIOS on YouTube. If you have time please watch it, it has some good tips for your BIOS situation: "How Risky is Updating Your BIOS? ( + Corruption Demonstration)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3y-r06Mq2M Also this following quick 1 minute Video shows you some steps to reset BIOS: "How To Reset Bios (CMOS)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGpf_hfOKgI -- Also please keep in mind that if you are unable to enter into BIOS, then there is something wrong with your BIOS. And if there is something wrong with your BIOS, then you will not be able to fix Intel Optane, as it has to be configured in the BIOS to work. If you do ever manage enter your BIOS and reset to factory defaults, please do not update the BIOS again! A BIOS update is not needed if your PC is working fine. A HDD replacement does not effect the BIOS. After you get your BIOS issue fixed, and BIOS reset to factory defaults, then do a Dell factory restore, it will fix Intel Optane issue for you. A Dell factory restore will not fix your BIOS issue.
Raza, Do you know if a Dell factory restore partition is available? I don't. Rico would need an Entire drive image from the previous HD.
F2, F12, typed command, cannot enter BIOS USB Keyboard BIOS recognition sounds like, what I read by design, BIOS recognizes USB. I'm using wireless. I'll try a corded keyboard, if I can reach the BIOS from that, well excuse me while I wipe some egg from my face. I did come across a broken BIOS possibility. I can't update from windows, it fails at handoff BIOS switching to "update mode" and the update fails, possibly a 2nd delivery route via USB will allow update to be engaged, completing the update. At that point updating the BIOS requires new MB
I am not very clear on that either, but Rico did mention in one of his previous posts that he has a Macrium image of the HDD from before he did the replacement, so that will work if it was an image of the entire HDD and not just the C Partition.
The Bummer is tap tap tap...at Windows 'Sign out' to verification of fail <enter Windows> ~12 minutes tapping or sooner if successful. I'm curious to me this sounds like: <analogy>: BIOS house has 3 doors, to enter, two doors, are not cooperative, so around back, lets check that door, if no entry, the problem is the whole house not just two doors. Tap timing is crucial, with NO LOGO SCREEN
Results USB Keyboard, to rear USB port/plug with continuous pressing alternately F2 then F12, repeatedly <rhythm 1 press per second> 30 min tapping no BIOS or Alt. Boot screen, abandon tapping <will it boot with USB keyboard in rear, think> 1+ hrs later, it's not at the OS. Observed on/off switch off "timed out" > remove USB keyboard > re-start Boot to Win11. This sounds to me like MB problems! And only a few re-starts left.
Rico, am I reading this correctly that it is taking you 30 minutes to an hour to boot into Windows? This most likely feels like one of the hardware components in holding the post/boot process. Try the following: Open your PC and physically disconnect Intel Optain drive, your sata hard drive and your CD/DVD drive. Remove CMOS battery and put it back after waiting 5 full minutes. Do not connect any of the hardware components yet. Power on your PC and try to get into BIOS. Let me know how this step goes. If successful, then connect only the sata hard drive back, while leaving the other components disconnected, and try to boot your PC. Let me know how this goes.
