Secure Boot blocking Windows Boot Manager after Lenovo firmware update + BIOS update (IdeaPad Gaming 3-15IMH05 81Y4)

Question

Hello,

I need help with a Secure Boot/firmware issue on my Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3-15IMH05 (Type 81Y4).

My laptop was working normally before this issue.

On July 16, 2026, I installed Windows Update items, including:

• Lenovo Ltd. - Firmware - 1.36.0.0

NVIDIA Display Driver

Intel Display Driver

Microsoft AudioProcessingObject

After the Lenovo firmware update, I started getting the VALORANT VAN 9003 error, which requires Secure Boot to be enabled.

When I tried enabling Secure Boot in BIOS, Windows would not boot and showed:

To troubleshoot, I manually updated the BIOS using Lenovo's official BIOS package:

Model: IdeaPad Gaming 3-15IMH05

Type: 81Y4

Previous BIOS: EGCN36WW

Current BIOS: EGCN41WW

The BIOS update completed successfully.

Current status:

SSD is detected in BIOS

Windows Boot Manager is visible

Boot Mode: UEFI

Secure Boot OFF → Windows boots normally

Secure Boot ON → Windows Boot Manager is blocked

Restoring Secure Boot Factory Keys did not fix the issue

I have not changed any firmware settings before this problem started.

Could the Lenovo firmware update have changed Secure Boot keys, UEFI variables, or affected the Secure Boot database? What would be the recommended recovery steps?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Carl,

Thank you for following up.

I wanted to provide an update that I was able to resolve the issue.

After trying the usual troubleshooting steps (restoring the Secure Boot factory keys, rebuilding the boot files, and updating the BIOS), the problem still occurred whenever Secure Boot was enabled.

What ultimately resolved it was using Microsoft's SecureBootRecovery.efi. I created a FAT32 USB drive, copied C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\SecureBootRecovery.efi to EFI\BOOT on the USB, renamed it to BOOTX64.EFI, and booted from the USB as a UEFI device. After the recovery process completed, I restarted the laptop, re-enabled Secure Boot (UEFI mode, Standard), and Windows booted normally.

The "Windows Boot Manager has been blocked by the current security policy" error is no longer present, and Secure Boot is now enabled and working correctly.

Thank you for your assistance and for following up on this issue. I hope this information is helpful to anyone else who encounters the same problem.

Answer 2

Hello Robie,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

It seems like you are trying to send a photo of the situation, however, as I see, it is not sent yet. Can you please check and send it again so I can check the reason for you better? Please remember to remove all personal information before posting.

I'm waiting for your reply.