Black Screen After Bios

W7 Pro x64

Some setup:

1. Switched over to connecting via wi-fi and installed the software for an older adapter I have. The installation didn't complete. Sometime after the system started acting a little bit strange and when I would click on some items to open something I would get a message to insert the second disk etc. This happened with an elmement of Comodo (opening settings from the widget). The driver is the most recent btw for the adapter and it is a W7 friendly adapter. Also, the driver doesn't have much to do with the current state of things as will be explained.
2. So here is a picture that explains the problem and what I have done. The above is not in the picture as I didn't think it has anything to do with the issue, since I have tried reimaging to a time before the adapter was installed and the problem is the same:



https://malwaretips.com/threads/black-screen-after-bios-w7-sp1-x64.79638/#post-709552

There is more on this on another thread on another site. Haven't been able to get any help so far.

On the partitions at the beginning and end of the disk, apparently, EaseUS Partition Master creates those spaces sort of mythically for some reason. Some of the partioning software I have read does this. The unallocated spaces aren't really on the disk.

As far as I can tell everything is normal, except that when I try to boot I get to the recovery console and no matter what I try I end up back to square one. I have also tried older images with the exact same result.

Could I possibly be dealing with a corrupt BIOS or something along those lines? At any rate, everything detailed in the picture I have run multiple times now. I'm sure you guys will have some questions. I don't know much about partitioning with GPT drives, so.... I will try to explain what I can...

Thanks for any help!

 

This is not a recommended setup- mbr+gpt ouch!
Or, Am I looking at this wrong ? Have you two hard drives, or, one with 2 separate systems, in the one hard drive, and D: is second partition.?
You cannot change the gpt, or, mbr unless its an empty disk, and the boot ini. needs to be on the gpt part of the disc, it seems,or, it will not boot.
I have read a few posts regarding putting both on a hard drive- definitely,appears a disaster can happen when it is.
USING EASEUS - I wonder if it has affected/inflicted the problem,
I believe it is possible, but have not tried it, to copy the gpt partitions onto another gpt drive.
Microsofts post might be a help......
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/li...535(v=vs.85).aspx#gpt_faq_why_appear_with_mbr

 

baklogic...

Thanks for replying. Generally no to all your concerns. There are two drives in the system. There is a boot menu for HP UEFI systems that can be accessed via ESC during the initial HP screen. This is where I noticed the multiple entries for "Windows Boot Manager". It appears under EFI boot options but there is also a legacy boot option, which simply means running the computer in legacy mode basically. Not a big deal, but I found this which indicates that reimaging causes UEFI on some PCs to store multiple entries of "Windows Boot Manager":

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...ot-manager-in-uefi-on-surface-pro-3?forum=mdt

In the thread one individual mentioned that his PC would no longer boot due to too many entries. Maybe that's what I am looking at. I tend to think so.

Just finished deleting the partions using a partioning program, and the drive was left gpt. I was reimaging, and it looks like it has finished. One post stated that wiping the drive and then imaging would correct the problem. I'll let you know.

I didn't do anything with EaseUS. Simply had it available to see the partitions. Anyway, the free doesn't do anything apparently. I'll supply the name of the program I used once the PC it's on is itself on. Can't recall it right now.

Found out this is just a quirk of EaseUS. It adds a non-existent unallocated space area before and after system disk partitions. It also shows the names incorrectly. Let me see what I have with this newly imaged disk. I'm about 15% optimistic, but I have been trying alot of 15% fixes so who knows...

 

Well, there has been some very slight improvement, and I have learned a thing or two. Now I actually get to see a little bit of the W7 logo load before the boot ends. Also, the boot is interrupted by a reboot which it did not do before. I learned that accessing F8 Advanced boot options (the Windows version) requires a good deal of skill but is actually possible on these HP machines. Unfortunately, none of the options there worked for me. Couldn't get into safe mode and last known didn't work. Did get the blue screen id by turning off the boot loop restart temporarily. None of the other options do anything for me. Startup Repair did start to fix the volume but then stopped after about 20 minutes saying it cannot repair the disk.

It appears that reimaging to an empty disk did help to a small degree. I have tried everything I can find to try for now. Mbr fixes didn't help, etc. Just disconnected and reconnected the drive but it didn't fix the problem.

