No boot Bios block3 damaged error.

[Ivan]

toshiba forum: http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/post!default.jspa?forumID=49

Binary package hint: ubuntu-docs

System failure NO BOOT. error message Bios block 3 damaged. No access to cd or bios setup or usb. Laptop Toshiba Portege 4010. Latest version Ubuntu 9.10 arrived in mail last week from Ubuntu.Desktop Edition.D6156:1 Followed setup up instrauctions to install....seemed to go ok. On reboot.....error message Bios block 3 damaged on black screen. Considering removing battery to reset bios to default if that is possible.....?????????
Thank You .... Ivan

[Connor Imes (ckimes)]

Ivan,

Thanks for your report. It looks like you are experiencing hardware problems not related to Ubuntu (just a coincidence that you were installing the system). Have you tried resetting the BIOS on your system? You are using an older model laptop, you may need to replace the system battery, or the computer could just be suffering from age. You could also try flashing the BIOS if you can get a version from the manufacturer's website.

Please let us know if the suggestions above work or not.

[Ivan (doubleo)]

Hey there Connor,

    Thanks for your response.
    Yes the laptop is a few years old but has run xp mce for about 5
years and
    never missed a beat.
    My son was going to start using it exclusively for Python and Ubuntu.

    There was a handful of posts on the net relating to the identical
message
    and I have contacted the people concerned but not yet heard anything
back.
    Have also emailed Toshiba US and AUS regarding the problem.

    I have removed the cmos battery for several hours, replaced the ram,
fiddled with the
    hard drive and called upon the god's to intervene.
    No joy at all.

    The fan starts but nothing else.
    The message appears on screen before the bios even has a chance to start
     the post routine.

    As best I can figure the bios boot sequence starts with video and
video ram but
    will wait till I get more information before fiddling with it.
    I can't access anything.....bios,dvd,usb .... zippo.

    In one of Toshiba's forums there was mention of some kind of factory
installed
    hidden partition on the hdd with vital operating system requirements.
    It related to Toshiba Satellite laptops and there may be some connection
    but I can't figure that yet.

    From what I could tell Ubuntu formatted the entire hard drive,
booted up after install
    but on the next boot, that message.
    I tend to agree that the problem may not be directly related to Ubuntu.

    When I get the problem solved....will let you know the ins and outs.

    You sound fairly experienced with software / hardware and if you
have a vision in the
    night of something worth trying please let me know.

`Again...... Many Thanks ..... Ivan

Connor Imes wrote:
> Ivan,
>
> Thanks for your report. It looks like you are experiencing hardware
> problems not related to Ubuntu (just a coincidence that you were
> installing the system). Have you tried resetting the BIOS on your
> system? You are using an older model laptop, you may need to replace
> the system battery, or the computer could just be suffering from age.
> You could also try flashing the BIOS if you can get a version from the
> manufacturer's website.
>
> Please let us know if the suggestions above work or not.
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu-docs (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
>

[Connor Imes (ckimes)]

Ivan, thanks for getting back to us. Based on your response, I will close this bug report. If you find later that the problem is indeed an issue with Ubuntu, please re-open the bug by changing the status back to New and we will try to assign it to the correct package.
Cheers and good luck.

[andreinicolae (andrei-nicolae)]

I have installed Ubuntu 9.10 on a Toshiba 1800 C1100 - PS183C-00VF1P ... after running very slowly because of some videocard driver problems (TRIDENT)... I decided to restart it and now it won't boot and I get the EXACT same error!

It cannot be a coincidence... I am going nuts as this is not my laptop and it never even crossed my mind that installing Ubuntu for the 1000th time, the bios of a laptop could actually start failing!

I wonder if "IVAN" was able to find a fix for this!

[nonos (vincent-osmont)]

Arrr !!!!

I've just installed Ubuntu 9.10 on a Toshiba S1800-752S PS183E-...

My notebook fails to start : same error.

:(

[Peter Field (peterf)]

Same error 2 days after installing Ubuntu 9.10 on Portege 4010.

