GUIDE TO USE DELL PFS EXTRACTOR or other extractors from BiosUtilities (my way)

[volinakis]

GUIDE TO USE DELL PFS EXTRACTOR or other extractors from BiosUtilities (my way)

1. Download BIOSUtilities (thanks to platomav) and move folder "BiosUtilities" to Desktop
https://github.com/platomav/BIOSUtilities
2. Install python 3.11.0 or higher (both versions for 32bit and 64bit)
3. Download Dell bios update from Dell site (in my example bios update for Dell Latitude 3420) and move it to "BiosUtilities" from Desktop.
4. RENAME update exe WHITOUT SPACES AND DOTS! In my example "Latitude_3420_Latitude_3520_1.37.0.exe" to "Latitude_3420_Latitude_3520_1_37_0.exe"
5. Open cmd as admin and go to folder "BiosUtilities" from Desktop. For win10 win11 drag&drop "Dell_PFS_Extract.py" [space] "Latitude_3420_Latitude_3520_1_37_0.exe" and hit Enter. (for win7 use copy/paste)
6. For ALIENWARE use "Insyde_IFD_Extract.py", is not AMI bios but Insyde!

[pcguy]

I have bricked Dell XPS8500 I downloaded the A14.exe self extracting flash uitl from dell and tried the above method using command line in Windows10 and the above screenshot is the result. The error is

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "D:\_Drive_E\Downloads\BIOSUtilities-main\biosutilities\dell_pfs_extract.py", line 20, in <module>
from biosutilities.common.checksums import checksum_8_xor
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'biosutilities'

D:\_Drive_E\Downloads\BIOSUtilities-main\biosutilities>


Anyone have an idea what I am doing wrong?

[SMDFlea]

I have bricked Dell XPS8500 I downloaded the A14.exe self extracting flash uitl from dell and tried the above method using command line in Windows10 and the above screenshot is the result. The error is

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "D:\_Drive_E\Downloads\BIOSUtilities-main\biosutilities\dell_pfs_extract.py", line 20, in <module>
from biosutilities.common.checksums import checksum_8_xor
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'biosutilities'

D:\_Drive_E\Downloads\BIOSUtilities-main\biosutilities>

Anyone have an idea what I am doing wrong?

It isn`t a PFS Image so it won`t work.

Run the exe and wait until it fails, leave the window open, don`t choose Quit.

Go to C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Temp

In the Temp folder will be a folder with a name similar to _F7BA.tmp .Go into that folder, you should find an A12.cap file.
Copy that file somewhere else, then you can Quit the Updater. Open that cap file with a hex editor, delete the CAPsule header 0 - FFF (Length 1000) and save. What you have now is a 2,560KB update, it isn`t a full bios image.

[pcguy]

Really appreciate the quick response. Did that. The resulting file is, 2,560KB and the first line starts with $TAG

[SMDFlea]

Really appreciate the quick response. Did that. The resulting file is, 2,560KB and the first line starts with $TAG

If you want your bios fixing post your request in this thread https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...os-dump-needed ,make a backup and post it along with your service tag, or make a backup and try the bios at post #2

[volinakis]

Really appreciate the quick response. Did that. The resulting file is, 2,560KB and the first line starts with $TAG

it's only Bios_Region and it has 2621440 bytes. Post your bios backup where SMDFlea told you to see what ME Fw you need to build new bios.