Help! Dell Inspiron 'Dead' After BIOS Update

Put a new HDD in a Dell Inspiron 660. Installed the OS from a disk - W7 Home Premium. Installed the Ethernet driver. Did the seemingly 1000s of Windows updates. Then put back all the pictures, favorites destop wallpaper, etc. Then went to this page Support for Inspiron 660 | Drivers & downloads | Dell US
. I installed the Intel Chipset Driver. Then I did the same for the Vostro 270 System BIOS.

Once it finished I was prompted to reboot. I really didn't think there was any problem when it failed to boot immediately - I'd just updated the BIOS and there was probably some BIOS related housekeeping Windows needed to do....

When I checked back 40 minutes I saw the same grayish screen as before. So I turned it off. And then back on. Same grayish screen - no words ever appeared - no sounds. I tried tapping F8 as I powered on. Nothing. I put the W7 disk back in the optical drive and started it, thinking I'd do a system restore. Nothing happened. Oh wait, the BIOS probably no longer has the DVD as the first boot device. So I power on again, tapping F12 to get the Boot Menu. Nothing. Just the same gray screen.

I have no idea what to do next. If I have to, I'd grit my teeth and reinstall all over again. But how?

HELP!!!

Hi boweasel,

Did you backup your BIOs?

Can you enter the BIOS screen?
I believe its the F2 key when your system starts. I usually start my computer then repeatedly press the appropriate key until the screen appears. You may have to experiment on the F key for BIOS. I once went through F1->F12 just to see which keys did what and which keys did nothing at boot.

Here's a couple articles from Dell on BIOS recovery:
BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet
and
Flashing the BIOS from the F12 One-Time boot menu

Snick,
Thanks for the reply, but ever since I did the reboot (after the BIOS update), the computer displays no activity beyond the screen becoming gray when I press the power button. I've tried tapping all of the function keys, F1-F12 and none of them do a thing to that gray screen. And, AIAS trying to boot from the disk accomplishes nothing either.

Could downloading and installing that Vostro BIOS have done something to the motherboard?

BIOS = Basic input output system. It handles functionality and communications with any hardware device. If an update to that goes wrong the computer might not be able to do anything with anything including the hard drive, cd drive, keyboard, etc. If it is truly screwed up then you have a paperweight which is why I don't like updating the BIOS. Supposedly there are recovery images but IMO that's no good if the computer can't communicate with the CD drive. At this point I would be contacting Dell. The chip would either need to be reprogrammed or replaced to recover functionality. If it isn't responding at all to anything or beeping then I suspect that it is dead as per your title.

townsbg said:

BIOS = Basic input output system. If an update to that goes wrong the computer might not be able to do anything with anything including the hard drive, cd drive, keyboard, etc. If it is truly screwed up then you have a paperweight which is why I don't like updating the BIOS. At this point I would be contacting Dell.

Click to expand...

Already contacted them. After giving me the blather about the computer being long out of warranty and the pitch about being able to help for a one-time fee of $139, they told me BIOS update couldn't have done anything to make the PC unresponsive, and that they assume that the mobo had gone bad. Their stupid Support Assistant was the tool (appropriate word) that wanted me to download and install the BIOS update.

Don't believe them when they say that. What was it doing before the update?

townsbg said:

Don't believe them when they say that. What was it doing before the update?

Click to expand...

As I said, I put a new HDD in the PC, reinstalled Windows 7 Home, downloaded the wired network driver, installed the bazillion updates to Windows, re-personalized the PC with the photos, music and other flotsam and jetsam. Then, Dell's Support Assist recommended a check for missing drivers. I downloaded some specific tool from Dell and ran it. It identified several drivers that were either missing or needed to be updated. I went to the Dell Drivers and download page - identified in post #1 and downloaded and ibstalled the Chipset driver.

At that time the computer was functioning perfectly with it's new HDD - much faster than before the old drive died.

