The different suggested fixes for other users could have been because they weren't all using the same Lenovo model. It looks like there are 2 separate issues that can create this 640x480 resolution limitation. One issue is that SOME Lenovo systems have an incorrect UEFI implementation (which is Lenovo's fault) but the other issue is that according to the Lenovo KB that Nick posted earlier, ALL Lenovo systems have an issue specifically with WinPE 10 1607/Anniversary, which is the newest version that Reflect can use for Rescue Media right now. Lenovo blames that on a Microsoft bug, and their suggested workaround is to use a file from WinPE 10 1511, which is what Nick posted -- so it can make sense that different cases will have different suggested fixes.

I understand wanting a real fix rather than using a workaround, but until a real fix becomes available, a workaround is better than not having anything, especially if a real solution NEVER becomes available for the incorrect UEFI systems because Lenovo decides never to develop a BIOS update for their older systems. In that case if you don't accept a workaround, you might be stuck with nothing until you get a new laptop. Everything Reflect does will work on WinPE 3.1 Rescue Media. The only additional requirement is manually adding some drivers that are easy to get from Lenovo's site and then enabling CSM/Legacy Option ROMs if you normally run in UEFI mode (and you ONLY need to do that when you need to boot Rescue Media). That's inconvenient, but it's a LOT better than not having Rescue Media.

And for that matter, since you're so passionate about demanding a fix, if your issue is due to the incorrect UEFI implementation, have you considered posting about this on the Lenovo forums since Lenovo created this issue in the first place, instead of just expecting Macrium to do it?

And no I don't work for Macrium, but again I've explained why I feel this isn't their problem to fix. Lenovo did something that is incompatible with Microsoft's WinPE environment in one case, and in another case according to Lenovo, Microsoft has a bug in their WinPE environment -- neither of those is Macrium's fault or within their ability to fix. But you of course can and obviously do feel differently. And since PE 3.1 isn't an option in your mind, there's no additional information or help I can provide for you at this point, so I'll just wish you good luck on getting a fix that you consider acceptable and focus on other threads on this forum instead. I personally would rather have working Rescue Media even if it involves some inconvenience WHILE I wait for a better solution instead of letting myself sit around with nothing that works while I wait for a fix, but that's just me.

Please Macrium Reflect Technicans investigate that issue, thanks!

Hi 

Apologies for the frustration that this issue is causing for some Macrium Reflect users with Lenovo PCs. 

As has been mentioned, the boot process of Windows PE is controlled by the UEFI firmware/micro code and there are compatibility issues between Lenovo and Microsoft PE. It seems that some Lenovo UEFI implementations may have been  'out of spec' and understanding the scope of problem, e.g, which models can boot PE 10, which can boot PE 5.0 or 4.0 and which don't support any external PE media booting at the correct resolution is non-trivial. 

Note this issue appears widespread and has been a problem with Lenovo for a while:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/c502f331-79d3-40e5-b24c-58e879ca0512/winpe-resolution-issue?forum=mdt

The solution that has always worked in the past is to use PE 5.0 or 4.0 and this is is first case we have seen where no PE version supports UEFI booting of external media with the correct screen resolution. 

If using an earlier PE version doesn't help, then you can boot your USB media in 'legacy' MBR mode. In MBR mode the screen resolution will be native.  You can restore partitions using MBR mode but the 'Fix Boot Problems' option will not function due to PE running in MBR mode.  Setting the BIOS to boot in Legacy mode varies between systems, but, if you have a 'Legacy first' option in the boot order and move this to the top, then the start up sequence should detect your external media as MBR bootable. 

Kind Regards

Nick

Macrium Support

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Hello Nick, nice to answer me! :-) Thanks!

First - i am a Macrium User since many years - you can check this... you know my email adress!

So... I have the Lenovo Thinkpad Workstation Notebook P70 since 1 Year, everything worked fine since April 2017. This was the time where i make a Clean Install of Windows 10 with Creators Update and buy Macrium Reflect V7 and create a new Recovery Medium.

Before - everything worked fine. Everything. And i worked on the Lenovo Thinkpad P70 machine. No issues.

Please look in google search - many posts with the same issue..... "can only see 640x480 resolution ..." -> And you think that all the Users have Thinkpad Computers? 


Is that possible - that Windows PE miss the drivers for the graphic cards .... because i have found a forum post you can see here: http://forum.macrium.com/Topic8877.aspx?PageIndex=2#bm9116

Nick, for the future, is there a german-speaking support technican in your company?

And Nick i will inform you, that Macrium is a great software for Backing up - the Best i think, but please help me and the other users to fix the issue, thank you!

Regards from Austria! And i hope, you have a sunny day!

So... I have the Lenovo Thinkpad Workstation Notebook P70 since 1 Year, everything worked fine since April 2017. This was the time where i make a Clean Install of Windows 10 with Creators Update and buy Macrium Reflect V7 and create a new Recovery Medium.

I can offer no help beyond what Nick has already suggested, but you should be aware that you are far from alone in experiencing some strange results after installing the Windows 10 "Creators Update" manually.  Did you know that, despite having made the set-up ISO available for download earlier this month, Microsoft has recommended against its manual installation citing unexpected difficulties with unspecified "problem devices" as the reason?  That sounds as if it the issues and their consequences might possibly involve some system UEFI configurations that could, in turn, affect WinPE start-ups and device support.  There are many on-line articles on the subject.  This one is typical.


Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy")

Hello together!

First - i am not a computer beginner!

I have noticed about Windows Update and the articles in the last days -> but -> why is this issue reported in 2016, please see here: http://forum.macrium.com/Topic8877.aspx?PageIndex=2#bm9116

So - i think the reason for this issue (Screen Resolution in Win PE 640x480) is another.

No belittling of your computer experience or other adversarial implication of any kind was intended in my reply.  Its only purpose was to make you aware, in case you weren't already, that Microsoft itself has recommended against manual installation of its "Creators Update" and its stated reasons for that recommendation.  And my secondary hope was that others reading this thread might also benefit from that cautionary information.

In fact, the originator of the 2016 thread to which you refer ultimately arrived at a similar conclusion about the cause for his problem involving a Win 10 version 1511 cumulative update.  Perhaps you may be as fortunate as he was in having the issue resolve itself following a subsequent MS cumulative update.  I sincerely hope so.  Good luck.


Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy")

Macrium Support do you have a solution?!

Nick already gave you Macrium's solution -- you just didn't seem to like it when others suggested the exact same thing:


Be realistic for a moment. According to Nick, you're the first person who has reported this issue where the easier workarounds of PE 4 or 5 didn't resolve the issue.  Do you really expect Macrium to spend engineering resources either hacking Microsoft's WinPE files or resurrecting Linux-based Rescue Media (neither of which are even guaranteed to solve the problem if this is a UEFI compliance issue) just to deliver a solution for one person, especially when you could solve this issue yourself much more quickly and with much less effort by making a simple BIOS change?  And as for contacting Lenovo, if the issue is already as widely reported as Nick says, it's safe to assume that Lenovo is already aware of this issue and they've either decided not to bother fixing it on older systems, or perhaps there's a hardware limitation involved which means they CAN'T fix it with just a BIOS/Firmware update.  Either way, I don't see how contacting Lenovo given these circumstances is likely to lead to a fix either.