Lenovo bluescreen trend

I'm expecting a T61 in the mail at the beginning of next week and have been creeping around a bunch on these forums. I've noticed a lot of apparent bluescreen issues in Lenovos, based on posts.

Is it just me, or are there a hell of a lot of bluescreens in Lenovos? I haven't had a bluescreen on my desktops since switching to XP back in 2001. I have never had a bluescreen on Dell and Averatec laptops (XP & Vista). I am currently running Vista on my desktop and have yet to see a bluescreen.

Now, I'm not a particularly hardcore techie - I do some registry tweaks, play games, use photoshop, and download a ****load of everything, so I'll concede my usage is possibly lighter than some who experience bluescreens.

But honestly, T61 bluescreening out of the box? When plugged into a docking station? Is this something I should come to expect of Lenovo products - the occasional bluescreen? I'm not saying it's completely unacceptable, but it's 2007. Lenovo (and any other company with similar problems) should have their **** together by now.

 

I've recently had bluescreens on my new T60 but it was because of a bad 1GB stick of Mushkin memory which they are replacing. That's usually the cause of bluescreens from experience, (bad memory, or usually drivers).

Once I took out the bad memory the T60 was rock solid.

 

Exactly! They SHOULD have their s**t together by now. Problem is, they bought the Thinkpad line from IBM and seem to be hell bent on getting new product out the door without regard to quality control.

I've got a T61 and although I really like the form factor, design, and build quality, the continual problems with lockups, docking problems, and other abnormalities makes me wish I would have gotten something else.

 

I think its mostly a driver/bios problem with the Intel Turbo Memory. Since the T61 is the only notebook that can be ordered with it, the problems seem like they are only happening on the T61.

I hope Intel does fix the driver soon, right now it's useless from what I heard. At least it only costs $25 if you buy from a retailer, rather then Lenovo.

 

Blue Screens tend to come from bad drivers or bad low level applications (such as Thinkpad utilities that enable devices etc).
If anyone hits a blue screen I'd be interested in seeing the code (e.g. 0x000007b) etc...
That tells you what type of blue screen it is. Often there is a file reference as well on the blue screen.

 

There haven't been problems with laptops that precede the 61-series. So there you go.

I know on previous laptops, it was often memory. Some of the cheap memory from internet shops is known to not work with the T60 and T40-series. Beware of that if you order aftermarket RAM, thinkpads seem to be very sensitive about RAM.

 

It doesn't look like an Intel driver issue.
Rather the broken Turbo Memory support in Vista (if Turbo Memory to blame).

 

Had my T61 since Thursday and have not had a BSOD of any kind. Running great here with Vista Ultimate and the Intel Turbo Memory.

 

Do you have a dock LBTRS? Many of the BSODs are form docking and un-docking.

 

what are you smoking!

 

LOL...how can Vista break Turbo Memory since it was invented by MS and Vista is the only OS that supports it!!?

 

The actual, physical turbo memory itself is intel.

 

Every case I have seen has been with the drivers included by default from intel for the turbo memory...once updated the problems were fixed.

I have had my T61 without turbo memory for a few days and not had one problem with it. Also remember some things are bound to happen and a person may have gotten a bad stick of ram or something that caused the BSOD...there are always a lot more complainers on the net than those happy with their machines not coming out and saying so...

 

Apparently Vista doesn't support it, not yet at least.
LOL

 

Turbo Memory was not created by microsoft...it was created by intel...

Readyboost and Readydrive were the ones created by Microsoft and both work as they should.

 

Does Vista support Turbo Memory with Santa Rosa?
Sony say it doesn't.
HP say it doesn't make any difference (=doesn't work as intended).

 

Not natively, it is supported through the use of a driver just like any other 3rd party item that connects to your PC. The driver is made by Intel and thus where is MS to blame in this issue?

They did not make turbo memory, they did not make the driver to support it, they never said they supported it...

 

Then why do Sony specifically mention Vista?
They say nothing about the Intel drivers (updated or not).

 

Unhooked, Turbo Memory == Ready Boost. The only difference is the Intel hardware... Instead of having a USB flash drive, the NAND memory is built onto the motherboard (or expandable memory slot).

http://www.intel.com/design/flash/nand/turbomemory/index.htm


"This entirely new system innovation for Windows Vista PCs is based on Performance Intel® NAND Flash Memory (like the memory in an iPod* or USB 'thumb' drive), together with supporting software. It works alongside your system's RAM to increase the efficiency of data movement between the processor and hard disk."

 

But see that is the issue. Readyboost works fine, turbo memory is having issues. SO why blame MS for this if their created Readyboost works fine. Try it with a flash drive, it works great. But then Intel makes turbo memory and it is not working up to par and now we blame MS??? That makes no sense to me.

Sony is blaming MS for no reason at all IMO. Sony should be blaming intel who created it...not MS who it runs on....

 

First day I got it I had a blue screen (would restart, blue screen, shut down, restart, blue screen -- just kept cycling). XP. No turbo memory. Restored it to factory software, seems to be working better (haven't seen a blue screen since). Used pcdoc; the bios reported as failed.

 

I don't know. Give me a reason, other than a conspiracy.
If Intel to blame, why woudn't they?

 

Why would they blame MS? Give me a reason, other than a conspiracy made by Sony.

It works both ways. I do not know the exact root of the problem, I do not work for Sony, MS, or Intel. But is what I see is something created by Intel that MS is taking the heat for which does not make sense in my mind...

Is what I have seen is they are blaming MS since readyboost does not work as it should...but it works perfectly with external flash drives and has been shown to give proper performance gains by 3rd party reviewers. Doing what it is supposed to in other words...

