Warning AMD Ryzen Users Microsoft Installing Update Automatically That Bricks Your PC

[ltron]

If you have AMD Ryzen and click check for updates today then Microsoft automatically installs the AMD SCSI Adapter 9.3.0.221 driver which renders your system unbootable: https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/n6synx/driver_from_microsoft_via_windows_updates/

This happened to me today and I got a blue screen with inaccessible boot device after this driver was installed. My Gigabyte motherboard got confused as a result and restored the old version F4 from the backup BIOS deleting all my profiles and settings, so I'm not best pleased. A startup repair fixes the issue.

I have a Gigabyte X570 Master, whether it's a Gigabyte thing I don't know.

 

[ltron]

So not actually bricked... just another borked MS update that is removable and easily fixed.

Kinda disappointed after that thread title....

Well my board got stuck using the backup BIOS (thankfully the switches on my X570 Master allowed me to force it to boot from the main BIOS again, but had to clear CMOS). Some people are having trouble fixing the issue with just Startup Repair too, this renders their system unbootable.

What about the people who aren't enthusiasts who will have a lot trouble fixing it? Microsoft should test these things before foisting them on the public.

 

[ltron]

I got this just now - afterwards an inaccessible boot device error.

I went into bios and it had reset everything, redid all my settings and managed to boot into windows. Other than system clock being wrong until I synced it all seems ok… touch wood.

Have you checked the BIOS version? My board had switched itself to using the backup BIOS which was version F4, this was very annoying.

 

[ltron]

Backup Bios had already been flashed to same version, so not sure there’s an easy way to tell which bios it is booting from?

There's supposed to be a couple of LEDs on the X570 Master motherboard that tell you, they are to the left of the CPU socket and are just below it (the LED on the right is the main BIOS and the one on the left is the backup BIOS). They are covered by my massive NH-D15S cooler so I can't see them (I'm glad I didn't elect to flash both BIOSes when I updated).

On my Master I corrected the issue by shutting the PC down and setting both switches (on the right side of the board near the top) to position 2. This forces single BIOS mode and forces it to boot from the backup BIOS, I booted the PC and then shut it down again. I then put the switch nearest the edge of the board into position 1 which forces the main BIOS while still in single BIOS mode, once more I booted and shutdown. Lastly I put the remaining switch back to position 1 which enables Dual BIOS again.

I also had to clear the CMOS before I did the above as I was getting F9 and 0d POST errors when doing a cold boot i.e. if starting the PC after having shut it down (although the PC would eventually POST despite this issue).