Windows 7 won't boot with external drive connected

Please help! My windows 7 started hanging with a blinking cursor on boot up when my external Seagate expansion drive is connected (Boots up OK if drive not connected).
I thought the boot-up sequence may have been altered in BIOS but I cannot access it (Vaio VGC-LM18G) in Windows 7 as F2, Esc, etc., keys on power-on all bring the "Start windows normally" or "Check memory" black screen and there is no way that I can get into the BIOS set-up.
[Motherboard: M630 ASSY m630h128]
Thank you for any suggestion.

 

Make sure you're not using "Ready-Boost" on the external HD. Just a suggestion.

 

Thank you - this device cannot use Readyboost.

 

Other Common BIOS Key Sequences

CTRL-ALT-S
CTRL-ALT-Enter
CTRL-ALT-Insert
CTRL-ALT-Esc
F1
F10
Del
F12

iain.t :major

 

Thanks. None of these keys get me into BIOS. The closest is F10 which takes me to "edit windows boot options for: Vaio Recovery Environment" which then opens the Vaio Recovery centre (no BIOS access in that).

 

I wonder if one of the Vaio/sony programs in All Programs might be a way to access the BIOS options?

I can't seem to find a guide/manual for that model.

 

Just a note:

You may have the bios set up to boot from USB first. Assuming that the external hard drive uses the USB port to connect.
So getting into the boot sequence may just be what your after.

If you can see the boot order make the CD drive first for recovery purposes, make the hard drive you have Windows installed on 2nd, then you can make USB last. So now the Bios boots from the Windows installation before the external hard drive.

I hope that helps.

 

BTW If memory serves me correctly the Vaio bios access is f1, f2, f3, or f12 depending on the model.

If it's trying to start from a recovery partition sometimes you can disconnect the hard drive physically to gain access to the Bios. With nothing connected try rebooting and trying the f-keys. You don't need the hard drives to get to the bios because it's on the motherboard. If it can't see the drive it way by default take you where you want to go when you tap F2 during the post. That means nothing in your CD drive , no drive hooked up to USB, and the cables off of master and slave drives. Perhaps that will get you in.

Oh I almost forgot ... There is also a model that you need to hit the Del key during post to get to the Bios...

 

Are you sure about the model # ? I can't find that model # on the Sony Site when trying to research your model.
http://esupport.sony.com

 

And, that was my 1st thought also.

 

Thanks Guys. I am sure that the problem lies with the boot sequence in BIOS.
My problem is that I cannot get into the BIOS (with the external drive disconnected irrespective of which Fx or Del etc, key I use on power on. I believe that Windows 7 has eliminated BIOS entry with the hot key on start-up and the best I can get is into Vaio Recovery Centre which does not have a BIOS access option. The computer opens normal with the drive disconnected. Maybe I should copy the Windows 7 System 32 Boot files into the hard drive? And yes, the computer model is VGC-LM18G and the motherboard is M630 assy m630h128.

 

Did you try disconnecting the drive that Windows is on? If it can not access that hard drive then it can't boot from the Vaio recovery center. This probably will allow you to hit f2 on post and get into the bios.

The bios is independent of the Windows OS. There is no function of Windows 7 that I know of that could change the bios settings. The Bios controls Windows by handing the mother board instructions for the hardware that Windows is installed on.

I assume your referring to the external hard drive. You may still need to disconnect the master drive and any other slave drives to gain access to the bios considering the boot order error your getting. If the Bios can not see the drive that the recovery partition is on it will move to the next boot device. However, you should be accessing the Bios prior to the boot commands sequence. Which might make suspect the possibility that your not hitting the f2 key soon enough during post.

I don't see any way that it would help you to do that unless you really want to end up booting windows from the external hard drive, and that would take more than just those files to do. The Bios is NOT getting instructions from your Windows files. It doesn't even see Windows until after the boot order selection process. The instructions your seeing in the Bios are imprinted on the mother board itself using a technique called "flashing". This is what people are talking about when they refer to flashing the Bios. The Bios is independent of the hard drives.

Are you certain that's not a serial # or something because I still can't find it on the Sony Vaio site.

 

Thanks again GG. Yes, the model is correct - it is now superceeded but it's an all-in-one computer of their L series (the 2011 models now have a touch screen). I appreciate your comments on the motherboard relations to Windows, and no, I haven't disconnected the master hard disk as I don't want to open the back of the computer. I'll contact Sony repair agents here in Sydney tomorrow to see if they can help.