***EVGA Precision X and Windows 7/8/8.1 and especially 10 bricking systems***

Sorry guys if it was mentioned already, but if you have a dead screen and take out or formatting/erasing the hdd/ssd before inserting the spare screen, the second one shouldn't get corrupted, right?

 

not so easy im afraid.... theres still the system bios, NVRAM, vbios, mobo firmware and whatnot thats still able to harbor dangerous code able to brick the second screen.... at least thats what im surmising after mr. fox experience reports thus far

 

It depends on your luck. This "bug" infects some more than only system. It remained even after disk swap. It depends on how far infection spread. Some poeple got their systems working after nulling the disk and installing windows 8/7 but some will still get their screens destroyed, everytime.

In new AW18 there's also stupid NVRAM that persists and it's hard to erase. It can aqlso be infected by this crap too.

 

I'm on an AW18 (see specs in sig) and Win 10 Pro x64 and have been since the end of August. Works perfectly fine.
Samsung 60Hz panel, by the way (though have been running OC'd to 105Hz since April or May 2015 when I was still on WIn 8.1). Upgraded to Win10 first (to activate) then did a fresh install.

 

That msdn article is interesting. I wonder if it's possible on our AW 18's. If so I'm assuming you could just remote in to a laptop with a black screen and apply the inf fix.

 

This is only software bypass of hardware EDID. Person with damaged display has hardware EDID damaged, not software one.

 

Hello everyone !
For I know you have much trouble with Alienware M18 and +
I bought my alienware on EBay: Alienware M18 R1, GTX580M Video Card SLI with Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit, 8Giges Memoirs, MBR Partition, Bios A05 Lock.
I changed my bios for A05 Unlock, Installing another hard drive D:
Since may I increased the memory 8GB to 32GB, then I realized that Windows 7 was stuck 16 GB,
so I had the good idea to do the update to Windows 10 but not the Home Premium, rather than 64-bit Windows 10 Pro ($ 287.00CAD)

So I find with my 32GB available by then I converted my Alienware M18X R1 using the software (Aomei Partition Assistant Pro Edition 5.8) to MBR disk to GPT size and system UEFI Boot menu in the BIOS.
I Working with my computer every day for at least three weeks and automatic update, all is normal.
Even if overclock video cards with MSI Afterburner.
If it helps you solve any problem good read.
Sorry m'y English traduction Google...

 

Okay but just don't try to install EVGA PrecisionX. If you do it = instant brick.

 

Thank you to notice me

 

I have an NP7370 that got bricked by upgrading to Windows 10, never had EVGA PrecisionX installed.

 

Under upgrade? 8 beeps.

 

oooh boy, more clevo models! not good!

please give us your complete specs including what software u had installed at the time of the bricking!

 

Another victim due to upgrading from WinGoofs 8.1 to 10 without Precision X installed -> Gigabyte U2442F

That's what he did:

"I have started the update from Windows 8.1 64-bit to Win 10 via the icon on the right side menu. Then Win 10 was downloaded and installed. After the installation, the Computer restarted, there was a blue screen and after one or two further reboots the previous Windows installation was restored. I then disabled the Geforce in BIOS and installed Windows 10 again. The installation went through. I reactivated the Geforce in BIOS and back into Windows 10. Then I installed the drivers for the Geforce again and restarted. The drivers were installed and everything looked good. Then, Windows installed an update, and after the subsequent restart the computer did not come up. The manner in which I observed was that the POWER LED turns on after power and the LED for SSD / HD flickers, the screen remains black. After one minute or a little more then the fans kicked in. The LEDs for the power supply or the dedicated switch on the USB charging function lights as expected. There was at no time any error messages or beeps."

I just bought that one + a spare screen and hope to reviving it. Prior inserting the Screen, I will take out the SSD and pray that the corruption wasn't stored in any other parts.

Wish me luck!

 

@jaybee83

Sager 7370 (Clevo W370st)
i7 4700, not overclocked.
Nvidia GTX 765M
750GB HDD, no SSD or secondary HDD
20GB RAM, 4 on sub-keyboard slot. Underneath slots expanded with 16gb (8gbx2) of G.Skill Ripjaws RAM.

Originally a Windows 8 OEM install, so no bloatware present, upgraded to windows 8.1 Mostly used for gaming, college writing, and surfing the web, so the only software present was Steam + a few games, Nvidia GeForce Experience, Apache Open Office, Mozilla Firefox. Never had viruses. I like a clean machine.

 

I am on Win 10TH2 since release (clean install) and i found some strange entrys in the regedit.
Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Enum/Display
There are 2 entrys in Default_Monitor with BAD_EDID.
Same in ControlSet001.


