Has anyone experienced the same problem?
Microsoft started rolling out this build last month, so some of you may already have it installed.
I've seen a few more laptops become unusable to me after 1809 update since then.
Still no idea what it does to turn devices bad permanently.
Windows 10 build 1809 problem
zlhr Microsoft started rolling out this build last month, so some of you may already have it installed.
I've seen a few more laptops become unusable to me after 1809 update since then.
Still no idea what it does to turn devices bad permanently.
Isn't this likely to be them including more recent GPU drivers from say Intel?
AgentX20 probably. But drivers shouldn't be updating firmware. I mean, it's possible they can, but I've never once seen an nVidia or AMD/ATI driver update the VBIOS. Ever. You always have to download a crazy tool to do that. I have also never seen a stand-alone Intel driver that did so. Again, always a low-level command-prompt boot-time tool. So I really don't know what is happening here. I don't discount people's experiences, but I have no idea what mechanism could be at play here.
Could be relation to the recent low level hardware security bugs that have been discovered
Seagull I can understand WHY they would do it but not HOW. You generally have to single-thread the CPU and do it in a DOS prompt, basically. Unless the VBIOS is exposed to a programming interface, which is hugely expensive and almost exclusively found on server-class hardware. I just don't see this even being possible, although apparently something is happening.
Microcode updates to the CPU are not permanent. What is a possibility however is the Intel ME (Management Engine) which is a second OS on the motherboard. The X220 is old enough that it's possible to rip out the ME. If you feel up to it, read up and give it a try. It's not a feature or service you will ever use.
I doubt that the ME could affect display output that drastically but hey it's worth a shot.
Try a docking station and a CRT monitor.
Seagull
That's my current theory.
Since posting I have discovered that newly manufactured devices are also problematic regardless of their software.
Is it possible that hardware and software fixes applied to address Spectre / Meltdown could have altered something that could cause this?
ensete
Tried to used CRT, does not help.
Sunspark
Sold my X220 a few weeks ago.
I have just got an X230 in the mail w/W7 Pro. It seems 'OK' to me although I have heard there is seriously bad PWM on the screens unless it is on full brightness. Maybe software like Iris could fix that? Getting a mdp>hdmi converter so will try it out on my monitor.
Also aren't the BIOS on Thinkpad's usually notoriously locked down? I thought most flashing tools have to show some sort of disclaimer to avoid responsibility for bricking the device if the flash fails?
- Edited
So I've now connected the X230 to my U2414h and am getting strain . (ditherig switched on and using 2012 driver)
One thing I have noticed is the Thinkpad BIOS is a post W10 2015 version. The original BIOS for the X230 was released in May 2012.
AFAIK the Intel Integrated VBIOS version is dependent on the motherboard BIOS - so a downgrade may work?
This wasn't an expensive machine but don't really want to brick it - I am super curious to know if a downgrade would make it comfortable.
Long shot, but isn't A-FRC a type of software dithering occurring at the monitor (vs. OS/GPU)?
Only reason I bring this up: I had used two external monitors on my zbook forever. The laptop had 6bpc depth by default on its native screen, and that carried over to the external monitors. One day, I made the mistake of setting them to 8bpc, and the nVidia control panel wouldn't let me revert! Swore I had eye strain issues thereafter.
I swear a lot of these issues coincide with the move to 8bpc+, and a lot of monitors are not yet 8bpc native (it's 6+aFRC). I wonder if something similar happened here - defaulting to a higher color depth that forced flickering.
I have no idea if something native to the 8 bit color "palette" is what bothers my eyes or just the flickering that gets us there, but I suspect it has something to do with that on modern software & hardware. In any case, good luck :/
Gurm I've messed up a Macbook Pro to where the internal display was flickering (like dithering but worse) when using some of my own custom methods to attempt to override low level variables in the driver, and it persisted after a reboot. Went away after holding down the command+option+shift+power for a few minutes. Scared the shit out of me.
The topic is a bit old now, but I feel like I have the same problem.
I was on build 1803 on my office laptop (dell latitude 5580), I never had a problem with it. I decided to try build 1809 as my IT company feels the need to make us apply the latest updates (for obvious reasons) from time to time and I knew I could come back to 1803 within 10 days anyways.
I installed 1809 and it instantly got strainy for me. I reversed it with the W10 recovery tool and since I got back to 1803, I still feel the strain everyday, even after a 2 days break.
I feel like something changed in the display, the brightness, the colours, I don't know what exactly. I keep on having mild eye strain and a light headache, which never happened before with this device.
No changes in drivers apparently.
Do anyone has an idea ?
I'm really confused, it could be either purely psychological or some kind of "invisible" updates that don't get removed with the recovery tool ?
- Edited
SAH I had your problem when i updated from 1809 to 1909, but the recovery was enough for me to fix the problem. So I don't know how to help you.. i would try to install a clean 1909 to see if something changes!
BTW the 1809 is fine on my latitude E5550 but not with my desktop PC (AMD 480X).
Edit: I've seen a difference from these 2 systems. The notebook have W10 1809 with display driver 2.0 (very old) instead the desktop has W10 1809 with display driver 2.5 (the right driver of 1809, the 1903 has got the 2.6 and the 2004 2.7).
Now I have to try to install an old versions of this display driver but I don't understand if it's something inside the GPU driver or inside the OS! I am trying
Not a specific solution, but if any of you can get your hands on Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB: I still think this is the way to go. It gets updates until 2025 and doesn't have the new 2016+ rendering that is especially worse for some of us. That's really the only idea I have, but it most probably will help.