[Cowboy4rmLaguna (gabriel-melendez-itesm)]

I definetely consider this an issue to take a look & review it in detail. After I moved to Ubunto 9.10 everything was going well after the refresh of my home office server (I was trying to improve my work efficency with Ubuntu) & my Toshiba 2405 -S201 crashed exactly as the thread originator mentioned. BIOS (Block 1) damaged. I can`t find a work around & I'm really frustrated with Ubuntu 'coz I was trying to improve but actually my Laptop crashed. Unnaceptable!

[Tony Yung (tony-gnuy)]

I get the same error on my Toshiba Satellite 1400 PS140C and Ubuntu 9.10. Anyone have any ideas? I need this fixed ASAP.

[Jagadish Mohan (jagimc)]

Hi, i installed ubuntu 2days back in Toshiba protege ! same error. is there a solution to fix it?

[bobemoe (bobemoe)]

Same error: "BIOS(Block1) Damaged" after installing Ubuntu 10.04 x86 32bit from the Alternate CD on a Toshiba T9100.

From the nature of the error message I too assumed it was not related to Ubuntu, but finding this bug report certainly raises some questions! So I thought I'd add my experience to the list of reports...

I did get Ubuntu to boot a couple of times, installed updates and tested everything, all seemed OK, had to disable suspend but thats not unusual, but then after returning the laptop to its owner, the first time they booted it they just got this message.

[Michele Caselli (michele-caselli)]

Same error: "BIOS(Block1) Damaged call service man with maintenance disk"
after installing Ubuntu 10.04 on TOSHIBA SATELLITE 1800.
After installation i've got only the problem with video resolution. Ubuntu recognise 800x600 instead of 1024x720.

i used my laptop a couple of time to test it then it did not work anymore and now that error dont allow me to use my old Toshiba.
Anybody know how to fix it?
I have a cd to recover software but the error does not allow to open cd driver.

[Dylan Justice (dsjstc)]

I have this issue after installing Maverick on a Portege 3500. It worked great for a while, and then I changed the power settings to allow it to S3. Boom! Bad block 3, just like the others have reported.

This sounds like a possible ACPI issue to me.

[David Buckner (davidbuckq)]

Same issue installing Ubuntu 10.1 on a Portege 3500. Bad block 3 on 2nd boot. Have no idea how or if I can proceed with using this laptop.

[Jonathan Kollasch (jakllsch)]

Same issue on a Portege 3500 here.

[bobemoe (bobemoe)]

I ended up writing the laptop off :( Had a few people look at it including a BIOS geek and the general verdict is beyond economical repair.

Anyway, I see there are a few more reports coming in, all Toshiba's affected a very low number of reboots after installing Ubuntu. So, perhaps there is something connected to Ubuntu here? How do we re-open the bug by changing the status back to New as Connor Imes suggested in comment #3 ? If Ubuntu is bricking laptops I think it should be investigated ASAP.

I no longer have the laptop so wont be following this anymore, but I'll document what I found out:

The laptop just displays the error message instantly after power on, no POST checks, no attempt to boot from HD, CD or USB flash. As it is asking for a "maintenance disk" I tried a USB floppy drive and you can hear it is accessing the floppy when you press any key, but nothing happens and the error remains. I tried a couple of DOS boot disks, even putting the BIOS update files on one.

The maintenance disk is apparently "simply a floppy with rewritten code on the first few sectors that bypassed any kind of checksum or self-diagnostic." - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/50509-35-toshiba-445cdx-bios-damage-error-message

Whether that would even help and whether there are any disks even in existence, I don't know. I have searched a few common places for ISO and images etc, nothing.

The only other thing that I changed is that I had installed a new hard disk and RAM before installing Ubuntu. Did anyone else make hardware changes before the install?

Thats it folks, good luck and I hope you all get your machines to boot again!

