Clevo p170sm - Mysterious boot problems

I don't really know where to start with this. This is also my first in here for years but anyway, I have a problem with my laptop that I would like you guys to hear.

It started when I simply close my laptop to put it to sleep. The next day I see that the laptop actually never shutted down but is stuck on a black screen. When I restart the laptop, it not longer boots into Windows 10 and I only get a black screen.

When throubleshooting, I removed every part of the laptop one by one ( GPU, RAM, USB, Drives ), updated the BIOS, but that didn't fix the problem. I then tried to plug in a bootable usb key to reinstall Windows 10, but even that didn't work, it stays stuck at the windows logo, same thing with a windows 10 dvd.

I then tried to put in my old Windows 8 dvd and to my surprise it works. I can install Windows 8, install my applications, play games with my graphics card and everything works fine super fine. It seems that my Windows 10 is simply totally broken and I don't know what I can do to fix this.

 

Did you make sure to set the uefi/csm/legacy settings the same in new bios

Yes redownload win10 image would be something to try

Also play some more with swapping ram around to check a stick or slot hasn't gone bad (memtest too to check for errors)

Might be worth opening it up and giving it a clean (around pch mobo traces sata ports etc)

 

Well you seem to have found the solution of your problem, possibly some windows 10 update which messed somethjing up.

 

But I don't know what's the real cause of this. I can't boot Windows 10 from a drive, a bootable usb key or a DVD so I'm pretty much locked out of Windows 10 entirely

Edit: Also memtest passed at 100%.

Edit2: Tried the Windows 10 bootable usb key on a second computer and it works well.

Edit3: Did a reset of the BIOS, same problem.

 

So now when you try and boot windows 10 from the installer you just get a black screen?

 

Yeah that's pretty much it. Sometimes I see the logo but it hangs everytime, so right now I'm pretty much stuck with Windows 8.1.

One thing I noticed, when it hangs, the NumLock light indicator goes on.

 

When did you create that bootable pen?

Is it the most recent Windows version?

 

It is with the most recent Windows version and I created multiple versions with the Media Creation tool and Rufus with the iso.

I tested the bootable usb key on my Windows tablet and it works well but on the Sager laptop it simply doesn't boot.

 

Sleep is garbage on W10 so I recommend never using it no matter how convenient it seems. That said, I've noticed that sleep/hibernate issues are related to the Intel graphics in many cases, so make sure you're also reloading those if you're doing anything with GPU drivers. There's something about how they hand off/take control of the system graphics that does not always play nice with sleep

 

This seems to makes sense, since it always started when I my sleep went on sleep. By reloading do you mean by updating the drivers? Or should I do something in the BIOS?

I'm currently using the laptop on Windows 8.1

 

Yes reloading the Intel GPU drivers for Sure

 

@Xify You mentioned you updated the BIOS. Which version?

 

When it started I was using BIOS version 1.03.01, I then updated to premamod version 1.03.04 and it didn't solve the problem. I then updated again to version 1.03.05 and it did nothing.

I also tried reloading the Intel HD driver and updating it but it didn't work also

 

Initial problem: After putting the laptop to sleep, I can't boot Windows 10 anymore from a drive, usb or dvd. In the BIOS, secure boot is off fast boot is off. Meanwhile, Windows 8.1 runs perfectly.

Tagging @Prema if I can have more info about what is going on.

 

Just seen this, I am a newbie. I have the same weird issue.
It’s trashed my win7 partition (not fully) but end up with BSOD. Also it has made my ubuntu partition unbootable.

Luckily have a clone disk, but recticent to use it, due to the following:

Thought I would try and repair windows partition, yummi 32GB sandisk pendrive kept being corrupted.
So ended up using a 4GB HP stick and put Ubuntu iso on it.
Again had weird boot errors, where every time I booted on right hand side USB port
I would get uncompression errors or VFS failed to sync disk.
Also not finding /dev/sr0.

So using one of the 3 right hand side USB3.0 ports I could get the ISO to boot without problems (most of the time).

Managed to install the iso on another stick, but then that stick failed to boot.

