Installing Windows 11 - at point when system reboots it cannot contine and simply power cycles

Question

A lenovo X1 Yoga Gen5 or Lenovo X1 Yoga Gen6 laptop . Start an installtion of Windows 11 (24H2) from MECM build via PXE boot. Starts op. system install and device drivers install etc. On some of these laptops, at a point during the install when the system reboots, it then ends up in a power cycle i.e. powers on, displays Lenovo Logo , powers off, reboots and goes through the same again indefinitely. Same thing has occurred when upgrading a Windows 10 (22h2) to Windows 11 (24H2). If we then use a bootbale USB stick created from Windows Media Creation Tool, via diskpart we can see that there is an EFI system partition, and the files on it look fine, the smae as a booting system. Thus what is the cause of this power cycle loop where the device cannot load Windows 11. Is it somply the device is not located the system partition, or is it corruption to the files on the EFI system partition ? How can we determine where the sourec of the problem lies i.e. BIOS, EFI partition or other ?

Answer 1

The issue you are experiencing with the Lenovo X1 Yoga laptops power cycling during the installation of Windows 11 could be attributed to several factors. Here are some potential causes and troubleshooting steps:

1. UEFI Firmware: Ensure that the UEFI firmware is up to date. Sometimes, outdated firmware can lead to compatibility issues with newer operating systems like Windows 11.
2. Boot Configuration: The power cycle loop might occur if the system is unable to locate the boot files. Since you mentioned that the EFI system partition appears intact, verify that the boot configuration is correct. You can use the BCDBoot command to ensure that the boot files are properly configured in the EFI partition.
3. Secure Boot: If Secure Boot is enabled in the UEFI settings, try disabling it temporarily to see if it resolves the issue. Secure Boot can sometimes interfere with the installation process.
4. Corrupted Installation Media: If the installation media is corrupted, it may lead to incomplete installations. Ensure that the installation media created via the Windows Media Creation Tool is not corrupted.
5. Hardware Compatibility: Check for any hardware compatibility issues. Ensure that all hardware components, especially drivers, are compatible with Windows 11.
6. Diagnostic Tools: Utilize diagnostic tools available in the UEFI/BIOS settings to check for hardware issues. This can help determine if there are any underlying hardware problems.
7. Logs and Error Messages: If possible, check for any logs or error messages that may provide insight into what is causing the power cycle. This can include checking the SrtTrail.txt log file if the system attempts to boot into recovery mode.

By systematically checking these areas, you should be able to identify whether the issue lies with the BIOS, the EFI partition, or another component of the system.

Answer 2

Thanks.

On the systems the UEFI Firmware is up to date, and even on devices where it is not, those can still often build. The failure to boot seems not realated to BIOS version.

How would I use BCDBOOT to verify if configuration is correct ?

With Secure Boot on or off the isseu can occur.

The Windows 11 source files are fine as they work on most of our devices, just some that do this power cycle.

As some of the same model of laptops build without issue and some do not and the same drivers are used in each case, the drivers would appear to be fine.

F10 diagnmostics report no hardware issues on device sthat fail i.e. Storage device is fine for example.

Where would srtTrail.txt be located ?