Dell XPS 8950 could not boot from TI 2020 Recovery
I bought a Dell XPS 8950 with Windows 11 installed; it boot from UEFI mode.
When I tried to use TI 2020 to recover my backup on a second drive (either Recover from DISK / Partition / OS Dive), the PC reboot and the boot scan show the following screen hanging.
// Starting x64 UEFI loader (v.1.1.69) ...
// Loading protected mode kernel ...
// Press <e> to edit kernel command line
Pressing the e key and any other keys has no effect; the boot screen just hanging.
Anyone has any suggestion on how to tackle the issue?
TIA
Mason
Steve
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Apparently my Dell XPS 8950 will always boot to the UFFI partition, and launch Windows 11 from UEFI.
The PC does not appear to read my DVD ROM drive first, so with a 'Simple' version of WinPE rescue media, I doubt that the PC would read from it.
From my Dell user manual, it says I could launch the BIOS setting by pressing F2.
But in fact, pressing F2 (or F12), after Windows 11 normal restart, has never enabled me to launch the BIOS screen.
The only exception is when I use Windows ATI 2020 to attempt to do a restore, then upon reboot and pressing F2, I could go to the BIOS screen. And from the BIOS screen, I saw two boot options : (1) Acronis Boot Loader, (2) Windows Boot Manager. There is no option to boot from DVD nor USB. So, I am concerned that an WinPE rescue media won't help.
Could anyone tell me otherwise?
Regards
Mason
Mason, there is another option that you can try which is via the Windows 11 main Settings panel and the Advanced Startup option to select your boot media device (plugged in ready).
Steve
Thanks for your advice.
I tried System / Recovery / Advanced Setup / Restart.
But upon restart, I could only see the Dell logo hanging there; the [Choose an option] screen never show up. So, basically I am struck! and I don't have an option to Use a Device (DVD or USB).
Not sure why Dell designs a handicapped system like this :-)
Thanks anyway.
Mason
Steve
Here is an update.
I called Dell Tech Support, and they showed me a way to add USB as an Boot option.
So, yes, booting from UEFI Bootable USB media (e.g. Windows 11 Install media) is feasible.
But the bad news is: the UEFI USB boot screen hangs.
I am back to square one.
Mason
Mason, what exactly are you booting from for the screen image in the last post above?
Is that just the Dell BIOS producing those [INFO] lines?
How long have you waited for the USB to boot?
What size of USB stick are you using here?
If your USB bootable recovery media is formatted as NTFS then it will not boot. t must be FAT32.
Steve / Enchantech
I tried three things using UEFI boot :
1. Bootable USB stick, with Windows 11, 21H2, x64 install media -- NTFS -- the last screen shot, which hangs
2. Acronis Universal Rescue Media on USB, with XPS8950 drivers -- FAT32 -- boot screen hangs with Dell logo only
3. Acronis Universal Rescue Media on DVD, with XPS8950 drivers , boot screen hangs below.
Mason
Mason, sorry but I am running short on ideas here, especially given you cannot boot from Windows 11 boot / install media as well as Acronis media.
Mason,
I've got a Dell XPS8940, and like all my other Dell's, to get to the 'Boot Menu', you have to press F12 when the Dell Logo appears. Keep pressing it too... and a BLUE BAR appears on the bottom and then the Boot Menu.
If you use F2, you get to the BIOS. In there you can alter the start order. Set the DVD/CD drive first, and the C: drive 2nd. That way if no media is in the drive, it skips to the SSD.
There is the manual for the 8950 on the Dell Support page under Documents for the 8950.
From it, Page 81:
=================
Boot Sequence
Boot Sequence allows you to bypass the System Setup–defined boot device order and boot directly to a specific device (for
example: optical drive or hard drive). During the Power-on Self Test (POST), when the Dell logo appears, you can:
● Access System Setup by pressing F2 key
● Bring up the one-time boot menu by pressing F12 key
The one-time boot menu displays the devices that you can boot from including the diagnostic option. The boot menu options
are:
● Removable Drive (if available)
● STXXXX Drive (if available)
NOTE: XXX denotes the SATA drive number.
● Optical Drive (if available)
● SATA Hard Drive (if available)
● Diagnostics
The boot sequence screen also displays the option to access the System Setup screen
==================
All my 3 Dell's here have the Optical drive as the 1st boot device.
Were you pressing F12 when the Dell Logo was displayed? Odd that Dell Support couldn't 'fix' that? I'd reference that page above and contact them. You might have a faulty PC?
On one of your screen captures above, I notice Dell Inc.1.0.3 after the American Megatrends line (the maker of the BIOS). On the Support page for Downloads and Drivers under BIOS it shows the most recent to be 1.0.8.
