[lenbowers]

GA-Z77-D3H motherboard, Windows 7 x64 professional

 

Updated the bios, now won't boot. On switching on, get bios splash screen. Then powers off, then powers on (itself) taking me to windows startup repair, which fails.

 

I have set the HDD to AHCI - this solution seems to have worked for a lot of people, but it doesn't work for me.

I was even driven to consider reinstalling windows, but it won't do an installl from the DVD drive, as even when I boot from the windows disk and try to install, it tells me it can't to the HDD because it's partition type is GPT.

In the boot order section of the bios I have UEFI myHDDname. There is an alternative myHDDname option, but if I try to boot from that, it is not recognised at all.

 

I then repeated flashing the bios starting from step one, downloading the file, using a different mirror. Completed the process but  no joy, still in the same position.

Then tried rolling back to the backup bios using the power switch on an off method. Strangely this results in the old gigabyte splash screen, but not quite the old bios version - the interface is still new. Anyway, no improvement. This version was F10.

 

I managed to get some access to the HDD by booting up with a Windows recovery disk inn the DVD drive. At first this would not work, and gave a message "This version of system recovery options is not compatible with the version of windows you are trying to repair". After a bit of internet investigation I brought up the boot choice on bootup to find there were two entries for the DVD drive, one preceded by UEFI. The windows recovery disk would then fire up. Windows startup repair did not, of course, work. Neither did a system restore (but I did not expect it to really). 

I got access to the command prompt and was able to establish that my HDD had not failed, neither was it obviously corrupted. All my files were present and I was able to back up the more recent work since my last backup to a usb stick. So I am secure that I have all my files, which is more than anyone else in this position.

I daresay I could now manage to reinstalll windows, but I am not sure that would solve the problem. I am now convinced the issue is in the bios settings. I reflashed back up to F22 to root around again in the boot order etc, settings. UEFI MyHDDname is number one. Then my DVD drive, then USB. I disable the last which was showing PO MyHDDname, as this does not work. I made sure SATA was set to AHCI.

And, I am still in the same position, unchanged. Power on the machine, bios splash screen, then it powers off and restarts, bios splash screen, then windows splash screen, then to startup repair wich as I already know from many tries, does not work.

Are there any other SATA or boot settings I should change? It just seems to be an issue of bring the bios into the right state to set my HDD into proper boot up motion.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Len

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Hello! Not much help, but a good read! Why did you feel the need to flash the BIOS?

http://www.pcworld.c...e_my_bios_.html

Although you can update today's BIOSes, doing so is more dangerous than updating drive-based software. If something goes wrong, it could render the PC completely unbootable; you won't even be able to boot a live Linux flash drive or reinstall Windows. There's probably a way to bring the PC back to life, but it won't be easy.

Edited by donetao, 02 July 2014 - 11:49 AM.

[donetao]

Hello! Not much help, but a good read! Why did you feel the need to flash the BIOS?

http://www.pcworld.c...e_my_bios_.html

Although you can update today's BIOSes, doing so is more dangerous than updating drive-based software. If something goes wrong, it could render the PC completely unbootable; you won't even be able to boot a live Linux flash drive or reinstall Windows. There's probably a way to bring the PC back to life, but it won't be easy.

Edited by donetao, 02 July 2014 - 11:49 AM.

[phillpower2]

   lenbowers

 

I suspect that the issue lays elsewhere and not with the BIOS (if so it is a narrow escape) if the BIOS flash goes bad the MB is basically hosed (requires remapping or replacing the BIOS chip) and you would not have been able to try the steps that you have done.

 

Please post the brand and model name or number for the following, CPU, Ram, video card, HDD/s and the PSU.

 

Have you tried restoring the MBs factory default settings in the BIOS, they could be listed as "most stable" or "fail safe" settings.

[lenbowers]

Hello! Not much help, but a good read! Why did you feel the need to flash the BIOS?

http://www.pcworld.c...e_my_bios_.html

Although you can update today's BIOSes, doing so is more dangerous than updating drive-based software. If something goes wrong, it could render the PC completely unbootable; you won't even be able to boot a live Linux flash drive or reinstall Windows. There's probably a way to bring the PC back to life, but it won't be easy.

 

Hi doneato!

 

I've been working with computers since 1985, been through several versions of Dos, Windows 3 and up, various crashes and problems always overcome in the end. But I have never flashed the bios before and have always wanted to try it

 

Well, that and I was trying to fit a new graphics card to the machine and the machine refused the recognise it. The supplier provided me with a replacement which he had checked was working and still my machine did not recognise it. There was a graphics setting in the bios I could change from auto to PEG, but it just reverted each time, so I though updating the bios might solve that issue. Now I have two issues. the graphics card is not back in the machine by the way, and was not in at any point during the bios flashing crash and burn I am currently enjoying.

 

Overcoming these problems is great.   .....  retrospectively. I look forward to it being in the retrospective category!

 

Len

[lenbowers]

   lenbowers

 

I suspect that the issue lays elsewhere and not with the BIOS (if so it is a narrow escape) if the BIOS flash goes bad the MB is basically hosed (requires remapping or replacing the BIOS chip) and you would not have been able to try the steps that you have done.

 

Please post the brand and model name or number for the following, CPU, Ram, video card, HDD/s and the PSU.

 

Have you tried restoring the MBs factory default settings in the BIOS, they could be listed as "most stable" or "fail safe" settings.

