Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

These screens have no inside. What you touch is the panel itself. Just try the 3M cloth, it might look like the inside, but it's not actually.

 

So a package like this 3M Skærmrens og tastaturrens ?

 

You might try that one, as it contains liquid and other things too. So far I've been able to clean every screen with just the simple microfibre cloth and some breathing on the surface.

For example

 

Just wondering if anyone has a cooling pad for their W520 and noticed much of a temperature change?

 

guys

is a 9 cell battery the maximum for w520? I got 42T4801 which came with the laptop and wonder if 57Y4186, another 9 cell battery has similar performance

Also, the power manager is showing battery condition as Good. Is there an excellent level too?

 

The W520 is only sold with a 9-cell, so in a way it's the maximum amount of battery you can have. I haven't seen a 12-cell or higher for it yet...

I've never noticed anything higher that "Good" in battery manager, even when I took delivery of the W520.

 

I was under the impression that adding the slice battery was the maximum battery configuration.

 

I've been having this slow boot up consistently on my W520. I posted this issue on the Corsair forum and someone recommended a Secure Erase of my SSD.

I decided to do it this weekend followed by a clean install and the boot up time has now gone back to normal around 20 to 30 second.

This Sunday evening, I remembered that I haven't install the "Hotkey Features Integration for Windows 7" from Lenovo website. I decided to install it.

After the installation and since then the booting problem has now resurfaced. So, now I know it's an issue with Hotkey software and not the SSD.

I now found this thread to support it Slow Boot On W520 Troubleshoot - Lenovo Community

Does anyone have issues with the Hotkey software on their W520?

 

If I would like to use ThrottleStop 4.1 to stop throttling on battery,do I just need to increase the multiplier to let's say 24x and turn it on and then when I am back to AC, turn it off? Is that it or do I have to do anything else?

 

Would someone please list all the different ways (other than Throttlestop or other third-party software) to prevent throttling on battery with the W520 (e.g., reboot or the likes). Also, I will appreciate it if you can let me know if there are other business machine in the market from any company with a quad core processor that would not throttle that bad on battery like the W520. I have done everything about it and followed many advices thinking I can live with it but I cannot. Also, I heard that the W530 are coming next month and not sure if Ivy Bridge CPUs will solve the issue.

 

guys

this may not exist but is there a smaller power brick/adaptor that can be used with this laptop? It's extremely heavy to carry around and my customer visits usually last 7-8 hours and the laptop battery gets me about 80% there but need the power adaptor for the last 20%

Thx

 

The 135W adapter is smaller, but not lighter.

 

ThinkPad Battery 55+ (6-cell)
Part # 57Y4185
List Price $149.99 USD

 

I have a W520 (Win7 x64) that I've been using without incident for about a year, both standalone and when docked in a MiniDock Plus Series 3 170W. I've been fairly diligent in keeping drivers up to date.

But, when I tried to plug an external monitor (Dell U2412M) into a DVI port on the dock, I started having all kinds of problems. For a while, the system wouldn't even boot. It would halt during the boot process with a blue screen that was displayed only for a few seconds, so I couldn't see what the halt was all about.

Since then, I've got it working again, sort of, but it's not reliable, to say the least. Usually, it will spontaneously crash and reboot within 10-15 minutes. This time, the blue screen is displayed long enough for me to record some info. It's nvlddmkm.sys that's blowing up. The last part of the address at which it bought the farm seems to remain consistent from crash to crash, depending on which video drivers are currently loaded.

I've long since disconnected the external monitor. I've booted standalone and docked. I tried setting the BIOS option to Discrete (had been Optimus since I first got the system). This resulted in the system behaving as though I were using the nVidia 2000M for the first time, which may be the case, but the system was wildly unstable until I reset the BIOS to Optimus.

I've updated the video drivers to the latest from Lenovo (nVidia 8.17.12.7658 and Intel 8.15.10.2538), then to the latest from nVidia (290.76 WHQL), then back to Lenovo's 8.17.12.7658. I said "Yes" to "The currently installed drivers are newer; are you sure?" The nvldmkm.sys file in Windows/System32/Drivers/ shows as 8.17.12.7658.

Now, the system boots both docked and undocked. I use the system 90% of the time docked. It may be more stable when undocked; I'm not sure.

Any suggestions as to how to go about returning it to its former, stable state (using only the internal monitor) would be greatly appreciated. From there, any suggestions as to adding my second monitor would be likewise appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read this plea for help.

 

Perhaps you can try 301.24 if you are having problems with the 296 release drivers.