The second item on the Support Assist list was the Dell Inspiron 660 / Vostro 270 System BIOS. I downloaded it to the desktop, ended all other applications and installed it. That's it.

I'm going to put the old drive back in the machine and turn it on. Before I removed it, it did at least bring up the Dell logo and tell me there was a problem booting the PC. I'm guessing the old drive will function no differently than the new one - just a gray screen. I can also take the new drive and put it in another Windows 7 Home Premium tower. I'm (again guessing) fairly confident that it will boot up.

If you bricked the BIOS chip, replacing the HDD or SSD will do nothing. In short, the BIOS contains all the instructions to begin the boot process. Here's a short tutorial on: Everything You Need to Know About BIOS

You can purchase a new BIOS for your laptop from vendors on Ebay and Amazon, usually less than $20 US. Your BIOS chip is 8 pin & I believe it is SOLDERED on the MoBo (Motherboard)

Does anyone think I have any recourse with Dell? It's well out of warranty but I followed their Support Assist instructions. I certainly never would have updated the BIOS on my own.

Shouldn't they have to assume responsibility for this? I went to THEIR site, entered the serial number of the machine and was told to download/update these drivers. And now I'm left with a paperweight?

What "BIOS" did you upgrade? The only BIOS listed on the Dell downloads is dated 19 Nov 2013 (A11). As it is an old BIOS there is probably nothing wrong with it. Nothing new and probably what you had originally. BTW, the correct install sequence on a Dell is (1) Install OS (2) install Intel motherboard chipset drivers (3) Install device drivers.

If the BIOS is the problem, the best option is to buy a refurbished (working) Dell Inspiron 660 motherboard. BIOS chips can be replaced on some, but not all. You need the exact Dell motherboard due to Dell using proprietary motherboards that are not always ATX compliant both on the rear I/O panel size/location, front panel connections, etc.

Can't hurt. Try a BIOS reset. With the AC power cable disconnected, push the power button for 10 seconds then open the case and remove the CR2032 CMOS backup battery for at least 10 minutes (Intel says 15 minutes). Reinstall the battery, observing polarity and try to power up.

You might want to take a look at BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet. This is available on some, not all, Dell machines.

As far as recourse from Dell, no, they absolve themselves of responsibility in the disclaimer section of their web pages. (boilerplate language) I'm a register paralegal in Michigan!

fireberd said:

What "BIOS" did you upgrade? The only BIOS listed on the Dell downloads is dated 19 Nov 2013 (A11). As it is an old BIOS there is probably nothing wrong with it. Nothing new and probably what you had originally.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the one. And if it didn't need upgrading why did the Dell Support Ass(istant) tell me to do so. If didn't list many of the other drivers that had been updated or installed through Windows Updates.

fireberd said:

BTW, the correct install sequence on a Dell is (1) Install OS (2) install Intel motherboard chipset drivers (3) Install device drivers.

Click to expand...

The disk I used to install the OS was not a Dell disk, so I basically had no internet availability. So I used another PC to download the Ethernet driver to a USB stick. Once I installed that Network driver from the stick I used the now internet capable PC to download the Chipset driver, then the BIOS

fireberd said:

If the BIOS is the problem, the best option is to buy a refurbished (working) Dell Inspiron 660 motherboard. BIOS chips can be replaced on some, but not all. You need the exact Dell motherboard due to Dell using proprietary motherboards that are not always ATX compliant both on the rear I/O panel size/location, front panel connections, etc.

Can't hurt.

Click to expand...

What is it that 'Can't hurt'? Do you mean the BIOS reset? Or buying a refurbished mobo?

fireberd said:

Try a BIOS reset.

With the AC power cable disconnected, push the power button for 10 seconds then open the case and remove the CR2032 CMOS backup battery for at least 10 minutes (Intel says 15 minutes). Reinstall the battery, observing polarity and try to power up.

Click to expand...

