[SOLVED] ThinkPad E580 behaving seriously strange

[Innergaarden]

Here's one for you, I'm basically stuck here:

I have an i7-8xxx ThinkPad E580 with 32GB RAM, 250GB NVMe disk and 500GB Samsung Evo850 SSD.
It has worked excellently with Windows 10 Pro v. 2004 until today. Upon starting it today, nothing happened.
I therefore used a USB-stick with Windows Installation media (Win 10-2004) but the only thing that happens is the pc shuts down after the Windows logo and the spinner wheel has spun for appx 5 seconds.
I can access BIOS, no problems there. I can boot with MemTest 86+, no problems with memory and it does not shut down. I have run all extensive tests from BIOS, and they all Green PASS.
I subsequently installed the latest version of Ubuntu to test if that would work, alas with no problems at all, everything works just fine. I know, I should probably just stay in Ubuntu-mode, but Windows 10 still wins on most accounts as far as apps/software goes.
Does anybody out there have an incling as to what is going on in the Pad's mind? I have been through all various settings in BIOS with Secure boot on and off, UEFI, Legacy, CSM on and off etc. At no avail. Cleared all security keys, no change whatsovever. Still, Ubuntu boots just fine and dandy...

Any and all tips will be digitally remunerated with a virtual beer (or indeed whatever takes your fancy in a bar).


EDIT: I should add that I have also tried with Windows 10 1903 and 1909, with no results whatsoever.

 

[onespeedbiker]

First try a cold boot. Remove the battery, unplug the AC adapter and hold the power button down for about 10 seconds, then plug in the AC adapter and try to boot. If that doesn't work, try using different USB ports and/or a different USB.

 

[Innergaarden]

First try a cold boot. Remove the battery, unplug the AC adapter and hold the power button down for about 10 seconds, then plug in the AC adapter and try to boot. If that doesn't work, try using different USB ports and/or a different USB.

Cold boot (battery out etc) already tried, booting from various USB ports likewise. Unfortunately with no-go result. Thanks for your suggestions though!

 

[onespeedbiker]

When you enter the BIOS can you see the ssd and is it on the list of boot drives? Is the Boot manager in the boot order before the ssd? Try pressing f12 at the splash window and then chose the boot manager and/or USB if you are booting from the USB.

 

[geofelt]

What has changed since yesterday?
I might suspect that windows has pushed out a less than good update.
Or, you might have contracted a virus or malware.
Can you boot in safe mode?
That runs with minimal drivers.
Can you use system restore to reset back to when all was well?

 

[Innergaarden]

When you enter the BIOS can you see the ssd and is it on the list of boot drives? Is the Boot manager in the boot order before the ssd? Try pressing f12 at the splash window and then chose the boot manager and/or USB if you are booting from the USB.

Both the SSD and the NVMe (M.2) are listed, as is also the USB-stick containing the bootable Windows 10-image. I have no problems booting from the USB, but as I stated in my original post, after the Windows logo appears followed by the spinning wheel, it just shuts down within 5-6 seconds. 3 quick blinks on the LED in the centre of the On/Off-button and then total silence.

 

[onespeedbiker]

If you PC does not get you to the windows logon than it is not booting. It is possible your PC is trying to boot from the ssd, so you need to try and manually boot from the f12 menu; choosing the boot manager.

 

[Innergaarden]

What has changed since yesterday?
I might suspect that windows has pushed out a less than good update.
Or, you might have contracted a virus or malware.
Can you boot in safe mode?
That runs with minimal drivers.
Can you use system restore to reset back to when all was well?

Nothing changed from yesterday. I run a very strict regimes of security against all forms of malwares, viruses etc on all computers in the house.
There were no pushed Windows updates and I did not manually incite an update either. It does not get to the point in the boot process where safe mode is even available unfortunately.
System restore, as I am sure you know, requires that Windows 10 is booted in some form or other before it can be attempted.
I have also tried swapping RAM with another set, I have also swapped the NVMe-disk and the SSd to similar specs, but at no avail. It is somewhat frustrating, because there is no logical explanation as to why it works fine and dandy with anything but Windows 10 - regardless of version...

 

[Innergaarden]

If you PC does not get you to the windows logon than it is not booting. It is possible your PC is trying to boot from the ssd, so you need to try and manually boot from the f12 menu; choosing the boot manager.

It does not work. In the sense that it shuts down as described. Also, when trying to install a fresh Windows 10 from an image created with Microsofts tool for that specific purpose, even on a brand new out-of-the-box SSD oand/or M.2 NVMe it behaves in exactly the same way, by shutting down after the Windows logo is displayed in conjunction with the spinning "Please wait"-wheel.
What puzzles me is that when I try to install anything else but Windows 10 (i.e. Linus distro, Ubuntu etc.) on the aforementioned units, everything is just fine. It is only Windows that somehow is refused by the ThinkPad.

 

[Innergaarden]

Just a quick update. I removed the RAM, the NVMe and SSD disks from the E580 and replaced them with the RAM and SSD from a working L480 we have here. And the same symptoms recur. It tries to boot Windows, but shuts down after a few seconds with the blue Windows logo on black background and the spinning "wait"-wheel. It blinks 3 times in the LED on the On/Off-button and then just dies.

The irrationality is that Ubuntu 20.04 install without a hitch with the same configuration, and runs without any problems whatsoever. This just doesn't make any sense.

So, for the time being:
Ubuntu 1 (installs, boots and runs just fine)
Windows 0 (does none of the above)

PS: Thank you all for taking the time to debug this with me, it is really appreciated!