Quick BIOS question on a Laptop RMA returned to me still with faults today :(

JasX

So I've had my laptop returned today from msi's UK repair centre.

It was sent in originally due to a dodgy RAM stick and buggy/crashing BIOS.

Recieved it back today with a repair report claiming RAM and motherboard have been changed out.... however while the RAM now looks OK the BIOS faults persist and, very tellingly, the specific changes I made in BIOS to mitigate the BIOS faults (running it in IDE rather than RAID mode) are all still configured.

I thought the BIOS settings wouldn't have survived a motherboard change, anyone see any way they could have done before I go accuse msi of telling blatant lies on their repair report?

Its an msi GX660R high spec gaming laptop

davb

The only thing I can think of is if they backed up the original settings to USB and then restored to the 'new' motherboard - very doubtful though.

JasX

can think of no reason they would have done that.... I even sent them a paper note taped to it specifically requesting they reload factory default BIOS settings (it has a built in automatic option for that)

davb

The BIOS settings are definitely stored on the motherboard, so a new board would have new settings. It's hard to tell if it has been changed without info from before the repair, eg serial number. You could check to see if the base screws seem to have been removed/replaced.
I had a similar thing with an Xbox, which came back with the same LAN MAC address after a 'motherboard swap'.

JJ_Egan

Simple if you have a new motherboard then you have a new BIOS as its on the board .

Check the serial etc on the motherboard if you can and date of build .

IDE mode might have set that at the shop as hardly likely to set a laptop in RAID mode unless its a multi Hard drive model ???.

Bios should also have a revision date showing in Bios setup .



jje

spakkker

" . . before I go accuse msi of telling blatant lies on their repair report? " - No, no, no! - at this early stage they have possibly just made a simple error , haven't they ???
They have sorted the ram problem very nicely ,and you are very grateful for that , but seem to have somehow 'overlooked' the m/board bios fault.
It means sending it back , of course, for them to sort out their oversight with the m/board , a simple mistake which anyone could make quite easily.
You just want the bloody thing fixing -by yesterday - no point upsetting those you need to help you.
You can think what you like and make funny faces while on the phone but I think you will get farthest , quickest by being firm but polite.

JasX

JJ_Egan wrote: »

IDE mode might have set that at the shop as hardly likely to set a laptop in RAID mode unless its a multi Hard drive model ???.

It's a 'just released' multi hard drive model where RAID 0 is the factory default it was delivered with. Setting its pair of high spec SATA drives back to the 1986 designed, 2003 obsoleted IDE protocol seems a very odd thing to do no?

Spakker I'm afraid I substantially disagree with your approach, they've had it for THREE times their quoted target time turnaround time and exceeded their 'guranteed maximum' by over a week. They've claimed work clearly not completed. Also managed all this having had a detailed fault description presented to them by me on day 1 "Failing memtest86+ testing in range xxx, suggest needs a new RAM stick, ALSO I quoted specific bios errors/freeze points with a clear request to ensure they address both faults before returning the machine. To have not bothered at all with the second fault required a substantial degree of sloppyness not a 'simple error'.

Anyway's email was sent at 5pm..... by 6.45pm I'd had a call from a few management tiers up the ladder apologising and promising to personally see to putting it right.

spakkker

I know they've seriously fu*ked up. Obviously it's not a "simple error". " a substantial degree of sloppyness"-your words- doesn't come near describing lazy bas*ards who can't do anything fu**ing right!
I was just saying be polite and try not to p!ss them off- you have now had a result , of sorts, so good. Where would you have been if someone had decided not to call you back at 6.45pm.
I know what I would do with someone screaming down the phone at me.

JasX

I hear what you're saying Spakker, don't worry neither my letter nor phone call were 'flying off the handle' peppered with four letter words.

It simply contained the facts and a statement that "based on the 'as found' condition of the machine their report claiming to have swapped the motherboard appears to be materially false"

oh... and a link to a silent 30s youtube video of me scrolling through BIOS demonstrating all the still present faults

JJ_Egan

JasX wrote: »

It's a 'just released' multi hard drive model where RAID 0 is the factory default it was delivered with. Setting its pair of high spec SATA drives back to the 1986 designed, 2003 obsoleted IDE protocol seems a very odd thing to do no?

As i said .
IDE mode might have set that at the shop as hardly likely to set a laptop in RAID mode unless its a multi Hard drive model ???.

jje