[Tomáš Kvasnica (tomkvasnica)]

Same issue on Portege 3500. Bad block3 in 3 weeks with Ubuntu 10.10

[Omar Loud (e-xay)]

Hello everyone, really this seem to be a serious problem I also had a Toshiba - Satellite 1800 S274, also it is coincidence that I barely installed Ubuntu then there appeared a black screen y turned off the PC then when I powered back on it appeared a the same message "Bios block 3 is damaged" and so and so, I hope don't have to extract the hard drive and trow the laptop to the trash, its obvious that it is related to Ubuntu.

Oh My God! :S

[Omar Loud (e-xay)]

Hello again guy I hope some help could come from here

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10280898#post10280898

[Ivan (doubleo)]

Never managed to fix or get mine fixed.
Finished up with a better laptop running Windows 7.

If you run a computer flawlessly for years and then install a different operating system and it then "permanently" dies, it may well be pure coincidence, but there seems to be a lot of "coincidences" happening.

If someone ever identifies the cause of this problem be it Ubuntu or Toshiba I would love to see the answer.

Ivan

[David Buckner (davidbuckq)]

Bobemoe, I also wrote the laptop off. It's too bad because the reason I was doing this in the first place was to give to one of my dad's employees so he could play online poker and surf the net (I had long since stopped using it).

Now he has to find one elsewhere and I don't have a backup laptop anymore.

But no, I hadn't made any hardware changes to it - ever.

[David Buckner (davidbuckq)]

Gah, sorry about the multiposting, but I thought it might be helpful to mention that like someone else, the two times I actually managed to boot before the error, Ubuntu did not seem to recognize any resolution for my monitor higher than 800x600 and could do nothing with my wifi card either.

[Wickeido (wickeido)]

Hello, I ended up on this board searching the error that killed my laptop, and I think it's the right thing to share my experience with you.

I installed Jolicloud on my Toshiba Portege 3500. It was working for about 30 minutes. Then it suddely froze. I restarted it, and... voila! The bios bad block 3 message showed up.

Since then I can't start the laptop. It was working fine for 5 years, without any problem.

It's not Ubunto related...but hey...something inside linux killed my laptop :(

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Same here folks, a nice clean Toshiba 3500: BIOS(Block3) is damaged ! Ran Kubuntu for about a week, was trying to load Ubuntu to see if it might resolve some display and sound issues Kubuntu was giving me - suddenly only the BIOS message and a madly spinning fan... I've had a dead laptop for a month. Tried all kinds of BIOS/CMOS resets, saw some repair guys: nothing...

This forum is looking like my last hope...

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

I just called Toshiba. They are aware of the issue. I told them it is happening on various Toshiba machines with various flavors of Linux (mainly Ubuntu). They said I need a CMOS battery reset (obviously) and then not to install Linux again. Great solution, huh ?! Since I am out of warranty a Toshiba Service Center "or your nearest Best Buy" can rest the CMOS "for a charge". I argued that it is a Toshiba issue and should be fixed free of charge - but no luck with that so far... (Maybe if enough people complain.)

[Ken Moore (denshi)]

I had the same "BIOS(Block3) is damaged" error after trying the 10.10 live CD on my Toshiba Portege A100. Too many reports of this with Toshiba laptops to be just a coincidence.

[JosephCarter (carterdesigns)]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the same boat here. Toshiba Satellite, 1805-S204. Trying to help out a relative having troubles with XP - installed Ubuntu 9.10 - it worked, rebooted several times but only displayed 800x600. Was planning on going back to XP, went to install, and BIOS (Block3) is damaged" message also appeared here. only drive it wants to access is the Floppy drive. don't have any floppies handy - and not seeing people having success here.

Any feedback would be appreciated - have another older toshiba that i was considering ubuntu on, definitely going to avoid until there is resolution on this issue - too many laptops having coincidental BIOS failure when installing Linux. not cool.

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

I just called Toshiba support, [phone], and explained our problem again. I referred them to this forum, this bug report, so they can read about it themselves... We now have Case # 110208-006462. It is being moved up the tech-support hierarchy at Toshiba - hopefully toward a positive outcome for all our "damaged" BIOS's and a fix for those those in future who will certainly experience the same...

