Bootstrap causes BIOS corruption on Gigabyte Z87 if to make reset CMOS

[sandymc]

Configuration: OpenCore 0.6.2, Haswell CPU, Gigabyte Z87-UD3H motherboard with "F7" BIOS

Setup: Bootstrap enabled

<key>BootProtect</key>
			<string>Bootstrap</string>

Symptoms:

1. "OpenCore" shows as first entry on boot list
2. "OpenCore" entry is retained, even if the drive with OpenCore installed is physically removed.
3. It is not possible to enter BIOS setup. If the CMOS is reset, then the motherboard effectively becomes "bricked". This can only be recovered by reflashing the BIOS, or switching to backup BIOS
4. If you attempt to enter BIOS setup, a blank screen with a cursor is displayed - the BIOS appears to waiting for something.

Resolution:

1. Reflash BIOS
2. Disable Bootstrap:

<key>BootProtect</key>
			<string>None</string>

Comments:

1. This issue has been documented in multiple threads, e.g., https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/opencore-locks-out-bios.303762/, https://www.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/i5otbx/failed_opencore_install_broke_bios_cant_boot/, https://www.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/frg1ph/opencore_catalina_cant_access_my_bios_anymore/, etc, etc
2. It appears to be mostly Haswell CPUs on either Z87 or Z97 motherboards
3. IMHO, even if the corruption issue didn't exist, (2) above, the OpenCore entry remaining after drive removal, is unacceptable.

[vit9696]

Well, I have a Z87 board, and it works for me. We cannot control the BIOS boot options when we are not executing, and the options we create are following UEFI spec, so all of this is a BIOS flaw.

There is a note in the pdf that on some boards Bootstrap may cause issues, so I guess there is nothing to change on our side. Sorry for inconvenience.

[Andrey1970AppleLife]

I confirm this bug on Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H too.
I am stimulated to refuse use Bootstrap, because reset CMOS "Kills" BIOS.

[mhaeuser]

Is it really the CMOS reset itself that kills the board? On my Z77X-UD3H, Dual BIOS kicking in bricked the main chip. It was only visible to me it kicked in because the backup chip FW chip had a different boot screen from the latest available usually on the main chip.

[sandymc]

What happens is, at least on my system, until you reset the CMOS, the board can still boot, although you can't access the BIOS setup screen to change settings. However, if you then reset the CMOS, then the board attempts to boot into the BIOS settings screen, which it can't do becuase the BIOS is corrupt. So then, unless you can recover via e.g., switching to the secondary BIOS, the board is effectively bricked. However, if the board still boots, you can use a BIOS flash program to reflash the BIOS.

[Andrey1970AppleLife]

But if not to use Bootstrap, reset CMOS doesn't cause a problem.

[sandymc]

BTW, the change to the bug title from what I originally posted is misleading. The various threads I quoted in the original post make it clear that this occurs on multiple different mother boards, both Z87 and Z97, and from multiple manufacturers. But almost all reports are of Haswell CPUs.

[sandymc]

On my board at least, not using Bootstrap doesn't corrupt the BIOS, so then CMOS reset isn't a problem.

[Andrey1970AppleLife]

BTW, the change to the bug title from what I originally posted is misleading. The various threads I quoted in the original post make it clear that this occurs on multiple different mother boards, both Z87 and Z97, and from multiple manufacturers. But almost all reports are of Haswell CPUs.

Most likely the vendor Gigabyte therefore other vendors have no such problem here is important.

[sandymc]

The issue has also been reported on Asus boards.

[Andrey1970AppleLife]

@vit9696 doesn't confirm a problem on Asus Z87.

[naidb]

Good news for me now opencore no longer causes the bios to be locked. Many thanks to developers.