How to replace the BIOS chip?

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Razer Blade 15 2019

The 2019 model Razer Blade 15" is a powerful gaming laptop. It features the same variety of ports and design as the previous year's model, but with expanded display options, upgraded graphics, and a 9th gen Intel Processor.

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thomst @thomst

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How to replace the BIOS chip?

I have a 2019 Blade 15 Base unit. It's been infected by a bootkit (i.e. - malware that infects the BIOS chip itself, changing the management password to a random string, so that upgrading the BIOS via Razer's utility does not work). The ONLY way to recover from it is to replace both the BIOS chip (which requires very precise soldering skills) and the SSD.

I have the replacement parts, but I need to know where, exactly, the BIOS chip is located on the motherboard, so I can have the repair done (I have a tremor that makes it impossible for me to do basic soldering tasks myself). My Blade Base is, of course, out of warranty, and I can't afford to pay Razer to repair it.

Is there a diagram or photo of the motherboard for this unit that clearly labels the BIOS chip, so I can have a local laptop repair store replace the BIOS for me?

Thanks in advance for your help!

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@thomst post a good picture of YOUR motherboard or at least give us the model number for the motherboard so we can try to assist you with this.

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oldturkey03 의 2023년 7월 24일

Sorry. That was a pretty obvious oversight on my part. The model number of my Blade Base is RZ09-03006E92. I have not yet cracked the case, so I can't supply you with a photo of the MB quite yet.

Again, I have a tremor that makes working with tiny parts like the screws that hold the case together quite difficult for me.

thomst 의 2023년 7월 24일

u need to take it out, buy a new one, put it in, probably in a little shell or in a ribbon or click cable, take it out then get ur new one and put it in

Tristan 의 2023년 7월 25일

Tristan: I know that. As I said in my original post, I have already purchased a replacement BIOS chip. The problems are that the BIOS is soldered onto the MB, and unsoldering it and soldering the replacement is beyond my current physical capabilities, because I have a Parkinson's-like tremor in my hands.

What I need to find out is EXACTLY where on my MB the BIOS chip is located, so I can tell whoever I get to do the soldering job where to find it.

thomst 의 2023년 7월 25일

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@thomst post a good picture of YOUR motherboard or at least give us the model number for the motherboard so we can try to assist you with this.

기존 질문에 이미지 추가하기 — oldturkey03
Sorry. That was a pretty obvious oversight on my part. The model number of my Blade Base is RZ09-03006E92. I have not yet cracked the case, so I can't supply you with a photo of the MB quite yet.

Again, I have a tremor that makes working with tiny parts like the screws that hold the case together quite difficult for me. — thomst
u need to take it out, buy a new one, put it in, probably in a little shell or in a ribbon or click cable, take it out then get ur new one and put it in — Tristan
Tristan: I know that. As I said in my original post, I have already purchased a replacement BIOS chip. The problems are that the BIOS is soldered onto the MB, and unsoldering it and soldering the replacement is beyond my current physical capabilities, because I have a Parkinson's-like tremor in my hands.

What I need to find out is EXACTLY where on my MB the BIOS chip is located, so I can tell whoever I get to do the soldering job where to find it. — thomst

mike @aactech 평판: 30.7k 9 13 66 · Answer 1 · 2023-07-24T21:26:52-07:00

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mike @aactech

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Have you tried this?

Try this

You should be able to do this or ask a friend to help.

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Thanks, but while that procedure lets you blank or replace the USER password, it does not blank the manufacturer password, which survives the loss of power to the BIOS.

This is a well-known problem, and it's the reason why so many users report that Razer's BIOS upgrade utility doesn't fix the bootkit infection that so many of us have encountered. Razer caused this vulnerability by not locking the manufacturer BIOS password at the factory, despite Intel's very explicit instructions to do so. And they're not the only manufacturer who's guilty of skipping that security precaution.

(Note that it's also necessary to replace the SSD, because the same infection remains present in the hidden UEFI partition.)

Believe me, I've tried all the obvious things.

thomst 의 2023년 7월 25일

I forgot to add that the above procedure would probably work, IF there's a jumper on the MB to clear the CMOS data. The video you shared (and thanks again for that) didn't include that step.

Note that clearing the CMOS data would make it necessary to "upgrade" the CMOS via a flash drive, because Razer's Windows-based utility won't run without an OS on the SSD (and leaving the infected SSD in place will simply re-infect the BIOS).

If it weren't for UEFI, we wouldn't have this problem, because, in the pre-UEFI era, it was impossible to write to the BIOS without physically moving a write-enable jumper on the MB (and the computer wouldn't boot to the OS until you moved it back to the write-disable position).

thomst 의 2023년 7월 25일

Hi @thomst

Useful information. Thanks. Yes UEFI. . . !

mike 의 2023년 7월 25일

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Razer Blade 15 2019

How to replace the BIOS chip?

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