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Dell and Alienware BIOS updates break PCs, get recalledAlienware and Inspiron desktop owners beware

Alienware and Inspiron desktop owners beware

One Aurora R8 owner, for instance, reportedlygot stuck in an infinite crash loopafter what initially appeared to be a routine BIOS update. At least one Inspiron 5680 alsofailed to boot correctlyalmost immediately after the update was downloaded. Yikes.

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Year In Review | Mystery Steam Reviews (2021 Video Games)

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The problem children appear to the 2.8.0 BIOS version for Inspiron desktops and version 1.0.18 for Alienware systems, with version 1.14.3 causing similar issues for Latitude laptops. If you have a potentially vulnerable Dell system, and have already downloaded the “critical updates” that include one of these latest BIOS versions, you should probably roll back to an older version ASAP. Rolling back also seems to fix any issues once they show up, provided you can access the BIOS amid all the failed boots.

It’s easy to dunk on prebuilt PCs when the DIY building route tends to offer more value (and, frankly, is more fun). Manufacturer updates that put the entire system temporarily out of commission probably won’t help with that kind of perception. Even so, prebuilds can have their uses: with it being so difficult to find GPU stock at the moment, buying an entire system is one of the more reliable ways to secure yourself one of thebest graphics cards.