computer won't boot

[rybnik]

This happened all of a sudden... it was working perfectly right before.

But now, when I turn it on, I see this error message:

0187: EAIA data access error.
2201: Machine UUID is invalid.
0183: Bad CRC of Security Settings in EFI variable.

Press F1 to enter Setup.

I can get into the firmware menu, and occasionally when I turn it on now I can get a boot menu, but selecting a boot option just takes me right back to the boot menu. I can't actually boot anything.

Any help? Thanks.

EDIT: I have a ThinkPad L540.

[Qqmike]

I don't know. I searched, though--quickly, skimmed--it sounds like the system board is bad.
Less serious errors are sometimes fixed by entering BIOS and resetting BIOS to "system defaults," saving, and exit. <-- you could try this, first, it can't hurt.
But your error sequence brings up lots of people complaining that it is a bad board:

https://www.google.com/search?client...utf-8&oe=utf-8
https://www.google.com/search?client...utf-8&oe=utf-8

Looks like the Lenovo forum is the place to go for this as they have some veteran specialists; of course, someone here may have seen this as well.

[rybnik]

Less serious errors are sometimes fixed by entering BIOS and resetting BIOS to "system defaults," saving, and exit. <-- you could try this, first, it can't hurt.

I did that, and it was a partial fix. Before, I couldn't boot anything. After resetting BIOS, I can get into my windows bootloader but not my ubuntu or openSUSE bootloaders. So as of now, I can boot windows but not any linux partition.

Well, that's better than what I had initially.

So if I remember right, before resetting BIOS, the firmware wasn't able to detect a UUID for my hard drive. After resetting bios, it was able to detect the UUID and was able to get into the windows boot manager.

Looks like I'll make another linux partition just to give myself a linux bootloader, which resetting the BIOS seems to have wiped. Sound like a good idea? (Before resetting bios, it was able to show a bootlist of my windows, suse, and kubuntu bootloaders--just wasn't able to boot from any of them.)

Thanks, Mike.

[rybnik]

Ugh, I spoke too soon. I realized that it couldn't boot from USB. Thinking it might help this, I enabled CSM support. But now I can't get anything--I can't even get into the firmware settings now.

[Qqmike]

EDIT:
I just caught your post:

But now I can't get anything--I can't even get into the firmware settings now.

The post I wrote here (below) assumes you CAN get into your firmware. I'm not sure now. You "should" be able to get into your firmware, though ... hmmm ... very strange ... I hope the computer is not, in fact, somehow hardware-damaged (as those 3 errors MIGHT suggest ...).

I'm not familiar with your computer. Is there a way to re-set what we used to call CMOS? For example, on some systems, you can remove and then re-install the battery. On some systems you can move a jumper from certain pins to other pins, then replace the jumper to the original pins. And so on: called "re-setting CMOS." You must follow the manufacturer’s instructions, though, or you could cause damage. For example, you usually MUST CUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE COMPUTER FIRST.

--> I have also had your problem, not being able to enter the "BIOS" setup on my desktop PC (ASUS), but after re-setting CMOS (using a jumper on my motherboard), I fixed it and could then enter BIOS.

////////////////////////////////////

The following text assumes you can get into your firmware settings:

Well, there's no harm done experimenting a little, safely.

Definitely, disable CSM. It sounds like your computer is booting in the newer UEFI mode, is that right?
IF that is correct, then ... get back into your BIOS, disable CSM, AND disable Secure Boot.
Then boot again and see what happens.

(Find the setting in your "BIOS" for disabling Secure Boot. Sometimes it goes under the strange description of, something like, this:
Windows, or
Other OS

(You would choose "Other OS" to turn off Secure Boot.)

Just remember that you are making settings in your BIOS (you call it BIOS, but is this really UEFI firmware, as I think it is?). So, if you re-set BIOS again (for some reason), remember to re-set again your custom settings, like disable Secure Boot again.

BTW! --> When you re-set BIOS, as you did, you erased the firmware settings for Kubuntu. That's OK, we can get them back ... -->

So, you disabled Secure Boot, and tested it to see the effect on the booting, to see if you can boot into your Kubuntu.

And we are assuming your main board is OK (inside the hardware).

