Stupid BIOS Question

[River Valley Computer]

I mean, it could be one bad ROM across board... But as you said, symptom, not the problem.

If you're getting errors with nothing besides motherboard, RAM and CPU sitting out of the case on something safe and plugged into a separate PSU, its most likely RAM or possibly (but improbable unless someone tinkered) CPU.

Random BSOD codes very often is RAM.

RAM and CPU were changed.

Edit: Wonder if the EZ Flash 3 is WinPE based. Would explain the source of the BSOD Windows error w/o a drive attached.

The BIOS update was via a USB Flash Drive with no issues - no BSOD.

 

[River Valley Computer]

I consider that highly likely. Or a PSU. Fading Power supplies can make memory chips act wonky giving the same results. Gotta have 5 volts, not 4.5 or weird stuff can happen.

WINDOWS BSOD with not storage devices? PSU was replaced by the way.

 

[River Valley Computer]

Yep! Why I suggested doing testing right on bench with diff PSU (Or build yourself an open air test bench.)

I have seen PSUs cause weird and magical bugs that even look like memory during memtest86

I keep repeating - Windows BSOD with NO storage devices. That is what we can't explain.

 

[MudRock]

Wonder if the EZ Flash 3 is WinPE based. Would explain the source of the BSOD Windows error w/o a drive attached.

Still shouldn't cause BSOD inside of a drive install of Windows. If (edit for clarity)both BIOS WinPE and your Windows install is BSODing...

If it happens when you've changed everything, not sure what to tell you. If it was a bad published BIOS, you should be seeing a slew of comments online by now.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It can't come out of thin air. You either have some kind of WindowsPE built-in the motherboard or you have a flash drive attached to it and it is trying to boot off it.

 

[NviGate Systems]

How to remove unwanted UEFI (NVRAM) boot manager entries on Windows 10

dynabook Europe GmbH Knowledge Base - Technical Support Bulletin

aps2.support.emea.dynabook.com

This is worth a try, a corrupt NVRAM entry could potentially cause your issue. Windows 10 keeps certian things in the BIOS/UEFI space.

 

[timeshifter]

What is on the BSOD? Any particular STOP error codes or whatever? Post a pic of it??

 

[TazUk]

We are currently investigating this 128 MB Flash ROM

That wouldn'd be large enough to hold WindowsPE especially as most if it will be taken up with the BIOS itself.

 

[River Valley Computer]

We resolved the problem. The customer picked it up. It was more a personal vendetta to find out rather than to repair it but no luck.

 

[sapphirescales]

but still seems like a galactically bad idea to me.

Yeah, no kidding. If motherboard manufacturers are having a hard time finding room for M.2 SSDs then they should support U.2 instead. We need U.2 consumer drives. There's no reason why we should be trying to cram M.2 SSDs onto tinier and tinier motherboards.

Using the SATA form factor for M.2 drives would also allow room for cooling solutions inside the SATA enclosure. M.2 drives get HOT, in fact some manufacturers are even selling large heat sinks with fans to put on your M.2 drive.

If Intel's new power delivery standard becomes widely adopted then we'll have even less room on the motherboard. Putting a lot of the power supply's components on the motherboard is going to take up a lot of space so we'll have even less room for M.2 drives (or anything else).

 

[River Valley Computer]

Please don't tell us how you fixed it. It's a lot more fun to keep speculating.

We waved a white flag. This one got 4 of us with over 100 years of experience baffled. We sure would have liked to solve it but couldn't put anymore time in it because we are very busy right now with things we CAN fix.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Don't you hate it when it sneers at you! I absolutely hate to let these things beat me but there comes a time when you just have to let it go.