Have you run SupportAssist? It checks for D/L's or go to the Dell Support site and sign-in and have it check. Could be an old BIOS problem?
Dell for some reason doesn't update the PC's before shipping. I had a similar problem of old files. Many of them.
Matter of fact, if you check Microsoft Update in Settings, and the Optional ones, you'll probably see the Dell BIOS there, listed as 0.1.0.8. I would not let Windows install it, but go to the DELL link, D/L the BIOS, and install it manually. Don't even let SupportAssist do it, I did on my 8940 and it wound up corrupting my BIOS and I had to do a CLEAN install of W11 and chase down some Dell files as well after that.
Iry
As you suggested, F12 could reach the Boot selection screen. I had manually downloaded/installed the BIOS firmware update (XPS_8950_1.0.10_x64.exe release Jan 28, 2022). I then re-downloaded Windows 11 Install Media from Microsoft and make a boot USB. Still, with BIOS and afresh Windows 11 on FAT32, booting to USB via F12 and the boot screen was hung (just black screen).
I am more inclined to think that my XPS 8950 is defective. Asking Dell Tech Support if they ever have a working (bootable from USB/DVD) 8950 ... but did not reply my question if YES or NO.
I am planning to return my 8950 to Dell.
BTW, is your 8940 bootable from USB/DVD ?
Thanks
Mason
Mason,
Yes, I can boot the MS Media Creation Tool, that is how I had to install W11 after I had SupportAssist install a new BIOS. Even with BIOS Recovery I had problems that made me install W11 fresh.
I can also boot the Acronis Recovery DVD I made.
If you go to the Dell Community Site, and search for 'boot usb' you will find a LOT of hits. Some are for the 8950. There is this one, "XPS 8950, will not boot from Windows 11 USB", and it might help.
I recall I had to do some BIOS changes on my 8940. The SSD was SLOW when I got the XPS... turned out Dell set it to be RAID and it had to be switched to AHCI... which was part of the solution in the Dell thread.
Also, in that thread the user has a Discrete Video card, an RTX3080 using Display Port.
From that thread:
-----------------
During my troubleshooting, I did try a using Rufus and experienced the same issue with the screen going blank right after saying "Launching 'efi\boot\bootx64.efi'...". This was only happening when I had my monitor connected to my graphics card. Issue was resolved by using the onboard graphics for the installation.
--------------------
Someone with an 8940 replied they had the same problem as well.
Not sure if setting it to AHCI which I did before I had to need to install W11 or not was my 'fix', but I also have a Discrete RTX2060 I'm using, but I don't recall having to switch to the on-board HD750 to install W11 (this happened in Nov. last year)?
I suggest you use the Dell Community forum for this problem, it might help you better than here. Also, posting there Dell Cares 'robot' will contact you via a Private Message and ask for some info and then you'll get in contact with a support person. Some end-users will help too. They have helped me a lot, I had some initial problems that Dell eventually replaced my Video card and Motherboard. Video card was NOT the problem as a new card didn't fix it, but the Motherboard did fix a problem I had about coming out of sleep.
If you want to see my 'tale of woe' due to a bad BIOS update, look for this thread, "XPS 8940, BIOS 2.3, can no longer boot." I even got bad advice from a Dell Support person via Private Messages on how to create the MS W11 media (which I was pretty sure was wrong but followed).
Hi All
With suggestion from the Dell Community, I connect my monitor to my 8950's onboard DisplayPort, then F12 to boot from UEFI USB with ATI 2020 PE rescue media OK. I could restore my backup to the first drive (with Win11 and other partitions) OK.
I thinks Dell is not doing a good job to release a faulty 8950; they should sort out the UEFI booting from USB/DVD issue ASAP and release some (presumably BIOS / drivers) fixes.
P.S. UEFI DVD boot with ATI2020 PE still not working; same as UEFI DVD boot with Win11 install media.
Regards
Mason
Hi Mason331,
Saw your post 😁
I might have had to do the same thing on my 8940, move my display with HDMI to the HD750 (on the 8940 it has an HDMI port). I think I also discovered that I could use the RTX2060 HDMI port if I disabled the RTX2060, then the card acts as a throughput from the HD750, but it was a long time ago so I could be wrong?
I don't know if I had to disable anything in BIOS to boot anything? I had used to 2020PE to boot and restore the drive, that I know for sure.
I just looked at Dell's Knowledge Base Article, Article Number: 000132479, "How to Install Windows 11 or Windows 10 from a Dell Windows recovery DVD" and it is clear what you have to do, Wish I found that when I had my problems, also tells where to get the Dell Windows ISO image.
I think the booting UEFI requirement might be an MS requirement, not a Dell problem?