Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops

From	Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.hardware
Subject	Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops
Date	2021-03-07 07:37 +0000
Message-ID	<iaje5gF4lvpU1@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References	<b9b3daf8-f030-4902-b4b6-fcbc8753305an@googlegroups.com>

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On 6 Mar 2021 at 18:18:37, Wojciech Zabolotny <wzab01@gmail.com> wrote:
> Last week, my old (over 10 years!) but still good dual boot (Linux/Windows) Dell Vostro 3750 started to behave erratically. 
> The BIOS started and asked for the machine password, but after that the Grub didn't appear. The screen remained black. First the machine started every third power-on, but then it started only during the first power-up after a long switch-off period.
>  When started, the machine could work very long without any problems.
> I suspected that the problem is associated with the temperature. Probably the BIOS FLASH memory cells lost the charge, and stopped to produce the correct data at higher temperature.
> Finally I have decided to reflash the BIOS. After long cooling of the machine I managed to boot Windows and started the 3750A14.exe obtained from Dell as the still newest BIOS for my machine (the same was used for last 9 years).
> The BIOS got reflashed with the "new" (in fact the same) BIOS. After reboot all the problems disappeared.
> It looks like indeed the problem was caused by the FLASH gradually loosing information.
> I post that in case if you experience the similar problems with old laptops (even from other vendors). Maybe refreshing of BIOS will solve also your problems? Maybe doing it every 5 years is siply a good practice?

Change the battery.

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Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops to boot? Wojciech Zabolotny <wzab01@gmail.com> - 2021-03-06 10:18 -0800
  Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com> - 2021-03-07 07:37 +0000
    Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Wojciech Zabolotny <wzab01@gmail.com> - 2021-03-07 01:33 -0800
      Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Henrik Carlqvist <Henrik.Carlqvist@deadspam.com> - 2021-03-07 13:45 +0000
        Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Andrew <Doug@hyperspace.vogon.gov> - 2021-03-07 22:41 +0100
          Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops "David W. Hodgins" <dwhodgins@nomail.afraid.org> - 2021-03-07 17:45 -0500
          Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Scott Alfter <scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us> - 2021-03-16 19:10 +0000
          Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Wojciech Zabolotny <wzab01@gmail.com> - 2021-05-31 14:39 -0700
            Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Wojciech Zabolotny <wzab01@gmail.com> - 2021-05-31 14:47 -0700
            Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Henrik Carlqvist <Henrik.Carlqvist@deadspam.com> - 2021-06-01 05:29 +0000
              Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Peter 'Shaggy' Haywood <phaywood@alphalink.com.au> - 2021-06-03 10:44 +1000
              Re: Refreshing of BIOS FLASH memory - a cure for old computer that stops Andrew <Doug@hyperspace.vogon.gov> - 2021-06-04 11:44 +0200

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