And one with my LGD046C (LG_LP173WF4_SPD1) Display with the right Edid.

MonitorInfo says it´s all ok.


But under Win8.1 i have only one entry in regedit ( CurrentControlSet and ControlSet001) with my LGD046C (LG_LP173WF4_SPD1) Display.
No Default_Monitor with BAD_EDID entrys.


Why make Win10 these Default_Monitor entry with bad edid?

For safety now i´m back to Win8.1

 

Fascinating. So potentially, the a fix could be done like flashing the EDID on Vista?

http://www.komeil.com/blog/fix-edid-monitor-no-signal-dvi

 

Very strange things with Windows.
Today i made a clean install of Win8.1 and now i have the 2 entrys in Default_Monitor with BAD_EDID too

Even my old 8.1 backup from Oktober have now the entry after installing.

 

dont worry too much about those registry entries

 

Yes i know but it´s very strange.
Even my clean 8.1 have now evertime that entries.
Seems win10 write some **** in the Hardware like MB/GPU or something like that.

 

I feel like we are starting all over again the discussion from the previous thread of 300+ pages.

The registry entries regarding BAD EDID, the software flashing of a new EDID and why it can not help this situation have all been discussed.
Also i think its safe to say that EVGA Precision has nothing to do with bricked displays. We were desperate for a common factor (and a solution) and Precision was suggested, but that explanation quickly became obsolete as more and more bricked displays without Precision ever installed came to surface.

The reality is that (if) companies don't care and can't be bothered to fix the problem we will never know what causes this and have a fix.

 

Precision is known trigger for EDID corrupting, but there are another software or something (except Windows) that can cause that.

 

I use MSI Afterburner? Will I be ok to update to 10? I updated to 10 earlier than read about the issue of screen corruption.

Laptop in Sig except I downgraded back to Windows 7.

 

After some correspondance with Sager, my machine is unable to boot. I don't know if the update 100% bricked my laptop, or if it just conveniently coincided with a motherboard failure, but it looks like it will probably have to go back to them for repairs.

Some guys have all the luck.

 

So I've been issued an RMA from Sager, but I can't afford or justify another $600 motherboard replacement this year. I'd rather just put that towards another machine that won't need a new motherboard every few months.

 

Agreed, get a new laptop

 

Upgraded Win 10, it ****ed up my screen and motherboard, now I had to replace them both for 500+ bucks. So it's 100% sure now it's caused by EVGA? Mine's M17xR4 though.

 

So Mr.Fox, do we have any solution to this problem instead of have motherboard and screen replaced and go back to win7 (avoid Preceison X)? Sorry my English is not so fluent.

 

Nope, there won't be a solution unless one of the Big Ones -> (Micro$oft, Ngreedia, EVGA) resolve this quietly.

Until that happens Win10 + Precision X is a very good Combo in getting your Screen f***ed up and infestate the remaining components of your rig as well. So the best bet is to stay away from WinGoofs 10 and avoiding Precision X!

 

I'm 5 pages behind but... Just stay away from Windows 10 for now. Everyone who has been in computers as long as Mr. Fox and myself already knows to wait at least 6 months between service packs... The fall update is a bit of a new situation because it's a full OS reinstall from what I have heard but I think the 6 month and monitor rule should still apply. As for 10 itself? I have nVidia cards, there is no benefit for DirectX 12 at the moment. Sticking with 8.1 Pro although it is incredibly generous (amd suspicious) that Microsoft will currently sign the product key for either version of Windows. If you're like me and have an EFI key, there are apps that will reveal it but due to the other features of the apps, I can not link you to them.

 

I think we have determined that EVGA Precision X software and the upgrade is a one way ticket to Bricksville, but a few of us still got bricked without Precision X being installed, so there is something more going on.

 

Cancer doesn't only take one path...

 

Some guy got recent brick on Windows 8.1 without EVGA precision and newest driver. That's why im sticking to 353.06

 

Ok been reading this subject for days now my eyes are bleeding.. got parts coming from all over the world and ill soon be building my new sli980 AW18 so I'm doing as much home work as possible . Really wanted win10 and Dx12 as the rest of the house has already been upgraded but seeing as this is still happening ill have to stay with 8.1 till this is resolved... just a something ive noticed and read it a few times and wanted to share that may prevent a cleared lcd firmware "please note this is a guess based on what ive read".. some people who didnt get a stuffed screen had an overclocked refresh rate maybe the software or whatever they use to do the overclocking restricts access to the firmware ??? anyways just a thought....
Also Mr Fox if your still reading this thread do you still think the cancer has been writen somehow to the vbios or gpu's as i remember you replacing your motherboard hdd etc and still had the same problem and said it was some how writen into your gpu's or has the problem gone away now since you got rid of precisionX and went back to win8??????

