[TUTORIAL] XPS 15 9550/9550 BIOS Advanced Options

With this tutorial we can access and modify advanced BIOS options in modern Dell Laptops with UEFI BIOS ( XPS 15 9550/9560).I personally tested on my XPS 15 9550 and its working properly so far.

:::WARNING:::
CHANGING VALUES INCORRECTLY MIGHT BRICK YOUR LAPTOP. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IN ANY WAY IF YOU END UP BRICKING YOUR LAPTOP.PROCEED WITH CAUTION.​

First we have to Extract our BIOS from the laptop.Then we can change values.
STEP 1 => EXTARCTING BIOS:

1:
First we need some tools.Download the following tools:

1.Universal BIOS Backup Toolkit 2.0 http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/universal_bios_backup_toolkit.html
2.UEFITool NE A43 https://github.com/LongSoft/UEFITool/releases/download/A43/UEFITool_NE_A43.win.zip
3. Universal IFR Extractor: http://bios-mods.com/pub/donovan6000/Software/Universal IFR Extractor/Universal IFR Extractor.exe


2:
Run Universal BIOS Backup ToolKit 2.0.exe as Administrator. Click Read and wait for few minutes.After successful message Click Backup and save the .rom file.In my case it is DellInc.-1.4.0.rom



3:
Run UEFITool_NE_A43.exe Go to File>Open Image File.Open the .rom file we saved earlier.

We should see something similiar to following image:


Now go to Action> Search ... > GUID and enter "899407D7-99FE-43D8-9A21-79EC328CAC21" and click search.

You will see a match in search tab:




Double click on "GUID Pattern....." message below,Right click on text "Setup",Click "Extract as is..." and save file as "setup.bin"





4:

Run Universal IFR Extractor.exe and select the setup.bin file we saved earlier and click Extract.Save the file.



We have successfully extracted our BIOS Options.Now open this "setup IFR.txt" file with text editor.You will find add the variable adderss and options in this.

STEP 2 => MODIFYING VALUES:

Open the "setup IFR.txt" we exported earlier.I can see all the variables and their values like this:
***THIS IS AN EXAMPLE***

Code:

0x34373             Grayout If: {19 82}
0x34375                 Variable 0xB35 equals 0x1 {12 06 35 0B 01 00}
0x3437B                 Setting: Intel(R) Speed Shift Technology, Variable: 0xD8 {05 91 09 02 0A 02 58 02 01 00 D8 00 10 10 00 01 00}
0x3438C                     Option: Disabled, Value: 0x0 {09 07 21 02 30 00 00}
0x34393                     Option: Enabled, Value: 0x1 {09 07 20 02 00 00 01}
0x3439A                 End of Options {29 02}
0x3439C             End If {29 02}
0x3439E         End If {29 02}

***THIS IS AN EXAMPLE***
What this means is,if we write 0x1 to variable 0xD8,Speed Shift will be enabled.Follow the below instructions to change BIOS variable:
1) Download EFI Shell: https://www.firewolf.science/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/EFI-shell.zip
2) format a flash drive with FAT32 filesystem
3) put efi file from zip file into Boot/bootx64.efi on your flash drive
4) boot from flash drive. you will get uefi shell
If it is not booting - Go to bios, boot sequence - and add custom entry pointing to that efi file. then reboot, F12 and choose your custom entry

Write the following and press enter:

Code:

setup_var 0xD8 0x1

Now we changed variable 0xD8 to 0x1 and speed shift is enabled in my laptop.
You can now try changing other variables if your are curious and let us know.

****CHANGING VALUES MIGHT BRICK YOUR LAPTOP.YOU CAN REMOVE CMOS BATTERY TO RESET BIOS TO DEFAULT IF YOU ARE STUCK ON DELL LOGO AFTER CHAGING VALUES****

 

On my laptops the SpeedShift variables were as follows (research then use at your own risk after consulting your lawyers and IT specialists):

9550 0xD8
9560 0x4BC"

Great to see this thread, speedshift on that laptop is already documented by @goodwin_c http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/dell-xps-speed-shift.796891/page-5#post-10400525

You really need to push home the check 1st

I think you can hold the power button for 30 seconds to start the BIOS reset (charge lights will flash during) to avoid opening it up.

Thanks for the guide.

The biggie would be enabling the menu options in the BIOS to allow us to change values without having to boot into EFI shell each time.

 

for the 9560

Code:

Suppress If: {0A 82}
0x36BBB             Variable 0xDFC equals 0x0 {12 06 FC 0D 00 00}
0x36BC1             Setting: Intel(R) Speed Shift Technology, Variable: 0x4BC {05 91 B3 01 B4 01 DC 01 01 00 BC 04 10 10 00 01 00}
0x36BD2                 Option: Disabled, Value: 0x0 {09 07 04 00 30 00 00}
0x36BD9                 Option: Enabled, Value: 0x1 {09 07 03 00 00 00 01}
0x36BE0             End of Options {29 02}
0x36BE2         End If {29 02}

setup_var oxDFC ox1


Would that enable the option in the BIOS?

 

I dont know.didn't try it.I already bricked mine once and had to reset by removing CMOS battery.You can always try if you are brave enough

 

I've already gave detailed instruction of extracting BIOS and getting variables.That speed shift change was just an example.I think people who will follow this will surely know what they are doing.
Also i tried holding power button to reset BIOS,didnt work for me.I had to remove CMOS to reset.I also read on forum Fn+Power button resets the bios too and it didnt work for me either!

 

Good to know, shame it doesn't work holding the power button, but at least you got out of the brick!
what did you do wrong to brick it?

(never assume we know what we are doing )

 

I am having throttling problem after few months of buying this laptop.Never had a solution except uninstalling Intel DPTF and Using ThrottleStop.So i enabled "CPU DTS" value from BIOS and it stuck on Dell logo ...Strange.Also more stranger thing is when i checked value of "DPTF" variable,it was disabled by default but we all know it isn't!

 

Can somebody post a download for the xps 9550 1.4.0 ROM Bios file ? I updated to 1.6.1 and can´t suspend the laptop anymore... directly resets... i need to downgrade it directly from Bios upgrade option , can´t downgrade it anymore... so i want to force a reflashing with the 1.4.0 . Or if there is any other option to downgrade, i appreciate the reply ... can´t find anything on google about it... Would appreciate it, thousand thanks !

 

Dell has a page with many older drivers and bios saved. Search my posts for a link.

 

I know what Dell has on it´s website... i am asking for an extracted .rom file from 1.4.0 bios for 9550... the ROM file... is what i need...can´t do downgrade with their tools... i need an extracted ROM and then force the flashing with other flashing tool ....