Medion P5370 E (MD8866) - Boot Issues - BIOS Corrupted - Help Flashing BIOS

[lostandadrift]

Hi there,

TLDR:

I'm pretty sure the BIOS is corrupt and a new one needs flashing. I'm looking for a BIOS download link for an ECS B150H4-EM_DDR4 S1151 IPO V3 (MSN: 2006 3015). I've seen a couple of very helpful superusers/mods on here supplying these to others in similar situations and would be very grateful if they could come to my rescue too (I hope you don't mind the tag @daddle ). Much appreciated!

Long version for context:

I have an old Akoya P5370 E (MD 8866, MSN: 1002 1376). The motherboard model sticker says B150H4-EM, and the MSN sticker next to it is 2006 3015, which matches the motherboard listed on the P5370's product page, where it is listed as "MB ECS ECS B150H4-EM_DDR4 S1151 IPO V3". 

I turned the PC on yesterday after a long time in storage and an even longer career as a Linux based game server. Discrete GPU is absent and all drives/devices have been removed for the purposes of troubleshooting.

Initially, the PC would fail to boot and remain stuck on the Medion splash screen. This was from the linux server's 2.5" SATA boot drive. After removing and replacing the cmos battery and disconnecting the 2.5" drive, I got it to boot from an Ubuntu installation on a usb stick, with no other drives installed, and everything worked fine.

I then shut it down, removed the usb, and added the original m.2 SATA boot drive that shipped with the PC and, as far as I can remember, still has the original Windows 10 installation on it (though the rest of the drive has been used for other data storage since).

It failed to boot, and stayed stuck on the motherboard splash screen again. I turned the PC off again, and reinserted the Ubuntu USB.

When I tried to boot it, it eventually landed on a black screen with the message "(A7) Me Downgrade - Request MeSpiLock Failed".

I have since removed the m.2, done the battery reset twice, and jumped the CLR_CMOS pins once, but no subsequent boot attempts are able to output any display signal at all (CPU and PSU fans do spin, and power LED is on).

I looked up the "Me Downgrade" message and the results suggest the bios is corrupted and needs to be flashed. After a fair bit of fruitless searching, I found a thread on here where the link for the V2 version of the same MB was posted, and I'm hoping for the same resolution.

Thanks to anyone reading this for your time and attention. It's very cool to find such an active community that still supports people with these older devices.

Cheers

[daddle]

@lostandadrift 

 To follow up the mixed up bootsessions is from far away quite invane. What changed the Ubuntu stick or the linux server diskt ro your UEFI: Did it change the bootloader to that respect, that Windows can  not boot? 

Second possibility ist a defective GPU chip in the proc. But that looks less possible to me.

Than it rather would be a complete proc breakdown, and no POST would run.

So you could try two to three ways.

1. Prepare with help of  the Media Creation Tool  a Windows Install and Repair stick. Boot from it, choose Repair in one of the first screens, and try to repair the bootsections (Startverhalten).

Sometimes it helps, although Win RE often replies, we couldn't repair -> inspite of it  try a reboot. Sometimes out of the blue something has changed, and the Pc boots suddenly your Windows disk.

2. Check if on your so far unchanged  Windows boot disk there is a OEM partition at the end of the disk. If you didn't change the partition scheme (which I doubt a little 😉), you could start the PC with the  F11 Tab pressed.

It should load a small OS with the PowerRecover program, which can install the factory image. But the folder Recover on the partition D or E:\ must be still present.

If you meddled with the partitions, Power Recover will not work anymore

3. You could do a new Windows installation from scratch with the Windows USB stick, instead of calling the repair features just let it go on and install Windows anew.

.

Cheers, daddle

Edit: I do not think it is a Bios Version problem, other wise it couldn't start and boot Ubuntu 

[Fishtown]

Hello @lostandadrift  and welcome!

Are you still able to access the BIOS despite the error message (A7)?

bye Fishtown

[lostandadrift]

Hi @daddle ,

Thank you very much for the thorough advice. 

I'm not sure I understand the first couple sentences of your message. Could you clarify?

To clarify something, myself: My issue at the moment is that it isn't POSTing at all, regardless of the drive/OS. The Ubuntu stick only worked once, before I attempted the Windows boot, and since that attempt any and all tries have resulted in no signs of life other than fan-spin.

Regardless, I will try booting with a Repair stick and see how I go. Thank you 🙂

[lostandadrift]

Hi @Fishtown , and thank you!

I only got the error message once, and I did not try to access the BIOS on that boot. Since that time, I have been getting no video signal at all. My screen stays in sleep mode.

Cheers

[lostandadrift]

Update:
First boot attempts today has resulted in [some] life!

On the first one, it beeped at me three(?) times but had no video.

On the second, it has display output! 

I tried to boot into Setup with the Del key, but it has just stayed stuck on the American Megatrends start-up screen. Stay tuned

[lostandadrift]

Ok.
We are back to the (A7) Error. It showed the boot screen for a second and then it went to A7.

This is using the Ubuntu stick that worked fine yesterday

The only solution people seem to suggest for this particular error online is to flash the BIOS because it's likely corrupt.

 @daddle , are you sure this wouldn't be the way to go?

[daddle]

@lostandadrift 

yes, you could try..

But I do not know if you can boot from any stick  if the post fails repeatedly .

May be you have an overheating problem with the CPU. Replace the Thermal paste on it. 

If you work in the inside, you always have to discharge yourself  ->  contact the metallic frame of the PC housing, than you are on the same static level. And always disconnect the PC from the wall outlet  (with a laptop disconnect the battery)

daddle

daddle