I suggest calling Toshiba, (800) 457-777,, referring to Case # 110208-006462, and adding your concern to the case...

[SKJRDD (fmyddnmbl)]

Same problem here: Satellite 1800-214, and same trouble about display 800x600. Before the "Block 3 damaged" stop, changed succesfully the resolution to full screen going in failsafe graphics mode.

[Dylan Justice (dsjstc)]

FYI: I pulled my CMOS battery for a couple of hours, hoping that maybe it was just invalid CMOS settings. No joy; don't bother.

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Right, I also drained the CMOS battery in hope of a reset - nothing. I just installed Ubuntu 10.10 on a cheap Acer Aspire 3680 and it works beautifully ! I used the same Live CD I did on the Toshiba. It's not the Ubuntu. It's something about those Toshibas... Toshiba should come up with a fix in my opinion.

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Btw, I have a Toshiba M200 and a Toshiba M400, still running WinXP. I want to run Ubuntu on them but right now I don't dare. Is anyone running Ubuntu on these particular Toshibas ?

If there is some fundamental technical incompatibility (beats me what it could be) between Toshiba and Ubuntu, then Toshiba should at least advise which flavors of Linux ARE compatible with their machines. I can see some potential legal issues here for Toshiba if people keep bricking their machines and Toshiba doesn't help. (A car manufacturer cannot force drivers to use only "it's brand of fuel" - and if they don't, the engine will self-destruct - and not tell the drivers about the incompatibility - etc.)

[SKJRDD (fmyddnmbl)]

Just some infoes from the past, maybe useful:

http://www.weizmann.ac.il/home/fesegre/Linux_on_a_Toshiba_Satellite_1800-712.html

http://www.motherboardpoint.com/wanted-toshiba-satellite-1800-motherboard-t140842.html
(what does he mean with "funny bios thing"?)

http://www.bootdisk.com/

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

So it looks like the first guy got Red Hat going on a Toshiba Satellite with lots of effort fixing the bugs, and the second guy was looking for a new motherboard because his BIOS was dead ? I think a BIOS flash can fix our Toshiba problems - but I think Toshiba should do it !

Btw, Someone sold an M400 on Ebay with Ubuntu 10.4 installed, so maybe that model Toshiba no longer has the BIOS-wrecking incompatibility problem ? Toshiba owes us some answers/fixes...

[SKJRDD (fmyddnmbl)]

I think the problem started here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=2705017#post2705017

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Thanks SKJROD, that link was interesting ! Very crooked ! Now I wonder if we all have that Phoenix/Microsoft BIOS ? Clearly whatever BIOS we have is rejecting our OS installations. The warning shouldn't say "damaged", it should say "BIOS has rejected your non-Toshiba/Microsoft OS"

My experience still makes me think Toshiba is at the root of the problem. They chose the BIOS. My Toshiba 3500 came to me used with WINXP TABLET installed and a valid Microsoft COA sticker on the bottom - however it was giving me a warning that activation was expiring in 1 day. I called Microsoft immediately and they began working on it. At the end of a long battle they finally said they can't help, that I need the Toshiba-specific version of WINXP TABLET, that I need the "original Toshiba WINXP" disks to stop the deactivation. I didn't have them. They deactivated my computer. So I turned to Toshiba and they wouldn't help either ("We no longer support this machine"). So I had this nice clean Toshiba 3500 without a functioning OS (only booting in safe mode gave me some slight access but most functions were blocked). So, logically, I switched to Linux, first KUBUNTU, then UBUNTU - then got my "damaged" BIOS.

 At the very least Toshiba owes us a BIOS fix and a fresh install of XP - if the BIOS truly is incapable of accepting Ubuntu. They should have put a huge WARNING label on the machines !

