Hey all!
I specifically joined this forum because I saw how active it is and how knowledgeable you guys are! I’m hoping someone can help me.
Basically I want to have a custom logo in the splash screen. Apparently there USED to be a Dell utility to do this for old laptops which is kinda risky to use with modern hardware.
I work as an IT guy and rebuild old PCs. I have dozens of these SFF 5010s, 7010s, 7020s, 9010s etc that I would like to personalize.
There are lots of posts online about restoring the default splash screen or removing it entirely but not much about custom logos. Any thoughts?
@trhshred - It’s not that it’s risky, well no more risky than any other BIOS mod or even flashing of stock BIOS, it’s more that it’s not compatible with many modern systems. You have to check each BIOS and see if it will work with them or not, or check the “Compatible Systems” List Dell provides
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/…driverid=R35826
Is the image you want to use, always going to be same, your logo or something like that? If yes, zip and attach, along with a dump from each system (Or each system stock exe) and I will see if I can tell you how to change logo for each or not
It’s different for all BIOS, some may need in depth editing to do it, others might be done with a simple one click GUI tool, hard to know without checking. You mentioned 3-4 systems, for now that would be OK to check, but if you have 10-20 different models that’s a lot so I don’t know if I can spend time checking all those.
Here is a link to the BIOS exe for the 7010. We can start with that 
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/…?driverid=2j47n
This is what i have installed/flashed and i believe the most recent update.
That EXE only contains HDR, and the extracted HDR does not contain logo either at least not one compatible with tools I have for logo. Can you dump this systems BIOS either by using FPT or dump both chips if you have a programmer. This way we can verify if either the download does not contain logo (ie partial BIOS) and it’s stored in BIOS on board only, or none of the tools I would use are compatible with this BIOS. Is there actually a logo currently, or just black or blue screen and the progress bar?
I found these two images (And several related to the MEBX menus), and the progress bar creation files, if this is all you see on the screen then you may be able to replace one of these, but I’m not finding a full screen logo like you’d expect
EnergyStar.jpeg (11.8 KB)
ModelLogo.jpeg (20.1 KB)
* Edit @trhshred - found it! This one correct!?
This is at GUID >> EB3001D5-F827-4938-95E2-5C8F644B966F
But for me to modify for you, you’ll need to dump BIOS with FPT and let me check, unless you know how to flash HDR for that system?
Im sorry, i may work in IT but i dont have a ton of experience with BIOS stuff lol. Can you explain how to use FPT to dump?
@trhshred - It’s OK, sorry for not explaining! Is that large image above the one you wanted to change (Dell in white text on black background w/ white circle around it). Or let me know if you can’t see it still after clicking to enlarge, if so I will host on image site instead.
For FPT, you need to find the ME FW version from either BIOS main page or in large window of HWINFO64 program, expand motherboard section and find ME then find ME Firmware Version.
If you’re using the BIOS you linked, then ME version is 8.1.x.x, download V8 Intel ME System Tools from section “C” in this thread
Intel Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware & System Tools
Inside you will find Flash Programming Tool folder, and inside that a Windows folder, select the Windows folder hold shift and press right click, choose open command window here (not power shell)
In the command window type the following command and then zip and upload the file for me >> FPTw.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin
Yes, the black/white Dell logo. Also thinking about replacing the “Optiplex 7010 Series” with just a blank black rectangle so that it does not show an image there.
I am at work now but I will look into the Intel Management engine stuff. Part of the issue is that the most recent BIOS exe, the one I posted, 7010s seem to have an issue with the Intel ME flashing. Mine personally went through the first half of the flash and then failed the second half but then rebooted fine. So i’m not sure what Intel ME i have.
You can check ME version with HWINFO64 on large window, in motherboard section on the left, if your BIOS doesn’t show ME FW on the main page. If BIOS update is failing to update ME, and it should be doing so, your ME could be corrupted possibly.
You’d notice this in device manager, and wherever you normally see ME FW version would show NA or 0.0.0.0. If it’s OK, then could just be badly coded BIOS package. You can update ME using the files here in our ME section, and either FPT or ME FW Update tool (Suggested)
Do you have a hardware flash programmer, like CH341A or other? Some Dell BIOS you might be able to change logo much easier with a GUI program, this one not so easy.
So the mystery deepens-- IME isn’t installed on my system, yet is also NOT being shown as “missing” in device manager.
Running the installer for IMEI does not work either.
I wonder why-- obviously this could be some kind of hardware failure but I find that hard to believe given the PC runs like a champ.
If no drivers installed, sometimes I think you need to show hidden devices, or rescan maybe. If it’s corrupted and drivers are installed you get yellow bangs. It’s not a hardward failure type of thing if it’s messed up, just firmware.
Sometimes user may not notice ME issue until you go looking for something ME related. No ME showing in HWINFO64, in motherboard section expanded? What do you see on BIOS Main page?