Also if I had the hard drive installed, even though I was not booting from it, it would affect booting!?

Lastly yes I can access the hard drive and even tried using it on a sabrent USB to SATIII adaptor.

Also use dis_ucode_ldr as a Ubuntu boot option. As there have been isssues with intel microcode.

Currently at a lost as what to do?

Any ideas?

ME FW Version 9.0.20.1447
MB Series P170SM
BIOS Ver 1.03.05
KBC/EC Firmware Revision 1.03.01

Lastly even did a low level format on the sandisk and no real issues.
Really really strange when you find your multiboot / single USB boot sticks don’t work (sometimes will boot but will not always boot the iso).
The stick works fine on other laptops....

This was the vfs error



Forgot to paste image!



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Sometimes if it didn’t boot but managed to boot the basic Sys Linux this was a screen shot.
They both refer to a bios errata 0x22.
Hence why I tried the dis_ucode_ldr, to prevent and clashes with microcode ( see the web on Intel microcode issues earlier this year)

So would be great if anyone else can shed some light on this or a solution if they have rectified it.

Thanks


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The image of partial boot (syslinux)



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Hi Danishblunt, I see you wrote a lot about microcode issues back in Jan, that you’re the expert. Perhaps you might be able to shed some light on this?

I see from the clevo mirror that there more recent bios from 2014, which I will try; but as these dam microcode updates are not persistent and have to be loaded at each boot time; how does one install a new OS without patching the ISO before installation?
Yet again this is another tactic by MS and Intel to keep everyone buying new PC’s rather than upgrading perfectly good machines.
I have a Dell D830, Inspiron 1545 (as well as some towers) all running 64 bit OS’s with no issue

Thanks



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The microcodes are usually imbeded in the BIOS. Dell does update the microcode even on older machines, at least for their alienwares they did.

 

Reflashed bios, but is exactly the same as the bios version I already had on on board, so at a bit of a loss.
Will see if I can update the microcode via Ubuntu (if I can get it too boot!).

Using:
sudo apt-get install intel-microcode

See Intel website for revision a brought out in August microcode-20180807a.tgz:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28087/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File

Will confirm if this works...




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it will work, but the issue is that it will only work on linux. Once you reinstall it won't be there anymore. You can also use a tool that would allow a new microcode on windows start, however it doesn't protect you against spectre because it's not being applied when it's most important.

The only way to be somewhat safe from spectre is microcude via BIOS.

Also your Issue with 64bit windows is not related to your microcode in the slightest.

 

Agree it’s not persistent.
Has anyone contacted clevo?
Or is there a Dell based Clevo Bios, or other flavour BIOS I could flash it with?
I will contact the laptop supplier, but I don’t hold out much hope of a fix.
Not confident in editing the flash bios files, my self as I don’t really want to buy a new MB, (just been replaced due to a faulty charging circuit).

 

This was last updated in November 2018
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV180002

 

This was the Win764 BSOD I experienced on the Clevo:



But maybe I will need to analyse the dump files.....yet another job to do.


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Ok turned out to be a legacy EFI boot I had, which I wasn’t using (Using BIOS boot).
Removed the EFI directory from the NTFS system (boot) partition.
Why this affected the booting I have no idea as I had EFI disabled in the BIOS.

Anyway all up and running.
Just as well as the core dump was as useless as a chocolate fire guard.

Think I will keep Linux as the main OS, so much smoother and faster than windoze....


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Interesting, so it was trying to read it regardless.

 

Agree, hence why it took me ages to diagnose!

The thing that gave it away was the fact that Yann boot-repair kept trying to install an EFI grub, when I knew I was BiOS booting an MBR disk.
Also the yann boot-repair boot (info) log files are written in English, not gobbledygook.

https://launchpad.net/~yannubuntu/+archive/ubuntu/boot-repair

As you know the Clevo will boot EFI, but the BIOS is not that user friendly if you need to set up a boot menu, so ideally you need a small dos partition (free dos with a .txt editor); rEFInd works well.
But easier sticking to BIOS boot.
Yes there is a 2/3TB partition limit with MBR but I’m not video editing.


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