[SKJRDD (fmyddnmbl)]

Excuse me for the multiposting. I realize we have three chances:

a) Use some tricks: the crews, the memory case, the black cover, the jumpers, the flat...shorted...wipe CMOS... Boom! Scroogle is our friend.

b) Stop engines: give us the san antonio-phoenix, bye bye birdie, welcome puppy, minix, Knuth, Chomsky, Von Neumann and the meteo-gang: back at the John Hopkins with C.S.Peirce.

c) Straightforward. We have to take the last ACPI Bios (just for example,and for 1800, here: http://downloadnew.org/software/toshiba-satellite-1800-bios/by_downloads/ ). Old machines still "supported", but after this page (e.g.) http://www.ehow.com/facts_7735099_acpi-flash-bios.html , i've understood.
But there is a problem, because I don't know IF the ACPI Bios follows the strictly (Intel!) rules used in the recent Linux distributions. The .pdf-attachment is very clear. Looking around these bugs, I fear the same old story: Snow White, the Apple (now...pretty inside!) and the Queen. Few weeks ago I went to a friendly technician I know since years taking the Toshiba: ok, leave...take a look...no problems. Few days after: well, don't know...b.t.w. this win7 is fantastic! You?? But what about your Linux and BSD installations, magic kalyway, deneb and so on? Now I see, I am the fool. And THEY(!) will sing: We're Only in it for the Money!

[Murray (labdizzle)]

I have had the same problem. In fact, I didn't even try to install Ubuntu, I tried to boot to Ubuntu on USB, and on reboot my computer booted Windows and the Ubuntu app said it could help me to boot to USB. That worked successfully one time, and then I got the BIOS block/ call serviceman message.

I can't even seem to find a BIOS for my model (Satellite 1400 Model: PS140A-026K0P) - the closest I've found it correct up to "PS140" (maybe A), which might be close enough - but it's a bios updates package for running under Windows 2000 - which, of course, I can't install OR run from an external drive.

[edduard (edduard)]

Hi ,
I've the same problem, same toshiba model
1400-503.
BIOS(Block3) damage .....

Did You solved the problem?
Thank You.

Non temiamo alcun confronto: Tiscali ha l'Adsl più veloce d'Italia!
Risparmia con Tutto Incluso Light: Voce + Adsl 20 mega a soli 29,95 € al mese per 2 anni!
http://abbonati.tiscali.it/telefono-adsl/prodotti/tc/tuttoincluso_light/?WT.mc_id=01fw

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Hi Edduard,

Sorry to say that I still have no fix. I think calls to Toshiba referencing Case # 110208-006462 might help.

The number is: [phone]. I'll call now...

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Tech Support is bumping it up to Customer Relations. I am still on the phone...

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

I'm getting "you will connected to the next available representative" and waiting, and waiting.... and have just now hung up. Sorry guys, I don't have that much patience...

But don't give up ! Keep calling them with that Case #110208-006462 at [phone]. Tell them about this forum. This problem is not going away. When Microsoft stops supporting XP more people will switch their Toshibas to Linux and get the same BIOS damage. This is something they need to solve.

[edduard (edduard)]

Hi Roy,thanks for your answer, and for your help.
But, since I'm in Italy, it is very expensivefor me to call the States. I will continue to seek a solution. and if I find it will post it.

Non temiamo alcun confronto: Tiscali ha l'Adsl più veloce d'Italia!
Risparmia con Tutto Incluso Light: Voce + Adsl 20 mega a soli 29,95 € al mese per 2 anni!
http://abbonati.tiscali.it/telefono-adsl/prodotti/tc/tuttoincluso_light/?WT.mc_id=01fw

[edduard (edduard)]

I've contacted Toshiba Italia, thei says : it is possible to repair the notebook but only at their lab.
So I'll try to undestand how much is the price for reparing.
I'll tell you soon.

[edduard (edduard)]

No Yet Solved...
Has anyone found a solution to the problem ?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Ubuntu because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Evan Tobin (yatc18ks0g8zo-zm-ngeefk4xayt3t)]

This happed to me to. Anything we can do?

