Take a look at our
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message

Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

General Questions, Rumors, Real news & More
Post Reply
Message
Author
RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#1 Post by RealBlackStuff » Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:32 pm

Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

Known so far:
ThinkPad P52
ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2018
ThinkPad P52s
ThinkPad P1
ThinkPad P72

Cigarguy
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1756
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:08 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#2 Post by Cigarguy » Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:46 pm

Wow, just wow. Doesn't anyone do software testing anymore besides dumping it on the consumer? A BIOS doesn't have that many features that all the features can't be tested.
Last edited by Cigarguy on Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GomJabbar
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9872
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2005 6:57 am

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#3 Post by GomJabbar » Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:01 pm

I have been reading about this issue regarding enabling "BIOS support for Thunderbolt" that a number of users on the Lenovo Forum have experienced. Not just this either. Touch screen firmware updates and BIOS updates on some of the X-series laptops (and possibly others) have been breaking the touch screen feature requiring a display and/or a motherboard replacement to fix.

Does anybody even test these features and updates in house before they are released to the public? :roll:
DKB

dr_st
Admin
Admin
Posts: 9691
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:20 am
Location: Israel

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#4 Post by dr_st » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:30 am

GomJabbar wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:01 pm
Does anybody even test these features and updates in house before they are released to the public? :roll:
Yes, they do. But as systems get increasingly complicated with more different HW/SW/FW components from multiple vendors, the amount of crazy corner cases increases exponentially, and you get weird failures out of nowhere that are ridiculously difficult to debug. Believe me, this is something I know a lot about. :)

At some point the decision makers say "Screw it, we cannot delay the release any longer; we'd rather deal with 0.1% (or 0.01%) failures and replace the customers' systems at our expense". Of course, the frustration of the customer who just had his machine bricked (even if he gets it fixed for free) is not something actually accounted for in this equation. :evil:
Thinkpad 25 (20K7), T490 (20N3), Yoga 14 (20FY), T430s (IPS FHD + Classic Keyboard), X220 4291-4BG
X61 7673-V2V, T60 2007-QPG, T42 2373-F7G, X32 (IPS Screen), A31p w/ Ultrabay Numpad

Cigarguy
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1756
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:08 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#5 Post by Cigarguy » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:46 am

If it is a minor feature I can maybe see it. But Thunderbolt? On a laptop advertise to have Thunderbolt and is a feature in which people pay more for? Little sympathy from me.

The other thing they are counting on is not everyone raising up enough of a stink and returning the product. Even with the recall of T61 Nvidia there are still lots of T61 that failed and was abandoned by the consumer rather than deal with the hassle.

zod
Sophomore Member
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 6:28 pm
Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#6 Post by zod » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:30 pm

No IBM = no ThinkPad.

RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#7 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:23 am

It seems that someone managed a fix: Repairing a ThinkPad with a Corrupt Thunderbolt Firmware Chip
When is LeNoNo finally taking the finger out and fix this problem themselves?
QC is something that no longer seems to exist there...

GrifterGuru
Sophomore Member
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:41 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#8 Post by GrifterGuru » Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:01 am

So according to that, you create a 1mb zero bytes ROM, flash it to the T/Bolt EEEPROM, then reflash the T/Bolt EEEPROM with stock firmware from Lenovo and that solves it.

Ouch, that's a pain, but what an "Easy" way to unbrick it. Quite ingenious really!

Of course, all that assumes you have the kit to do it.


BUT, here's the rub. It took a bloody-minded individual who refused to give up and instead get on with it. Why is it down to an End-user to sort out Lenovo's foul ups?

What are we? the "we're here to fix it 'cos you can't be bothered" team?
X31 2672-58G, M73 10AXS, M73 10AXS i7, L412 4403-72G i5,T420 4236-9N8 i7-2630QM, T430 2349-TDG, X201 3680-C85, X220 42902
Install Mojave on X220 & T420

MikalE
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#9 Post by MikalE » Sat Oct 27, 2018 8:11 am

The average user doesn't have the kit or the knowledge to pull off a fix like that even with instructions.

It's great that he found the fix. Maybe he should be working for Lenovo. :lol:
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#10 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sat Oct 27, 2018 8:21 am

The guy that fixed the problem is Professor Nadim Kobeissi at the New York University's campus in Paris, France.
I doubt he'd be interested to work for LeNoNo.

MikalE
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: Some recent ThinkPads can be destroyed by changing a UEFI-BIOS setting

#11 Post by MikalE » Sat Oct 27, 2018 9:36 am

That also makes my point that the average person doesn't have the skill, knowledge, or tools to pull this off.
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “GENERAL ThinkPad News/Comments & Questions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests