If I buy this programmer, will I will be able to keep everything? MAC address, service tag, Master Password (that I already know) etc ?

This will allow me to revert to any version ?

Also, this computer has 2 bios chip, I suppose I will have to flash both?

Here is the requested file. (DESC)

I'm in Canada.
Here is what I found on EBay.

Good?

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/CH341A-24-25-Ser...et/173953660335

Yes, you will dump current BIOS contents (both chips) and always be able to go right back to square one any time.
Yes, both are dumped, often but not always, BIOS region is split between the two (some of it starts on the smaller one) Other times the small one contains FD/ME region only and BIOS is by itself on the larger rom.
No matter what situation is, when working on BIOS like this, I have users dump both, append together, then edit, the split once done and program back.
If we find after dumping both, that FD/ME only on the small one, we can first do BIOS/large chip only if you want, and leave FD/ME as is, to see if ME FW part of the issue or not
Ideally though, first write back, you'd want to unlock FD anyway, so best we at least do that, and program both back that first re-write time.

"Revert" is not as easy as you think, so once it arrives please wait for help! Do not erase or write to any chip, or use any "Auto" Function of software because it's usually erase, blank check first two actions.
Once it arrives, I will link you to software package. If you open your system before that, tell me what the BIOS ID's of each chip are, in case I need to tell you to use some specific version or other than exact ID

"Master Password" Is this something you added? If yes, remove it before you dump BIOS with programmer, because I may not carry it over into BIOS when I do the downgrade for you.
If it's always in stock BIOS, then it will remain.

Yes, that kit is OK

Thanks for FD, as expected BIOS region is unlocked for write in FD (So BIOS/SMI lock I found is only one causing error 280
ME Region = NO Read/Write, as expected << This what I meant with pinmod or flash programmer, unlock FD we change this to allow write to ME region with FPT

You can dump GbE now too if you want, this usually contains your LAN MAC Address (if board has Intel Gigabit Ethernet)
FPT.exe -gbe -d gbe.bin

If there, open with hex editor and at start of file (00-05h) and sometimes 1000h will be your MAC Address
If you find 88 88 88 88 87 88, or all FF then your LAN MAC ID is not stored in GbE, meaning it will be in BIOS region, or stored directly on-chip FW
If you get error, no GbE region exists then same as above ^^

Here is the Network Dump.

The mac is : Removed

This match the start of the dump file. Also at position 2000h

I ordered a similar kit, from Canada. Faster shipping and I will be 100% sure there is no custom fees. Also include the 1.8 volts adapter for AMD in case of future needs.

The Master Password is the Dell password to bypass all user added password. Given to me by Dell. Derivated from the Service Tag. I don't know if the password in saved in the BIOS or only the algorythms to create it from the service tag is there.

Can you explain me what you will do? You will take my BIOS dump ans replace parts of it with A16 version?
What change will you make to it?
Will you enable the ME on boot?
Will I be able to do bios update after? I would like to update to the latest stable version. So will do A16-A17-A18 until it crash, reload the bios from backup with the programmer and upgrade to latest stable version I found working and stay there.

Please note that there is 2 model of E6420. One with only Intel video card and one with Intel/nVidia (Optimus). I have the one with nVidia.

While I wait for my programmer, is ther anything I can do other than opening the case? For that, I will wait since the laptop works partially for now.

Thanks!

@anarethos - 1.8v adapter used on Intel board too, but this mainly on more modern systems, good you grabbed it too, it will be handy to have in the future if you need to do BIOS mod or recover from bricked BIOS etc.

Yes, I will take your dump, replace some volumes of the BIOS region with volumes from A16 and then copy in all the areas that contain your system specific info (Serial, Asset Tag, Service Tag, LAN MAC ID, NVRAM etc)
Then we test as is, if it fails still, then ME FW is broken and I will find known working BIOS dump from this same model
Then I will use it's ME FW to update and transfer settings into a new ME FW, then swap that into your BIOS and you program in again.
^^ at this point, you will already have unlocked FD region from the first program in, so you will be able to reflash ME FW with FPT from windows

Sorry, I don't know what you mean enable ME on boot? Yes, you will be able to update BIOS normally using standard Dell procedure/method once we are done and it's fixed.

