no bootable device, Acer Predator Windows 10

[quantizedself]

Last week I got a no bootable device error after my computer completely froze up forcing me to restart. This had happened a handful of times in recent months, but it always booted up after a couple restarts. This time it didn't. Here's what I've done:

• Reset the battery, and re-seated the SSD
• Checked bios for correct date, and switched from UEFI to Legacy then back again
  
  Used Windows installation media to:
• diagnose a problem (none found)
• Recover to a restore point. One was found and the process was successful. Still no boot.
• restore to a previous version and load from an image, but neither were found
• Fresh install of Windows. The media found my SSD, identified the partitions, and successfully installed. I did this twice, so now I have three versions of windows on the SSD. Still no boot.
• Installed Windows on my HDD (normally for storage). Installation was successful. Still no boot.
  
  Then I tried:
• Taking out the SSD and only booting from HDD. No boot error. Tried installing windows again on it, but got an error saying it could not find or create a partition (even though it had already successfully installed, i thought)
• Taking out the HDD and only booting with the SSD.
  
  Then I used the command prompt (following instructions on a website):
• to check and fix the MBR
• rebuild the MBR
• perform a scandisk to identify and fix errors. This process took hours, and at the end got an error that said it could not complete for fix the issues
  
  
• Finally I made a bootable media with the AOMEI Partition Assistant program on it, and followed the instructions to rebuild the MBR from scratch. This took the program several hours to do. However, still no bootable device error.

I am completely out of ideas and at a loss. This is infinitely frustrating. Is there anything else I could do? What could the issue be? I need to avoid reformatting the SSD except for absolute last resort. This is my work/school computer as well as my gaming computer, and I haven't backed up my data. Any advice or support is greatly appreciated.

 

[veeg]

Hello

Hopefully some of our members will chime in soon..

@Bruce

 

[phillpower2]

This is my work/school computer as well as my gaming computer, and I haven't backed up my data. Any advice or support is greatly appreciated.

Get yourself an external USB HDD then boot from a Linux distro to see if you are able to access your data and back it up to the external HDD.

 

[quantizedself]

Get yourself an external USB HDD then boot from a Linux distro to see if you are able to access your data and back it up to the external HDD.

I have Ubuntu bootable media, and so I tried to access my SSD through that by "trying without install". The weird thing is that I could access some folders but others I couldn't. For example, I have a lot of my data just in folders on my desktop. So when I went to the desktop location in the file explorer there was only this file "desktop.ini" which was not able to be opened by Ubuntu. I searched everywhere and could not find the data that I had put on my desktop.

 

[phillpower2]

Can I ask that you do not quote every reply as I have to read the full post to make sure nothing gets missed,, thanks.

I use Puppy Linux for data recovery which is basically the same and that cannot open desktop.ini either and it is because the file is hidden, as in stored somewhere else, its pretty much the same as a desktop shortcut.

I will put the Puppy Linux info below - the disabling secure boot stuff as you appear to know what you are doing;


===================

***Required Hardware***

CD Burner (CDRW) Drive,

Blank CD,

Extra Storage Device (USB Flash Drive, External Hard Drive)

===================



1. Save these files to your Desktop/Burn Your Live CD:

• Download Latest Puppy Linux ISO (i.e.: lupu-528.iso)
  
  Download BurnCDCC ISO Burning Software
  
  
  
  There are instructions on how to boot from flash drive with puppy here; http://www.pendrivelinux.com/put-lucid-puppy-on-usb-flash-drive-from-windows/
  
  
  
  • Open BurnCDCC with Windows Explorer
    
  • Extract All files to a location you can remember
    
  • Double Click
    
    BurnCDCC
    
  • Click Browse
    
    and navigate to the Puppy Linux ISO file you just downloaded
    
  • Open/Double Click that file
    
    IMPORTANT: Adjust the speed bar to CD: 4x DVD: 1x
    
  • Click Start
    
    
    
  • Your CD Burner Tray will open automatically
    
  • Insert a blank CD and close the tray
    
  • Click OK
    
  Puppy Linux Live CD will now be created
  

2. Set your boot priority in the BIOS to CD-ROM first, Hard Drive Second

• • Start the computer/press the power button
    
  • Immediately start tapping the appropriate key to enter the BIOS, aka "Setup"
    
    (Usually shown during the "Dell" screen, or "Gateway" Screen)
    
  • Once in the BIOS, under Advanced BIOS Options change boot priority to:
    
    CD-ROM 1st, Hard Drive 2nd
    
  • Open your ROM drive and insert the disk
    
  • Press F10 to save and exit
    
  • Agree with "Y" to continue
    
  • Your computer will restart and boot from the Puppy Linux Live CD
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

3. Recover Your Data

• Once Puppy Linux has loaded, it is actually running in your computer's Memory (RAM). You will see a fully functioning Graphical User Interface similar to what you normally call "your computer". Internet access may or may not be available depending on your machine, so it is recommended you print these instructions before beginning. Also, double clicking is not needed in Puppy. To expand, or open folders/icons, just click once. Puppy is very light on resources, so you will quickly notice it is much speedier than you are used to. This is normal. Ready? Let's get started.
  
  
  
  3a. Mount Drives
  • Click the Mount Icon located at the top left of your desktop.
    
    
    
  • A Window will open. By default, the "drive" tab will be forward/highlighted. Click on Mount for your hard drive.
    
