Brand New NUC11TNHv7 BIOS 0069 Freezes After Optimal Defaults, Save and Exit

[csi]

I have a stack of brand new NUC11TNHv7's (made in August 2022) that came with BIOS 0064, and had no problem with BIOS being set to Optimal Defaults, then F10 to Save and Exit.

However, after upgrading to 0069 (before installing any OS), in BIOS settings, selecting F9 Optimal Defaults, then F10 Save and Exit, followed by Ok, causes the screen to freeze, keyboard/mouse and system completely unresponsive. 

Sheesh!

The ONLY thing added to the NUC is RAM. No drives are installed.

So far, problem has occurred on two NUC's. I hesitate to open any more boxes for fear of not begin able to return them.

Super frustrating!

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi,  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities. I am sorry to know that you are having issues with your Intel® NUC 11 Pro Kit NUC11TNHv7.  

In order to better assist you, please provide the following:  

1. To confirm, after the update to version 0069 you are not able to use the nUC since they do not boot again, is that right?

2. To confirm, if you shut down the NUC after you get the issue, once you turn it on again does it get frozen after the "Inte NUC" screen or it does not work at all?

3. Are you able to perform a BIOS Recovery?

• Steps (BIOS Recovery by the Power Button Menu): https://downloadmirror.intel.com/742816/NUC-AptioV-UEFI-Firmware-BIOS-Update-Readme.pdf
• BIOS: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19699/bios-update-tntglv57.html

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[csi]

The problem is when F9 is selected followed by F10, the NUC freezes. Yanking the power cable is the only option. The NUC will power on again and boot, but the F9/F10/Freeze problem still exists. BTW, ANY chance to the BIOS then F10 causes a Freeze. This did not happen with 0064 from the factory.

Yes, I've done multiple BIOS Recovery and F5 reset to defaults though the Power Button Recovery Menu. Does not solve the freeze problem.

Can I speak with someone by phone about this issue? It's too hard to explain this way, and there are other issues like the HDD LED Activity setting confusing the NUC and causing the power button light to go dark. The only way to get the light to turn back on, is to yank the power cord for 1 minute, plug back in, power on, and hallelujah, there's light again!

These NUCs are disappointingly unstable.

[n_scott_pearson]

You are doing F9 (followed by 'Y') then F10 (followed by 'Y')? Or are you immediately following F9 press with F10 press?

...S

[csi]

Click F9, wait a couple seconds (have tried waiting 30 seconds), click F10, click OK = FREEZE.

Doesn't happen with 0064, only 0069.

On a related note, does Recovery BIOS wreck vPro AMT?  Now, EMAConfigTool says it can't access AMT! Yikes!

And, there's the continuing problem with Power Button HDD LED not flashing or going completely dark.

I'm withholding expressing how freaking frustrating and debilitating all this is to progress.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi, 

Thanks for your response. In this case, to get live support you can use one of the following links based on your location:

• US, Canada: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support.html#@11 
• Europe, Middle East, and Africa: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support/emea-contact.html 
• Asia-Pacific: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support/apac-contact.html 
• Latin America: https://www.intel.la/content/www/xl/es/support/contact-support/lar-contact.html 

Please let me know if you want to continue with the live support or if you want to continue with this thread.

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[n_scott_pearson]

You must click on 'Y' after pressing F9 and then again after F10. Failure to do so will result in the BIOS setting there waiting for additional input. If you have no active display, this will appear to be a hang.

...S

[csi]

Wish it was that easy.

There is no Yes on the Save & Exit Setup window prompt, only Ok or Cancel.

Sometimes, often the first time after recovering bios, F9 F10 Ok works, but subsequently, that exact same sequence fails, Freezes.

The only component in the NUC is RAM, and the problem still occurs.

This should be super easy for Intel to duplicate the problem.

It's dismaying the fit and finish of NUC BIOS and AMT (the only reason i'm bothering with NUC's) is so rough. These problem areas also need to be refined:

By default, disable Numlock during POST, otherwise pressing Ctrl+P doesn't work to access AMT Config on keyboard that don't have a separate keypad, and the administrator has absolutely NO idea why Ctrl+P isn't working. Eliminate the mystery by disabling Numlock during post.

The pop-up of special function keys in POST is too late. Key presses at that moment, are too late to have any effect.

In AMT Configuration (Ctrl+P), show the IP address the DHCP issued IP address that AMT is using, otherwise, we're completely in the dark, unaware of how to reach it.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi, 

Thank you for the information provided 

I will proceed to check the issue internally and post back soon with more details. 

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[csi]

Great.

Even thought I'm usually hesitant to downgrade BIOS, for lack of any way to coerce 0069 to stop freezing after F9/F10/Ok, I rolled back to 0067  using Power Button 4 seconds, F4. Voila! No more problem with freezing after F9/F10/Ok!

Previously, out of the box, I upgraded the NUC from 0064 to 0069. Would it make any difference to upgrade 0064 to 0067 to 0069?  Upgrades entirely replace the old BIOS version, there's no remnants or carryover from the previous version, right?

BTW, by default, 0067 & 0069 no longer enable Power, Max Performance Enabled. Is that by design, or an oversight?

Regarding AMT, a lot of consideration needs to be given to the idea of disabling Numlock during POST so Ctrl+P can be detected on keyboards that don't have separate number pads, which, especially in data centers, is most. Often, there's no visual indicator of numlock's status.

Or, better yet, also detecting for Ctrl+* key press, which is the alternate when numlock is enabled! That would be easy to implement with messing with changing the numlock setting.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi, 

I would like to let you know that I tried to replicate the issue and did not get the same results. In order to investigate further, I want to confirm the following:

1. When you update the BIOS, did you do it in sequence (from 0064 >> 0067 >> 0069)?

2. Did you update the BIOS jumping from 0064 to 0069?

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[csi]

I upgraded 0064 to 0069 = Freeze.

I then tried downgrading 0069 to 0067 = No Freeze.

Then, upgraded 0067 to 0069 = No Freeze (finally!)

Is there an obnoxious time consuming requirement that BIOS firmware upgrades be done in sequence?

[csi]

Is there an obnoxious time consuming requirement that BIOS firmware upgrades be done in sequence without skipping over any intermediate BIOS versions, for example, 0064 to 0067 to 0069?

Or, is upgrading 0064 directly to 0069, without bothering with any BIOS versions in between, perfectly fine, normally?

[AlHill]

@csi   Read the bios release notes, starting at 0064:

https://downloadmirror.intel.com/742816/TNV_0069_ReleaseNotes.pdf

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Maybe Windows 12 will be better]

[csi]

Yes, did that days ago. Nothing in there that addresses the question, unless you see something I missed?

[AlHill]

No, merely answering your question.   The bios release notes will tell you of dependencies from rev to rev.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Maybe Windows 12 will be better]

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi, 

I am glad to know that the NUC is working properly after updating the BIOS in a sequence. In this case, there is no way to update the BIOS in sequence easily. 

Usually, we recommend updating the BIOS using the BIOS recovery method when you have to perform a big jump between BIOS versions (0064 to 0069), if does not want to update performing a BIOS recovery, the best option is to update the BIOS version in sequence (0064 >> 0067 >> 0069).

Since you were able to fix the issue, let me know if you would like to close this thread.

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi,  

After checking your thread, I would like to know if you need further assistance. 

If so, please let me know. 

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello csi,  

I was checking your thread and see that we have not heard back from you.  

I’m going to close your post, but if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to create a new thread. 

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician