Solve : Notebook won't boot!?

1.	Solve : Notebook won't boot!?
Answer» I got home after spending 4 months abroad and turned my notebook on for the first time, everything was fine. When I turned on my external harddrive, it recognised it as normal, but when I tried to explore the drive the notebook froze. I tried CTR+ALT+DEL and everything and it didn't work so I switched it off. When I turned it back on I noticed the initial boot screen seemed to be taking much longer than usual. It normaly just flashes up for less than a second. It does the memory test then some text flashes below, I think it's the rest of the booting stuff but it's too quick to read, then the screen goes black and it starts the whole thing again. I pressed F2 to enter setup and it took about 30 seconds for it to enter setup which is really slow. Does anyone know what I can do? It's American Megatrends BIOS I think OK, I took a video on my camera so I can pause it and see what is flashing on screen: It says Press F2 to enter setup Press F12 for BBS (I think) POPUP Initializing USB Controllers ... Done 224MB OK Then it stops for a bit, then it starts over again. If I press ESC when it stops on the 224 MB the following flashes up very quickly: Auto Detecting Sec Master AIAMPI (or something) Then it says something about a USB mass storage device being found. I don't have anything connected to the computer. Then the rest dissapears and "Checking NVRAM" appears at the bottom very quickly Then a new screen comes up with: Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082) Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19 Then there is just a blinking cursor underneath. Have you still got the external HDD connected? Quote Have you still got the external HDD connected? No, that's the thing, it definately says 'usb mass storage device found' when the only thing I have connected is the AC adapter. I remember that when the computer froze trying to explore the external HDD I disconnected the USB cable. Could that have buggered something up?Strange, have you tried loading the DEFAULT setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try? Quote Strange, have you tried loading the default setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try? Yes I've already done that. I've also tried the boot CD that came with the computer and a different one I made myself and when I use them it just goes to Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082) Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19 and stops. Quote Quote Strange, have you tried loading the default setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try? Yes I've already done that. I've also tried the boot CD that came with the computer and a different one I made myself Go back into the Bios. Check the boot order. In other words, is your computer presently set up to boot from CD first? I have the feeling that the default settings have it booting from the hard disk before it looks for the CD. If something is amiss with the hard disk boot record, maybe then before it gets to look for the CD, it is giving you the error. Check the boot order carefully, and post back here. Quote and when I use them it just goes to Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082) Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19 and stops. I'm not a network GUY, but that looks like something to do with networking. While you are checking the boot order in bios, have a longer - and very careful - look around in there. Is there anything that looks like your computer could be told to look to a network during boot? If it was me, and I was sure that I didn't need to ever try to boot from a network, I would disable that. Keep good notes! so you can un-do anything you do. You might want to wait for some of the gurus to show up here before making any changes in bios though. While you wait, check the things I MENTIONED very carefully, and post back here what you find. If you find that your computer is presently set up to boot from CD first, and it is not booting, then you need to try your CD in another computer, to be sure the "bootable" CD is good. Suppose that the CD is no good for booting. Then the boot process would 'fall through' to the next option. Suppose there is something wrong with the boot sector of your HD. Maybe your computer 'falls through' to the next option. If there is something in your bios about network booting - viola`. You're there. Another question: Do you have a floppy drive in that computer? ...got a boot floppy that you can try? I don't have a floppy drive though. The computer boots from CD first then HDD. But I can press F12 to choose which to boot from and have tried both my HDD and the CD and neither work. I can boot from USB I think as well, so I might try that. Wait, when I go to BIOS the only options I have to boot from are: CD/DVD Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082) What about the hard drive? This must mean something's gone wrong with my harddrive.Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-? http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html Quote Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-? http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html I managed to boot from my USB stick, well I got into DOS. Now I don't know what to do. When I try and change to C:\ it says invalid drive path. If it's just the boot sector of my hard drive which is rubbish, can I boot from a CD or my USB stick and still load windows? Or if my whole hard drive is gone what can I do? I don't know what you have on the Bootable USB stick. :-? Have you typed (Format C: at the dos prompt? Quote I don't know what you have on the Bootable USB stick. :-? Have you typed (Format C: at the dos prompt? I created the USB boot disk from a basic floppy formatted using XP, so just MS-DOS really. Won't Format C: wipe all the stuff off my hard drive? Quote I don't have a floppy drive though. The computer boots from CD first then HDD. But I can press F12 to choose which to boot from and have tried both my HDD and the CD and neither work. Have you been able to try that "bootable" CD in another computer? ... does it boot another computer? The point is to prove that the CD will boot. Right now, I don't think we know for sure that the CD will boot. Quote I can boot from USB I think as well, so I might try that. Wait, when I go to BIOS the only options I have to boot from are: CD/DVD Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082) Did you leave "Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)" enabled? or did you disable it? Quote What about the hard drive? This must mean something's gone wrong with my harddrive. I tend to agree that it is not a good sign that your hard drive is not being detected. Quote Quote Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-? http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html I managed to boot from my USB stick, well I got into DOS. Now I don't know what to do. When I try and change to C:\ it says invalid drive path. If it's just the boot sector of my hard drive which is rubbish, The boot sector is rubbish? What do you mean? Details, please. Somebody is going to come along here and read this thread, that knows more than I do, and the more detail you post, the more likely that they will be able to give you better help. Quote can I boot from a CD or my USB stick and still load windows? Or if my whole hard drive is gone what can I do? If the drive is dead, then you put it in the trash, get a new drive and start all over. But I don't think that is what you desire. I think you want to save the data, if possible. Is that correct? I'm wondering if something has screwed around with the master boot record, but if it was me I'd have to ask here for advice on that. Or I'd have to do some research on it.... I don't have that info off the top of my head. Regarding formatting the C: drive: Yes, formatting a drive will wipe off the data. Technically, there may be ways to get it back, but for every day conversation, consider that when you format a drive, all the old data is gone. In your case, I wouldn't attempt that - yet. I'd wait for somebody to come along that has experience with what you have described so far, and can direct you. That's up to you though. You could try fdisk - just to look! - don't make any changes. If you have fdisk available, and you do decide to run it, post back here what it says. My version of fdisk has a very clear option to display , after you get into it. If you use any of the other options, then you are asking to get rid of all your data. Go into bios and disable PXE. If you don't boot from a network you don't need it. If you can't completely disable it, make sure it is the absolute LAST choice for a boot device. If you connect to the internet through a router or broadband modem, make sure the nic is connected as it initializes EARLY on in the boot process and must be connected to fully initialize.

Answer»

I got home after spending 4 months abroad and turned my notebook on for the first time, everything was fine. When I turned on my external harddrive, it recognised it as normal, but when I tried to explore the drive the notebook froze. I tried CTR+ALT+DEL and everything and it didn't work so I switched it off.

When I turned it back on I noticed the initial boot screen seemed to be taking much longer than usual. It normaly just flashes up for less than a second. It does the memory test then some text flashes below, I think it's the rest of the booting stuff but it's too quick to read, then the screen goes black and it starts the whole thing again. I pressed F2 to enter setup and it took about 30 seconds for it to enter setup which is really slow.

Does anyone know what I can do?

It's American Megatrends BIOS I think

OK, I took a video on my camera so I can pause it and see what is flashing on screen:

It says
Press F2 to enter setup
Press F12 for BBS (I think) POPUP
Initializing USB Controllers ... Done
224MB OK

Then it stops for a bit, then it starts over again.

If I press ESC when it stops on the 224 MB the following flashes up very quickly:

Auto Detecting Sec Master AIAMPI (or something)

Then it says something about a USB mass storage device being found. I don't have anything connected to the computer.

Then the rest dissapears and "Checking NVRAM" appears at the bottom very quickly

Then a new screen comes up with:

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19

Then there is just a blinking cursor underneath.
Have you still got the external HDD connected? Quote

Have you still got the external HDD connected?

No, that's the thing, it definately says 'usb mass storage device found' when the only thing I have connected is the AC adapter. I remember that when the computer froze trying to explore the external HDD I disconnected the USB cable. Could that have buggered something up?Strange, have you tried loading the DEFAULT setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try? Quote

Strange, have you tried loading the default setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try?

Yes I've already done that. I've also tried the boot CD that came with the computer and a different one I made myself and when I use them it just goes to

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19

and stops. Quote

Quote
Strange, have you tried loading the default setting in the BIOS? Might not do anything, but its worth a try?

Yes I've already done that. I've also tried the boot CD that came with the computer and a different one I made myself

Go back into the Bios.
Check the boot order.
In other words, is your computer presently set up to boot from CD first?
I have the feeling that the default settings have it booting from the hard disk
before it looks for the CD.

If something is amiss with the hard disk boot record, maybe then before it gets to look for the CD, it is giving you the error.

Check the boot order carefully, and post back here.

Quote

and when I use them it just goes to

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

SiS900 PXE BootROM v1.09 Hook Int19

and stops.

I'm not a network GUY, but that looks like something to do with networking.
While you are checking the boot order in bios, have a longer - and very careful - look around in there.
Is there anything that looks like your computer could be told to look to a network during boot?
If it was me, and I was sure that I didn't need to ever try to boot from a network, I would disable that. Keep good notes! so you can un-do anything you do.

You might want to wait for some of the gurus to show up here before making any changes in bios though.
While you wait, check the things I MENTIONED very carefully, and post back here what you find.

If you find that your computer is presently set up to boot from CD first, and it is not booting, then you need to try your CD in another computer, to be sure the "bootable" CD is good.

Suppose that the CD is no good for booting.
Then the boot process would 'fall through' to the next option.
Suppose there is something wrong with the boot sector of your HD. Maybe your computer 'falls through' to the next option.
If there is something in your bios about network booting - viola`. You're there.

Another question: Do you have a floppy drive in that computer? ...got a boot floppy that you can try?

I don't have a floppy drive though. The computer boots from CD first then HDD. But I can press F12 to choose which to boot from and have tried both my HDD and the CD and neither work. I can boot from USB I think as well, so I might try that.

Wait, when I go to BIOS the only options I have to boot from are:

CD/DVD
Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)

What about the hard drive? This must mean something's gone wrong with my harddrive.Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-?

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html Quote

Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-?

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html

I managed to boot from my USB stick, well I got into DOS. Now I don't know what to do. When I try and change to C:\ it says invalid drive path.

If it's just the boot sector of my hard drive which is rubbish, can I boot from a CD or my USB stick and still load windows? Or if my whole hard drive is gone what can I do?
I don't know what you have on the Bootable USB stick. :-?

Have you typed (Format C: at the dos prompt? Quote

I don't know what you have on the Bootable USB stick. :-?

Have you typed (Format C: at the dos prompt?

I created the USB boot disk from a basic floppy formatted using XP, so just MS-DOS really.

Won't Format C: wipe all the stuff off my hard drive? Quote

I don't have a floppy drive though. The computer boots from CD first then HDD. But I can press F12 to choose which to boot from and have tried both my HDD and the CD and neither work.

Have you been able to try that "bootable" CD in another computer? ... does it boot another computer?
The point is to prove that the CD will boot.
Right now, I don't think we know for sure that the CD will boot.

Quote

I can boot from USB I think as well, so I might try that.

Wait, when I go to BIOS the only options I have to boot from are:

CD/DVD
Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)

Did you leave "Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)" enabled? or did you disable it?

Quote

What about the hard drive? This must mean something's gone wrong with my harddrive.

I tend to agree that it is not a good sign that your hard drive is not being detected.

Quote

Quote
Have you ever used Ultimate Boot CD? :-?

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_Full_d4981.html

I managed to boot from my USB stick, well I got into DOS. Now I don't know what to do. When I try and change to C:\ it says invalid drive path.

If it's just the boot sector of my hard drive which is rubbish,

The boot sector is rubbish?
What do you mean? Details, please.
Somebody is going to come along here and read this thread, that knows more than I do, and the more detail you post, the more likely that they will be able to give you better help.

Quote

can I boot from a CD or my USB stick and still load windows? Or if my whole hard drive is gone what can I do?

If the drive is dead, then you put it in the trash, get a new drive and start all over. But I don't think that is what you desire. I think you want to save the data, if possible. Is that correct?

I'm wondering if something has screwed around with the master boot record, but if it was me I'd have to ask here for advice on that. Or I'd have to do some research on it.... I don't have that info off the top of my head.

Regarding formatting the C: drive: Yes, formatting a drive will wipe off the data. Technically, there may be ways to get it back, but for every day conversation, consider that when you format a drive, all the old data is gone.

In your case, I wouldn't attempt that - yet.

I'd wait for somebody to come along that has experience with what you have described so far, and can direct you. That's up to you though.

You could try fdisk - just to look! - don't make any changes. If you have fdisk available, and you do decide to run it, post back here what it says.
My version of fdisk has a very clear option to display , after you get into it. If you use any of the other options, then you are asking to get rid of all your data.

Go into bios and disable PXE. If you don't boot from a network you don't need it. If you can't completely disable it, make sure it is the absolute LAST choice for a boot device. If you connect to the internet through a router or broadband modem, make sure the nic is connected as it initializes EARLY on in the boot process and must be connected to fully initialize.

Solve : Notebook won't boot!?

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