I may have to resort to reinstalling Windows, but at least I can restore files easily enough from the backups I have. That shouldn't be an issue. In the mean time, I am going to keep searching for answers for awhile.

The partition program I used is called Active@ Partition Manager. Looks like a more useful version of Disk Management and seems like a pretty good app. At least the free version does everything in the program, since there isn't a pay version. Comodo didn't block it so I guess it's safe.

 

For me the most obvious problem is that there is no Active partition on the MBR disk. BIOS looks for the Active flag to find the partition with the boot files. Can you try with your Paragon CD setting each of the two partitions in turn as Active? This can only be done from a boot disk.

 

Correction - meant your partitioning program, not Paragon.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I reimaged a few times. During the first go at this problem after the first image, I did try setting the disk to active using diskpart at the Startup Repair command prompt. I didn't see if the disk was inactive prior, but I thought it couldn't hurt. Guess after that, I just forgot to look. I'll take the older disk and see what's going on there. Already installed Windows 7 on the newer one, but still have the images. I'd really like to see if I can get back into Windows and avoid all those installations and configurations, etc...

 

It was the older disk I was talking about. You have never said which disk the OS was on but the pic you posted elsewhere looked like it was on the MBR disk. But if you are now setting 7 up again that renders everything else you have said irrelevant. I'm resisting asking why you have gone for such a setup - it's asking for problems and gains you nothing. With 7 you should stick with MBR.

 

Earthling. Here is what I am looking at when I look at the drives using a second computer. Sorry no pic, but I haven't added much to this PC I am using to view the drives at this point. Just bought it about a month ago. (Basically no matter what drive I connect to the second PC and view in partitioning software I see the same thing, whether the drive works or not...same as in the thread picture...Maybe this helps with visualization).

1. In partitioning software, the boot machine drive (the one I am connecting drives to) is showing the system reserved partition as active. That's all I am seeing active on the drives when I compare them.
2. I do not get an option to set the system reserved partition for the wounded installations to active using Active@ Partition program. I can see it but it's greyed out.
3. Last night I tried with the newer of the wounded drives to delete the partitions and then reimage to see if that would work. This left the drive GPT. I was overwriting the installation I just made to do this (more on that below...I had an image). I did this because when the older wounded installation went about 5 months ago, reimaging to a new drive worked, while all efforts to reimage to the wounded drive had failed. I surface (sector) tested the old drive at that time using a hard drive test program, and it showed up in quite good shape so that's why I still have the drive. Well, after last night's final reimage did not succeed I gave up and used the image I had just made (mentioned above) to restore the condition of the new installation of Windows 7 I made last night. I guess it was a little bit risky to think that way, since I Paragon backups could be the problem (2013 program), but I only had a few programs on the install, so I thought why not? Well, this backup works fine. It's just the older ones that aren't working properly. So on to the crux of this point. When I compare the old and new wounded drives using the second PC to see the partitions, they appear exactly the same, even when the newer drive has the installation that works (new Windows installation). None of the partitions are set to active when in the position as a second drive on the PC. Again, the option to set to active is greyed out too.

I guess maybe the backup drive I am using is losing data over time. It's a RAID setup, so I kind of wonder about the reliability of it a little bit. However, I haven't noticed any data loss in any files or anything. There is one other thing I can try. I have a brand new disk of this same type that I could try imaging to. Maybe I would get the same results. Knowing me, I will try this. Anyway, it only takes a few minutes to go back if I must.

If this works I don't know what I will think. One thing comes to mind. When I wiped the drive of partitions to then reimage, I left the drive in GPT. I assume brand new drives come set up for mbr since Windows 7 installation disk requires changing the drive to gpt if UEFI is detected. At any rate, if this third brand new drive were to work with one of these images, I guess there wouldn't be any effective difference between it and one of the other two drives set to mbr. Maybe I will try deleting partitions and then convert the drive to mbr to see what happens with an image.

Then again, I could just be dealing with massive corruption of the system reserved partition (on multiple backups ). Still pretty sure I will try a few more things before moving forward with the new installation any further.