 

Just going to look all that up for you now:

 

PSU: NOFEN P-400A

Video card: none, using motherboard graphics, which was why I bought a graphics card that led to ......eventually a bios update

HDD: one only, Samsung HD204UI - actually had decided this was where I was next going to look, to see what the manufacturers say about the necessary bios settings

CPU: Intel core i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz

RAM: Actually I can't find anything out about the RAM from the Bios screens - I know I order the max possible when I bought the computer just a few years ago.

 

Still think it is the bios settings or configuration. Updating the bios is what caused the boot up problem in the first place. nothing else changed. But what do I know.

 

I should add I have long disconnected all peripherals just so that they do not complicate the issue.

 

Thanks for taking the time to consider my problem, phillpower.

 

Len

[lenbowers]

PS, yes, phillpower, I tried rolling back the bios to the default. It didn't change anything practically. It did change the boot order options available. UEFI MyHDDName was no longer present as an option. But choosing the one labelled PO MyHDDname still had the same outcome.

 

Actually, maybe that suggests that updating the bios and trying to boot initially as an IDE HDD (this is the 'optimised default' in the bios) may have altered something about the boot sequence in windows rather than elsewhere. Which would take us to a software error not repairable by 'windows startup repair', and a solution being reinstalling windows, then spending a day or two reinstallling my programs and their updates. Or something to do with partitions, MBRs etc., about which I know next to nothing.

 

Len

[SleepyDude]

Hi,

 

Can you try to access the Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options by pressing the F8 key immediately after boot, you should see a menu like this:

 

Select the option Disable automatic restart on system failure if you see a Blue Screen with an error code, please post the error information.

[donetao]

I've been working with computers since 1985, been through several versions of Dos, Windows 3 and up, various crashes and problems always overcome in the end. But I have never flashed the bios before and have always wanted to try it

 

 

Hello Len.Looks like you have been around awhile. I have barely 10 years computer experience. A old HP laptop was given me and it was crashing and doing some more stuff. I went to their site and a BIOS up date was recommended. Not knowing barely more than how to spell computer, I flashed the BIOS and that old lappy started working like a brand new computer. Latter on I read how dangerous it was and now it scares me when people seem to do it like  a windows up date.

Your at the right place and have the right guy helping you. Mr. Phill knows his stuff.

Overcoming these problems is great.   .....  retrospectively. I look forward to it being in the retrospective category!

Good luck ! I will be following your thread and learning

[phillpower2]

Actually, maybe that suggests that updating the bios and trying to boot initially as an IDE HDD (this is the 'optimised default' in the bios) 

 

 

You should not select the optimised default option as the settings overclock certain hardware and leads to system instability.

 

So as not to confuse matters please respond to the reply #7 of SleepyDude for now.

 

Hello there donetao   

[lenbowers]

Hi,

 

Can you try to access the Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options by pressing the F8 key immediately after boot, you should see a menu like this:

 

Select the option Disable automatic restart on system failure if you see a Blue Screen with an error code, please post the error information.

 

Sadly I can't get to this screen. I only get to a similar looking screen but with two options, whether I press the F8 key or not. One option is startup repair. The other is start windows normally. The first runs but fails to resolve the problem. The second looks hopeful, but immediately crashes the computer which powers down.

 

Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

Len

[phillpower2]

As the above is not an option, can I ask whether you also have a "most stable" or "fail safe" option that you can select in the BIOS, if yes select it, save and exit.

 

Do you have access to another computer with internet access and a disk burner

 

If yes, run the HDDs diagnostics tool;
Samsung
Depending on the program it'll create a bootable floppy or a bootable DVD/CD.
If the downloaded file is the .iso type use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn the .iso file to a DVD/CD disk depending on your OS (select "Write image file to disc" option) and make the disk bootable.

RE ImgBurn: please use the custom install and uncheck the attached foistware such as "Install Entrusted Toolbar etc

[lenbowers]

Hi PhillPower,

 

Thanks for pursuing this with me.

 

There are 6 utilities on that Samsung page.ES-Tool and HUTIL are both diagnostic utilities for drives, so any preference which one I run?

 

Len

[SleepyDude]

Sadly I can't get to this screen. I only get to a similar looking screen but with two options, whether I press the F8 key or not. One option is startup repair. The other is start windows normally. The first runs but fails to resolve the problem. The second looks hopeful, but immediately crashes the computer which powers down.

 

Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

Len

 

 

When windows is detecting the failed boot it will open with the options you describe but if you press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart the computer and start pressing F8 again it's possible to access the Advanced Option menu. It's a matter of timing I assure you.

[lenbowers]

Hi Sleepydude and PhillPower,

 

I confirm I can get to the screen you describe using that method, sleepydude - however I didn't change anything yet. I'm going to bed! Too much IT is making my head hurt. I'll be back with this problem after work tomorrow.

 

Phillpower, I await your nomination of your preferred samsung drive utility (or you can ask me to run both).

 

Can you both advise whether to explore both your options at once, or prioritise one and report back in steps as we progress?

 

Goodnight and thanks to you both for your help so far.

 

Len

[phillpower2]

When you are ready follow the steps suggested by SleepyDude please Len 

 

If it is still required further on the option that you want is ES-Tool (The Drive Diagnostic Utility) v2.12a

 

You are welcome btw