My attempt to fix a Synology 1817+ that encountered the blinking blue power light of death after a power outage

The Synology was in use in an office environment for many years. After a power outage that lead to an abrupt shut down, the Synology 1817+ no longer turns on… well, I should say it intermittently no longer turns on.

Supposedly this model is immune or already has a fix from the factory for the C2000 Intel Atom bug.

I have not tried installing a 100 ohm resistor (I will be later today when it comes in from the mail).

Here’s what I have done.

  1. Replacing the CMOS battery with a brand new 2032 coin battery.
  2. I recreated the BIOS file using AI, as well as manually.
  3. I dumped a Synology 1815+ BIOS to compare what it looked like vs. the 1817+.
  4. Reflashed the BIOS chip using a chip reader/programmer
  5. Tried using a USB DOM from a Synology 415+ with the contents of the Synology 1817+ USB DOM cloned to the 415+ USB DOM.
  6. I’ve soldered a USB A connector to the Synology 1817+ USB DOM and read its contents and created an image of the contents to my computer.

I randomly got terminal access after almost giving up and putting everything back together. I plugged in the Synology 1817+ USB DOM and saw my USB to serial TTL cable receive light start flashing, I looked up at the console in Putty and saw it booting. This gave me hope. When this happened, I put it aside for a day thinking I’d won!

I went back to try and get it onto the network to see if I could reinstall DSM. I noticed that it would not come up on the network. I saw no tx/rx lights on the NIC or the switch.

I then tried to see if I could reflash the BIOS using a thumb drive plugged into the back of the Synology 1817+ – I could not input into the console. I finally, after reseating the cables that were going from the console cable to the Synology 1817+ motherboard, could type into the console.

I tried some instructions that I found on the forum Doozan, but kept getting an error when I tried to use the ./updater -b . command. First it would not finish, and then after a reboot, it would say that the file size was wrong.

I eventually stopped being able to type into the console, and it froze up completely. After doing a hard reboot, it stopped giving me console and fully booting.

I removed the USB DOM to inspect it under a microscope and when I went back to plug it in, I got it to boot again. However, I could not type into the console again.

Eventually the Synology 1817+ stopped booting completely again.

I’m a hard headed fool who is determined to get this unit to work. I know it can, but it has some kind of intermittent issue as shown through my troubleshooting steps I’ve done so far.

I have a 100 ohm resistor coming in the mail today. It would be glorious if, after soldering this onto the motherboard, that it works – but I have my doubts.

Some other testing I did – I removed the USB DOM from the Synology 1815+ and attached my console cable to the UART port. The Synology did not boot. This leads me to believe it has something to do with the BIOS and or the USB DOM.

The thing is, I’ve already tried transferring the USB DOM contents from the Synology 1817+ to the DS415+ USB DOM and still can’t get it to boot.

I did order replacement BIOS chips which won’t be here for a few weeks since it’s coming from China.

The saga continues:

Update 3/30/25:

I found a blown mosfet near the BIOS chip. I noticed a very small dent that looked out of place while looking at the motherboard for the tenth time under my microscope. I zoomed all the way in and I could see some organic matter in a small recessed hole. I poked around with my tweezer and it’s definitely blown. I saw the same matter when I inspected my Fortinet FS-148F-FPOE FortiSwitch that had gone up in smoke.

I’ve ordered a new mosfet from Digikey and will be receiving it later this week. I will continue to update my post – here’s hoping that this will be the fix!

Update: 4/6/25:

I’ve made no further progress. I did replace the switching diode that I thought was a mosfet. I ordered the mosfet from digikey.com, received it, and realized it didn’t fit. I went back, researched some more and found that the KA2 marking indicated it was a switching diode. I ordered the replacement, received it, but it still doesn’t turn on completely. I’ve since ordered a used Synology DS1817+ that was being sold for parts on eBay.com. Once I receive that, I’ll measure the components on the good working board and go from there.

Windows 11 can’t delete network location mapped drives

Check Computer\HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Network for mapped drive letters.

I had disconnected network drives that would not disconnect or delete. This must be an obscure issue as I ALL data I found on the Internet did not mention this place in the registry not once. I had to use a tool from Nirsoft to do a scan of the registry of the UNC. It found this obscure registry path. I deleted the drive letters from this path and it fixed the problem.

Corsair iCue emergency shut down

I ran into a very obscure almost malwareish type problem with Corsair’s iCue software. Even their own support could not figure out what was causing my computer to shut itself down upon starting icue.exe.

I noticed my computer randomly turning off one day.

I went into Event Viewer and started looking at the System logs. I saw an event that was caused by icue.exe to shut down my computer.

I started investigating the issue more and found that upon starting icue.exe, iCue would open, and then briefly, there’d be a warning message about a sensor over its threshold and immediately my computer would start the shutdown process.

In order to have a normal working computer I would have to log in, open Task Manager, go to Details, search for icue.exe and then kill the icue.exe process before it could sense a false reading of the Corsair QX120 sensor #3.

I had a feeling that there was a configuration file within one of the various iCue folders, but I didn’t know which one. There were many and I didn’t have time to scour through each and every folder looking for the right one. That was, until it pissed me off so much that Corsair’s support couldn’t even figure out what the problem or where the file was.

They continued to insist that if I just did a clean install of iCue that this problem would magically go away. They were wrong. Even after doing a clean install of iCue software, the problem returns immediately. I’m not even sure how the sensor is enabled with a clean install of the iCue software.

In any case, if you run into this issue and you’re seeing a piece of malware like icue.exe shutting down your computer due to a false reading of a sensor from one of the QX series fans, you want to go to %appdata%, Corsair, CUE5, profiles, open up the larger config file, mine was around 315KB, do a search for the text “Emergency Shutdown.”

Under the Emergency Shutdown entry you will see the shutdownPCEnabled option, as well as the shutdown PCTemperature option.

I changed the shutdownPCEnabled to false, and the shutdownPCTemperature to 150 because I KNEW it was a false reading. BEFORE YOU DO THIS, MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER IS NOT REALLY OVERHEATING! IF YOUR COMPUTER IS ACTUALLY OVERHEATING THEN ICUE IS DOING ITS JOB OF SAVING YOUR COMPUTER! READ YOUR TEMPS VIA HWINFO32 OR OTHER VARIOUS PIECES OF SOFTWARE TO ENSURE YOUR COMPUTER IS NOT OVERHEATING. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DISABLE THIS AND YOUR COMPUTER OVERHEATS AND CAUSES ANY ISSUES!

Dell wireless keyboards deleting text on its own

For several years, I’ve encountered an issue with Dell OptiPlex workstations related to the Dell wireless keyboard, often overlooked during quoting. Occasionally, clients report unexpected email deletions in Outlook, with messages moved to the Archive folder. This happens when the backspace key is triggered, which can be disastrous.

After searching online, I found a Dell forum thread confirming multiple reports of this issue with the wireless keyboard. One plausible explanation is debris getting stuck under the backspace key, causing it to activate unintentionally.

While some speculate wireless interference, it seems more likely that the design, specifically the spacing between keys, may allow debris to lodge under the backspace key, causing it to remain stuck.

Unfortunately, there are no concrete fixes yet. You can read more in the thread here: ‎Random deletion of text | DELL Technologies

Microsoft 365 OWA Outlook can’t load shared calendars or shared calendars in OWA appear and disappear

I didn’t find much with my Google-Fu, but I found another issue related to outlook.com accounts and put two and two together to fix my issue.

If you run into a problem with a Microsoft 365 Exchange Online account trying to access shared calendars in OWA, but the calendars appear and then disappear – as well as you can’t see the Shared calendars option under OWA (outlook.office.com), Settings, Calendar (there should be Shared calendars here) and OR if you do have Shared calendars as an option, but when you click on it it says unable to load these settings – check the Accounts section under the OWA, Settings, Calendar section. There might be a Microsoft account, which will be a non-work/school account, aka outlook.com account, or an older email address that is probably the same as your work/school account. Remove it from the Account section.

Second, I highly recommend changing the Microsoft account’s sign-in username from [email protected], which is probably your Microsoft 365 work/school username, to [email protected]. You can do this via live.com by logging in to your Microsoft account (non-work/school account) and updating the settings there.

Microsoft’s Storage Migration Service stuck on loading

I have been trying to transfer file shares from a Server 2012 Essentials to a Server 2022 server.

I had success two days ago using the same exact set up and Storage Migration Service.

I tried it on a second client and continued to run into problems where it was stuck at the transfer portion and all it said was loading….

