[Request] Unlock options for Dell XPS 8930

hi all, any chance of this bios being unlocked for extra features? I already know you need to jump pins 5 and 9 for the front panel, but any chance of getting the bios unlocked for more options? Link below:

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER06350341M/1/XPS8930_1.1.15.exe

Modern Dell bios’ are very tough to mod beyond updating microcodes. [Bios region] Volume space and related stuff in Volume GUID: 61C0F511-A691-4F54-974F-B9A42172CE53 are above me at this point.

The bios you attached is old.

Your board is here.

To put the computer into service mode, it’s the unnumbered blue pin between 10 and 11. You just move it up one. Once in service mode, I would dump your full bios, save a copy as an unmodified backup, and then copy and play with another one.

You can mess around with the UEFI-Editor.

It’s easy to brick these Dells, so if you’re going to mess around, have the full backup.bin (via fptw64 -d backup.bin in service mode) and a CH341A programmer at the ready.

[Edited for clarification]

thanks for the reply, it sounds like it’s not really worth it. i just wanted a few features enabled like above 4g decoding or resizable bar, but i can just live with the computer as is

It looks like you’re 1 generation early on that 8930.

You could pull the 8940 bios and see if it’s possible/how it’s done. But that board is different than the board they were using from 8910-8930.

What makes modding Dells so difficult is, I think, a lack of direct Padding area under drivers, and related FPT protected regions. It may not be impossible, but it sure wouldn’t be easy, and it may require a programmer after hex editor work. I think you’re making the right call in leaving it be.