Problem on reboot/shutdown for ANY Linux

Question

I tried running various distros (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora) off a Live USB, They all load and work, but give me this error on reboot:

[1505.800899] NMI watchdog: Watchdog detected hard LOCKUP on cpu 1
[1512.035856] watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU0 stuck for 23s| [kworker/0:2:61]

The second line will repeat multiple times (but with varying numbers), if I keep it on. The only way to shut the machine down is by long-pressing the power key. Really annoying...

I don't want to install it on HDD at this time (neither as dual boot, nor as the sole system), just need to run it off the USB pen drive (VM & WSL are not options). All I want is to be able to run a proper Linux distro (off the stick with persistence. The OEM's Windows 10 works without a slightest problem (it's blazing fast, Optane+HDD). The machine is Dell Inspiron 7786.

Are there any processor settings in the BIOS that should be tweaked, to enable normal reload/shutdown for Linux, or is this a hardware defect?
Any thoughts are welcome, thank you!
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PS - I didn't know we had a Linux section here in the forum, and posted a very similar topic at https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron/Inspiron-7786-Hard-and-soft-lockup-on-reload-shutdown/m-p/7197600
Grateful, if the mods could delete that one. Sorry for having to create a duplicate.

mssxtn · Answer

Could you post more information? What's going on in the logs right before the lockup message? Do you have anything running when you reboot?

It is possible that this Ubuntu forum thread might have answers for you, Based entirely off of googling the error message you got. No promises.

speedstep · Answer

NMI watchdog: Watchdog detected hard LOCKUP on cpu 1

This is either a very old CPU and or its a BAD RAM Pairity Check Error.

I've had this problem (on an old machine of mine).

Im my case it turned out that my ATI card was responsible. it was an X1300 fireGL card.

You could try turning power saving off.

Others say its the real time clock running fast

https://github.com/TobleMiner/wintron7.0/issues/2

NMI Error

[58648.430056] 
Uhhuh. NMI received for unknown reason 3c on CPU 0.
[58648.430063] 
Do you have a strange power saving mode enabled?
[58648.430065] Dazed and confused, but trying to continue
[58648.409794] 
Uhhuh. NMI received for unknown reason 2c on CPU 0.
[58648.409800] 
Do you have a strange power saving mode enabled?
[58648.409803] Dazed and confused, but trying to continue

unBIOSed · Answer

@mssxtnNot sure how to get any logs - I tried running Fedora off a live USB, so there is no chance to save anything when powering it down or rebooting. This time, when I turned it off, it didn't show any messages for a minute or two (there was only a blinking cursor in the top-left of a black screen). Then this 'watchdog' message appeared, but, this time, it did only once. I could hear a fan inside the laptop going crazy, and the temperature was going up. There were no other messages on the screen, for a few more minutes that I could take this until I turned it off. Thanks for the link, but it doesn't look like the solution in the thread works for me. I don't have that setting in BIOS. I tried toggling nearly everything there, nothing is helping so far. So not sure, if BIOS has anything to do with it (but who knows, it may be a combination of things as well). Need to check the 'clocksource' part as well (there is a link in that article, but I'll be skeptical, until I do, lol). The OEM-installed Windows  10 is working flawlessly, though.

unBIOSed · Answer

@speedstep

The CPU on Inspiron 7786 is new, so I'll try to take a look at the other two things you're mentioning - bad RAM parity check or the real-time clock.. Wondering what else can this be caused by...

kannonn · Answer

any luck with this? I'm facing the same error.

Linux General

Problem on reboot/shutdown for ANY Linux

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