Will give that a try. And as I expected the old HDD also only displayed the gray screen - no sounds or text or any signs of life.

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

As I stated earlier, HDD or SSD has nothing to do with bios, which is on bios chip on motherboard.

Try this and see if you have this available on your Dell desktop; only available on select PCs!

How do I initiate BIOS Recovery on a Dell desktop or all-in-one PC?

1. Restart the computer.
2. Press and hold the CTRL key + ESC key on the keyboard until the BIOS Recovery page appears.
3. On the BIOS Recovery screen, select Reset NVRAM (if available) and press the Enter key. Select Disabled and press the Enter key if you wish to save the current BIOS settings.
4. Select Recover BIOS and press the Enter key to start the recovery process.

Some may disagree but I suspect that the BIOS update killed it and if that is the case using another hard drive won't fix it. The BIOS update is actually an update to the computer's firmware and not windows. Granted sometimes there are recovery disks but if the BIOS is so scrambled that it can't recognize any devise due to an bad install then it can't perform the restore. Not recognizing any devises, displaying a screen at boot, or beeping are very bad signs. If I where you I'd start looking for another computer or a replacement motherboard.

Snick said:

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Click to expand...

Exactly. I would ONLY perform a BIOS update if I am experiencing severe hardware issues and I have tried everything else in my power to fix it including a reinstall of Windows. It would be my last resort.

What I meant by "can't hurt". Its not working so trying the CMOS reset won't cause any more problems. Worth a try. I don't think the Dell BIOS recovery was on the older models like you have. I've worked the Dell forum since 2002 and only the last several years has Dell had a BIOS recovery. The older models, a replacement motherboard is needed for a BIOS corruption.

Too late now, but a BIOS update should only be done if it fixes a problem you have or supports new hardware you want to install.

Snick said:

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

As I stated earlier, HDD or SSD has nothing to do with bios, which is on bios chip on motherboard.

Try this and see if you have this available on your Dell desktop; only available on select PCs!

How do I initiate BIOS Recovery on a Dell desktop or all-in-one PC?

1. Restart the computer.
2. Press and hold the CTRL key + ESC key on the keyboard until the BIOS Recovery page appears.
3. On the BIOS Recovery screen, select Reset NVRAM (if available) and press the Enter key. Select Disabled and press the Enter key if you wish to save the current BIOS settings.
4. Select Recover BIOS and press the Enter key to start the recovery process.

Click to expand...

What a surprise! I do not have BIOS Recovery on this unit.

A BIOS recovery on a disk or built into the board might help if it is only partially damaged but if it is completely damaged it won't be able to sense your cd drive or keyboard so it is really of no use in that case. Your only recourse is a motherboard replacement or a new computer. So it could be that there isn't one there as fireberd said or it sounds like your computer can't communicate with the keyboard.

Wasn't sure if it would work or not, but worth trying. Get lucky sometimes! Running out of ideas short of replacing bios chip or new MoBo! I've done the replacement a few times & the desoldering /soldering of the tiny pins is arduous and time consuming!

I have an SMT workstation (Surface Mount Technology) but I would still be wary of trying to replace the BIOS chip (would have to be an exact Dell replacement chip). Most motherboards are multi-layer and that even gets more complicated. But again, won't hurt to try if you can find the correct BIOS chip - it either will work or you will have to replace the motherboard. The other option if you don't want to try the chip is replace the motherboard (again only a Dell exact replacement will work/fit).

I believe Dell has BIOS chips, if they do, you can obtain the model/version and try Ebay or Amazon for better price, but replacing them is a PAIN, due to the minute soldered connections. Too much heat and you fry the chip, to little heat and you have a cold, non-conductive connection. I built the Thomas Heathkit Paramount Organ when I was in High School, never had an issue with the 1000 plus solder connections, just one bad transistor on one of the sound boards.

BIOS chips are in the $20 US area, give or take a few bucks.