#No POST and Wifi Card Issue

29 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

crystal granite
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**Model: **2021 Legion 7 (11800H & 3070)
Describe the issue:
So for the last week, my wifi card has been getting disconnected, showing a code 10 in device manager, but I also see code 43 and 45 sometimes as well. At the beginning it would work fine for 10-20 mins, then it would just stop working until you restart the laptop, despite any enabling/disabling devices, reinstalling drivers, etc. Will be recognized as a device but windows wont let it work until a restart. As of a couple days ago it started to just not work at all, even after a restart.

At around the same time, it also would stop booting if shut down. Turning it back on would give power to the keyboard, fans would spin, but just black screen. Not a screen issue, as checked with HDMI and get no signal, you can also just tell it's not loading anything. No POST, no BIOS, no warning beeps if starting up without RAM or fans disconnected, etc. Just turns on the keyboard and fans. The heatsink gets warm, so the CPU/GPU must be doing something but it's not booting anything, it will just sit with the keys lit and fans idling for hours. Doing a 'restart' from Windows seems to work fine, it's only after doing a shut down. Eventually it will finally boot, after like 5-10 tries, but as of a couple days ago (same time frame that the above issue escalated) it would take hours of trying to start it before it actually boots up.

What have you tried already?: See below
**Did you install new drivers or software?: ** See below.

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I've reinstalled the wifi drivers numerous times (both the default windows one, and the stock one from the product page), uninstalled/reinstalled device, reset BIOS settings, reset all the network settings, disconnected the battery and CMOS, did the holding power button for 15/30/60 sec tricks, and every combination of things I could think of. Even replaced the wifi card with a new one to see if that at least fixed the wifi part, but no dice. Out of curiosity, I tried a system restore to before a few windows updates (restored to 1/17), and that seems to have helped, as it now is back to at least reading the wifi card for 10-20 mins, and booting more frequently, but the issues are still there.

Updated BIOS (to 58WW), which was a bit nerve racking because it did the no boot during the restart, but eventually got it to boot up and it finished the BIOS update, then did the no-boot thing again, eventually got it booted, and did a BIOS self-heal. Now BIOS is updated and working, but no change other than that.

I was beginning to think it was the motherboard, but the system restore having any effect at all leads to me to think it might still be some sort of software issue.

On the plus side I reapplied the PTM and the temps are great again.

bleak geode
crystal granite
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Done that, got a new AX201 (same as the OEM) from Microcenter, didn't change anything. That was the first thing I did after realising it didn't seem to be a driver issue.

bleak geode
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Ah you tried that. Whelp your OS is probably busted. Clean install

crystal granite
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Can a corrupt OS cause it to not POST?

bleak geode
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You said a system restore helped

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But anyway, do a clean windows install to rule out software. After that you’ll have to start changing out ram and SSD

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Then if that doesn’t help it’s a new mobo

crystal granite
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It may have just been a coincidence, the wifi card stayed active for a good stretch after and no POST issues, but did start back up and is pretty random how long it works and how long it doesn't

bleak geode
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Ok, well, that doesn’t really change the path of steps to take

crystal granite
bleak geode
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So, try a clean windows install with usb media, wiping the drive…

crystal granite
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I've never tried this before, but would swapping SSDs with separate OS installs work? Rather than doing a fresh install over the same drive, that way if it doesn't fix I can just swap back

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I think I maybe tried something like that like 20 years ago with an old desktop and there was some issues with it

bleak geode
crystal granite
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A fresh install one, just on a different SSD

bleak geode
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I don’t understand you’re thinking

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You can use a blank SSD, sure

crystal granite
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I mean so if it doesn't work I can just swap that fresh install SSD back out for the current one, so I don't need to reinstall/reconfigure everything again

bleak geode
crystal granite
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I figured. I think I tried it in high school and had some problems, but it might been into a different machine, so just double checking lol

bleak geode
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There are probably thousands of YouTube tutorials of how to clean install windows

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Make usb media and run it

crystal granite
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I know how to do them, I did a fresh install on this as soon as I got it. I just wasn't sure if the OS does like a handshake with the BIOS/mobo so other OS installs would be incompatible or something

bleak geode
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A fresh install that has already been setup and had updates wouldn’t work well

bleak geode
crystal granite
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I had a fresh install running all day and didn't drop the wifi card, rebooted back into the normal W11 install and it wasn't recognizing the card, reboot back into the fresh, and it also wasn't recognizing the card. Reboot back to old again, and it's working. So I'm not sure, it doesn't seem to drop the card, but it's obviously still affected by whatever is going on. I also wasn't using the laptop, it was just on but idle on the fresh install most of the day, so perhaps the inactivity helped as well.