Firmware Corruption?

[Michael]

Hopefully this is in the right forum.
MS1 V3
Zetec 2Litre
Standard engine except EGR and pulse Air systems removed.
Wasted spark, Batch fire.
Sorry no logs, but msq attached.

My firmware appeared to get corrupted while making changes to VE table with engine running.
I installed and got my MS1 running 2 days ago, spent some pleasant times tuning and had it running quite sweetly. Having slept on it I decided to increase the spark table cells for 500rpm by 3 degrees to catch the idle if it started to slip, Increase the cranking PW as although it started quite easily, it still took a couple of seconds, these changes went off OK. I then decided to re-bin the VE table to get better resolution in the areas that suit my everyday driving style. All seemed to go OK, the engine was running, just after I selected burn, the engine stumbled and stopped. OK it does stumble when you burn, but this time it wouldn't restart. With persistent cranking and some throttle it started, but ran badly and wouldn't idle. While this was happening, the laptop lost power when I cycled the ignition (its internal batteries are rubbish and was running off vehicle power). I restarted TunerStudio which presented me with s difference report showing the controller VE table completely filled with "50"s. So selected to reload the VE table from TS which appeared to be OK, but still wouldn't run. The above scenario repeated, and still no joy. Reloaded the previous best tune (msq) and still no good. Checked wiring and all seemed OK. Plugged the old EECIV ECU back in and it ran instantly the same as it always did on the EECIV - not badly, not brilliantly but OK - so the vehicle wiring and sensors were OK. Tried MS on Simulator and it seemed to be OK, scoped both spark outputs and injectors and they seemed OK, but couldn't vouch for timing. If I were asked I would have diagnosed the symptoms as loss of timing pulse from the VR had it not been running almost perfectly then suddenly stopped.
I then Reloaded the firmware and normal operation was resumed. I made the same changes I had planned above and it still runs fine no problems.
So I conclude that somehow the firmware was corrupted. I've solved the problem in that the car now runs brilliantly again, but I posting this up as it may help others and for comment. I had been getting confident of my installation so would welcome comments especially on how to avoid this as I don't want to find myself thousands of miles from home trying to solve this sort of thing without a laptop. (perhaps I add a laptop to my in-car toolkit!).
Any comments?
Thanks Michael.

[elutionsdesign]

What are you using for the connection between the ECU and laptop? USB is very susceptible to noise.

[Michael]

Serial lead - old laptop but trusty.

[slow_hemi6]

Funny thing is that if you had no laptop then you won't be performing any burns. It would be very difficult for you to have an incomplete burn with nothing doing a burn.