Link me to both E6420 BIOS download pages so I can confirm, but they probably use same BIOS.
No, nothing to do while you wait, unless you want to open it up and get the BIOS chip ID's off the chips? Up to you, it can wait

I have your MAC ID now, so you can edit above post and remove file+Image and MAC ID txt if you want
If you want, you can send me image of your BIOS main page, so I can see service and asset tag, if it's shown there, this way I can find easier in BIOS and make note of it now etc

It is the same file for the version with nVidia and without.

A friend of mine has the same laptop. E6420 with nVidia, Smart Card Reader, etc.

With an older BIOS.

If we take a dump of his BIOS, do we just have to change the MAC address and the SKU/Serial Number?

Would it be easier for you to start from a full working BIOS rather than trying to fix mine?

For the ME on boot, I mean the Management Interface option in the boot menu. My laptop was shipped with ME disabled (no vPro).

Thanks again!

I will send the Service Tag later tonight. The ASSET and OWNER tag can be set from command line tools ASSET.COM and I will take care of it myself.

Which tolls do you use to edit/modify/add/remove feature of Dell Bios? Do you directly edit the file in HEX by hand? o_O

A couple of minor things...
If you google "chuck nemeth x230 coreboot" you'll find a nice post talking about some of these CH341A programmers (mostly black pcb) having 5V on the I/O pins even though VCC is 3.3V. Seems like plenty of people use them successfully anyway. I have a one with a green pcb and it has 3.3V I/O pins as appropriate for chips with a max VCC of 3.6V per their datasheet.

On the E6420 the 2MB chip is the upper. FD is at the start of the 8MB chip. BIOS starting at 0x00600000 begins in the 8MB and its upper 2MB, including the reset vector are in the 2MB chip.

I've had no problems with a CH341A (green PCB) and matching SOIC8 clip on either chip with flashrom under Linux. The board is plugged in but off. I've done with this just a motherboard with CPU, plugged into my docking station, and with an intact E6420 with the keyboard lifted. Both cases I had them on the dock. I could test flashrom without the dock if that would be helpful. The mobo & laptop are both integrated graphics only. I have not messed with my discrete graphics unit.

I think my intact E6420 is running A15 and the mobo is A16. My discrete graphics unit is on A25. (but I haven't dumped it)

@gillham

Hi! Thanks for the info. @Lost_N_BIOS will probably find them more useful than I.

So, you currently have a dump of your current laptop? Can you send them? Maybe I won't have to dismantle my friend computer then.

Also, if I understand, it is better to leave the computer plugged-in during the flashing process?
I was thinking about unplugging it and removing the battery.

And for your model with discrete graphic, everything is OK on it?

I'm curious to know what broke mine.

the only thing I can think about is the fact I used a newer Windows version of the ASSET tools (to add/change/remove the asset tag and owner tag) while, in the past, I was using an old pure-DOS version.

I don't have any issues with my E6420 Nvidia i7 on A25. I was using Windows 7 before, now running Windows 10 as well as Debian Linux. No issues rebooting, suspending/resuming that I have noticed. I don't work it that hard, it isn't my main machine, but more for casual couch use and Linux use.

I never mess with the owner / asset info. It is my home machine and stays home.

Yes, I have dumps of A15 & A16, PM me. I guess I could dump all the versions between A16 & A25 if I upgrade one at a time. Since I got the extra machines to get coreboot working, I don't really need the Dell BIOS anyway so I didn't want to upgrade them.

Edit.. forgot to mention the plugged in part. Yes, the USB Programmer can't provide enough power on VCC to power the chip & the southbridge/pch other stuff on the board. So you can't talk to it. Plugging in the power (while the unit stays off) provides enough standby power to make it work. Yes, unsafe to connect power from my USB programmer machine to the "live" board, but I've flashed the 2MB chip a ton of times now and the 8MB a handful. No issues with the bare board or the full laptop.

@gillham

I sent you a PM.

Also, I'm thinking that the problem may come from the "new" asset tools I used (which is Windows based).

If you have time, and want to, could you upgrade one of your E6420 to A25 then use the Asset tools and set an owner information and asset tag and check if everything is ok?

