Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Computer won't boot

Mar 2, 2014 9:21PM PST

ASUS CM1730 with WIN 7 Home Premium. Plain vanilla. Bought 1 1/2 years ago.

Came home from long vacation and when I tried to fire up the computer I was met with an error screen that disappeared before I could read it. Tried to reboot, but about five seconds into reboot the boot sequence stops. The only recent down load was a large Windows update a few days before I left. A visual check of the mobo looks normal with no bulging caps or other obvious problems. Other peripherels attached to same surge protector are operating normally.

What should I do next to identify and hopefully correct problem?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
re: no boot
Mar 2, 2014 9:27PM PST

- What is the last thing shown on the screen when it stops after about 5 seconds?
- Can you go into the BIOS setup and does that work normally?
- Anything strange if you boot from your Windows disk and do a startup repair (won't harm if nothing is wrong)
- Anything strange if you boot from a Linux disk and start working with it (especially: nothing wrong if you look at the contents of your hard disk)?

Kees

- Collapse -
No boot
Mar 2, 2014 10:24PM PST

The screen does not come on. Yellow monitor light stays on. If I shut monitor off then on the monitor green light comes on so not monitor problem. CPU fan also comes on and stays on until I shut computer off so power is on.

Do not have windows disk or Linux disk.

How do I get into BIOS when I really don't get far enough into the boot cycle?

Jeff

- Collapse -
Re: no boot
Mar 2, 2014 10:37PM PST

- A Windows disk is free to download from digitalriver (see http://www.pcworld.com/article/248995/how_to_install_windows_7_without_the_disc.html for example) and if you didn't make the recommended system repair disk (why didn't you, it's very useful in cases like this that can be downloaded also.
-A Linux disk is free to download also.
-Pressing that key to go into the BIOS setup should certainly happen in the first part of that first 5 seconds. Did you try?

Even the Asus recovery disks (you did make those, didn't you?) would be fine to boot from, You need them anyway if it happens to be just a Windows issue in stead of the (more likely) hardware issue.

If you feel you can't do this kind of diagnosis yourself, for lack of disks or experience, you maybe better find a repair shop to do it.

Best of luck.

Kees

- Collapse -
Into BIOS
Mar 4, 2014 2:15AM PST

Took some doing but I am now in the BIOS. Unfortunately I cannot find my recovery disk, but can I begin to find and correct my problem from where I am now? If so, how?

- Collapse -
You'd be better off
Mar 4, 2014 2:22AM PST

having a friend burn you a Live cd to check the hardware. Sounds like HDD failure since you can boot into BIOS

Digger

- Collapse -
Go to any Windows 7 PC to make repair disc
Mar 4, 2014 2:55AM PST

Go to any PC running Windows 7 either 32 or 64 bit version matching yours and make a repair CD. Click Start -> Control Panel -> Backup & Restore -> Create repair disc. Insert a blank CD-R and it'll make it. Then try booting from it on your problem computer. Likewise you can download a Linux Ubuntu or Mint ISO file and burn it to a disc.
`
Good luck.

- Collapse -
Re: in bios
Mar 4, 2014 2:58AM PST

So your next step is to boot from a Windows 7 system repair disk. Download one from digitalriver if you can't find the one you made yourself.

Kees

- Collapse -
Huh! Now what.
Mar 4, 2014 4:00AM PST

I exited BIOS, clicked on Normal Start, and to my surprise the system booted up. I immediately went into Create A System Repair Disk, but when I tried to burn the disk I got "System Repair Disk Could Not Be Created, Unspecified error (0x80004005)"

I also tried to follow the directions of wpgwpg on another computer, but after Backup & Restore I did not get a screen choice of Create Repair Disk.

- Collapse -
Ignore
Mar 4, 2014 4:14AM PST

last message. My bad. I was trying to write to the wrong disk drive. Repair disk has been made.

Still not sure what happened or why. Any ideas? Real test comes when I shut down and try to restart. Backing everything up first. I learned my lesson. Thanks guys.