Lenovo Thinkpad W510 hangs at Windows 7 boot screen

[jfpearsonjr]

Just received a custom built W510 on Friday. It hangs on a restart at the ThinkPad initial screen, requiring a hard reset. But it only does it, if I have my Blackberry or WD external HD connected to a USB port. Makes absolutely no sense to me. My WD HD is very old, Win 7 won't recognize it. My Blackberry works fine, once it boots.

[JameZ]

All,

Appreciate if you could fill in the following form so we are able to narrow down this issue and this information is useful for our engineers for them to replicate the issue on their end.

• Model
• BIOS version
• Processor type
• Operating System
• Lenovo default OS?
• Issue happen on Battery / AC / docking station?
• All updates from TVSU completed?
• All updates from Windows Updates?
• Power Manager Version
• Audio driver version
• Display card driver version
• Discrete / Intergrated / Brand / Model -
• RAM installed (brand and 1 x 4gb, 1 x 2gb, 2 x 2gb?)
• Any error notification before issue occurred?
• 3rd party application installed before issue happen?
• Any particular application which is running on the time this issue arises?
• Able to replicate the issue on demand?
• Are you able to volunteer if there is a need for laptop to be sent into evaluation?
• Additional information

//JameZ

[lchase6]

Everyone:

I was having a problem with booting up on a docking station with 2 monitors attached and the DVI monitor was my primary video.  I did some searching and saw people were having a problem with the DVI monitors, so I disconnected the DVI and BAM my laptop booted up!  So, now I've changed it so that my VGA monitor is primary and my laptop boots just fine on the docking station.

Looks like Lenovo Thinkpad just doesn't play well with the higher graphics!  I've got both monitors plugged into my docking station and I have shutdown and powered up cleanly, as well as rebooted without issues.

Hope this helps!

"ME"

[deanwalters102]

Everyone:

I sent a message to JameZ that basically said that I see the same problem even with no peripherals attached to any port.  When I use the older AC adapter, the system fails boot about 1 in 4 times. When I use a newer AC adapter it fails about 1 in 12.  This is pretty consistent and repeatable.  I have 3 AC adapter P/N 45N0054 FRU P/N 45N0055 and they all have the same boot failure characteristics.  I have only 1 P/N 45N0058 FRU P/N 45N0059.  I am assuming the 55 is the older, and 59 is the newer.  The failed boot only happens when the PC is in the docking station and never when it sets alone.

I'd like to get a idea of what AC adapters are out there. If each one would reply with the number and P/N of their AC adapters and if anyone has different ones let me know if they see different symptoms.

So how can a AC adapter affect the boot?  Also for those who have not checked the Nvidia web site for drivers.  there appears to be a newer one then was previously mentioned either in this thread or another.  The latest is  258.96.  Someone mentioned 197.16 fixed their problem but there may be other unwanted effects.  The current Lenovo approved driver is 189.55.

[danbwbr]

---

deanwalters102 wrote:

Everyone:

I sent a message to JameZ that basically said that I see the same problem even with no peripherals attached to any port.  When I use the older AC adapter, the system fails boot about 1 in 4 times. When I use a newer AC adapter it fails about 1 in 12.  This is pretty consistent and repeatable.  I have 3 AC adapter P/N 45N0054 FRU P/N 45N0055 and they all have the same boot failure characteristics.  I have only 1 P/N 45N0058 FRU P/N 45N0059.  I am assuming the 55 is the older, and 59 is the newer.  The failed boot only happens when the PC is in the docking station and never when it sets alone.

I'd like to get a idea of what AC adapters are out there. If each one would reply with the number and P/N of their AC adapters and if anyone has different ones let me know if they see different symptoms.

So how can a AC adapter affect the boot?  Also for those who have not checked the Nvidia web site for drivers.  there appears to be a newer one then was previously mentioned either in this thread or another.  The latest is  258.96.  Someone mentioned 197.16 fixed their problem but there may be other unwanted effects.  The current Lenovo approved driver is 189.55.

---

I am the author of that post, we are still running 197.16,  absolutely no issues with that specific driver on our 40 W510's on Win7 64.  It has been months.  I am done with Lenovo's old driver, it doesnt fix the problem.

[JameZ]

Hi danbwbr,

I've been requesting the information as needed for me to log a case with engineering for the past 20 days however no one has replied till deanwalters102 PM me to inform me that he is facing this issue as well. However he is unable to provide me with the information needed due to the fact that his machine is not with him.

Appreciate if you could provide me with the information needed so we are able to log this to engineering for their investigation on this.

//JameZ

[deanwalters102]

Is there a software program I can run that would dump most of this information? Others may be more willing to provide the data if they could have the computer spit out the data rather then have to dig for it.

Model W510

BIOS version 6NET61WW (1.24)

Processor type Intel Core i7 CPU Q720 @1.6GHz 1.60 GHz

Operating System Window 7 64-bit

Lenovo default OS?

Issue happen on Battery / AC / docking station? Issue happens on when in the docking station. Never saw it happen in a standalone laptop.

All updates from TVSU completed? All update completed.

All updates from Windows Updates? All updates with the except of KB2272691 and KB982110 which popped up today. Will wait until I feel confortable that the 197.16 Nvidia driver correct the problem or not. I don't have PowerPoint2007 since I installed PowerPoint 2010 so update KB982158 fails to install

Power Manager Version Power Manager 3 Version 3.25

Audio driver version

Display card driver version Fails with Nvidia Currently testing with 197.16_notebook_winvista_win7_64bit_international_whql.exe

Discrete / Intergrated / Brand / Model -

RAM installed (brand and 1 x 4gb, 1 x 2gb, 2 x 2gb?) Standard 4G installation

Any error notification before issue occurred? Boot sequence just freezes at the Welcome Windows Splash Screeen

Lots of harddisk activity, see the capslock LED come on, a short burst of harddisk activity then very little harddisk activity. Let system set for 10-30 min and it never continues. Power-off and poer-on and system usually comes up with a recovery request message. I learned to have it boot normally. This usually recovers.

