Hi guys, First post on MDL, and hoping someone can help. Over the last 4~5 days I've found a small number of references to a modded Dell M90 BIOS with SLIC 2.1, but the links I've found are all dead, and any questions about it have remained unanswered. Anyway, I read up more on modifying my own BIOS, and downloaded "RW everything" and the Phoenix BIOS mod tool. I downloaded from the "unofficial" link given in the "How to Use New Phoenix Bios Mod Tool to Modify Phoenix/Dell/Insyde/EFI Bios Files" thread, which includes the various BINs and certificates, generated my RW everything report, downloaded the latest available BIOS from the Dell support website, and "built" a BIOS. (Actually, I created three, trying a different certificate with each build!) The short version of the story is, while my new RW everything report shows (I think) a successful upgrade to SLIC 2.1, but my genuine Dell Windows 7 Professional disk still doesn't automatically activate when I install it on my M90 Precision. Am I missing something? Do I need to add an OEM key somewhere when filling in the fields in the Phoenix tool? "Someone" created a Dell Precision 380 Workstation BIOS that I have flashed on my desktop, and when rebooted, the clean install of Win7 Pro (that required activation within 3 days prior to the flashing) was automatically activated, so I am sure I am missing part of the procedure when modding my own M90 BIOS. I'd much rather mod my own that simply ask someone else to do it, so if some kind person out there can offer some advice, I'd really appreciate it. I've attached my "new" ACPI tables report from RW everything, which I believe is showing a successful implementation (at least in part!) of SLIC 2.1. Cheers! Andy. mairu555
go to the "official" site and get V2.05 phoenix/dell/efi tool. older than 1.7x i think had issues with some dell bioses... also try it without readwrite report.. it shows 2.1 without your rw report.. strange! easy way to see what u just produced.. load the _SLIC.exe and it shows u pubkey and slic .. 2.0 or 2.1
Thank you LatinMcG, I'll give that a go. Do you think I should flash back to the standard/original Dell BIOS before creating a new one with the V2.05 tool? Regards, Andy. mairu555
Do you not recommend using the Dell.exe from within Windows then? Ah-ha! Just seen your link.... is that modified by yourself? I'll give that one a go, thank you. Cheers, Andy. mairu555
with dell it usualy reboots to flash in non windows.. but sometimes its a winflash type and can brick .. and its usually AMi not phoenix dell reboot type
Your latest edit is a little beyond me! I'm new to this flashing/extraction lark! Just formatting a spare MicroSD card to create a DOS startup device... it's been literally years since I saw a DOS command prompt, so don't think I have any other way to fire up the laptop to get into it! Not entirely sure how to flash from DOS, unless it's just a case of running the Dell .exe?
The SD card is in a USB device that acts as a mass storage device within Windows. I must have tried 3 or 4 .exe BIOS executables over the last couple of days, and while I always watch with one eye closed and it's always a relief to see it reboot and restart Windows, I've not had any problems yet. Still, first time for everything I guess! I think I've got the measure of your recovery procedure from your earlier edit now, thank you. Hopefully it won't be needed. I'm using the HP tool to format the SD card at the moment, but I chose not to perform a quick format, so it'll take a little while as it's a 4Gb card. I can't of course disturb the process now, in case it kills the card. Once done I'll disregard it for now, and try the (renamed) .exe from Windows. May I ask, why should I rename the .exe file? When I flashed my 380 Desktop I just flashed it with the _SLIC.exe file, and all was well. It's only since I've been looking into the M90 modification that I've seen more and more posts saying to rename the file before flashing.
rename cause in dos is max 8 characters plus .exe or u have to truncate name .. type it with ~1.exe it should be safe if its the reboot kind.. not the winflash (aka WinFailFlash) which not many dells are.. like E521 and a few new ones that i recomend make a WInflash BACKUP that can be reflashed with eprom programer or in dos with a hotswap with similar socket motherboard
So, MrLatinMcG... did you build the BIOS .exe? Whether you did or did not, I thank you very much for the download link! My new Dell Win7 Pro installation has now successfully (automatically) activated. I'd still very much like to know what the difference is between the BIOS I created and the one I downloaded? Was it simply that it was created with the later Phoenix tool? If you created the BIOS file, can you tell me if you needed to add any files to the later Phoenix tool folders somewhere? Any BINs or certificates? I'd really like to understand how it works, rather than just accept it does and live blissfully unaware! LOL Once again, thank you very much for your help. Andy. mairu555
used v 2.05 WITH NO ReadWrite Report. if u load the M90_A08_SLIC.EXE You made, u see it says 2.0 not 2.1 for 7 u made it with the flawed readwrite report. sometimes u can try without readwrite report and get good results. ( tool will ask for it if it needs it) i use DAZ windows Loader 2.1.X to install cert and key and since it sees slic 2.1 in bios it does NOT install the bootloader. optionaly u can use OPATool if u ever get a pc with broken activation. run FixWAT then after reboots run VOATK2.5 and Rearm 30 days.. then reboot and u can check slic v2.1 in the latest Windows Loader and shows Trial in Green i think then install (cert/key no bootloader)
My procedure was to flash the standard Dell A08 BIOS, then run RW everything to generate a report. I then used the earlier Phoenix tool (because I knew no better, and thought I needed the additional folders with the certificates etc. in) to make the new _SLIC BIOS. I am assuming the original standard Dell A08 BIOS would've been what generated the "flawed" 2.0 RW report? I did all this while running in my clean install of Dell Win7 Pro on a different HDD. The "shady" version of Win7 Ultimate I was previously using I think also uses Daz's loader. Would I have been better off creating the new _SLIC BIOS whilst running in the cracked Win7 Ultimate, or does this have no bearing on what the Phoenix or RW tools do? Sorry if that lot is complete and utter babble... just trying to understand the tools and processes.