 

@Rundll32 from the Alienware thread, we learned that Microsoft is changing the EFI... Even in legacy mode.

@GodlikeRU Yeah I'm actually okay but I have a Clevo... I'm on 359.

 

Ow ok so win10 is actually changing things on the motherboard .. must have missed that thread last one i read was on the nvidia site and mr fox had replaced the motherboard and harddisk in his m18xr2 and had the problem happen again . Gawd i wish amd would release somthing decent got win10 on my m18x with crossfire 7970m's "amd's last decent gpu in my opinion" and works just as good as windows7

 

Mr. Fox found the Precision X connection. I haven't seen a single incident of an AMD card but @t456 found that Windows 10 actually injects code into the system EFI. Reflashing the BIOS doesn't remove it. From what I've read, it seems like Windows 10 is basically a rootkit. It stores it's code in NVRAM across flashes.

 

Just let's summarize this (again):

- WinGoofs 10 apparently is the source of all this! -> granting Low Level Access to overwrite LCD Firmware (credit goes to @Prema)
- Ngreedia (Drivers) seems to be a catalyst! -> altering the checksum (frequency values) in EDID while installing the Drivers (credit goes to @Prema)
- Same for Precision X -> same here, catalyst!

As @Ethrem mentioned: cancer never goes the direct way! We had bricks while upgrading from Win7/8.1 to 10 without Precision X and bricks on Win7/8.1 with and without Precision X BUT with WinGoofs10 ready updates on it.

So IMO at least the Win10 ready updates were involved along with some catalysts. At this Point we still have just indizes about what happened (bad EDID, altering (v)Bioses, etc. pp) but NOT why this exactly happened.

Both Precision X (and GeForce drivers) include a pixel/refresh rate overclocking Feature (credit goes to @Mr. Fox) which might be the catalyst that triggers the EDID overwriting.

But hey! Nothing is confirmed yet and you could just bite an apple and call it a day!

Edit: AMD + WinGoofs 10 (+ EVGA Precision X) -> no reported bricks so far....

 

Good News update!! I was getting my machine ready for RMA return, and remembered that I had left a ubuntu iso disc in the drive (I like having a linux partition) so I turned the machine on to pop it out.... and the damn thing booted up like it hadn't done anything wrong.

I'm laughing like an idiot, but maybe this thing ain't dead yet. Will update later.

 

Ha ha! Just let us know how it turned out and give us an exact Manual what to do. I have still a "dead" Gigabyte U2442F that I want to revive!

Joke's aside! Spare Screen arrived today. Will pop out the SSD, take out the CMOS and RAM before swapping the Screens. I hope that will be enough, alongside with a fresh install of Windows 7.

 

About all I did was pop the excess RAM out, back to the original 4gb, opened the lid, and slapped the power button. I wish I could say more of what happened, but that's it.

 

Glad that you have it back! I hope that it will turn out for me as easy as it did to you.

 

It's funny you mention the pixel overclocking because that's exactly how my screen got from 60Hz to 105Hz. Win10, Nvidia, OC'd screen - no problems

 

Another update: Apparently my machine was having display/boot errors whenever I had either G.Skill 8gb stick of RAM inside. The RAM had recently been. MemChecked, but I will do that later/tomorrow. Whenever I have just the 4gb stick alone, it seems to function just fine.

DOS bootable Seatools shows that I was having dozens of HDD errors, so running check/repairs on it, and trying a second HDD to see if I can fix this myself, but I have to run to work. Another step closer to having this guy breathing on his own again.

 

I'm wondering, not sure if this has been discussed before - what BIOS/vBIOS are the unlucky owners using..? Anything modded?

 

You could try Precision X just to get sure!

AFAIK this was pretty mixed. Stock versions alongside Prema's (v)Biosmods.

 

hmm... I'm on all stock now, but will be on Prema when the GTX 980M SLI kit arrives... Not really eager to find out if my laptop bricks, to be honest...

 

Could be worth a shot if you have a running warranty.

 

Ain't got any, unfortunately. So any repairs will be out of pocket :/

 

Perhaps it is just better to wait and let them iron out any issues inherent within Windows 10. It's likely that this issue will gain traction -- and will have to be properly addressed -- since the newer Alienware 18 units are shipping with only Windows 10 as an OS option while Dell is actively encouraging all Alienware 18 users to upgrade to Windows 10.

Edit: Thanks for the correction on the OS currently being shipped with the Alienware 18, @Zero989.

 

hmmm... There's gotta be something that people do to their laptops that others don't do to get bricked...