I reinstalled Windows back around the beginning to 2017, when Comodo released Comodo v 10. I liked the program and decided to build around its security. When I reinstalled I was notified by the installation disk that I would have to set the drive up as GPT to install Windows. That's why I did that. Anyway, all of the backups are of that installation. I assume that the drive was initially GPT with an early UEFI type BIOS (c 2012/13). It wasn't really a choice, I guess I just found information on how to set the drive to GPT before I found information on how to convert the entire drive to mbr. Also, I didn't know much about UEFI at that time. Know a little bit more now. I was surprised at how easy that was from a command prompt in the W7 installation dialog. Just one command thankyou...

 

You're making me realise that my own understanding of UEFI/GPT needs smartening up. I have yet to buy my first computer with A GPT setup, but my last purchase in 2014 does have a UEFI board but was running 7 on a MBR twin disk configuration, since upgraded to 10. Think I should try to understand that more thoroughly before trying to assist any one else. Good luck with it anyway

 

Thanks Earthling. I think GPT may mean sort of a reference to the EUFI component of the boot more than a type of disk. I have been finding that the various partitioning programs seem to show what's there in different ways, for example, showing the disk as a single GPT partition. That was one of the probably outdated applications in Hiren's, so I am throwing it out, but I'm not sure anyone knows. Think I am starting to get it though. Like maybe the EUFI component of BIOS adds security protections and the GPT designation of the drive is what is required and what EUFI requires to be active.

Windows 7 installation disks require the disk to be in GPT to install on this system, so I am again guessing that this means that W7 SP1 was/is smart enough to recognize such a thing as GPT and then the command line also accomodates adding the designation to the drive with a single command. Easy to get it all at one time. At this point, I would think of it more as a designation for a drive. Same thing for MBR. Windows is still basically NTFS, either way, but GPT can be added as an enablement to accomodate EUFI. Please let me know if you come up with anything. It's very interesting to me going through this now.

Think I am going to delete the partitions from the older drive and change it over to MBR and then try to reimage. I have been looking things over, and Hiren's tools seem to suggest some corruptions. Also, the Active@ Partitions program I am using seems to also see some things that it could potentially change. I may try this also. It can also apparently handle conversions GPT->MBR and vice versa. Not sure about data loss though. I'll try GPT->MBR first before deleting partitions to see if the conversion process deletes partitions, since I don't really care with this drive...just am looking to get it to MBR to simulate a brand new drive...

 

As I said--"You cannot change the gpt, or, mbr unless its an empty disk, and the boot ini. needs to be on the GPT part of the disc, it seems,or, it will not boot."
If you have put a new setup of Windows 7, in gpt mode,then I believe you will have less problems, that link I gave does explain rather a lot about GPT.

 

Thanks. Yes, but some of the partitioning programs claim to be able to change a drive from mbr to gpt and vice versa without any loss of data, meaning none of the partitions are destroyed. I have noticed when I tried this with Active@ Partitions just now that it does not destroy partitions. Also, it doesn't mess with the partition formats, FAT32 or NTFS etc. This leads me to further believe that "GPT" or "MBR" is a designation for a drive for use by the BIOS to determine whether or not UEFI should be used. However, I did find this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2207151/ntfs-fat32-mbr-gpt-difference.html

Rather interesting reading from which I drew some conflicting assertions. Not sure whether a UEFI style BIOS requires the GPT designation for the PC to function and boot or whether it can still be run with the mbr designation, with its associated limitations o/c. At any rate, I have always used GPT since Windows required it for installing Windows 7. The new installation is also GPT o/c.

I have tried every combination (or at least a large number of them now) to get this drive to boot, including switching the drive over to MBR (non-destructive) using Active@ Partition. No luck there either. Now I will attempt to remove the partitions with Active@ and reimage to an MBR disk which I guess new disks are automatically (?). Then I will go to the wall for that image to see what I can do if anything. Otherwise, I guess I am out of options. I would like to make sure that I feel I have tried everything or at least highly confident that the images are the problem and possibly the backup drive.

 

All of that is at odds with my 'best' PC. As I said, it has a UEFI board; came with Win 7 installed, with both disks initialised MBR.