Once during normal operation, I saw the screen go bank and recover then a message came up that said the Nvidia driver time out error message and recovered.. This only happened when in the docing station. Once the laptop froze up completely and I needed to reboot. This also only happened when in the docking station3rd party application installed before issue happen?Not really. There is no indication that a 3rd party software install causes the problem since this is happening at the boot time and where I don't believe there is any software loading occuring.

Any particular application which is running on the time this issue arises?Happens at boot time

Able to replicate the issue on demand?Depending on the AC Adapter can repeate about 1 in 3 FPU P/N 45N0055 or 1 in 12 FPU P/N 45N0059
Installed Nvidia Driver 197.16 and have not seen the porblem yet after 5 boots with the 45N0055 supply

Are you able to volunteer if there is a need for laptop to be sent into evaluation?I am not willing to volunteer at this time.

Additional information Requesting the the support team evaluate and release the newer Nvidia drivers onto the ThinkAdvantage update list. Preferably the latest 258.96 but at least 197.16 which user danbrbr says has worked for him and which I have not seen a problem since its installation.

I have been talking with the hotline and they initailly sent another docking station but no AC adapter and the boot failure happed about the same rate 1 in 3 with the 45N0055. I did not try the 45N0059 because I did not realize there was a difference. Once I found that the two AC adapters had different symptoms, they sent 2 more AC adapter, both were 45N0055. They both failed amost immediately. I boxed them up and am currently using only the original 45N0055 to see if the problem comes up again.

My original guess at the problem was the 59 series put out a higher 20V then the 55 series, or there was less ripple in the 59, or there was less voltage sag in the 59. guessing that with the addition of the docking station cause a larger load on the 20V, especially when the laptop was powering up and a lot of resources were being turned on that weren't normall consuing a lot of power, expecially the DVD drive. causing a issue in the docking station logic which fed back into the Nvidia chip.

Currently changed the Nvidia driver from 189.55 to 197.16 and testing to see if the problem goes away using the old AC Adapter FPU 45N0055.

[Mellow88]

Model W510

BIOS version 6NET64WW (1.27)

Processor type Intel Core i7 CPU Q720 @1.6GHz 1.60 GHz

Operating System Window 7 64-bit

Lenovo default OS?

A/C  only – NO docking station 

All updates from TVSU completed?  Only BIOS to 1.27

All updates from Windows Updates? All updates as well as KB2272691 and KB982110 together with the latest Adobe Acrobat reader update (9.3.4) which required the first reboot when I suffered this freeze…

Power Manager Version Power Manager 3 Version 3.21

Audio driver version

Display card driver version - 189.55  

RAM installed (brand and 1 x 4gb, 1 x 2gb, 2 x 2gb?) 2 x 4G module (Samsung RAM)

AC Adapter FRU P/N 45N0053

Any error notification before issue occurred? 

Boot sequence just freezes at the Lenovo / ThinkPad POST Splash Screen – No beeps No numbers - just leaves Bluetooth indicator on.  NO hard drive activity before freeze. I even removed the  hard drive and tried again – same error and no complaint about lack of hard drive.

Additional Info:

Had this machine 10 days – took all Windows Updates – never used a docking station – always on A/C.   Had just applied the  most recent Windows Updates and one from Adobe when this problem happened for the first time.   Waiting for some time ‘appears’ to sometimes get past this problem and Windows starts normally.  Done this twice tonight to get the system running but I can’t find a specific time that always works…

Put in a call to Tech Support – they’ve told me to ship the unit back for a motherboard replacement…

[deanwalters102]

Jamez and danbwbr:

Had the laptop on the docking station for the last week after I installed the 197.16 Nvidia video driver with a couple dozen cold boots without any problems. Feel comfortable that danbwbr's recomendation for the new driver fixes the boot problem.  My guess is that during the power-on sequence, the Nvidia can be put into a mode that the old driver doesn't expect so it can't recover and in doing so locks up display.  For some reason the older power adapters make the situation more noticable.

Jamez,

Wish there was some way to get the information to the Lenovo QA engineers so they can expedite the driver qualification.  Leaving it up to you Jamez to pass on the word or let me know what I can do. The hotline tech support has been super in trying to help correct the problem and should be informed about the symptoms and resolution.  It would save Lenovo a lot of shipping costs and returns.  So far I spend many hours on the phone with them, received a docking station and returned it, 2 AC adapaters and getting ready to return them and a shipping box to return the laptop which I'm thankful I held up for a few days after finding others were having identical problems.  As a matter of note, my wife also needed a laptop but I bought her a Dell because of this boot problem.

[JameZ]

Hi deanwalters102,

As you have written in your post above, your BIOS is showing version 1.24. There is already a new BIOS for the W510 currently and it is version 1.27. please ensure you update the BIOS as engineering would want all applications to be updated via TVSU and Windows Update.

Also appreciate if you could revert back to the previous version of the GPU driver as using 3rd party drivers could cause different results. However I will include the 3rd party GPU findings as extra information for the team.

In another note, the Model for your laptop should be W510 and xxxx-CTO ... you can get that information below the laptop.

//JameZ