 

That's the thing.
Sony's made a specific statement that Vista is to blame.
MS's response has been rather weak.
Does Sony know something the rest of us don't?
I doubt MS would just let it slide and allow this controversy go unanswered without a clear-cut specific response or a law suite against Sony for making faulse accusations.
Don't you think?

 

If someone has a blue screen caused by Ready Boost (turbo Memory), I'd like to take a look at the memory.dmp (..\windows\memory.dmp) file that the blue screen generated (kernel dump only!!).

 

Ummm, why do you keep bringing up Sony. They have nothing to do Intel's Turbo Memory (Robson) or Microsoft's ReadyBoost or Vista. Microsoft has to comment about the issue. It may be there fault. Microsoft wants Turbo Memory to work with Vista. The theoretical benefits of turbo memory will make there OS look good.

The fact is that Turbo Memory and ReadyBoost work together. Or in this case are NOT working ideally together. It could be Intel's fault or it could be Microsofts fault. Obviously the two are probably working together on a solution. Even if it's totally Intel's fault, Microsoft isn't going to stab Intel in the back by pointing there finger. These two companies feed off each others business. They are going to take the stance that it's not a big deal and it will all get worked out.

 

Exactly why MS is not coming back with a clear answer to Sony as well...Intel and MS are partners and have been for a long time, they will not do anything drastic to each other.

 

No dock for me. Funny thing...I no sooner posted my post about not having any BSOD's and had a BSOD. It happened while reading this forum and playing a Poker game on battery in the back yard. I went to stand up from my chair with the laptop and it gave me a BSOD. It seemed like the movement is what caused it or it was a huge coincidence that it happened at the exact time I stood up. I wonder if it has anything to do with Active Protection System and maybe the movement of docking/undocking could be causing a problem.

I guess I spoke too soon.

 

Run the ThinkVantage hardware tests and see if you have any problems.

 

I got the BSOD while I was looking at pictures. That was the only application running. No joke. Although I suppose that can be considered a docking issue as I had to connect and disconnect a camera about 20 minutes before the BSOD to get the pictures on the computer.

 

I just rebooted and was reading an email in Firefox and got a blue screen. What a POS. I'm really frustrated.

I have to shutdown when disconnecting from my advance dock because if I try to undock, it usually locks up when I open it or the resolution is set to 800 X 600.

I've had Turbo Memory shut off for a week or more because I thought it might be the problem

This thing takes no less than 5 minutes to boot. Slower than a turtle in molasses.

Lenovo needs to send this one back to R&D.

 

has anyone contact lenovo and ask the about it? What did they say?

 

Can you use the T61 without the dock?

 

How do you turn off turbo memory? Do you have to open the laptop?

 

If you have the memory.dmp file available (C:\Windows\memory.dmp), feel free to email it to me at [email protected] and I'll check it out under a debugger.

 

I'm expecting my T61 either Tuesday or Wednesday in the mail. If I have these issues, I'll send it over to you. Thanks.

 

No problem...I hope that GMail can accept a 60Mb (ish) attachment!

 

I just got a new T61. It functions flawlessly when plugged into ac power. When running on battery I get maybe 10 minutes then a bsod every time. Lenovo is sending a replacement battery, but i'm not convinced that is the issue. A co-worker also just got one and his does the same thing.... I find it hard to believe they both had bad batteries out of the box.

 

All the BSOD threads are scaring me. I'm actually starting to think switching to the D630 was a good idea...

Question: would you rather Lenovo delayed the laptop order even more - but ironed out the BSOD stuff, or would you rather have it the way it is right now (with sporadic BSODs)?

 

If you do a clean install though it seems the BSODs go away so no worries.

 

Have either of you done a clean install with updated drivers from the manufacturer's website, not from lenovo? I'd agree that you shouldn't have to but a BSOD because of drivers and a BSOD because of hardware are very different. If it's a hardware thing, that's bad, if it's software.. eh not so bad.

 

I've only had the laptop a week. I was trying to avoid the hassle. I wanted to try the hardware route before i give in to a re-install.

 

Just don't send it back before you do a clean install. It'll take less time to do a clean install than it will for them to get it back to you.

 

I did a clean install.

still. Blue screen

might it be the think vantage sofeware issue? because I installed all of them

 

I installed all Think Vantage software on my reinstall and still have not had one BSOD (never did before though either).

I do not have turbo memory or a dock though.

 

Hmm did you follow the clean install guide? Could be a hardware issue. Do you have turbo or dock?

 

Have you done a pcdoc hardware check? Go to the recovery center for the most thorough check (not through the program menu).

 

In my opinion, and limited experience, the ThinkVantage software all blows massive chunks. The ONLY software that I am using from IBM is the UltraNav software for the touchpad/touchstick. That's all. Everything else gave my T61 piss-poor performance and bluescreens.

I typed out in this thread exactly what I have installed in my clean install of Vista: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=132673

 

well, i was forced to re-install when i tried updating video and turbo memory drivers. wouldn't boot at all after that. anyway, since the reinstall things have been working well. not 100%, but much better than before. i randomly get a 'no operating system can be found' during reboots, but a quick power cycle seems to make it go away. I've yet to install any apps beyond firefox so i cant say the bsod wont make a return once i really start using the laptop.

anyway...at this point, at least its a software issue and not hardware

 

My laptop has the same problems I always get blue screen when the laptop is on battery. I talked to custommer support and they will send me a new battery ...

I doubt this is the problem since I see a few other people with the same problem posting .... maybe a batch of faulty batteries ??

The problem is there always without and with the latest patches installed...