I went back to the first server I migrated the other day and I saw there was an update for the Storage Migration Service extension in Windows Admin Center.

I noticed the first server was now stuck at loading.

I didn’t think anything of it as it sometimes happens. You would think Microsoft would test their products and updates – they really don’t.

I finally figured out how to uninstall the WAC extension. You have to turn off automatic updates before you’ll see the option to uninstall an extension.

I reinstalled version 2.44.0 which was the default that came with this Windows Admin Center install package.

As soon as I downgraded the Storage Migration Service package, IT WORKS!

Everything I could find, which wasn’t much, ended up in “update the extension” and that fixed the problem.

I hope this helps someone from pulling their hair out.

Trying to install QuickBooks Premier Pro 2022 onto Windows Server Essentials 2016 with error code 1603

I have been trying to figure out why QuickBooks Premier Pro 2022 will not install on Windows Server Essentials 2016.

It gets a quarter of the way in and then throws an error 1603.

I’ve searched high and low and HATE Google results. Nothing but handpicked garbage content farm webpages that do not help at all. I miss you could find an obscure blog on the first or second page with a fix right there. Instead, you get this ad-filled almost AI created gibberish with nothing but rehashed “fixes” from every other website that, again, is filled with nothing but ads.

I’ve tried uninstalling the C++, .Net Framework, etc. to no avail.

I just downloaded a trial of QuickBooks Enterprise 2023 and it installed with NO PROBLEMS.

I stood up a Server Essentials 2016 virtual machine and was able to install QuickBooks Premier 2022 OK with no problem.

However, I came across at least three other people who have had a problem with trying to install QuickBooks Premier 2022 onto either Windows 10 or a server operating system.

If you came across this and fixed it, please comment below. I’ll do the same if I find a fix. I know it will make a lot of people happy.

An interesting update happened last night. I downloaded a trial of QuickBooks Enterprise 2023, and it installed within five minutes.

I’m trying to run Process Explorer and Process Monitor, but am coming up short. If you have any expertise in either of these programs and troubleshooting what might be causing the install to fail with error 1603, please leave a comment below.

I FUCKING FIXED IT!

I used RegScan and performed a scan on all registry hives for “QuickBooks” and then exported them out and finally deleted them all.

I rebooted and sure enough it fucking installed. I knew it was a rogue fucking registry key. I hate Microsoft and Intuit!

Windows 10 start menu not responding/Outlook prompting for password using modern authentication window, but it’s blank

For those of you who encounter the above issue and attempt to use PowerShell to run the Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} but the process never finishes, check the permissions on these two registry keys: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders – it should have a user called All Application Packages with read permissions.

In particular, the second one. I had an issue where the Get-AppX command would not complete on a Windows 10 Dell OptiPlex machine. I tried restarting to no avail.

I checked on the first registry key and All Application Packages were listed with read permissions for that key.

I checked the second, and All Application Packages were not there at all. I had to go to Advanced, Select a principal, if you’re on a domain, change the From this location: to the actual computer you’re using. Enter All Application Packages into the object name to select the box and hit OK.

Make sure it has read permission on the second registry key.

I rebooted the machine, and the start menu was working. I was also able to input the user’s Outlook password.

Outlook 365 with Office 365 E3 account Online Archive magically disappears after roughly 10-15 seconds upon loading Outlook

I am back with another crazy problem that only happens to me. I contacted support and of course they don’t know how to fix it. I’m almost certain I am cursed with these extremely unique problems that only happen to maybe .0000000000001% of users using Office 365.

I have tried Googling until my fingers were bleeding to no avail.

Absolutely NO one else seems to have had this problem.

I have an end user with an Office 365 E3 license. They were upgraded from Bus Premium to E3 prior to this since they ran out of space. The E3 license comes with Online Archive and it should work in Outlook as my own Office 365 license is an E3 license and my Online Archive works fine.

I can create a new profile and this fixes it for maybe a few days then it will disappear again.

I have tried /safe /resetnav but nothing helps.

Nothing in the Event Viewer.

The Online Archive shows up in OWA.

My theory is that upon changing the license somewhere along the lines it got screwed up. I even tried removing the E3 license from this end user and then leaving no license and finally putting it back, no luck.

Here’s hoping someone out there has experienced this and might have a fix or point me in the right direction.