PC Won't Boot

Eichhörnchen · 11-20-18, 02:38 PM

My tower pc is giving me the "Reboot and select proper boot device" message. I know that, failing a serious HD coronary, it's a case of restoring the path to the HD, but I can't find the list of boot options in my boot menu/BIOS screens

My question isn't what to do next (it's going to the shop) but: as I haven't been starting it up with a disc in the tray, or a USB device plugged in, could this problem have been caused by booting up with the CD tray open? I've done this a number of times lately and I can't see why it would affect startup.... but it's the only thing I've been doing 'wrong'

11-20-18, 02:50 PM

Take the PC for about a minute from the power grid and restart it.

Cyborg322 · 11-20-18, 02:58 PM

I have had the similar issue in my instance my PC kept defaulting to the wrong drive. The Drive to my OS was missing in the Bios. Its often caused by power surges/outages or incorrect power downs. The DVD tray being open should not matter. It should almost certainly be in the bois but may not be obvious. What make is your Motherboard ? Its not necessarily a big deal to fix I'd put taking it to a shop on hold till you try a few things

Eichhörnchen · 11-20-18, 04:35 PM

Thanks, I tried it again today but same result.

I can't find my OS shown anywhere in the BIOS... the only option shown is DVD and I've looked at just about everything. I got the thing second-hand reconditioned and have no idea about the motherboard. I do remember seeing the acronym "SATA" appear somewhere in the boot menu... maybe there should be a 'N' on the end of that

.

Anyway, my pc guy charges very little for quick jobs (if that's what it is)

Eichhörnchen · 11-20-18, 05:22 PM

These are my only choices (i.e. no choices)... 'boot option #1' seems to be the only option

Reece · 11-20-18, 07:37 PM

The bios either can't see the drive in which case there is a problem with the drive, or the bios is corrupt.
Check the cables to the drive, could be a power supply problem to the drive or SATA cable is not making a good connection.
You might also replace the motherboard bios battery if there is one.

vienna · 11-20-18, 08:26 PM

Reece's suggestions are sound: I can't tell you how many times, over the decades, I been called in to check out a failed boot drive only to find it was just a case of a loose connection or, perhaps, 'dirty contacts'; just remove the cable(s), give the connections on the drive a bit of a blast of air, hook'em up and see if that fixes it; you might also want to try swapping out the cable(s) for cable(s) known to be sound; cable failures rarely happen, but it would hurt to check...

<O>

Eichhörnchen · 11-21-18, 01:43 AM

Thanks, guys. All I did so far was wiggle and push the power cable to make sure it's in. I know that sometimes even just a build up of static can cause a problem so I'll go back and check it properly

Catfish · 11-21-18, 09:01 AM

The loose connection may be within the case, of course, not the external power cable.. but i guess you know that.

Other than that i hope the drive is not defect..

Eichhörnchen · 11-21-18, 01:25 PM

I won't be tinkering inside there, so the only cable I can fiddle about with is the big black one. I'll take it along to the shop and keep my fingers crossed

Catfish · 11-22-18, 04:23 AM

It is also good advice to clean the inside of the housing now and then, with a vacuum cleaner. Sometimes unbelievable what can be found there.. dust and textile fibres may clog the cooling stream, deposit on the cooling fan, in the cooling fins, along with contact problems.. almost geological strata can be found. Some professor recently claimed he found the remains of a roman village, in his tower pc.

Commander Wallace · 11-22-18, 09:16 AM

Hello E.

I just read about the issues you are having. Since you tried everything that Reece, Vienna, Bleiente and Cyborg322 have mentioned, try this.

To fix the missing boot options :
-Disable Fastboot
-Enable Launch CSM
Go to Security tab and disable Safe boot.
Grab a

Windows disk and put it in, If you have it.
Restart the computer and hold in ESC.
You will come up to a Blue box and from there you just choose your Windows Disc.

If this doesn't work and if you have the recovery disc or made one, insert it. The computer should compare your system and the recovery disc and migrate missing files from the recovery disc to your computer. This should replace and missing files, if there are any and repair it.

If not, the previous steps should restore the boot order to your HDD.

If the HDD suffered any trauma like dropping it or the computer case fell, The stylus in the HDD may have crashed into the disc and at that point, the HDD is toast. SSD's don't have this issue.

Good Luck E.

Eichhörnchen · 11-22-18, 05:51 PM

Thanks, mate... but I have neither a Windows disc nor recovery media... I'll take it along to the man next week and hope for the best

Monderbeauty · 08-21-19, 02:12 AM

It is best to make a new computer bootable disk for your computer,my computer used to fail to boot,then i created a bootable disk with an USB,and on the BIOS menu,set USB as the first boot device,eveything went well.

Aktungbby · 08-21-19, 02:19 AM

Monderbeauty!

