Larkbox Pro BIOS Brick Black Screen Of Death Stupid Device Don’t Buy

MiniPC LarkBox
1

I just bought this last week. I love the small size. It’s compact and portable. I just hate that it came with only 2 USB ports and no ethernet port at all. I appreciate the additional M.2 SSD 2240 so I bought one 128GB from TS.

I booted up, by default it gave me an old (factory default) Windows 10. I directly update it to the latest Windows 10. So far, so good.

I wanted to install Ubuntu 20.04. So, I did that on my new SSD. Too bad, the sound driver wasn’t recognized. I went back to Windows 10 but this time. I did a clean install of the latest ISO. Nice, it has digital license activation. +1

However, I got a few unrecognized drivers, same as reported on this forum. You can find the threads all across this website. No solution.

I went back into the BIOS. There’s this choose OS selection. So, I selected Linux, saved the setting and reboot.

To my surprise, the POST (CHUWI logo) didn’t show up despite the blue power LED. No, don’t tell me to check my HDMI cable crap, there’s nothing wrong with it. No signal on my monitor and it goes to sleep.

I read about removing the CMOS battery but I don’t have the hexagonal stub screwdriver at the moment.

What the fish? I realized that I bricked my LarkBox Pro. Which idiot in CHUWI released this exact BIOS setting that can be changed thus bricking my device?

HOW DO I BOOT TO MY BIOS AGAIN? Don’t tell me that RMA crap or return policy. While I understand messing with BIOS could be dangerous but you guys must at least QC the whole damn system before selling it to the market.

WHAT NOW?! I’m so pissed up.

2

…try the link below:

-Rob

3

Good job for noticing this thread!

I downloaded the rar file provided above and unrar the content.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads/GB01_ZW_1_05_202009171748$ ls -R
.:
AfuEfi64  AfuEfix64.efi  bios.bin  efi  Startup.nsh

./AfuEfi64:
AfuEfix64.efi  AMI_Aptio_5.x_AFU_User_Guide_NDA.pdf  readme.txt

./efi:
boot

./efi/boot:
BootIa32.efi  BootX64.efi

I copied all of the files above in a newly reformatted 32GB USB drive (NTFS).

Inserted the USB drive at the back of my Larkbox and turn on the power button.

The screen is still blank and the power LED is static for the past hours.

I restarted the Larkbox but nothing happened.

Edit: I removed the CMOS battery connection and leave it for more than 6 hours before reconnecting the cable. I turned the power back on while holding for 15-30 seconds then tried to restart. Nothing happened. No CHUWI logo, can’t boot to BIOS. Still blank screen. I’m pretty sure this is all due to that damn OS selection option.

4

How do you use this? Don’t just give a link. Please explain. Thank you!

5

…haven’t actually performed it … is there any useful information contained in the file → AMI_Aptio_5.x_AFU_User_Guide_NDA.pdf - or in the readme.txt ?

Regards,

Rob

"We are the universe learning more about itself."
―​ Nassim Haramein

6

You cannot use these files unless you enter bios\ boot menu.
Go to any local service center and ask for a bios reflash.

7

I guess I am lucky. I’ve had zero problems with my LarkBox. I have it connected to the ethernet with a USB adapter. I also have six external hard drives connected (via a powered USB hub) and it’s working fine.

8

Then what’s the point of having a small form factor build if you have adapters and cables hanging out everywhere? The selling point for Larkbox is “mini pc”. I guess your desk won’t be that compact anymore with all those stuff connecting to it now. Change your bios OS selection and I doubt you will be shilling this product again.

10

You’d love to see that in my CHUWI that option got secretly removed (2022 BIOS).
I’m safe but I will touch the BIOS as less as possible to not brick it.
Also what’s the point of keeping USB devices powered if I can’t wake it from an USB device?

11

So finally got it working after the USB and HDMI output didn’t work and essentially bricked but still had blue power led. Bought a CH341A with SOIC8 SOP8 Test Clip + 1.8V adapter from Amazon. Using Neo programmer, downloading drivers for the CH341A and the bios from the forum it is up and running. In neoprogrammer do a manual search and type in gb25LB64 and it should pop up to select, erase, open the bios and reprogram. The clip doesn’t require de-soldering but had to file it down to make contact with the chip prongs. After some attempts to get it to stay on the chip it finally read, wrote and now works after reassembling. Disassemble, detach the CMOS, detach sister board, detach from fan and wifi antenna. Hope this helps, I’m now updating the Win 11 25h2 january updates as that’s when it went out after thinking of going to Linux with it and changing os type in bios. Works okay with 25h2, has the new start menu and after removing copilot it’s good to go.