A few weeks ago, I let Dell's software assistant (or whatever it's called) do a recommended "URGENT" BIOS upgrade. That bricked the machine -- two amber, followed by six white. A new motherboard was dispatched and replaced. Problem fixed.
It had been up for 19 days this morning when I decided to apply Windows update KB5005101. It downloaded it, installed it, and then went to reboot -- bricked. Two amber, six white.
I called tech support, and they had be re-seat the RAM (no change) and then remove it (a code of 2-3 now).
So, yet ANOTHER motherboard is going in (this coming Wednesday) over an update. I SORT OF get the first one -- updating the firmware CAN be a dicey proposition, but Dell said it was critical. But a WINDOWS update? C'mon.
No, power wasn't lost mid-stream (it's on a UPS).
This is getting frustrating -- am I going to need a new mobo after every update?
This is a list of fixes for the KB release. I am wondering if somewhere along the line Dell SA auto downloaded and installed the BIOS update. And this is really off the wall, if that download was synced to One Drive and then reinstalled during the MS update.
I am not a Dell employee...I am forum volunteer
Serious work on an E5430 and constantly building and working on an i5-6500 Desktop
Turning OFF pc while 5005101 is installing can crash windows to the BLACK SCREEN of Death. Takes several hours sometimes to install. Its better to download the almost 600 gig update and run it offline standalone. KB article numbers: KB5005101
6/15/21 IMPORTANT This release includes the Flash Removal Package. Taking this update will remove Adobe Flash from the machine. For more information, see the Update on Adobe Flash Player End of Support.
KB5005101 is a preview update and the final version is going to be released in the form of the September Update
My 2 cents :
1) never install preview updates , because being a test subject is not a good thing
2) pause entirely updates until askwoody gives the green light to install ( this means delay the monthly updates by 24/25 days and let others be the test subjects for the standard updates )
PS @ThomasLG , which precision workstation do you own ? (so that I can put a manual note here about the specific bios update, in case)
Hi, @speedstep. I didn't turn the PC off -- it downloaded the update, installed it, and said it needed to reboot. I let it, and when it was going to come up, I got the dreaded 2-6 LED code. Something in the Windows update (or something ELSE that got done) messed things up. I didn't let Dell's software do the update; I did it from Windows Update. After the 2-6 code, I DID turn it off, but by then, the damage was done.
Hi, @mazzinia. It's a Precision 5820, i9. I have it pretty well loaded up -- 32 GB RAM, three 4-TB drives in RAID 5, Dell's 4400 GPU driving a 32:9 monitor, a cheap second GPU for the other two screens, a TV tuner (I'm digitizing some old VHS tapes), and my M.2 NVMe drive is on a PCIe x16 card.
When I first purchased it, the unit was DOA, but it sat around the house more than 30 days before I unboxed it, so I went around and around with Dell to get a new unit as a replacement, rather than a refurb. The new one worked great. Until I attempted a "critical" BIOS update, which bricked it. Then it worked great for another three weeks until THIS update, which bricked it. I'm vewwy vewwy gun-shy at this point!
I'm about to get my third motherboard for a 5820T in 7 months. I called last Sunday. Yes, I realize it was a weekend day, and that the next day was a US Federal holiday. I expected the part to be dispatched Tuesday, and service was originally scheduled for Wednesday. As frustrating as "Sunday to Wednesday" was, I understood, and was prepared for it.
Then Wednesday came and went, and I was told there was a problem with the shipping carrier, and that the technician didn't have the part. So I was rescheduled for Thursday. Thursday came and went, and I was re-scheduled for Friday. Now Friday has come and gone, and no part, and no technician. I called WWTS's 866 number and got their "central switchboard" (with toddlers screaming in the background), and was told that the part HAD arrived yesterday, but that they're experiencing "higher than normal volume", and my service has been delayed until Monday.
This is an utterly unacceptable level of service. I chose to go with Dell, rather than spec components and build my own, largely because of the warranty. I felt that even if something DID go wrong, I wouldn't be down for more than a couple of days. After all, Dell is standing behind it.
Now it's going to take me 8 days to get a mobo replaced for the second time. If they don't push me from Monday to Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Not a happy camper.
DELL-Chris M
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Posted October 6th, 2021 11:00
Update September 18, 2021 = A DELL-Cares agent setup service. User states PC seems to be running OK.
DELL-Chris M (old account)
#IWork4Dell