 

How do I uninstall Hotkey feature from my W520? I'm getting long boot up time issue with this driver up to 2 minutes

 

Seriously?

 

First, update all your Intel drivers to the latest version from this website:
Intel® Driver Update Utility

Second, download the latest nVidia driver and select Clean Install (the most important). You won't need the Lenovo nVidia drivers.

 

For a detailed discussion of the W520's plug, read this thread:
forum.thinkpads.com • W520 requires 170W AC adapter

Short version: if you cut the plug from a 170W adapter and connect it to any small adapter (for example Cooler Master USNA 120, 260 gramms), it will recognise as 170W adapter.

 

Instructions to manually uninstall the Hotkey package are included on the following link from the Lenovo website, dated March 14, 2012...

Hotkey Features Integration for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), XP (32-bit, 64-bit) and 2000 - ThinkPad

 

Thanks, zsero. I'll try your suggestions.

 

Thanks again, zsero. You've given me something concrete to do. I've downloaded all the latest Intel drivers, and am about to install these and the nvidia drivers.

A couple of questions before I do:
(1) By "Clean Install," is that an option on the driver install, or do you mean to uninstall the current nvidia drivers first? I don't recall that as an option when I installed 296.70, but I could be forgetting.
(2) The latest nvidia released driver is 296.70. Version 301.24 is labeled Beta. Which should I go for?

 

Always go for the latest official. At the moment it's 296.70.

Clean install is an option at installing. I think it's only visible if you choose "Advanced". Also, only install drivers what are needed, for example I haven't installed Stereo vision, audio adapter, etc.

Also, always restart after each driver install.

 

Update: It looks like I have a hardware issue. I am relieved, however, that the issue seems to be with the Mini Dock Plus Series 3, and not with the nVidia Quadro 2000M.

To recap: While docked, I updated all the Intel drivers that were out of date (graphics, wired, wifi), with a restart following each update. Then I clean installed the latest nvidia drivers (296.70), sans 3D Vision and HD Audio, and restarted.

From then on, I was fine as long as I stuck with integrated graphics. However, any attempt to use the discrete adapter, such as running a program on the nvidia, resulted in a crash (nvlddmkm.sys, x'00...116'). Every time. This, despite Device Manager showing both adapters as operating normally.

Also, subsequent boots (both from power off and restarts) were frequently problematic: hanging on shutdown and making me force power off; booting with strange gurgling noises; unusually long boot times; etc.

Crap, I thought. Looks like my 2000M adapter is faulty. I was envisioning long phone conversations and drawn-out tests and being sent a technician who knew less than I do (which is difficult to do ). The good part would have been that I still have a year and a half to go on my W520 warranty.

But, then on a whim, I undocked the W520 and repeated the tests. Voilà! All of a sudden, I had a functioning Quadro 2000M. I opened IE and Firefox on the nvidia, and the nvidia monitor showed 2 programs running. Fantastic.

I then got brave and connected my new monitor (with which all my problems started) directly to the W520. I didn't have a DisplayPort-to-DVI cable, so I had to use a VGA cable. Nevertheless, when I'm undocked, I have vast amounts of screen real estate and all is hunky dorey.

Well, almost. Some programs refuse to run on the nvidia. For example, despite my specifying discrete, PhotoShop CS4 64-bit opened on the Intel adapter; yet PS 32-bit opened on the nvidia. Other graphics-heavy programs also refused to open on the discrete adapter. I'm hoping that this has to do with the VGA connection?

In any case, I'll start looking into repairing or replacing my Mini Dock Plus Series 3. It's been more than a year, so I doubt it's still under warranty. I don't suppose there is such a thing as a flash-ROM update for the MDP3 that could cure its ills, is there?

Many thanks to zsero for his/her kind assistance.

 

Tokend, the kind of behaviour exactly sounds like a hardware issue!

Configuring Optimus is very easy! Click on nVidia control panel, and first of all, check that it's showing the active GPU's icon in the taskbar. Then configure Optimus on a per-program basis!

 

Update 2: I found a DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort cable, so at least the external monitor is operating in the digital realm now. The cable, alone, didn't magically make the programs that refused to run on the nvidia start running on the nvidia, though.

But, then, I found various settings on a program by program basis, as you say. Some programs referred to OpenGL; some referred to Hardware Acceleration. Once I selected these options, the programs would then run on the nvidia adapter.

Now, about that damned Mini Dock Plus Series 3...

 

I don't think the issues you are citing are related to the dock. Every time this comes up, it reverts back to the crap implementation of Optimus on the W520.

If the programs run when the BIOS Display property is set to Discrete, then this is indicative of the problem.

Running docked or undocked won't change the solution.

If you aren't using Bitlocker, then flipping the BIOS setting should not be too inconvenient. When traveling and needing max battery life, use Optimus. When working stationary (docked), use Discrete.

 

Thanks for checking in, Thors.

I'll do some more checking, specifically whether it still functions with BIOS = Discrete. The last time I set the BIOS to Discrete, all hell broke loose. This was in a period of wild driver updating and regressing, though, so I'm not sure what to blame.

For the time being, all I know is that it does not work reliably when docked, whether with BIOS = Optimus or Discrete, whether with an external monitor or not, no matter the drivers, no way, no how. Frequent, spontaneous, nvlddmkm.sys crashes. Strange, inordinately long boots. Inability to do anything on the discrete adapter, even without external monitor. Inability to recognize external monitor.

The same system, when undocked, and with no changes to BIOS, drivers, or anything, functions fine, with and without an external monitor. No crashes, dual monitors, programs running on discrete adapter.

I'm not disputing your notion of "the crap implementation of Optimus on the W520." I suspect you're right. I'm still sore about not being able to drive 3 external monitors.

But, why could it not be a problem with the internal wiring or electronics (if there are any) in the Dock? The same conditions: undocked--check; docked--kablooey.

But, to be complete, the system used to work fine, docked and undocked, with only the internal monitor and before I started screwing with drivers and BIOS settings.

Truthfully, the "all hell broke loose" occurred when I connected the external monitor to a docked W520, before messing with the BIOS setting. As I mentioned, attaching the second monitor may well be the first occasion that the nvidia adapter has been awakened. My W520 has had very light use these months.

 

My suggestion (barring a clean install of Windows) is to revert the drivers back to a stable state. In order to do this, it basically means uninstalling the video drivers until you get back to the inbox Windows 7 svga driver.

When you get to that point, here's what I would do:

1. Undock and do the following installs connected to AC power
2. Install the latest BIOS at -> BIOS Update Bootable CD for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), XP - ThinkPad W520 if your machine is still under warranty
3. Set the BIOS display setting to Optimus, Save, Exit and boot to Windows
4. Install the Lenovo supported video package at -> NVIDIA NVS 4200M, Quadro 1000M, Quadro 2000M (Optimus) Display Driver for Windows 7 (64-bit) - ThinkPad
5. Reboot and confirm 1920x1080 is working properly
6. Shutdown then power back on
7. Go back into the BIOS and set the Display setting to Discrete, Save, Exit and boot to Windows
8. Re-install the supported Lenovo video package at -> NVIDIA NVS 4200M, Quadro 1000M, Quadro 2000M (Optimus) Display Driver for Windows 7 (64-bit) - ThinkPad
9. Reboot and confirm 1920x1080 is working properly
10. Shutdown
11. Dock the W520
12. Power up the W520 and confirm the Discrete chipset is driving your dock attached LCD panels at their native resolution. This should be up to 2560x1600 on a 30" LCD panel when using DisplayPort.
13. Shutdown
14. Power up and enter the BIOS. Change the Display setting to Optimus. Save, exit, power off.
15. Power back on and confirm Optimus is driving your dock attached LCD panels.

 

Hi.
I have a W520 and I have a problem with it recently. Sorry if my question is not professional!
"Fn+Spacebar" Comb does not work on my laptop and when I press these keys the laptop makes an error beep. It used to work well when I bought it but now it doesn't work anymore!!! Can somebody help me to fix this problem? Thank you very much

 

Do you have Hotkey Features Integration for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), XP (32-bit, 64-bit) and 2000 - ThinkPad installed? If you do, I would reinstall it.

 

I reinstalled Hotkey Features Integration, but it didn't fix the problem! What do you suggest me to do?

 

And, the fun just keeps on happening...

So, I went about following your suggestion, Thors. Thank you. I deleted all nvidia drivers (step 0), then did steps 1-7. So far, so good. But, then the fun resumed. After setting BIOS = Discrete, the boot hung for a good 15 minutes, until I forced power off. Several more attempts to boot Windows "Normally" were unsuccessful. I could boot into Safe Mode, but of course this was without the Intel or nvidia drivers.

On one of the power-on boots, I was going to reset the BIOS back to Optimus, but found that, somehow, it had reset itself to Optimus. I could boot, but any attempts to run programs on the nvidia adapter either hung or caused the by-now familiar nvlddmkm.sys x'0...0116' crash. The system was highly unstable since trying BIOS = Discrete.