 

That's good to know Earthling. Thanks. I can see how the EUFI/GPT adds security against boot sector overwrites like with Petya, so I am content with the PC running as GPT. However, I did notice the newer PCs I bought recently (HP 8200 Pros) are installed mbr. I installed the OS, so the disk must have been set as an mbr disk previously or maybe when it was wiped. At any rate, this coincides with what you are saying, since the BIOS is almost identical to the one on the trouble HP 6200 PRO. They were made at almost the same time...within months of each other and have almost identical equipment, so that makes sense to me.

Also, haven't checked to see if the EUFI options are still available, but I will look next time. I guess any innate boot sector security is lost.

 

Won't believe this. Success! What worked was deleting the partitions (all of them) and then using Active@ Partition to change the drive from GPT to MBR. Reimaged with an image from a couple of months ago and there you go. Straight into Windows like it was nothing. What got me to try this was how the reimaging on a new drive had worked before, when it did not work on the ailing installation. I was puzzled when I tested the drive and it was good. Now I guess it is plain how to get around the issue.

This is on the older drive, so I will probably just run it into the ground. The newer one is identical and has the new installation, so no reason to care about it being there.

May have to think about this for a while to draw any logical possibilities for the reason for this. I guess it could be the older version of Paragon doesn't do a good job of restoring to a GPT disk. I guess it could be that the EUFI BIOS resets or something or I guess it could just be that GPT itself is not very good with images of Windows 7 or some such.

Appreciate you guys tagging along. I am very happy, since this is quite an elaborate multi-account machine with an LR account I use for everything basically. I was dreading setting it all up again. Seriously, this was the absolute last thing I was going to try. Don't know why it seems to happen that way so many times...

Now to bring things up to date LOL

 

Hey, I was just about to shut down for the night when that arrived. You will never know now what caused it to fail to boot but once again a disk image has cut through all the crap and got things moving again. Now leave it alone!

 

LOL . It's my experiment in progress . However, I think I had reached a point with experimenting where I was about finished anyway. Software just keeps changing and improving, so I guess that's the main reason why.

Well, I did see that it had something to do with a driver during the early stages. When startup repair failed it listed a driver as the reason. Also, chkdsk wouldn't run due to a "recently installed software package". I had installed a Netgear adapter driver, but the adapter is a little bit dated (made for 7 however). It wasn't finding signals very well, but I suspect the driver was the problem. Found a newer adapter that is working well for now.

Appreciate again your ever present technical expertise and experience.

 

Glad to see you solved it- My experimenting would cause people to tear their hair out (if they have any left) BUT,I never try it without a hard drive copy at the ready.
Partition Wizard (pro-paid version) was portrayed as capable of converting mbr to gpt, but I never tried that myself, although I use the free version for tinkering.

 

Thanks very much baklogic. It would be fun to hear your experimentation stories .

I have always made sure to look fully into everything before I jump when it comes to trying things. Haven't had any crushing defeats, I guess mostly simple travesties where software is rough around the edges and causes some problems and this kind of thing. In spite of all the work I had to do over about 3 days, this was a fun problem to track down, since I had extra PCs on hand and at the ready and also extra parts . Think if I could encourage PC users to do one thing other than keep image backups it would be keep extra hardware at hand. Also, make that OS repair disk for goodness sake (I guess 10 has this option).

Yes, I noticed that the partioning software programs largely did have the feature to convert. However, EaseUS would only convert data drives in the free edition...not OS drives. From reading, the ones I found all seemed roughly the same about that issue until I found a link for Active@. I was going to recommend it to MGs, until I noticed that someone beat me to the punch. It's already up, so that was good to see.

Really appreciate your insightful and knowledgeable comments here. You must have a long colorful history with PCs. Thanks again for your assistance...

 

It seems relatively hidden, but you can make recovery drive on usb, with 1GB usb(takes about 550mb),and if you wish to include system files, you need a 16gb usb, or, more- I have created both.
All you have to do is to type in the search box recovery drive , and click to go to the facility when it shows in the top of the list- the short version is quite quick,(basic repair), but the one with adding system files can take an hour.

 

Thanks baklogic. Is that for Windows 7? I have made a System Repair disk using Windows 7. It's kind of hard to find too...

 

That was for Windows 10
Windows 7 rescue disk is much simpler- Just type in backup, and click the backup and restore,and the repair disk link is top right.