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Windows 8.1 Recovery

Jan 31, 2014 2:27AM PST

My Asus n53sv has windows 8.1 installed. Originally came with windows 7. Took advantage of the $40 upgrade to windows 8, and i downloaded 8.1 from the windows store. On Wednedsay 1/29 I was playing a game and my PC froze. I cold booted the machine, waited through recovery process except it wouldn't fully boot up. Did another cold boot and then the laptop would boot but not all the way. Now I'm only able to boot in safe mode. I cannot refresh my laptop from my windows 8 install discs. I thought maybe I could boot from an 8.1 iso file on a flash drive but I can't seem to find one. I'm finding a bunch for enterprise version of windows 8.1 but I'm not sure if that'll work. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to not reformat but at this point I don't mind. Not sure if I can do that either.

Discussion is locked

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So can you attempt to boot normally?
Jan 31, 2014 4:40AM PST
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Can't boot normally
Jan 31, 2014 4:48AM PST

I attempt to boot normally, but the screen is all black. I can see the mouse move around on the screen with no issue. But the entire screen is black except for that and a glitching wireless network signal icon that flashes in and out of the black screen, towards the lower left corner of the screen, when usually its on the lower right corner of the screen.

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(NT) Up next. System Restore to when it worked.
Jan 31, 2014 4:50AM PST
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Tried it
Jan 31, 2014 4:53AM PST

I tried that too, system restore went all the way through and when it was complete and normal booting it took me back to the same black screen. I'm sorry I'll list more of what else I tried. Removed graphics card drives and tried to boot but still didn't work. I think that's about it.

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That's the sign post just ahead. Clean Boot. link follows.
Jan 31, 2014 5:42AM PST
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Clean boot didn't work
Feb 2, 2014 1:47AM PST

Followed these instructions, thanks again for your help so far in fixing this issue. I'm trying to now just reformat my PC. I'm not too sure how to without recovery disks, and only being able to get into safe mode. I can get into the BIOS too now.

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A maze and no map. What to do?
Feb 2, 2014 1:52AM PST

I think you'll have to repeat how you got to 8.1. That is, reinstall the Windows 7 that came with the PC. If you did not make recovery media you would order those.

After that your 8.1 upgrade should still be available from MSFT using the information you kept from that purchase.
Bob

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I wish there were more clues.
Feb 2, 2014 2:00AM PST

If you had come out and wrote you updated drivers or other clues I'd have more ideas. But the CLEAN BOOT failure has me thinking drivers or BIOS.

THE REALLY SCARY FIND IS AT http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/N53SV/#support

I see no Windows 8 listed for drivers. However I do see a BIOS version 215 which is worth seeing if yours is current. Windows 8 can reveal BIOS issues.

As I don't see Windows 8 supported (I could be wrong) I'd restore to 7 and stay there.
Bob