Unable to make changes in BIOS after 17.10 installation

[medspc]

Windows 10 + UBUNTU 17.10 dualboot on HP Envy x360 u000.

After installation, I am not able to make any changes in BIOS. The settings are not "Default". Secure boot is disabled.

I have tried the following things:

1. Wipe my HDD and tried to install Windows 10 again - `Windows could not update the computer’s boot configuration. Installation cannot proceed`
2. Tried to install UBUNTU - `[ 0:000000] [Firmware Bug]: TSC_DEADLINE disabled due to Errata; please update microcode to version: 0x52 (or later)`
3. Also tried to boot UBUNTU live - same error as above.
4. Tried to update/reinstall the HP BIOS firmware with HP BIOS Recover USB - `Error code : 4(0x00000004)`. I tried both the ways. from windows and with bootable USB. got the same error
5. Removed battery and hold the power off button for 1 min. No luck.

Now I am totally stuck here.

I had my old HDD with windows 8 on it and I upgraded with a new SSD but I haven't done anything with my old HDD. So now I am using my laptop with that HDD. To boot windows I am doing manually EFI boot. Still not able to repair the bootloader on that too.

***Update 1 (12-7-2017)***

So, I am able to boot from UBUNTU 16.04 live USB

1. Tried to repair with `Boot-Repair` - No luck
2. Tried to remove/delete bootloader entry with `efibootmgr` but I can't do anything. every time I got this error `Permission denied`
3. `sudo efibootmgr -v` gives all the details of my SSD (volume ID and all), which I have used to install UBUNTU 17.10 where all the problems occurred in the first place. I am getting the same output even if I removed all the Drives from the motherboard.

So, everything written into BIOS is write protected. I am not able to do anything about that.

The issue is affecting lots of Lenovo laptops, found here.

The issue is also verified by Ubuntu community and They have disabled the download link because of this issue.

[CF4]

Hi

LATE EDIT:  https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/Documentation/mtd/intel-spi.txt

The download link has been suspended I understand for Ubuntu 17.10, which still gives the possibility of earlier versions being a viable install.

Secure Boot would be favourite, and perhaps you need ESC and F9 or similar.

So you need the GPT style, rather than MBR (I realise you already know all this), and maybe a different W10 disk?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

For when it’s a NON MS OS (Linux/iOS) to create install media.
www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/install-windows-10-from-usb

WIN key + B then PWR on is supposed to repair your BIOS from a copy on the HDD, so the old W8 disk would be favourite for that?

[COE2k14]

I made a thread here about this BIOS corruption issue with Ubuntu 17.10 and few other new distributions with suspect kernel driver built (CONFIG_SPI_INTEL_SPI_PLATFORM) corrupting BIOS/UEFI.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/URGENT-Bug-1734147-Ubuntu-17-10...

Perhaps, it is a good idea to compile a list of HP laptop models affected in the above thread.

[medspc · Accepted solution]

Updating the kernel has fixed my problem.

This is what I did step by step

> 1) Install Ukuu

Its easy to update the kernel with Ubuntu Kernel Update Utility (Ukuu), [Click here]

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ukuu

> 2) Update the kernel

Select the kernel 4.14.9 and select Install. wait for the installation to be completed and then restart the PC.

> 3) Restart the system with the latest kernel

From GRUB select the option which starts with "Advanced options".

select `Ubuntu GNU/Linux, with Linux 4.14.9-generic`. wait for the system to load completely.

> 4) Restart again and go into the BIOS
Restart the system again and check the BIOS to see if the problem is fixed.

I can change settings from BIOS.
BIOS is detecting new HDD.
In short everything worked out.

[COE2k14]

So, the BIOS corruption problem is fixed with an update of kernel? That is great. But, I wonder how that fixed the erring BIOS.

[AndrewFromRus]

Thank u very much. The same problem with ubuntu 17.10 (4.13 kernel) in my HP PAVILION 15-n057sr and u solution work fine(upgrage kernel to 4.14.9), but i have an error with ''ukuu'' and update kernel manual in terminal

[medspc]

What is the error?

[COE2k14]

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@AndrewFromRus wrote:

Thank u very much. The same problem with ubuntu 17.10 (4.13 kernel) in my HP PAVILION 15-n057sr and u solution work fine(upgrage kernel to 4.14.9), but i have an error with ''ukuu'' and update kernel manual in terminal

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What is the error message shown? Remember?

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Instead of using ukuu, you can install a newer kernel from kernel ppa. I, for example am using Liquorix tweaked kernel (4.14.x). https://liquorix.net/ - It is your decision, whether to install unofficial kernel releases like these. Ubuntu official kernels have security fixes and support.