The pc wouldn't boot up this am. I hear a clicking, I think it's the internal hd. No, an external WD hd for backups. I disconnect, no go. At some point I get a blocky script message saying "reboot and select proper boot device".

I can't. Try to enter safe mode or BIOS, nope. Win10, Dell pc, f2 for BIOS. On startup, I get a black screen with a blue Windows logo in the middle, eventually ending at an orange screen with multiple white vertical lines, the end.

I've tried booting with Win10 recovery USB thumb drive, no. YouTubes talk about using the power button on and off three times to kick in an option mode. I must be doing something wrong there, no help.

I can't get back to that "select proper boot drive" not sure what to do if I stumble across it again. I want to believe it's a simple fix but I can't get there. I have no idea how the boot order got messed up unless the bad external drive boogered things up.

HELP!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ripley,

I can't really add anything, but if you're getting to the Windows logo I would think your motherboard is working and you're making it past BIOS. Are you sure it's F2 for BIOS on that computer?

Yes, f2 on Dell. It just seems to be boot order but I can't get to where I assign that. It does look like the OSD is caused by an externsl hardware problem.

F12 should get you to the boot menu, if you think it's not getting to the proper boot device.

quote:

At some point I get a blocky script message saying "reboot and select proper boot device".

RIP ... your hard drive .

Just went through this with my son's computer. Hard drive failure.

You have to spam the F2 key from the moment you turn on the computer to get into the BIOS. If you see anything related to Windows, you missed it.

This is from the manual for my Dell 3070:

"Press <F12> when the Dell logo appears to initiate a one-time boot menu with a list of the valid boot devices for the system. Diagnostics and BIOS Setup options are also included in this menu. The devices listed on the boot menu depend on the bootable devices in the system. This menu is useful when you are attempting to boot to a particular device or to bring up the diagnostics for the system. Using the boot menu does not make any changes to the boot order stored in the BIOS."

Looking very much screwed. Disconnecting internal hd, bootup gives me access to BIOS, boot order was correct. I also seemed to have the safe mode option screens I've been seeing. I chose to repair pc, kinda not making sense with the internal drive not connected. I enabled that, saw the Windows logo and the spinning dots underneath showing something happening with the USB.

This went on for quite a while, that much info on the USB recovery drive? I got impatient, thinking I could repeat the process with the internal drive reconnected, so I just did a cold shut down.

Now the USB fires up to an error screen and nothing works. Maybe I corrupted the drive, I dunno. If I need a fresh Win10 recovery USB, no idea how that's happening. At it since 6:30 am, I quit.

Shit.

There are free downloadable versions of Linux that can be installed to a thumb drive and will boot you to a running OS that will allow you to do diagnostics on the drive or whatever. This can at least confirm that there is nothing else wrong with the computer. This one looks like a likely candidate, and another.

Your symptoms actually sound to me like a malfunctioning video card, perhaps one that gets overheated shortly post-boot due to on-card fan failure.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
There are free downloadable versions of Linux that can be installed to a thumb drive and will boot you to a running OS that will allow you to do diagnostics on the drive or whatever. This can at least confirm that there is nothing else wrong with the computer. Your symptoms actually sound to me like a malfunctioning video card, perhaps one that gets overheated shortly post-boot due to on-card fan failure.

Well, as the OSD info I see says hardware problem, maybe, but the external drive is clearly messed up, clinking more than clicking, I have to lean toward that as the source culprit.

Don't write off the hard drive just yet. Many time's a suspected failed hard drive ended up just being a corrupted MBR (master boot record). If you can get it to boot from the windows install USB stick, get into the recovery console and use the "fixmbr" command to repair it. I'd go on explaining how to use it, but it's easier to just have you google "Windows 10 fixmbr"

quote:

Originally posted by dkjbama:
Don't write off the hard drive just yet. Many time's a suspected failed hard drive ended up just being a corrupted MBR (master boot record). If you can get it to boot from the windows install USB stick, get into the recovery console and use the "fixmbr" command to repair it. I'd go on explaining how to use it, but it's easier to just have you google "Windows 10 fixmbr"

You can't fix the mbr if the drive is not recognizable.
The drive should be mounting in a good machine and use software diagnostics to determine if it is only an boot record issue of a hardware failure.
You will find out fast.

I need the recovery disc to initiate any bootup, that gives me tools to work with at least.
I have to think I corrupted that USB stick with the cold shutdown, it just goes to error. Before the shut down, things were proceeding right along with data and info entry through the initial pages.

I downloaded a Win10 recovery ISO file to my tablet on micro USB. I can't get a clean file without extraneous Android crap that makes it worthless. I need to copy a clean file to a formatted USB or SD stick but have no way to do that. The local library is closed, city hall won't help, local businesses nope. The library opens Monday, guess I'll wait rather than assume I need a new pc. I'm pretty sure this is fixable.

This kind of headache was all too common back in the day, I'm out of touch with such problems and in no mood for it.

Up and running, diagnostics seem to show the HD is ok. Veeam backup a piece of cake.

Getting a fresh Win 10 recovery USB stick was not easy. I downloaded the ISO onto my tablet but couldn't transfer it to a USB.

All props to Best Buy. Kinda.
I went to their Geek Squad desk yesterday with my tablet and USB stick. He couldn't help, they didn't have a way to transfer or so he said.

I said there are desktops on the floor, any way I could use one of those. Well, he couldn't say for sure and could not sanction me doing that. Reading his tone, I could try.

I found a running desktop and set about to C&Ping from the tablet to USB. No employees came by, even the customers seemed to shun our aisle, social distancing? Once finished, all I could verify was the USB file was the right size, 4.9 GB, I hoped it was ok.

On the way out I caught the Geek Squad kid's eye -- a lot more waiting in line now. I gave him a big thumbs up and smile, he quickly averted his gaze but I saw a wry smile.

I'm calling this a caper, the rest is history.

I’m sure that’s a big relief. Congrats o the recovery.

Nice!

Dell is a four letter word.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Dell is a four letter word.

Hey, .38SS, I'm sorry to drag this thread back up. But my experience has been that when someone has feelings this strong about a specific product there is usually a good story behind it. I'd be very interested in hearing yours.

I've had really good experience with Dell and recommend it when people ask me about Windows computers. But I realize that not everyone shares the same experiences so I'd be very interested to hear yours.

Have you found the cause of this headache?
Do you have a clue how to prevent it from happening again?

Have you checked what version of W10 you currently run and if you might have choked on current ver. 2004 may 2020 release?

Apologies for so many Qs.

0-0

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Have you found the cause of this headache?
Do you have a clue how to prevent it from happening again?

Have you checked what version of W10 you currently run and if you might have choked on current ver. 2004 may 2020 release?

Apologies for so many Qs.



0-0

Maybe I guess. The one external HD was clicking of death the morning that the PC wouldn't boot up. When the HD was removed, the PC still wouldn't boot up, the rare orange screen of death popped up (OSD seems to be a hardware related fail, more commonly video card related as I understand). I boogered up my recovery Win10 ISO thumb drive, comedy gold ensued.

With a fresh recovery USB, I rolled the dice and plugged in my two back up HDs, one with Windows back up, one with Veeam. The Veeam is on the bad HD but it wasn't clicking and I let it play out. I had the option to restore from the Windows or the Veeam HD. I went with the Veeam, fast and flawless.

I'll get a new external HD for Veeam, the bad one remains unhooked up. Things have worked fine since.

"..you might have choked on current ver. 2004 may 2020 release" I have no idea.