I tried extracting the Bios from the '5430A18.exe' file using the /writehdrfile and /writeromfile flags, but got errors and it didn't work. The E5430 appears to be too new for this tool to work, and I haven't been able to find another way yet to change or delete the service tag. From the video I posted above, it looks like they were able to circumvent CompuTrace by using 'dellbiosreset.iso' to wipe the service tag. I tried a few flashing programs, but they all said my Rom was an invalid file. Dell has no separate flash utility for Rom/Bin/HDR files their Bios files are all EXE. I got stuck when it came time to try to flash the Rom file back. The modules were easy enough to remove, but wasn't sure if I should remove SetupPrep or leave it. I found 2 Computrace modules, and a lot a Computrace references in 'SetupPrep'. I then used 'UEFITool_0.22.4_win' to try to edit the Rom. I used 'Universal BIOS Backup ToolKit 2.0' to try to backup my Bios to a file. I found a video of someone doing this on a different Dell (this is exactly what I'm trying to do): I want to change the setting from 'Activated' to 'Deactivated' so I can then go in and disable it. Once set to one of those two, it can 'never' be changed, and the setting in the Bios is grayed out. 'Deactivated' means it's ready to be set to 'Disabled' or 'Activated'. The one I got had bios A11 on it, and I flashed it to A18 (non-vPro).ĭirect link: /FOLDER04135952M/1/5430A18.exeĬomputrace has 3 settings in the Bios - 'Disabled', 'Deactivated', and 'Activated'. If I can't, they're going to throw these otherwise perfectly good I5 laptops in the shredder. They gave me one of them to play with and try to disable it. If I can disable the Computrace, they're willing to sell them to me for cheap.

The recycling center plans to scrap them for metal, because they all have Computrace active.

An office in my area upgraded their laptops and sent the old ones to a recycling center in my area.

Universal bios backup toolkit 2.0.