[Errors] Updated BIOS, now I can't load kubuntu

[Andre Nogues]

Greetings friends:

Some hi-level help needed please,

I have a Lenovo IdeaPAd S340-15IIL Touch. Model 81 WW. It has a 250GB SSD. It's using an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU @ 1.2GHz

I have had it for one year, and all has been well. Came with Windows 10, and I added kubuntu as my default operating system as a dual-boot. When I did so, I use GNU Grub 2.02 as my startup prompt to choose between which environment I want. Default launch is kubuntu unless I choose otherwise. Again, all has been well for a year.

Everytime I do happen to go over to WIndows, the Lenovo update manager has been offering me to update. For some reason, this time I did accept the offer to update the BIOS. After restarting the computer, and going back to Windows, I got some odd error screen that I have never seen before. I did not write down the message, and it has not returned, but Windows will simply not even load (the Lenovo plash screen is permanently stuck after Grub chooses Windows). I don't care to solve this one, because I don't use the WIndows OS but once a month and do not need it anyway.

But the problem is with kubuntu...after getting past Grub 2.02, kubuntu does indeed launch, and I see the nice kubuntu logo, but then this message appears:

" BusyBox v.1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.3) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands."

Then there's a prompt (initramfs)

When I type help, there's a return of words, a long list too long to retype here, but some of the words I can use include, "alias, break, cd, chdir, ip, kill, stat, sort, devmen, df, setkeycodes, etc"

I do not recall what the old BIOS version number was, but the new version is CUCN26WW(v1.15) with EC Version CUEC26WW(V1.15)

There is a BIOS Back Flash provision under this new BIOS update...is the answer to flash the BIOS back to it's original setting? I've never done that, so I would need guidance please. But in the meantime, is there a solution to figure this out using this new BIOS update? Why would I suddenly not be able to boot kubuntu just because of a BIOS update? Did the BIOS update jump back to default RAID setting, which would not work for Ubuntu? I cannot find a provision for changing that detail.

Please help!!!!!

[Andre Nogues]

One more piece of info...when I first attempted to install kubuntu a year ago, the kubuntu installer could not see the full complement of storage options of my SSD. One of you fine people figured it out and offered me this solution, which worked -

"This is a Lenovo laptop, which means the SSD is likely set in the bios to use Intel's RST raid, which unfortunately does not support Linux, so you have to go into your laptop's firmware settings and switch it to AHCI"

And it did work. Did the new BIOS update screw that up again? After the BIOS update, the current controller mode is set to RST mode, which "Enables INTEL RST and System Acceleration with Intel Optane Technology." I can choose AHCI mode, where the serial ATA controller operates in AHCI mode" This would be consistent with the solution offered to me a year ago...but the problem is that when I go to change over to AHCI mode, a red warning pops up and says, " SETUP WARNING...All existing data stored on the drives will be erased when resetting controller mode." That's obviously not OK!

The BIOS does recognize that I have a Non-RAID physical disk, which it calls, PCIe 1.0 UMIS RPITJ256PED2MWX 78003Z1CD9C2206D, 238.4GB

Is it another RAID issue again? If I flash back to the previous BIOS version, isn't it going to first default to RAID, and will I not therefore have the same "WARNING, ALL DATA WILL BE LOST" when I attempt to move to ACHI?

Am I screwed? Do I have to take the laptop into a shop, have them pull all the data from my harddrive off to a storage device, then reload kubuntu again, and then put back all my data files? Was I a fool to update the BIOS?

[Snowhog]

Do nothing. Patience is a virtue here.

It is very likely that the Windows update simply overwrote the MBR (Windows is predatory; it doesn't like ANY OTHER operating system to be present), or part of it anyway. Getting Grub reinstalled so it knows where all it's pieces are is likely all that needs to be done. Others will opine on this, so again, do nothing.

[claydoh]

Lenovo laptops, at least the last two that I have owned, including my current one, have the settings reset to defaults for most if not all settings with every firmware update.
I did see this error message on my previous ideapad, but nothing was ever wiped out. if Windows is on that same drive, you may have to try booting that in safe mode and doing a few things to load the achi driver instead of the rst one.

The 'flash back' does NOT mean to revert settings, but allows you to flash an older bios firmware. it still would reset all the bios settings back to factory.


So, go back and temporarily switch back to RST mode and boot to Windows.
Then follow all the steps here:
https://www.top-password.com/blog/sw...lling-windows/
This forces Windows to re-detect and use the ahci driver.


With Windows fixed, the waning message in the bios can be ignored if you see it again when you have to go back and change the bios setting the setting again when you get another bios update, but you won't have to do the above procedure to fix windows again, either iirc.

Now, as for Linux, not sure about that, this seems to be a different issue altogether, or at least harder to figure out at the beginning.
Might want to see if going in and accessing the rescue mode from the Grub menu and try the 'fix grub' option. maybe the drive IDs have chasnged or something.

The 'flash back' feature does NOT mean to revert settings, but allows you to flash an older version of the bios firmware. it still would reset all the bios settings back to factory.


You don't have anb MBR to get wiped, but sometimes Windows updates (as well as Bios flashes) will re-set the boot order and set Windows as the first one.

[oshunluvr]

The first thing I would suspect is the Intel RST setting. Lenovo defaults it to RAID even in a single drive system. I had to jump through a few hoops to get it turned to ACHI without killing my Windows install.