HP Pro 3400 won't boot

[Bernard_be]

On my HP Pro 3400 I installed Win10 with perfect results. Following the installation of a 2nd Win10 on a 2nd disk I used EasyBCD to do a dual boot. A bad idea since the PC does not start anymore. I have the hp blue screen with "Press the ESC key for startup Menu" When I press ESC on restart I have a black screen with the PC specs, "Press the ESC key for startup Menu" and at the bottom right "Setup". Same thing if I press F10 but "Startup Menu" at the bottom right. From there it is blocked. I tried with the 2 hard drives disconnected with the same result, booting from USB does not work, I cleared CMOS and nothing helped. What else can I do?
Thanks for your help.

[BeemerBiker]

Not clear what is happening.

Can you boot into the bios?  The latest bios is 7.16 and you have 7.14.

sp58264 is for the Cupertino 2 motherboard. and sp58262 for the (I am guessing) non cupertino motherboard

The following is the update history and it seem a problem with booting was fixed

Title: Cupertino-H61/Cupertino2-H61 Motherboard BIOS Update

Version: 7.16

Description: This package provides an update to the Cupertino-H61/Cupertino2-H61 Motherboard BIOS for the supported desktop models and supported operating systems.

Purpose: Critical

Category: BIOS

Operating System:

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic (32-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)

Language(s):

Global English

Enhancement/Fixes:

- Resolves issue with system hang during POST when a touch screen monitor is connected.

- Resolves issue with F12 hotkey malfunction after loading BIOS defaults via any method.

Prerequisites:

- You must be logged on as an administrator to install this update.

- You must have a Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

Installation Instructions:

1. Click the Download Only button.
2. At the File Download screen, click the Save button.
3. At the Save As screen, save the file to your Desktop.
4. If a message appears stating that the file already exists, click YES to overwrite file.
5. Double-click the icon for the update downloaded to your desktop, and then click NEXT.
6. Follow on-screen instructions.
7. If prompted to restart the system upon completion of the update, click YES and allow system to restart.

Copyright © 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

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

the following is the first two lines of the other bios otherwise identical

Title: HP Pro 3300 and Pro 3400 Microtower PC BIOS Update

Version: 7.16

[itsmyname]

@Bernard_be -- You must have a Microsoft Windows 7 operating system

In addition to the excellent information provided by @BeemerBiker 

I can say that the above "must have" statement is not the "full story".

Typically, HP updates have 3 different ways of updating the BIOS:

1. run the update, while Windows 7 is running,
2. download the update onto a bootable USB memory-stick, and boot your computer from it, to apply the update,
3. save the new BIOS file onto a USB memory-stick, and boot into BIOS SETUP mode. There is an item in that mode to read the new BIOS from the USB memory-stick, and to apply the update.

If you have Windows 10, then option #1, above, will not work. That is the full story.

P.S. How many minutes did you wait, after seeing that white-text-over-black-background, before deciding that "nothing is happening" ?

Have some patience.  Also, try to temporarily disconnect "other" devices (web-camera, printer, memory-sticks, external disk-drive, scanner)

to create a "minimal" system, that will simplify the POST ("power on self test") task.

[Bernard_be]

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. The problem is that I cannot boot into the bios and this time I waited 20 min after the screen on a black background. My intention was to flash the bios to 7.16 but I don't know if the mobo is a Cupertino, maybe this image can help?

Everything is disconnected, no hdd, no cards inserted.

[BeemerBiker]

OK, so the display of the 4gb memory in channel B is all that shows up and the system hangs.

Try swapping memory.  Try another memory stick if you have one.  There is no way to upgrade bios if cannot boot that I know of for these older systems.  All I can think of is to visually check for failed components such as electrolytic capacitors that are bulging and go over with compressed air and get dust out of all memory sockets. 

Are there any beeping noises?  MY cupertino2 does not have a motherboard speaker but some do.

I assume you removed all add on boards and are using the on-board video.

do other devices work?  Pushing the CAPS lock turn on and off the LED?

If have CD does the device eject if the button is pushed?

with CD in drive (assuming you have one) does it seem like the system is trying to read from the CD?  ie: busy lights blink on and off?

If so, the system may be working even if the screen is blank.

[Bernard_be · Accepted solution]

I tried everything you suggested but nothing helped, I have another machine waiting for me so I'm going to give up here, many thanks for your help!

[itsmyname]

@Bernard_be -- The problem is that I cannot boot into the BIOS

Try this:

1. while Windows 10 is running, click the "Windows" icon (bottom-left corner of your computer screen)
2. click on the "Power" icon (just above that Windows icon)
3. hold-down the SHIFT key, and click "Restart"
4. That should restart Windows, to the "Recovery Console",
5. from there , you can choose to restart,
6. hat restart will let you press a key to enter BIOS SETUP mode.

Good luck!

Or, temporarily disconnect the "data" cable from  your disk-drive.

Since the motherboard cannot access the disk-drive, to read Windows from it, 

it will offer the optoin to enter BIOS SETUP