I've since restored from a January image backup, and things are better, but still not as stable as they used to be. It's as though any invocation of the nvidia adapter (as when I attached an external monitor to a docked W520, or setting BIOS = Discrete) unleashed problems that I'm having to this day--problems that are not cured by uninstalling and reinstalling drivers.

Are there some good Intel and nvidia diagnostic tools that I can run to help narrow this down? I do have 700 some days on my W520 warranty. Any suggestions as to what to do now are most welcome.

 

The system likes to reset itself back to Optimus (against your wishes) if you don't set the option just below Graphics Device.

The option I am referring to is "OS Detection for NVIDIA Optimus". If it is enabled, it will reset itself back. If it is disabled, it will stick with the manual setting just above for Graphics Device.

It doesn't sound like you machine is cooperating. I would probably try to remove all of the drivers one more time, then reload them. If that doesn't work, then it's possible it is a hardware issue that needs to be resolved by Support.

As a last resort, if you have another HDD laying around, you might pull the current boot device and install the HDD. I would then install only the Lenovo factory image. If the factory image works, you know it's software, not hardware.

 

New BIOS 1.37
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/8buj15us.exe
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/8buj15us.txt

[Problem fixes]
- Fixed an issue where incorrect battery capacity might be shown in some battery
benchmark programs.
- Fixed an issue where the computer failed to resume normal operation from
hibernation state after running Setup Defaults by the F9 key in the ThinkPad
Setup menu.
- Fixed an issue where the Power-On NumLock function in ThinkPad Setup did not
work.

But there is a problem with Kingston HyperX memory
bios 1.36 working frequency 1866 Mhz
bios 1.37 frequency dropped to 1333 Mhz

 

BIOS 1.37 fixed the "50 second cold-boot start-up delay" issue with my Intel 510 SSD.
Hurrah!!!!

PS: However, my Kingston HyperX 1600 Mhz modules per HWiNFO64 now run at 664.6Mhz x2 = 1329 Mhz

 

huberth, DEJAD, I'd recommend you reporting the HyperX issue at the official Lenovo forum, and then you'll have a chance of having it fixed by the next release.

 

Done: New W520 BIOS 1.37 has been posted: - Lenovo Community

 

I currently run vmware workstation 8 extensively within windows 7.
I'm wanting to leverage VT-d to access my video card natively from a virtual machine.
My problem is vmware workstation doesn't support VT-d.
One solution is I could make a VMware ESXi boot partition, but I like having the ability to run Windows 7 native on the hardware.
Has anyone had any experience/solutions in leveraging VT-d (specifically the graphics card) on the W520? If so, can you share the details?

 

I have been thinking on this recently, Im a linux guy but also a bit of a gamer so im stuck with windows, well i got to thinking of using XEN to pass through the Nvidia GPU so i could have a linux vm for everyday use (dom0) and a windows Vm for games and adobe (domU).

the thing is XEN is meant for servers so battery may not be as good as it could and also viewing the windows VM as it will be pushing out through the GPU.

I was possibly thinking of using RDP at max settings, my thinking is with the high bandwidth of the internal network it would be able to keep up, the problem would be lag from the software layer.

I would not use ESXi as it is designed for servers only so there is most likely hardware problems, no real power saving (XEN at least uses that Linux kernel), plus no way to view the VMs at all, not from the ESXi interface.

 

Do you need to run the VM(s) side-by-side or are you just looking to run a single VM with native hardware, and therefore performance?

 

You'll need Parallels Workstation Extreme, quite pricey:
Overview - Parallels Workstation 6 Extreme

 

I know this might be a stupid qestion but is there anyway to clone my SSD connected externally through SATA Wire to my internal HDD without the need for an additional SATA Wire?

 

Download Clonezilla, make a CD and load it up fallow the instructions and it will make a bit for bit clone of the drive, if the drives are different size, make sure you use the option to resize the partition table or you might run in to problems.

 

Yes. Use an Ultrabay hard drive adapter.

 

Thanks. That worked!

 

For some reason, I am connecting my SSD through SATAWire and though the task bar shows it is connected and I can even safely remove it but it does not appear into my computer so I can transfer files from/to it. Any reason why this is happening?

 

Brand new SSD? In Disk Management, right-click the disk you want to initialize, and then click Initialize Disk.

(SSD has been initiaḷized, formatted and used? I don't know. Manually assigning a drive letter may help.)

 

Second scenario. Here is how I figured it out..I went to Disk Management and found that there is a status "offline" on the SSD, so I just right-clicked and chose "online" and problem is solved!

Thanks for help

 

Hmm...the W520 does have a tendency to turn on the Quadro by itself...
Anyway to make sure it doesn't do that?