POS Notebook won't boot up

[DESWAM]

I am unable to boot up my ASUS Notebook (X55U). The only Boot devices that are detected in the setup utility are:

UEFI: Atheros Boot Agent
UEFI: Atheros Boot Agent
UEFI: HL-DT-DT DVDRAM GT70N

When I try to boot from a recovery disk I get a message that says:

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disk and restart your computer.

2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next."

3. Click "Repair your computer."

Status: 0xc0000185

Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible."

At another time I got a message that narrowed the problem down to "\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD (Status: 0xc000000d; error while attempting to read the boot configuration."

My hard disk is detected under the "Advanced" tab in the Setup Utility under "SATA Configuration," along with my CDROM drive. My hard disk is listed as [AHCI].

When I try to add a boot option I am given the file boot options of ＜ASUSLog＞, ＜BOOT＞, ＜DisableS3S4＞, ＜EFI＞, ＜SOURCES＞, ＜$RECYCLE.BIN＞, all of which turn up nothing that solves the problem.
I am also left with no option to customize my own boot path.

Under my "Boot" tab I have no access to any other Boot Configuration where I did before. No fast boot option, No enable CMS, etc. Launching EFI Shell turns up nothing even when my recovery disk is in the CD drive.

What I have already tried:

• I have removed the battery from the motherboard to reset it. (This only reset the administrator and user passwords.)
• I have searched with no success to locate a reset pinhole.
• I have removed the battery and booted; I have removed the AC cord and booted.
• I have attempted to repair with both the Windows installation DVD and also a recovery disk, but the computer freezes on the Windows logo.
• I have tried another hard disk which was also detected under SATA but did not show up as a boot option.

I just purchased this laptop in March of this year. Unfortunately, my husband lost the invoice, which effectively voids my warranty even though I registered my damn product online upon purchase. Within the first month I have already had to replace the hard disk at my own expense after it buggered up when I disconnected my laptop from a HDMI cable. After three straight days of working in vain to recover it I am seriously fighting the urge to chuck the thing out a window (resolve growing weaker by each maddening minute). .

Any suggestions as to how I might be able to resolve this issue would be much appreciated...and possibly even prevent a future breakdown.

 

[Reckless]

Hi Deswan,

Welcome to TF.

This error: 0xc0000185
This means it is having a problem either reading the DVD or accessing the DVD Drive. It could be a scratch in the DVD that is causing this or the DVD drive may be going.

This error: 0xc000000d
This means it cannot boot properly. Most likely way to fix this is to repair the MBR.

I am going to break this down in a trial section for you.

The first thing I want you to do is to try and repair the Master Boot Record. Follow these steps.

Fixing the Master Boot Record (MBR)

Step one: Turn your computer on, booting from either your Windows 7 Installation DVD or Windows 7 System Recovery Disc. Remember, you may need to change the boot order inside your BIOS to have the your DVD drive boot first.

Step two: After the installation or recovery disc loads, if prompted, select your language settings and then continue. If you are using the installation DVD, when prompted by the following screen select Repair your computer.

Step three: The computer will take a moment now to scan itself for any Windows installations, after which you will likely be given a choice to select which installation you wish to repair. Select the appropriate Windows installation from the list and then continue. If by chance a problem is detected in one of your Windows installations at this initial stage, the system may also ask you if it can try to repair the problem automatically. It is up to you if you wish to let the system try to repair itself, but otherwise just select No.
Step four: Once you have reached the System Recovery Options screen, as shown below, you will be faced with a list of choices that can aid you in repairing a damaged Windows 7 operating system. If you wish to try the Startup Repair option first, it is often successful in automatically fixing many different start up issues, but in this article we will be using the Command Prompt option to resolve our problems manually. So, click Command Prompt to continue.

Step five: Now sitting at the command prompt, enter the following command and then press enter:

bootrec.exe /FixMbr

If successful, you should be greeted with the message The operation completed successfully. Wait you are not done.

You also want to enter:

bootrec.exe /FixBoot



If repairing the MBR failed you can try a different installation disk of windows. Digital River Content offers 30 day trial versions to which you can enter your own key after.
You want to make sure you download the version corresponding to the key you have on the bottom of your laptop.
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads


OMG INFO OVERLOAD RIGHT?
If all that doesn't work, You might need a new dvd drive.

 

[DESWAM]

Hi Deswan,

Welcome to TF.

This error: 0xc0000185
This means it is having a problem either reading the DVD or accessing the DVD Drive. It could be a scratch in the DVD that is causing this or the DVD drive may be going.

