X1 Extreme Bricked Black Screen by BIOS update

[sean-codes]

Hi, just got my laptop yesterday. Lenovo Vantage update had laptop restart and now my laptop fans spin and the screen is complelety black. No POST or Lenovo screen. It does play a 8 bit sounding noise.

This seems to be a common reported issue. Why is this update not removed from Lenovo Vantage?

Is there a fix for this?

video of sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO2-LSe3Wcw

code from lenovo android app:

Description: TCG-compliant functionality-related error (might be the TPM initialization failure)

Actions: Replace the system board (service provider only).

[Bugbatter]

Hi sean-codes,

I am sorry to learn of your problem. That would certainly be an upsetting issue on such a new ThinkPad.

These forums are peer-to-peer so that customers can share their experiences with each other. I am a customer and a volunteer on the forums.

My suggestion is for you contact Lenovo ASAP to report the issue and inquire how to go about resolving it. That way the number of people experiencing the problem will be documented.  Lenovo offers a variety of ways to contact them for assistance: http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/feedback/contactsupport.page?

[Bo1114]

Hey I got the same problem. Did you get it fixed yet?

[sean-codes]

Support was very difficult to contact. I sent the computer back for a refund.

[Xiafobia]

Yes got the same problem. After searching for 30 minutes i found a number to call. They have to swap the motherboard. I am very unhappy with the time it takes to do so.

I did not even use the laptop for 24 hours !!

It arrived on tuesday and broke down with the bios flash on wednesday. 

In my country i have next business day repair, but the part needed to be ordered abroad. So until now still no eta on replacement.

[hausman]

---

@Xiafobia wrote:

I did not even use the laptop for 24 hours !!

It arrived on tuesday and broke down with the bios flash on wednesday. 

In my country i have next business day repair, but the part needed to be ordered abroad. So until now still no eta on replacement. 

---

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your first day experience.

I don't work for Lenovo so I don't know for sure if this is an option, but since this happened so soon after delivery, perhaps you can return the system for refund and simultaneously order a replacement. This may not be an ideal solution but perhaps it will get you a working system than waiting for parts.

[Xiafobia]

I did consider this, but as this is a highly customized laptop (almost all options), it took nearly 14 days to arrive here (the netherlands) from China, i think this route will take even longer.

According to the guy on the phone, the motherboard should be here in 5 days, so repairing should be quicker.

It is just my luck to order a 3500+ euro laptop and it breaks down after a day. Never experienced this before.

One thing i am never doing again is flashing the bios.....

[BKD-Digital]

I'm so frustrated right now. I originally canceled this order because Lenovo is as good as the USPS when it comes to updating shipping information.

I canceled it and of course the following day I received a notification that it shipped. I said to myself, "OK, I'll see what it's like and if it's a solid machine, I'll keep it."

Everything was going fine until I updated the BIOS and now I have a very expensive paperweight.

They better not charge us a restocking fee.

This is ridiculous~!~

[wizofe]

I got a fully customised X1 Extreme. My screen has burned pixels, the WiFi isn't working if Bluetooth is on (and if I'm less than 20cm away from the router) and now it's bricked, because of a BIOS or whatever. 

I mean do you have a QA department or did it close down? £2.7k for a laptop that doesn't work and ships in 2 weeks from China is a bit too much isn't it? That was more of my salary and was religiously saving for this purchase.

I don't want to be negative for ThinkPad as I use them since 15 years and still believe they're amazing machines but having a new, fancy product, that is not properly gone through rigorous testing is disgusting company policy.

I used it 4 times only. That's sad.

On the subject, I have exactly the same problem as the person above.

Moderator edit: Fixed language to stay in line wiht the Community Rules.

[bananaman]

Anyone with and X1 Extreme please upgrade to the latest BIOS, at least 1.17 at present, to avoid this bricking issue. If your system is bricked, it needs to go in for repair (paraphrase of this post by Lenovo).