OK, now here's something you can try, my how-to on using your live Kubuntu DVD to try to do a rescue:

Using Your Live Kubuntu DVD/USB to Fix Things

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post379485

If you want to mess with this (it isn't difficult), and I am assuming you are booting this computer in UEFI mode, then the plan would be the following:

Using that how-to, use your live Kubuntu DVD to make a rEFInd CD or a rEFInd USB (your choice, it doesn't matter, maybe the CD might be quicker to make for now--you can always make a USB later sometime). You will make the rEFInd in your live Kubuntu session (see my how-to and the links there to another how-to I wrote on making a rEFInd CD/USB).

Oops ... I'll bet you have no CD player! If not, then make the USB.

Now you have your rEFInd CD/USB. Boot your computer with it. Now you should be able to select either Windows or Kubuntu from the rEFInd menu of choices! Then boot into your Kubuntu.

Note: To boot your computer with the rEFInd CD/USB, you would place it in your computer, re-boot, enter your "BIOS," find some boot menu where you see that CD/USB (and it should be labelled EFI or UEFI or EFI (FAT)), select it, and your computer should boot using that CD/USB.

Now, if you do have UEFI, and if you did get booted into your Kubuntu, no harm will be done by trying to fix GRUB from inside Kubuntu, and that should fix your boot menu, too, when you boot the computer again.

So, booted into Kubuntu (using rEFInd), open Konsole (K > Applications > System > terminal--Konsole), and issue two commands:

sudo grub-install
sudo update-grub

If all our "if's" are correct, that should do the trick here: your UEFI system should be fixed to boot both Windows and Kubuntu (without using rEFInd). I'm a little uncertain, though, about whether your computer is damaged (as per those links I posted above about those 3 errors you got).


Your other choice to try to fix this:
Of course, as you indicated, your other choice to fix this is to re-install Kubuntu, which apparently you know how to do since you did it before. BUT ... disable that darned Secure Boot before re-installing Kubuntu (if you go that route).

[Qqmike]

I did that, and it was a partial fix. Before, I couldn't boot anything. After resetting BIOS, I can get into my windows bootloader but not my ubuntu or openSUSE bootloaders. So as of now, I can boot windows but not any linux partition.

-- Your Post #3 above: This is encouraging that maybe your computer is OK and that you can fix this. Read my Post #5.

[rybnik]

So... it just started working again! Not sure how, though.

Resetting the BIOS eliminated my ubuntu and opensuse bootloaders, but I performed a dummy install to get GRUB back and now I'm all good. But yes, there was a time when I couldn't even get into BIOS--but then... all of a sudden, I could.

Thank you, QQmike. I feel bad that you evidently put a lot of time into writing your posts on this thread that I didn't end up needing.

[Qqmike]

Thank you, QQmike. I feel bad that you evidently put a lot of time into writing your posts on this thread that I didn't end up needing.

Not a problem at all, I'm glad you got it going again.

But yes, there was a time when I couldn't even get into BIOS--but then... all of a sudden, I could.

These things do happen!

Assuming you are booting in UEFI mode, keep handy the tip about using live Kubuntu DVD + rEFInd for possible rescue/fix.

[GreyGeek]

Sudden cures like that suggest microscopic cracks in the copper trace circuitry.

[rybnik]

Assuming you are booting in UEFI mode

Yes, indeed. UEFI only, without CSM. I've found it's the cleanest way.

keep handy the tip about using live Kubuntu DVD + rEFInd for possible rescue/fix.

Well yeah, but refind and live systems aren't much use when you can't even get a boot menu...

Sudden cures like that suggest microscopic cracks in the copper trace circuitry.

Huh, that's interesting. So does that mean I shouldn't be surprised if my laptop temporarily bricks again?

[Qqmike]

refind and live systems aren't much use when you can't even get a boot menu...

All you need is to be able to enter the firmware setup menu -- which, if you can't do that, then use my tip about "re-setting CMOS" so you can get into firmware setup ...

Huh, that's interesting. So does that mean I shouldn't be surprised if my laptop temporarily bricks again?

On the one hand, UEFI firmware settings have been known to just "flip" around by the action of gremlins; you lose a firmware NVRAM variable, for example; or one might go from BootOrder #1 to BootOrder #2. OTOH, your 3 error messages in Post #1 are disconcerting. So the real question here is this: To what extent can firmware slippages (not a "bad board") generate those same 3 error messages?

[GreyGeek]

It depends on where the cracks occur. Here is a video of a fellow who baked his laptop NVidia card to re-melt the solder and restore electrical connectivity:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=li2YTxcGI9Q