Switch 11 (sw5-173) Cold boots fail, restarts work fine

FloridaMatt1
FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
edited November 2023 in 2019 Archives
Booting from powered off hangs with the first half circle of dots.  After a few minutes it Bluescreens for DPC Watchdog Violation.  After taking the dump, it restarts just fine.  Never any failures doing a restart, always a fail from power on.

I can shorten the power up sequence by powering on while holding down vol+ to bring up the bios, then exiting with "save changes" (even though none made).  It then restarts and boots properly.

I edited the bcd to add a safe boot choice, and observed that the hang occurs well before the boot menu is displayed.

Does anyone know how to solve this?

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Have you tried to update the BIOS firmware to v1.07?  https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/6247?b=1  Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • FloridaMatt1
    FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
    It's on 1.09 and refuses to downgrade to 1.05, 1.06 or 1.08.  There's no 1.07 listed on acer's site.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Sorry misread the version 1.09.  Was the machine cold-booting OK before & for a while after 1.09 was installed? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • FloridaMatt1
    FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
    It's probably been a year or more since 1.09 was installed.  I use it mostly when travelling, or waiting at car dealer.  There's a successful backup on one of my NASs on 3/5.  
  • FloridaMatt1
    FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
    And, no, wiping the disk and restoring the backup didn't change things.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Acts like the BIOS coin cell is going flat. Try this. Shut it completely off. Then turn it back on for a cold boot but immediately start tapping the F2 key to enter the BIOS menu. Then press F10 to save settings and exit. Does it boot immediately after exiting the BIOS menu? Jack E/NJ 

    Jack E/NJ

  • FloridaMatt1
    FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
    That's what I described doing in the first post.  The Switch 11 has a bluetooth keyboard, so like many tablets, the equivalent of kitting the F2 key is to hold down the volume up button during power on to bring up the bios.

    Experimenting a bit more, I tried installing Fedora 29.  Workstation refuses to install, but the LXDE desktop spin does, and does not freeze during a cold boot.  What it DOES do, however, is issue a series of error messages that go by too fast to read completely.  There's a Machine Check: Cpu 0 Bank 5,  a couple more machine checks, and who knows what else.  But, it boots, and it runs.  
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    >>>I can shorten the power up sequence by powering on while holding down vol+ to bring up the bios, then exiting with "save changes" (even though none made).  It then restarts and boots properly.>>>

    Sorry, overlooked your comment in first post. If you do cold boots quickly enough is succession, and it boots OK, more evidence the coin cell needs replacing at least for Windows. I have no idea what Fedora does when confronted with flat CMOS cell. Maybe it restarts itself and seems to cold boot? Jack E/NJ 

    Jack E/NJ

  • FloridaMatt1
    FloridaMatt1 Member Posts: 6 New User
    Semi-Solved.  Download Rufus https://rufus.ie/ which has its own link to download 1803.  Install.  Let windows auto-update -- it won't update to a newer build (unless you specifically tell it to).  

    Final solve.  Fixed as above.  Sold on Ebay with a full disclaimer of the restriction 
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Or you can follow video below to either reset or refresh your system to factory Windows condition. Then make sure Control Panel system protection is turned on so you can revert to 1803 after 1809 tries to install. Jack E/NJ


    Jack E/NJ