HP Spectre with Intel Arc A370M - freezes screen on internal display after updating 31.0.101.5379

[strangerz]

As soon as I install drivers of any of the below versions on my HP Spectre x360 16-f2000na Laptop screen freezes.

Win+Ctr+Shift+B which restarts display driver helps for couple of seconds to even sometimes for longer, sometimes till I reboot.

If I reboot - screen goes black as soon as windows loads.

However as soon as I connect extenral monitor - picture works ok on external monitor (with picture still showing frozen on internal display).

After rolling back to 31.0.101.5252 or lower - all works ok again.

I have Windows 11 Pro installed 23H2.

I tried to uninstall all drivers with DDU but it didn't help

Driver versions affected:

31.0.101.5330,

31.0.101.5333

31.0.101.5379

and even with the latest 31.0.101.5445

Link to video to reproduce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSCeAy9V9HM

Link to same thread in intel forum where they suggest for HP to look into the case:

https://community.intel.com/t5/Graphics/HP-Spectre-with-Intel-Arc-A370M-freezes-screen-on-internal/m...

[strangerz]

Some updates here.

Issue is still reproducible with latest 101.5522.

That's how it is reproduced: on external screen it works ok, internal is frozen: https://youtu.be/E3aSv8BnGYE

However what I found that if you disable "Intel Iris Xe Graphics" device in your device manager and restart - issue is not there (yes, system only uses discrete A370M adaptor).

instead of that I rolled back just Intel Iris Xe Graphics driver to 31.0.101.5194 and rebooted. And the issue is gone. So the root cause is somewhere in "Intel Iris Xe Graphics" driver that can't interact properly together with Intel ARC videocard.

See attached screenshot to illustrate

 

[strangerz]

Good news, everyone! Got information from Intel Support Team that they now were able to localize the issue and next driver version will have the fix. For now the workaround is as below.

If you haven't installed new driver - just do as below. If you already upgraded - connect to external display and do the same steps as external display still works ok.

Open Intel Graphic Command Center

1. Navigate to "System" section

2. Switch to "Power" tab

3-4. Change "Panel Self Refresh" to off ( in "On Battery" subtab)

5. Change "Panel Self Refresh" to off (in "Plugged" in subtab)

And then install latest version - 101.5522

[JBanis]

I think I may have a slightly different but possibly related issue, where my screen goes black for a few seconds and comes back to normal again, which happens multipe times a day. 

 I was hoping that I could also use your latest workaround, but I don't seem to have the "panel self refresh" option available to me. My graphics driver is version 101.5522. Any idea if there is another workaround? And also, is 101.5522 the driver that is supposed to include the fix, or will there be another newer one that solves this issue? Thanks!

[strangerz]

No, driver with the fix is not 5522 and likely not the next which will be WHQL certified version of 5522 but likely the version exactly after that.

If you have same laptop as mine - you should have this option for panel refresh unless you are on very old driver

[JBanis]

Thanks for the reply. No I dont have panel refresh. A bit of research showed that it can be related to manufacturer's settings or whatever. I have a HP Spectre x360, graphics drivers 5522, recent laptop. I saw a post somewhere about disabling panel refresh via editing a setting in the registry.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0001 and look for 'psr2disable' and I changed that from 0 to 1. 

Let's see if that solves my issues. 

[BigKahana]

I have had this issue since March intel

driver updates

Best buy switched the motherboard, "knowing this wasn't the issue and both are pointing fingers elsewhere on liability.

they have been trying to convince me the "arc control" is not "firmware"'even though it is pre installed and needed to access hardware! 🤦‍♂️ 

Cleaver@servms.com> wrote:

As far as our technicians have stated we have not tested the ARC software as this is considered 3rdparty software which by technicality we do not support. David has stated some of the desired features, while built into the hardware, require the ARC software to be usable, but a driver update made by intel has broken these features and or blocked them. We can certify the functionality of the Basic Hardware and its base functionality. We are not permitted to test or certify the ARC software, regardless of its necessity for Hardware features, as it is a third party software exterior to HP.

This is our issue and why we originally reached out to David, and why we are escalating it to overcome this technicality.

From HP:

Hello David,

As of now, since the hardware is all functioning as manufactured to do so. I would have to suggest we have the system returned to you so may use it.

As was explained by Nathaniel, we are obligated to the hardware, and any software related incompatibilities, especially triggered by the manufacturer of the software, would be out side of our reach to resolve or compensate for.

Can you we get your approval to return the PC?

Thank you!

Regards,

Anastazia De Angelis
Consumer Escalations Manager
anastazia.de-angelis@hp.com

HP Inc.
2351 HP Way
Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87144
USA

[strangerz · Accepted solution]

New version of driver works ok (31.0.101.5590) even with enabled panel self refresh option.

P.S. after that I also did full uninstall with DDU in safe mode and strangely - option for panel self refresh also disappeared from the menu (however it is still 0 in registry )

P.P.S. Option reappears if you work from internal screen, it disappears if you connect to external monitor only!