  • Assuming you only have one hard drive and/or partition, there may be only one selection to mount.
    
  • USB Flash Drives usually automatically mount upon boot, but click the "usbdrv" tab and make sure it is mounted.
    
  • If using an external hard drive for the data recovery, do this under the "drive" tab. Mount it now.
    
  
  3b. Transfer Files.
  • At the bottom left of your desktop a list of all hard drives/partitions, USB Drives, and Optical Drives are listed with a familiar looking hard drive icon.
    
  • Open your old hard drive i.e. sda1
    
  • Next, open your USB Flash Drive or External Drive. i.e. sdc or sdb1
    
  • If you open the wrong drive, simply X out at the top right corner of the window that opens. (Just like in Windows)
    
  • From your old hard drive, drag and drop whatever files/folders you wish to transfer to your USB Drive's Window.
    
  
  For The Novice: The common path to your pictures, music, video, and documents folders for XP is: Documents and Settings >> All Users (or each individual name of each user, for Vista and above C:\Users\$USERNAME\[...]. CHECK All Names!) >> Documents >> You will now see My Music, My Pictures, and My Videos.
  
  
  
  Remember to only click once! No double clicking! Once you drag and drop your first folder, you will notice a small menu will appear giving you the option to move or copy. Choose COPY each time you drag and drop.
  
  
  
  YOU ARE DONE!!! Simply click Menu >> Mouse Over Shutdown >> Reboot/Turn Off Computer. Be sure to plug your USB Drive into another working windows machine to verify all data is there and transferred without corruption. Congratulations!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[Rustys]

The desktop.ini file is a hidden file used to store information about the arrangement of a Windows folder.

Is there more than on user on that computer?

 

[Bruce]

and make sure you are showing all files, system and hidden, with the Linux distro.
also check you are in your user profile from the Window system when in Ubuntu, that is, \users\your name\desktop

 

[quantizedself]

The desktop.ini file is a hidden file used to store information about the arrangement of a Windows folder.

Is there more than on user on that computer?

No, It's just me. But where should I look? I swear i've gone through every folder.

Bruce​

and make sure you are showing all files, system and hidden, with the Linux distro.
also check you are in your user profile from the Window system when in Ubuntu, that is, \users\your name\desktop

I'll double check to make sure system and hidden files are visible. I was in my profile in the windows system. Is there any other place I can look? That .ini file has to link to somewhere, right? Same thing with my documents folder. I can't seem to find anything but a broken link.

 

[Bruce]

that desktop.ini file is simply a system file that contains info on how to display folder and file details.
completely non-important and can be ignored, it has no personal info or link to personal files.
check its creation time - maybe ubuntu put it there and not Windows.

if there are no other files there, or Documents folder by the sounds of it, you are either looking in the wrong place or they are missing due to failing hard drive or similar.

 

[phillpower2]

If you can mount and access the drive in Puppy Linux any content that can be secured will and can only be done from there, if the data is not on the drive that has been mounted in Puppy it has either been deleted or the drive is hosed.

 

[quantizedself]

If you can mount and access the drive in Puppy Linux any content that can be secured will and can only be done from there, if the data is not on the drive that has been mounted in Puppy it has either been deleted or the drive is hosed.

This did not work. I had to install it to the USB on another computer. Once that was successful, I put it in my broken computer to boot from USB. However, I got a screen that says:

Loading drivers needed to access drives
Searching for Puppy files in computer disk drives...lupu-511.sfs not found. Drop ping out to initial-ramdisk console...
/bin/sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
# _

The hashtag at the end has a blinking curser, waiting for me to input something. But I don't know what to do from here because I am in way over my head at this point.

 

[quantizedself]

BTW, I should mention that I just checked the USB media, and that file 'lupu-511.sfs' is definitely there. Also I had to put the boot mode to Legacy because it didn't boot with UEFI

 

[phillpower2]

I did mention disabling secure boot as a prompt in my reply #5;

I will put the Puppy Linux info below - the disabling secure boot stuff as you appear to know what you are doing;

As an asides quantizedself I noticed that my clleague jonuk76 is also assisting you with this and has given you a comprehensive reply this morning UK time.

We are always happy to help when we can but we cannot safely do so if you are already receiving assistance on any other forum, doing so may lead to confusion as to whose and what guidance you are following which can be both dangerous and costly, decide on which forum you wish to continue and as a courtesy let the other/s know that assistance is no longer required.

Thank you for your understanding.

Post here rather than interrupting in a thread on another forum.

 

[quantizedself]

I did mention disabling secure boot as a prompt in my reply #5

I just tried going back to UEFI and disabling secure boot. Then making sure my USB drives are first in the boot order above the SSD. Now puppy Linux doesn't load at all. Instead, I get a screen that says there is a problem booting Windows and it instructs me to use the bootable media to repair the disc (which I've tried already), then it gives me this information:
File: \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD
Status: 0xc000000f
Info: The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.

We are always happy to help when we can but we cannot safely do so if you are already receiving assistance on any other forum, doing so may lead to confusion as to whose and what guidance you are following which can be both dangerous and costly, decide on which forum you wish to continue and as a courtesy let the other/s know that assistance is no longer required.

I've asked this question on multiple forums because I need help quickly and I wanted different perspectives on the issue. I understand if you can no longer help me because of this 'code' of not helping people who are on multiple forums, and I will stop asking for help here.

 

[phillpower2]

Thanks for letting us know and we wish you good luck with your computer issues.