Need to update BIOS for planned upgrades.

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SouthpawSTG

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Mar 16, 2017
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So I have an Alienware 07JNH0 motherboard that I need to update the BIOS on for compatibility. I made a DOS bootable USB drive, but when I boot from the USB it only brings up Windows from my SSD and without a DOS prompt. I'm trying to follow the instructions word for word, but without the DOS prompt working then I'm stuck at a standstill.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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I used Rufus to make the DOS bootdisk onto a USB and moved a copy of the new BIOS over to the USB as well so that I could do the exe whenever the DOS prompt was up.
 
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rgd1101

rgd1101

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MERGED QUESTION
Question from SouthpawSTG : "Need to update BIOS for upgrades"





 
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SouthpawSTG

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I went to their BIOS page and it has the instructions as to use a DOS bootable USB so that was why I was planning to use it. When it boots to you the BIOS I never saw like an EZ flash or anything to do a flash update.
I made sure to boot from the USB, but it never did the DOS thing and when I only had the USB plugged in after disconnecting my SSD then it would go to the BIOS screen and couldn't go past that screen no matter what I did.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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I found this web page about flashing Alienware BIOS. http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN148359/how-to-run-a-bios-update-on-an-alienware-computer?lang=EN Hope this helps. Maybe able to help more if we had your system model as well.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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From everything I'm reading it appears the particular BIOS file is an executable that should install itself and reboot. Is the executable file itself having you create the boot disk? It should be this AuroraR4_A11.exe well that is if it's windows 10 what windows version?
 
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SouthpawSTG

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No, the only thing that goes to say DOS bootable is when I go to the driver and it says near the download button that it wants you to install outside windows with a DOS bootable. I can screenshot it and post it here if that would make it easier.

This file format consists of a BIOS-executable file. To use it, download the file and copy it to a DOS-bootable USB flash drive, then boot the system to the USB flash drive and run the program.

This is what it says when I go to the page to actually start the download.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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As a test I downloaded the executable BIOS file and got no such message during my download. http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-aurora-r4/drivers I downloaded the Windows 10 version. change the version if you're running windows 7 or 8. Download the file and run the executable and see what happens. I ran the file to see what would it would tell me but it's smart enough that it told me it didn't recognize my board.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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The message doesn't show up when you do the download, but its on the page to show you the format for the BIOS installation trying to instruct you of the way to do it.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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Ok so you are correct. Now back to the original issue. To boot to the drive did you change your BIOS boot settings or did you hit F12 at start up to get to the boot menu. You shouldn't see windows at all just booting to the USB file.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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Yes. I set my boot to the USB and it still seemed to pull from the SSD. I then disconnected the SSD and then it would boot only to the BIOS screen, but wouldn't boot up to anything else when I needed the DOS.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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Might have to try booting it directly from the boot list which should be F12 during the BIOS screen at startup(maybe different it'll say so if not but it'll be quick). Try booting to that way with the SSD disconnected and see what happens. If that doesn't work it may need windows files to work if that's the case plug the SSD back in and try it again using the boot list. I had an issue like this once where even when I change the boot settings in Bios I still had to use the boot list for some strange reason.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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So you're saying to just select where to boot from and pick the USB right? I've tried that with no luck unfortunately. I had a DOS bootable thing from Rufus which says its' supposed to give it all the files to boot with so I'm confused about that as well. I did not however try booting from the boot list after I unplugged the SSD and had set the priority to boot from the USB.
 
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Insomniac Jack

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The other suggestion would be is wipe the USB and reinstall just to make sure there wasn't some sort of error there as well. Yeah the boot list basically bypasses the boot priority in the BIOS. You just select from a list of drives that are plugged in which it should only give you 1 if the other drives are unplugged.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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Alright. I wiped the USB and am redoing it, but you think I should basically go to the boot list after unplugging the SSD and just selecting the USB instead of changing the boot priority or just do both?
 
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SouthpawSTG

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I just saw that the instructions for the newest version is if you have it in UEFI Boot mode then change it to Legacy for the update and then change it back afterwards. Seems like it needs to be in legacy boot mode, but I just need to make sure that is safe to do and won't mess up anything else.
 
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SouthpawSTG

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So I managed to get it to load into DOS and found the directory for the executable. Then I tell it to start the BIOS update and it says Error: Problem allocating memory and it fails. I am unsure how to fix this, but any help would be great.
 
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