BIOS Update Failure

Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message that
the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no beep
codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert

there is a warning on dell's site about flashing a 521 with a microsoft
lifecam attached...
http://support.dell.com/support/topi... us&l=en&s=gen
and there another thread about a bad or mislabled flash utility that can
kill the motherboard... read this entire thread...
http://www.dellcommunity.com/support... en&cs=&s=gen
then talk to dell and see if they will help you.

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message that
the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert

On Mar 21, 8:23 pm, "Robert" wrote:
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message that
the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no beep
codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert

Is is still under warranty? If it is, then see about getting a
replacement motherboard sent.

There have been 2 reports i remember on this newsgroup about failed
updates, and both cases were resolved under warranty.

If you updated the bios with dell's tool, and used the correct bios
provided on the website, the flash should not have failed unless there
was something already wrong with the system.

Of course, if you're dabbling in bios hacking, then you're on your
own.

Anyway, the troubleshooting guide for the unit is here.

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1043338


You can try resetting the cmos:

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1052632

The rest of the service manual is he

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...M_EN/index.htm

"Christopher Muto" wrote in message
thlink.net...
there is a warning on dell's site about flashing a 521 with a microsoft
lifecam attached...
http://support.dell.com/support/topi... us&l=en&s=gen
and there another thread about a bad or mislabled flash utility that can
kill the motherboard... read this entire thread...
http://www.dellcommunity.com/support... en&cs=&s=gen
then talk to dell and see if they will help you.

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message
that the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert




Same thing happen to me on a E521,so what is Microsoft LifeCam?

If you don't know, you probably do not have one:
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/di...x?type=LifeCam
Perhaps other cameras can cause the same issue.

--
Jupiter Jones
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"Tony Pacc" wrote in message news:4602826d$0$28088
Same thing happen to me on a E521,so what is Microsoft LifeCam?

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message that
the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert


There Is a new bios version out date 3/20/07 1.0.0.5,but i Am afaid to try
it,I to tried upgrade to 1.0.0.4 and burned ou my mother board.

"Tony Pacc" wrote in message
...
"Robert" wrote in message
...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message
that the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert


There Is a new bios version out date 3/20/07 1.0.0.5,but i Am afaid to
try it,I to tried upgrade to 1.0.0.4 and burned ou my mother board.


The 1.0.0.5 BIOS is the one that failed.

I contacted Dell today and they have agreed to send out a new system. I
have read the horror stories of dealing with their tech support but found
them to be extremely helpful myself. My new system should arrive in 4 - 5
days.

Thanks to everyone for their advise.

- Robert

On Mar 22, 7:01 pm, "Robert" wrote:
"Tony Pacc" wrote in message

...



"Robert" wrote in message
m...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message
that the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert

There Is a new bios version out date 3/20/07 1.0.0.5,but i Am afaid to
try it,I to tried upgrade to 1.0.0.4 and burned ou my mother board.

The 1.0.0.5 BIOS is the one that failed.

I contacted Dell today and they have agreed to send out a new system. I
have read the horror stories of dealing with their tech support but found
them to be extremely helpful myself. My new system should arrive in 4 - 5
days.

Thanks to everyone for their advise.

- Robert

Well, the many people with GOOD experiences don't HAVE horror stories
that they need to get off their chest.

you are getting a whole new system? or just a system board?
if they are sending an entire new system, and assuming that it is an
identical system, you may want to simply swap hard disks from the old to the
new so that you don't have to reinstall anything or loose any data.

"Robert" wrote in message
...

"Tony Pacc" wrote in message
...
"Robert" wrote in message
...
Just tried to updated the BIOS on my Dell C521 and received a message
that the flash failed.

Now when I try to boot the machine all I get is a yellow power button
(should be green) and a loud fan. Nothing appears on the screen and no
beep codes.

Is there a way to recover from the failure? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

- Robert


There Is a new bios version out date 3/20/07 1.0.0.5,but i Am afaid to
try it,I to tried upgrade to 1.0.0.4 and burned ou my mother board.


The 1.0.0.5 BIOS is the one that failed.

I contacted Dell today and they have agreed to send out a new system. I
have read the horror stories of dealing with their tech support but found
them to be extremely helpful myself. My new system should arrive in 4 - 5
days.

Thanks to everyone for their advise.

- Robert

"Christopher Muto" wrote in message
link.net...
you are getting a whole new system? or just a system board?
if they are sending an entire new system, and assuming that it is an
identical system, you may want to simply swap hard disks from the old to
the new so that you don't have to reinstall anything or loose any data.

It will be a new, identical, system.

Thanks for the advice, I had not considered a hard drive swap. Anything to
make life easier.