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

Hello
This seems a serious and hidden hardware problem in Toshiba's computers running various Operating Systems, not only Linux based.. Only thing that I can suggest is to rewrite your bios.
I close this report because not related to Ubuntu or Linux
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Please don't close the report. The more reports that come in the more likely Toshiba will help. Agreed that it is a serious Toshiba-related problem not a Linux issue, but Ubuntu, and Linux users in general, will benefit from knowing the dangers.

In my opinion, Toshiba needs to make good on these crashed machines. Perhaps allow us to send our machines in, and then replace them with Toshiba laptops that can cleanly run Ubuntu. It's the least they can do !

[Ivan (doubleo)]

How can this not be a Ubuntu-Linux related problem.?????

Just because Toshiba haven't come forward with an explanation and a fix to restore a computer system
after it was "apparently" damaged by a software installation is their choice.

Explaining why and what the software installation damaged is clearly a Ubuntu-Linux problem.

If some one can enlighten me as to what i have missed since starting this thread nearly 2 years ago
i would be grateful.

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Hi Ivan,

Glad to read to originator of the thread is back after 2 years ! Too bad we still don't have a solution after such a long time...

If I remember right the problem is due to the Phoenix/Microsoft BIOS that Toshiba chose at the time. There is something about that particular BIOS.

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

This is not a Linux bug, but let's see if here we can move something.
http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/post!default.jspa?forumID=49
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

hello
can someone of you run a live session on the affected machine, and using the button below 'Add attachment or patch' attach here the file
/var/log/kern.log
of the hd os the machine (not in the filesystem of the live cd or liveusb9.
Thanks
Fabio
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[edduard (edduard)]

Hi Fabio, Is NOT possible to run anythink. don't forget the bios is GONE. Can anyone flash the bios EPROM with the original one ? Is possible to find a new or reprogammed chip? This is the question.

[Victor (vtimmons43)]

I just had 2 portege 3500 go down on me. Called Toshiba and they all but gave me the finger. I will never buy another Toshiba product as long as I live. They can go to HELL

[Roy Wessbecher (bretanet00)]

Do you hear that Toshiba?! I understand Victor's sentiment completely. This issue is NOT going away. There will be more victims of this Toshiba BIOS defect. Toshiba needs to make good very soon...

[Ivan (doubleo)]

This thread could still be going in fifty years time.
Someone out there has a definitive answer to this problem and how it can be easily fixed but just aren't talking.
Whether the fault lies with Toshiba or Ubuntu or partially both doesn't matter anymore as the damage has already been done.

My laptop ran xp media center sp3 flawlessly until i decided to give Ubuntu a try.
That decision turned my ageing laptop into a doorstop.

If Toshiba had a bios defect then why didn't an Ms$ operating system crash it as well....??????????
Why only when Ubuntu ( in my case) was installed did it brick my bios...?????????

Personally I don't use Toshiba products anymore or Ubuntu as the whole episode and following silence has just left a bad taste.

[SKJRDD (fmyddnmbl)]

I don't think someone has the answers and IMHO is stranger to have. In the meantime, doing other installations -but with PPC machines-, I've found these anomalies. With Ubuntu 10 and up in there are problems with the windfarm.ko kernel files. These problems aren't with release 9 -and, my apologies- with Debian. Same (and stranger) with the "old" Suse / YDL (problems) and Fedora (no problems, even with the latest experimental 16 for PPC). So, although the importance of this post is clearly low, nevertheless should be assigned.
On the HW-side, recently at cryptome.org has appeared an article, attached. The expert writes interesting things about Toshiba bios, partially known here. He ends is open to "additions": maybe a chance.

[Evan Tobin (yatc18ks0g8zo-zm-ngeefk4xayt3t)]

reloading the bios via floppy recovery says success but on reboot does not stay making me think that the actual bios chip is burned out on my 3500

[papukaija (papukaija)]

I am closing this bug as this is a BIOS issue. Please see comment 35 and 47 for more details. This bug should be marked as "Won't fix" but I can't do so I 'll use fix released to prevent people from reopening this bug. Please report this bug to Phoenix/Toshiba. Thanks!