Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

[Dimitrios]

Hello friends! I am an experienced tech but have never seen that kind of behavior. A laptop came for regular checkup and maybe a new disk complaining also for wifi shutting down many times. I formated it with windows 10 and got it updated fully and all good. Gave it to client only to get it back after 2 days. I tried to test it but after rebooting sometimes it got stuck with this unusual problem.
It sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen at all properly on Windows. I can restart it properly but if I press shutdown it refuses to start or it gives a complete black screen no light nothing and after 2-3 minutes it is magically revived. Sometime it does not start at all though. Changed RAM and slots, removed wifi and touchpad, even keyboard doing the same thing. Trief to reflash BIOS from Samsung utility but refuses cause it is the same version. I do not have a BIOS programmer still... Currently I am trying to mess with secure boot and UEFi... What do you think guys??

[piernov]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

If the screen stays black for a couple of minutes then you see the BIOS POST screen, then chances are it is a BIOS issue. You need to flash a full dump using an external programmer.

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Hmm yeah thats what I am thinking. I mean I tried to do a BIOS flash from Windows downloading the latest flash utility but was stuck at reading bios and then freezing... I guess I will buy that programmer after all. Should have done that sooner... I wonder if that indeed fixes the problem!

[petehall347]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

probably ms broke it with updates ..happens all the time so i hear on other sites .

[mcplslg123]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Might be me region corrupt in bios. However, you need a external programmer to fix that.

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Are the updates able to distort the BIos chip?? Wow...
One idea came to mind. I have a carprog lying around with 4 pin soic clip! Can I use it? How to identify the EEPROM chip code?

[piernov]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Nope, won't work. In this screenshot I see support for "24C" type ROM, which are I²C. BIOS ROM are SPI, usually "25Q". However if you have a Raspberry Pi it is able to flash SPI ROM using flashrom. (you may be able to do it with an Arduino too).

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Yes you are right my Bios chip is also 25LC...Bought it for airbag reset but proved useless. I ordered a TVP2588U+ Bios Programmer locally so it arrives faster. Should I reprogram both chips?

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Got the programmer but I do not like its quality and has very little options on chips numbers. However I managed to program one eeprom MXIC MX25L1605D but same symptoms applies and not even booting once. At least before it booted after 6-8 times...

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

BIOS file has a little bigger size on disk (2MB) and my programmer wont let me flash. Keeps saying excess data dropped... What can I do?

[mcplslg123]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

BIOS file has a little bigger size on disk (2MB) and my programmer wont let me flash. Keeps saying excess data dropped... What can I do?

Is there any detect or auto detect option in the software interface of your new programmer??? If so then use that option.

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

The problem is that the size is a little higher than 2 MB....
Thanks for replying!

[dellxps15]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

probably u need to clean me region and reprogram bios file.

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

A quick reflow on the northbridge and flashed both bios chips but still the same. No video black screen and only power button lit...

[dellxps15]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

what nb it has ? if the small intel u need reball as reflow doesnt work most of the time.

[Dimitrios]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

NB is 11 E239B323 SJTNV, Mobile Intel® HM70 Express Chipset

[dellxps15]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

if u can try to reball it

[foulou0238]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Hello ,
i think that the probleme is from Me management you can tray to cleare ME before do any other tests .
good luck

[bohemian]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

Hello ,
i think that the probleme is from Me management you can tray to cleare ME before do any other tests .
good luck

can you explain more

[foulou0238]

Re: Samsung NP350E5C sometimes opens after 2 minutes of no screen

hello ;
send me the Dump of your bios and i will try to clear the Intel ME for you .

Best regards