11-20-18, 02:58 PM	#3
Cyborg322 Scurvy Dog of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Manchester England Posts: 1,124 Downloads: 390 Uploads: 0	I have had the similar issue in my instance my PC kept defaulting to the wrong drive. The Drive to my OS was missing in the Bios. Its often caused by power surges/outages or incorrect power downs. The DVD tray being open should not matter. It should almost certainly be in the bois but may not be obvious. What make is your Motherboard ? Its not necessarily a big deal to fix I'd put taking it to a shop on hold till you try a few things __________________ Last edited by Cyborg322; 11-20-18 at 03:07 PM.

11-20-18, 04:35 PM	#4
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Thanks, I tried it again today but same result. I can't find my OS shown anywhere in the BIOS... the only option shown is DVD and I've looked at just about everything. I got the thing second-hand reconditioned and have no idea about the motherboard. I do remember seeing the acronym "SATA" appear somewhere in the boot menu... maybe there should be a 'N' on the end of that . Anyway, my pc guy charges very little for quick jobs (if that's what it is) __________________

11-20-18, 05:22 PM	#5
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	These are my only choices (i.e. no choices)... 'boot option #1' seems to be the only option __________________

11-20-18, 07:37 PM	#6
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 33,684 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	The bios either can't see the drive in which case there is a problem with the drive, or the bios is corrupt. Check the cables to the drive, could be a power supply problem to the drive or SATA cable is not making a good connection. You might also replace the motherboard bios battery if there is one. __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

11-20-18, 08:26 PM	#7
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,578 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Reece's suggestions are sound: I can't tell you how many times, over the decades, I been called in to check out a failed boot drive only to find it was just a case of a loose connection or, perhaps, 'dirty contacts'; just remove the cable(s), give the connections on the drive a bit of a blast of air, hook'em up and see if that fixes it; you might also want to try swapping out the cable(s) for cable(s) known to be sound; cable failures rarely happen, but it would hurt to check... <O> __________________ __________________________________________________ __

11-20-18, 02:38 PM	#1
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	PC Won't Boot My tower pc is giving me the "Reboot and select proper boot device" message. I know that, failing a serious HD coronary, it's a case of restoring the path to the HD, but I can't find the list of boot options in my boot menu/BIOS screens My question isn't what to do next (it's going to the shop) but: as I haven't been starting it up with a disc in the tray, or a USB device plugged in, could this problem have been caused by booting up with the CD tray open? I've done this a number of times lately and I can't see why it would affect startup.... but it's the only thing I've been doing 'wrong' __________________

11-20-18, 02:50 PM	#2
Bleiente Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Take the PC for about a minute from the power grid and restart it.

11-21-18, 01:43 AM	#8
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Thanks, guys. All I did so far was wiggle and push the power cable to make sure it's in. I know that sometimes even just a build up of static can cause a problem so I'll go back and check it properly __________________

11-21-18, 09:01 AM	#9
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,032 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	The loose connection may be within the case, of course, not the external power cable.. but i guess you know that. Other than that i hope the drive is not defect.. __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.

11-21-18, 01:25 PM	#10
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I won't be tinkering inside there, so the only cable I can fiddle about with is the big black one. I'll take it along to the shop and keep my fingers crossed __________________

11-22-18, 04:23 AM	#11
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,032 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	It is also good advice to clean the inside of the housing now and then, with a vacuum cleaner. Sometimes unbelievable what can be found there.. dust and textile fibres may clog the cooling stream, deposit on the cooling fan, in the cooling fins, along with contact problems.. almost geological strata can be found. Some professor recently claimed he found the remains of a roman village, in his tower pc. __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.

11-22-18, 09:16 AM	#12
Commander Wallace Silent Hunter Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Under the sea in an Octupus garden in the shade Posts: 4,990 Downloads: 360 Uploads: 0	Hello E. I just read about the issues you are having. Since you tried everything that Reece, Vienna, Bleiente and Cyborg322 have mentioned, try this. To fix the missing boot options : -Disable Fastboot -Enable Launch CSM Go to Security tab and disable Safe boot. Grab a Windows disk and put it in, If you have it. Restart the computer and hold in ESC. You will come up to a Blue box and from there you just choose your Windows Disc. If this doesn't work and if you have the recovery disc or made one, insert it. The computer should compare your system and the recovery disc and migrate missing files from the recovery disc to your computer. This should replace and missing files, if there are any and repair it. If not, the previous steps should restore the boot order to your HDD. If the HDD suffered any trauma like dropping it or the computer case fell, The stylus in the HDD may have crashed into the disc and at that point, the HDD is toast. SSD's don't have this issue. Good Luck E.

11-22-18, 05:51 PM	#13
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,966 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Thanks, mate... but I have neither a Windows disc nor recovery media... I'll take it along to the man next week and hope for the best __________________

08-21-19, 02:12 AM	#14
Monderbeauty Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 5 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	It is best to make a new computer bootable disk for your computer,my computer used to fail to boot,then i created a bootable disk with an USB,and on the BIOS menu,set USB as the first boot device,eveything went well.

08-21-19, 02:19 AM	#15
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 28,786 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! Monderbeauty! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"