This error: 0xc000000d
This means it cannot boot properly. Most likely way to fix this is to repair the MBR.

I am going to break this down in a trial section for you.

The first thing I want you to do is to try and repair the Master Boot Record. Follow these steps.

Fixing the Master Boot Record (MBR)

Step one: Turn your computer on, booting from either your Windows 7 Installation DVD or Windows 7 System Recovery Disc. Remember, you may need to change the boot order inside your BIOS to have the your DVD drive boot first.

Step two: After the installation or recovery disc loads, if prompted, select your language settings and then continue. If you are using the installation DVD, when prompted by the following screen select Repair your computer.

Step three: The computer will take a moment now to scan itself for any Windows installations, after which you will likely be given a choice to select which installation you wish to repair. Select the appropriate Windows installation from the list and then continue. If by chance a problem is detected in one of your Windows installations at this initial stage, the system may also ask you if it can try to repair the problem automatically. It is up to you if you wish to let the system try to repair itself, but otherwise just select No.
Step four: Once you have reached the System Recovery Options screen, as shown below, you will be faced with a list of choices that can aid you in repairing a damaged Windows 7 operating system. If you wish to try the Startup Repair option first, it is often successful in automatically fixing many different start up issues, but in this article we will be using the Command Prompt option to resolve our problems manually. So, click Command Prompt to continue.

Step five: Now sitting at the command prompt, enter the following command and then press enter:

bootrec.exe /FixMbr

If successful, you should be greeted with the message The operation completed successfully. Wait you are not done.

You also want to enter:

bootrec.exe /FixBoot



If repairing the MBR failed you can try a different installation disk of windows. Digital River Content offers 30 day trial versions to which you can enter your own key after.
You want to make sure you download the version corresponding to the key you have on the bottom of your laptop.
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads


OMG INFO OVERLOAD RIGHT?
If all that doesn't work, You might need a new dvd drive.

Thanks for the help.
The installation disk loads but then stalls out at the Windows logo and fails to reach the language setting prompting. The recovery disk won't boot. I purchased a fresh install through NeoSmart and also downloaded the Digital Media ISO, burnt the images to DVDs using an ISO image burner, and she still fails to boot. I retried it with three separately burned DVDs for good measure, but one landed me the 0xc000000d error message and the other went idle upon the startup logo again. (My husband may or may not have had to scrape my eyes from off of the screen after two or three hours of me exerting every last ounce of my energy into moving her along with my sheer determination powers.)

I am thinking I may need to find a USB bootable device and give that a go?

On another note, in a twisted turn of fate I did finally find the receipt...But of course I find it well over a month after paying $150 for an unauthorized personnel to replace my hard disk and very likely void my warranty.

 

[Reckless]

It is the dvd drive that is gone.

Bring it back and play stupid. If they don't mention it then good. If they do say it mever broke and nothing was replaced.

 

[carnageX]

Microsoft US Online Store
Use that to put the ISO on a flash drive.
Boot off of the flash drive, fix your bootloader like Reckless suggested.
Should be able to boot then.

 

[Reckless]

Well f the disc loaded properly I would say it is the MBR but the disc won't load.

 

[carnageX]

Well f the disc loaded properly I would say it is the MBR but the disc won't load.

Sounds to me like a combination of both since the OP can't even boot off of the HDD, which would be unaffected by a bad disc drive.

This is why I suggested using the USB tool to boot off of that.

 

[DESWAM]

Hi again. Thank you both for all the help. Unfortunately booting from a USB flash drive didn't work either. I contacted ASUS support and this is the message I got back:

>>Load BIOS default as follows for a try. Please turn on the laptop. Press F2 as soon as you see ASUS logo to enter BIOS. Then press F9 to load BIOS default. Then save and exit and then reboot the laptop.
The BIOS flash procedure is now complete. "

Um. Duh?


>>"If you still don't see the launch CSM or fast boot in bios, please download and update BIOS for a try. Please make sure of the power supply during the process, and you can't revert back to older version of BIOS, thank you for understanding!
Here is the lastest BIOS version. BIOS 422. Update BIOS, then reload BIOS default.

If still, there may be something wrong with your bios chip, please send your laptop in for a warranty repair, our engineer will help you fix this problem."

Well, this didn't work either so here's to hoping they cover it under warranty. The store I bought it from has also said it might be covered under their accidental warranty if ASUS refuses to cover it. Hopefully it won't be a problem that I took it in for repairs.

 

[Reckless]

That works even better for ya. Good luck on that.