"igfxext module stopped working" Message on boot

[worldbuilder]

ThinkPad W520, Windows 7 Pro 64 bit

I get that popup message every time I boot the machine and Windows starts.  Largely, everything seems to run fine after  I click "OK" 4 times, but this is odd since this thing is brand new.

A Google search showed so many potential problems that I just decided to come here to the gurus...

Thoughts?  Help?

All drivers, etc are up-to-date through the Lenovo Software Update application.

TIA!

[tanujhanda Retired Partner]

Hello worldbuilder,

You can remove the message from startup ( Click Start > msconfig )

Otherwise uninstall the Intel display driver from control panel and then install the updated Intel driver from the Lenovo website.

Best Regards,

Tanuj

[christopherlang]

Heh. I have the latest Intel update. It's thinkVantage updates causing this. I just started getting this today and it is Lenovo Solution Center (thats also buggy as all get out, it runs an update which then complains about lack of admin rights and cannot be completed). Doesn't anything work right? I mean what also is this SimpleTap business where the LSC has a message, so you click the taskbar icon (which seems to be the same simple tap taskbar icon I tried to get rid of before lol and which annoyingly enough is still there even after uninstalling LSC), it brings you into ANNOYING imo SimpleTap, then when you actually try to use LSC it brings you back to the regular desktop. This stinks like Metro and apps on Win 8 ctp (the switching back and forth between UIs). Whats the deal here? And why are Lenovo tools triggering this ifgxext error?

[christopherlang]

Well, at least they had a survey.

Please help us improve our future diagnostic offerings by telling us why you chose to uninstall the program.

1. Please select the reason(s) for uninstalling the Lenovo Solution Center today.

Please select the reason(s) for uninstalling the Lenovo Solution Center today.   Replacing all software with a custom image Tool was not effective I use / My company/IT dept uses another tool as their standard Tool was confusing or hard to use Tool uses too much resource Annoying messaging

Other (please specify)

2. How can we improve the Lenovo Solution Center to better meet your needs?

Tool causes Intel igfxext module errors. Tool tries to update then complains about lacking admin rights. Tool should not require two UIs. Ditch the simpletap IMO. I don't like Metro either. My desktop and laptop are not tablets. Nor will they be within the next few years. Thank you.

How can we improve the Lenovo Solution Center to better meet your needs?

Thank you for your feedback!

Lol sure it's not to difficult to guess which one's I selected. 

I wish I could tell Microsoft my opinion on Metro too Lol (I'm not anti-Metro or a UI that would better work with a touch screen device, but the way having two UIs work together on current Win 8 is clunky to me (metro and non-metro apps), and I prefer the regular apps/desktop for now anyway. The SimpleTap stuff reminded me of this switching between UIs like that and it blows).

Uninstalling the Solution Center cleared the igfxext errors for me.

Argh.....Uninstalling LSC stopped the flurry of igfxext errors that I was getting and I thought that was it, but no, now launching power manager same errors. Well well.

[Chatbox]

So, Lenovo can't get the hardware right, and they can't get the software right.  What on earth are they selling?

[christopherlang]

Heh and what does

The igfxext.exe process is an executable file of the Intel Common User Interface for Network Adapters. It is installed with Intel based network hardware.

have to do with the intel display drivers? Is it used there as well? --Did not realize the commonly suggested fix was to just not load the Intel tray software. A workaround I guess.

[christopherlang]

For me all this started today with the system update tool and three updates. LSC which was installed, an update for the wifi drivers (I already have the latest from Intel but the system update tools still wants Lenovo's package installed I guess), and the Intel wireless display driver. LSC installed and a huge flurry of those igfxext errors though perhaps I was premature to blame LSC --I still ask this though: And why are Lenovo tools/updates triggering this ifgxext error?, the wifi update failed because my installed version was newer, and it seems the wireless display driver install did not run (I dont want it installed but for grins I tried to go ahead and install it via the link in the update tool but the link did nothing.). So it sits saying I need these updates and then the issues today with the igfxext module. I'm tired of sorting through this mess.

I always used to not use the preload image and wonder if I should go back to that doing that. Even when I did try the preloads I do not recall issues like all of these. I currently have an Ideapad Y530 too and while no hardware issues like with our w520s there was some similar flakiness (early Win 7 days) but nothing like on this Thinkpad and with its preload. I do not recall this level of issues with XP on Thinkpads and the preloads. That's my own experience I guess. It seems between the various mfrs. and their desire to push stuff out the door (or where is quality is what I am saying, testing?), and we know how things are, those of us that have worked in software and IT, and it's bad enough when this happens with individual apps but when you have software and equipment, drivers hardware system level stuff, that needs to operate together and then these sort of issues it seems there is some cumulative effect there that nothing really works together like it should. That's been my impression of my experiences with my w520 and some of the hardware with it and software, really my entire kit. It's like it is all beta quality still and just the overall sum of all the issues is such that this all really sucks bad and it's been such a huge, unreasonable, use of my time. Hugely frustrating and not reasonable.

I have had a bad BT module, the resume from sleep loop problem --only once thank goodness, the mostly minor but numerous software annoyances with the preload, though I won't include where a device does not work properly as a minor annoyance e.g. the random 'base device' driver cannot be found issue with the cardreader (after a few driver reinstalls a problem that finally somehow just went away on its own as randomly as it popped up), maybe some battery and system longevity issues, misc hardware and powermanagement issues like mouse and keyboard not waking the system consistently, some display driver issues -mainly display switching problems (mostly issues with the Nvidia sets as the Lenovo ones don't fully support my display so I have not used them much except for some testing), the sleep issues; my Benq problems explained elsewhere and for which there is a new firmware fix available for some or perhaps all of the Benq issues though I don't know for sure. And maybe, I could still have a bad systemboard in my w520, though I think that a little less likely now than I did before.

So Chatbox:

So, Lenovo can't get the hardware right, and they can't get the software right.  What on earth are they selling?

Paperweights? I'm not sure at the moment except to say people can go through all the posts and various threads and make their own conclusions. Lol but I think you know that. My own expectations for my systems are that 99% of everything works for how I use the machine. Period. After two months I have yet to achieve that with this hardware and software.

It is memorial day weekend here in the US, but I do hope we get some comments from Lenovo in this thread. I would like to see some comments on all the threads and issues we are having with these w520s.

[SlidVendetta]

I have a W520.  I had the same errors whenever I reboot or change status like unplugging and plugging back in.  It was the DisplayLink drivers that had been updated.  I use a ThinkVision LT1421 Travel Monitor and I had to revert to version 6.2 from April.  All is working well now.  Lenovo uses the same technology for the port replicators as well.  Hope this helps somebody.

[SSDee]

@Slid - you are quite right. I started getting this same problem when I installed my Displaylink device. I uninstalled it, update the Intel graphics driver, reinstalled Displaylink and the message went away. I remember I had to fool around with setting the BIOS to "integrated" only before installing everything.  What a pain!

[kingdarius]

@SSDee and Slid - It resolved my issue as well with this error. I have the LT1421 as well.