If it fails, rollback and use the old dos tools and check again.

Don't forget to backup everything first :)

The programmer I bought is this one : https://www.ebay.ca/itm/EEPROM-BIOS-usb-...FA/143374830494

@anarethos - Yes, another user you knows full dump would help, but he'd have to give you his asset # and service tag too, so I could locate in BIOS and swap in yours.
Ohh, thanks, yes, we can enable ME and vPRO I use various tools, usually UEFITool and a hex editor, and for this I'll also be using Intel FITc to do the ME stuff.
Please check in google first and make sure your CPU supports vPRO - otherwise if not I can just enable ME but not vPRO

And yes, sounds like this new Asset tool you used may have caused some issues as well. Either give me all your info (if you have not already, sorry I'm not looking in your folder right now) and I will put directly into the BIOS, or use the old DOS versions if you want to do it

@gillham - that's all fearmongering or unfounded concerns etc, it worried and got me at first too, but 5v is only used internally within the programmer itself, only 3.3V is sent out to the board, so nothing to worry about at all.
If you don't mind, would you send me dump from system with A16 flashed in, dump both chips and zip for me. I know all about how to work with these BIOS, so you don't need to tell me what's what when you send, thanks
With this dump, please also include your service tag, asset tag, serial, and MAC ID in a text file.

@Lost_N_BIOS
For the Asset/Owner info, leave it blank. I will play with the DOS tools. Anyway, was just for fun to show my name on the boot screen. Not really needed.

You already have my MAC address.
My service tag is : DMXK4R1

The processor is i5-2520m. Vpro seems to be supported as per Intel datasheet.

And I don't really need the ME stuff. I mean, if it takes you 2 seconds, ok, but don't waste your time on that.

was just for fun to show my name on the boot screen. << What's this mean?

Thanks for service tag, I think that can be added with the Dell tools package too. I prefer to fix BIOS right, all at once during first edit, for system specific info, so I will stick it all in there (you playing around with this is how we're both in this thread, so maybe best to correct it properly and leave it )

ME stuff may be the issue, or part of it, so we'll sort that out as we go. Well, I mean ME FW itself could be part of the problems, based on your initial problem description, could be messed up ME FW (due to Dell error, not properly flashed in, not matched with BIOS properly etc)
We'll get it sorted though And then once done, we can enable vPRO etc. It's just a few clicks to enable it, nothing to worry about wasting my time or anything like that

@Lost_N_BIOS

Just to be sure we understand each other.

Service Tag = Serial number = Cannot be set by command line with public tools ==> Please put it in the new BIOS for my system as I don't know how to do it myself (idem for MAC address)
Asset Tag = 8 character, set through BIOS or asset tools utility. Used to identify the computer in the business. Can be found through script, etc. ==> I don't really use that. Leave blank or "not set"
Owner Tag = 81 characters, shown on boot screen over the Dell Logo. That is what I mean with "show my name on the boot screen". Can be set with utility. ==> Leave blank or "not set". Will play with that once everything is fixed, working and having a bios image to reflash just in case

Also thang for the clarification about the 5/3.3 volts stuff. I was afraid that I bough the wrong thing.

BTW, how did you learn that much with bios modding and stuff? Juste by fun or you are working in that domain?

Gotcha And I did not mean "public" tools, I mean several Dell tools that are not public, at least not meant to be public anyway . I assume you have Asset.com/exe, do you also have A209.exe, it's similar but not the same?
And do you have the full Dell DSTCD tool package? << This has service tag tool in there too, but I've never used. I can send you all this if you don't have already, let me know.

Just years of experience in editing and fixing systems to resell. Self taught, and yes, mainly for fun, keeps my mind occupied so I don't go crazy
I need to learn 10X more though!!! I mainly know AMI BIOS best, Insyde BIOS kicks my but 80% of the time

@Lost_N_BIOS

Yes, I have the ASSET.COM tools (DOS) and the newer version which is also available in x32/x64 for Windows.

I don't have the other Dell tools you are talking about.

What is the A209.exe thing?

And finally, is there a way to keep the uuid of the system to keep Windows activation?

Thanks!