It’s in the BIOS, so it should be there, unless broken, and like you mentioned it was failing to install ME on that update which if often a sign it’s messed up. You can run MEInfo from DOS and see what you get, it’s in the ME System Tools Package
Also, you can run this Intel Security check tool from windows (Unrelated), but it shows ME version at the bottom of the results
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fil…174516434149219
Does this system have 2 pin jumper on the board that says FD, FDO, ME, Service etc, anything like that? If yes, we can fix ME via FPT from DOS.
Again, do you own a hardware flash programmer? If not, order a set now, it’s only $6 total or less, and all these BIOS you want to modify this will make it MUCH easier.
You need CH341A and SOIC8 test clip cable at a minimum (If you have boards with 16 pin BIOS, then you also want SOIC16 test clip cable too, usually $5-7 by itself 
)
It’s not listed in the BIOS, nor in HWinfo. The Intel tool says version unknown.
Can you give me a link to what i should order?
I believe these do have service jumpers. I will open one up tomorrow and look.
Check BIOS chips, make sure both are 8pin, if so you only need for now a SOIC8 test clip cable and CH341A. If you think later some might have 16pins, some Dell BIOS do, but I can’t remember which or how often, get a SOIC16 test clip cable too.
CH341A Flash programmer - https://www.ebay.com/itm/142685058952 = $2.46
SOIC8 test clip cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/382486015977 = $2.47
SOIC16 test clip cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/332156943251 = $9 , most would not need this, but rare occasion maybe
We may be able to fix this ME issue via FPT from DOS, especially since you have the jumpers, but please do order the above for BIOS recovery when needed (At least first two items)
Use DOS version FPT package, put all files from that folder onto a DOS bootable USB, then run following command and send me the created files in a zip (Do this with jumper on)
FPT.exe -d bios.bin
FPT.exe -bios -d biosreg.bin
FPT.exe -desc -d fd.bin
FPT.exe -me -d me.bin
Also, send me in that package, some logo you wanted to try, for now we’ll only try stock resolution and format, but later once programmer arrives we can try other stuff if you want
1280 x 1280 8bit Indexed BMP
So it turns out I don’t have “service” pins.
There are pins to reset the BIOS password though.
I ordered the first two items. They’re shipping from China so it might be a month or two before they get here.
Here’s an image we can try, it should be the right dimensions.
Actually u don’t need to take the service pin from the board to backup the bios only when you worry about failure of the flashing.
I knew some 70x0 and 90x0 could be flashed by the fpt successfully so far
Thanks @gloobox - lets see if we can dump FD, then we know what all is read/write/yes. But for entire dump or re-write, unlocked FD would be needed (In case of bad flash/recovery needed) that’s why I was hoping there was FD/FDO/ME etc jumper and to fix ME
If bad flash, need full access to recover not just unlocked BIOS Region, sometimes as you know, nothing helps except flash programmer no matter if FD locked or unlocked etc since you can’t boot to anything to recover 
But we just discussed above, right now it’s needed to fix current ME issue, that or FD unlock via pinmod or jumper, since no programmer in hand yet. ME region is rarely unlocked in FD and when ME FW corrupted you can’t use FW Update tool only FPT
@trhshred - please do all the dumps I asked for above and upload for me, thanks. Good simple image choice, we should be able to do something like that!
There’re some dell’s board own two bios chips (8MB+4MB)，so we couldn’t flash them with the dumped bios by the CH341A.
I ever saw some repairmen flashed the bios chips one by one with two different bioses files in those board.(such as 7010)
I think we need to split the dumped bios into two bios files(8MB+4MB)，but it seems a little difficult~
Yes, I know. And yes, you can flash those with FPT or CH341A, no problem. For FPT, you flash by -region and it goes to correct chip, for CH341A, you split the 12MB BIOS file into proper respective 8MB and 4MB chips.
I do it all the time here, for many users, and for many different Dell systems like that (HP sometimes too). Today is not my first day @gloobox 
I tear up BIOS all day long 
@Lost_N_BIOS i’m having a really hard time finding the flash programming tools on the download page in this forum. do you have a direct link where i can download? sorry for the trouble, and thanks again for all your help <3
@trhshred - if you are taking about Intel Flash Programming tool, it’s inside “Intel ME System Tools” packages located here in section “C” - If your ME is version 8.x then you need V8 package
Intel Management Engine: Drivers, Firmware & System Tools
I would give direct link from that page, but links always update there, so in a week or two wrong link would be posted here and next person reading would get lost too. Scroll down to section “C” and find V8 ME system tools package
If you meant CH341A flash tools here is package with main driver and all versions
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fil…257455007472602
@Lost_N_BIOS – The problem is I do not have an intel ME version-- should i just download v8 and hope that it works?