I have two separate, factory-sealed ThinkPad L14 Gen 4 laptops that had been stored for some time. After charging them, setting the date and time, applying our Windows image, and running Lenovo System Update—including BIOS and Intel firmware updates—the integrated Intel I219-V Ethernet adapter stopped working on both machines.
Windows reports "This device cannot start. (Code 10)," and the UEFI shows the adapter's MAC address as 00-00-00-00-00-00. Wi-Fi still works, and Ethernet works through a USB-C docking station, but the built-in RJ45 port does not.
I have already tried resetting the BIOS through the emergency reset hole, restoring factory defaults, disconnecting the CMOS and internal batteries, reinstalling Windows, reinstalling drivers from both Lenovo and Intel, and running Lenovo System Update again. None of these helped. An Intel utility intended to rebuild the Ethernet module's NVRAM also refuses to run because it reports that a required 2023 Secure Boot certificate is missing, even though the certificate appears to be present in UEFI.
Both laptops developed exactly the same fault immediately after the firmware update. Could this be a Lenovo BIOS or firmware problem, and is there a way to restore the adapter's MAC address or reinitialize the onboard NIC?
3 Answers
Because the same failure happened on two otherwise independent laptops immediately after the same update process, a shared firmware issue is more plausible than two unrelated hardware failures. The fact that dock Ethernet works also indicates that Windows networking itself is fine; the problem is limited to the motherboard’s integrated controller. I would preserve the MAC addresses from the chassis labels and investigate Lenovo’s board-level recovery procedure before attempting unsupported firmware tools.
The symptoms strongly suggest that the NIC lost its programmed MAC address during a BIOS or firmware update. A MAC of all zeroes in UEFI points to a firmware or NVRAM problem rather than a Windows driver issue. Check the laptop’s underside for the original MAC label and look through the UEFI settings for an Ethernet or onboard NIC configuration option that allows the address to be restored. If there is no supported field or recovery utility, Lenovo support may be needed to reprogram or replace the system board.
It’s worth confirming that these are the non-vPro models using the Intel I219-V rather than the I219-LM. However, since the adapter’s MAC address is missing in UEFI, installing a different driver is unlikely to help. Intel and Lenovo driver packages can fix software problems, but they generally cannot restore a blank hardware MAC address.
They are the non-vPro I219-V models. I also tried the drivers directly from Intel, but the behavior did not change.
I’ll check the label and UEFI options. Unfortunately, both machines are now out of warranty and no support contract was purchased.