Embedded Controller 1.05 hang during update

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yossarian · #1 Post by **yossarian** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:59 am

Hi

I just had the fright of my life (well, first one in a while anyway). Today Software Installer informed me that the Embedded Controller had a new flash out. My T43 has 1.04 running. The new driver is 1.05.

So anyway I download the thing, and run it and do what it says. It restarts the computer and proceeds. Everything looks regular. I tell it to do its job. It does the usual warnings, and all is in order so I hit enter a few times.

It then hangs on the "Information: Reading Embedded Controller program file." for A LONG time. Having flashed the thing a few times in the past I know that's totally not normal. I wait, and wait. About 5 minutes later it's still supposively reading... panic bells go off. I end up holding down power button for 15 seconds for a soft shutdown. Now, I know you're not supposed to do that during a flash and that the machine may be unusuable etc, but I was kinda worried the program hung. Waited 30 seconds, and booted laptop. Hoped to heck computer still worked. It did. Thinkpad configure program in windows reports 1.04 Embedded Controller still installed. So the patch failed.

Anyone else have a similar experience? I want to update but I'm afraid to try again in case I don't come out so unscathed the next time.

Roy_W · #2 Post by **Roy_W** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:00 am

I tried the same update this morning and had exactlly the same problem, fortunately the update was only "reading" something when it hung.
So for the moment I will stick with the 1.04 ECP.

I agree that "

PANIC STATE

" comes into phase extremely quickly when this kind of process goes wrong.

Cloud! · #3 Post by **Cloud!** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:25 am

I had the same problem with 1.04, so I just stuck with 1.03. I'll try 1.05 later today.

yossarian · #4 Post by **yossarian** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:47 am

Being the sucker for trouble that I am, I redownloaded the update and tried it again to no avail[same behaviour]. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a broken patch[at least as far as T43 2687DRUs with BIOS 1.25 and EC 1.04 is concerned] or whether there are settings on my machine preventing the update.

chriswendy · #5 Post by **chriswendy** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:58 pm

Hi yossarian, I got the exactly same problem as you. I even tried to downgrade my BIOS to 1.24 and re-upgrade to 1.25 ( I through there might be problem when I update BIOS since I upgrade the BIOS and Embedded controller at the same time) , then tried to upgrade several times, but it still hang at the same screen as you mentioned.

Then I searched over the Internet, someone said it might be reading error if you use SOFTWARE INSTALLED to upgrade. So I re-download the Embedded Controller upgrade 1.05 from IBM website and tried agian. This time it is not hang at same screen but poped up a RED screed said
" an unexpected error happened, please power off your computer".
Then I powered off and restart again, it still 1.04.
[censored] it... why cannot they tested this stupid update before they release~~
so MAD *_*

BTW, my model is 2668-CC7

martyg · #6 Post by **martyg** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:08 pm

I had exactly the same problem when this file was first posted back in February. It was pulled off the IBM/Lenovo site soon thereafter.

I'm surprised the same file got re-released without being corrected.
This does not speak well of the new organization in China.

chriswendy · #7 Post by **chriswendy** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:00 pm

Hi, I just find a way that works for me, you can try it

click START>RUN, then enter specify filename with the full path name where you stored Embedded Controller Program Update Utility with options -s -a -s. (E.g. C:\Temp\1YHJ05US.EXE -s -a -s)
Then press the Enter key. Windows will shut down automatically and the system BIOS program will be updated without any user interaction.

The file 1YHJ05US.EXE can be manually download from LENOVO website,http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-59120
if you try to use SOFTWARE INSTALLER to upgrade, it will auto-decompress this file to other files in Drivers folder in your hard drive and delete the original one. In that case, you will not be able to find this file.

good luck everyone!

P.S. I also find something that might influence the upgrade of EC
1. if you installed any fan control software, disable it before upgrade
2. turn off or temporarily disable the fingerprint Software before you upgrade the EC

Hope it will help ^_^

gunston · #8 Post by **gunston** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:33 pm

uninstall the Rescue & recovery, and client solution software.
then it will be working fine to flash your embedded controller to 1.05.
this is the way i found out and successfully flashed it.

Roy_W · #9 Post by **Roy_W** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:46 am

Thanks ChrisWendy,

The command line version worked just fine, I dont use Rescue & Recovery or Fingerprint Software so I can't vouch for the consequence of using either.

It was a little disconcerting though to NOT have the usual BIOS/ECP upgrade interface. Instead there was 3 lines of text, the last one reading "Start Flashing" and then after abour 30 seconds the machine just switches itself off.
I know the machine should just switch itself off but it does look like the machine just dies .

Anyway cheers, I glad to see that the update does indeed work.

yossarian · #10 Post by **yossarian** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:11 am

Yeah command line unattended install version works fine. Thanks. I guess they have some bugs with the interactive version. I notice that the files get deleted from the directory with those things in it when using interactive version, so maybe that's why the program can't read from the program.

Definitely rather unprofessional for them to release something so unpolished though.

dtakias · #11 Post by **dtakias** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:55 am

i just noticed the thread. i did the update this morning with no problems whatsoever.

chriswendy · #12 Post by **chriswendy** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:16 pm

It's nice to see that the method I found actually helped some of you guys

I guess there may be something wrong with either SOFTWARE INSTALLER or it may just depends on different software environment in different computers.

I remembered that before I tried to upgrade BIOS and EC using SOFTWARE INSTALLER, I actually upgraded to a new version of SOFTWARE INSTALLER first, maybe that's the problem, I guess

monkey243 · #13 Post by **monkey243** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:01 pm

guys,
Beford you update ECP1.05,you have to make sure your BIOS is 1.25.The ECP1.05 only work in BIOS1.25.If you have to update BIOS1.25 and ECP1.05,you have to update BIOS1.25 first,then update ECP1.05.
I hope this message can help you gays.
Good luck!

AIX · #14 Post by **AIX** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:44 pm

monkey243 · #15 Post by **monkey243** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:51 pm

And one thing I forgot.
If fancontrol is using on your system.Please do swith fan speed control to BIOS.
Then update BIOS 1.25 first!Finally update ECP 1.05.

mybellyisempty · #16 Post by **mybellyisempty** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:08 pm

This happened to me as well...

doing command line now....

*crosses fingers* (meh, I've got 9x5 next day warranty...and a T42 to back me up...right?)

It updated fine!

Thanks for the command line info. This should probably be made a sticky

yossarian · #17 Post by **yossarian** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:18 pm

You can certainly attempt to argue their software peculiarities are part of defective manufacturing if something goes wrong

Not sure how successful that'd be though.

Embedded Controller 1.05 hang during update

Embedded Controller 1.05 hang during update

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