Re: Weird phenomenon of desktop booting need help - HP Support Community

Sparker03 · ‎09-20-2021

Dear Friend

My desktop is 8 years old machine, was working well until one day black screen occurred during bootup. I performed BIOS update by pressing and holding win key + B key power on with subsequent booting into windows. However once I shut down the desktop, it was again booting into a black screen with no beeps. I then change a new CMOS battery (also reset the CMOS), when first power on after resetting CMOS, it goes into BIOS utility allowing me to set date and time then continue booting into windows. I can reboot into windows by select "restart", but once I select "shut down" in windows, the machine won't be able to boot into windows (by pressing the power button). I have tried turn on with F10 key or Win key + B key, all black screen.

Now I can only boot into windows after resetting CMOS (by removing the battery a while) from the BIOS utility interface, once in windows, I still can reboot it by selecting "restart", but once select "shut down", it will die again.

Since the machine can work properly once booting up into windows, I will assume all hardware are good. seems BIOS problem.

I tried creating a USB BIOS recovery flash drive, but my product page showed no available BIOS driver to download. any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Tony

TheOldMan · ‎09-20-2021

I do not think it is a BIOS problem, but it could be that you have the boot sequence incorrect. Take a look at that by:

Start tapping the Esc key BEFORE starting the PC and then press the start button.
Keep tapping the Esc key until a popup menu shows. Then pick F9 from that popup menu. Make sure the first boot item is the hard drive. (on the newer PC's it appears as "OS Boot Manager" or Windows Boot Manager and then the hard drive info.)
Report back with the results, if you cannot get this to work.

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Sparker03 · ‎09-22-2021

TheOldman, Thank you for advising. I would like to find no ground to subscribe to your idea.

1. Since the machine was purchased, no one change its boot order. To confirm, I check it in BIOS utility, the hard drive is prior to USB drive in the boot order.

2. Logically, even if USB is prior to hard drive in the boot order, the hard drive will still get boot from as long as a bootable USB drive does not exist in USB port.

However, your idea intrigued my desire of switching to a Linux OS---Raspberry pi Desktop. So I tried to change boot order and make USB drive prior to the hard drive. then reset the CMOS and power on with a pi Desktop bootable USB drive.

Surprisingly, the pi Desktop successfully started and running. only I can not find the hard disk drive, therefore, can not install the pi Desktop OS and switch the OS.

TheOldMan · ‎09-22-2021

Sorry but I cannot help with Raspberry pi Desktop software. Two of the most popular Linux distros are Ubuntu or Mint. If you were to make the Live version of either of those, then run that, it would verify if the hard drive is functioning, etc.

Actually, in order to verify all of the hardware, please run the Diagnostics routine.

To run the Diagnostics routine, Start tapping the Esc key BEFORE starting the PC and then press the start button.
Keep tapping the Esc key until a popup menu shows. Then pick Diagnostics from that popup menu, F2.
Report back with the results.

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Sparker03 · ‎09-24-2021

Raspberry pi Desktop is a light Linux OS specifically designed for Windows users with old pc which hardware resources may not be good enough to support today's Windows 10. If BIOS registered Hard drive, the pi Desktop bootable USB drive will install the OS to hard disk.

I have run hardware diagnose check, find no hardware failure at all.

I guess my BIOS is corrupted, only I can not find a way to recover/ reinstall the specific BIOS of my model/motherboard.

TheOldMan · ‎09-24-2021

I think I need the complete model number of the PC to give any further help.

Please post the model number

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Sparker03 · ‎09-25-2021

Hi TheOldMan, Thank you for your help. I attach a photo contain most information on my system below. Hope it is enough.

TheOldMan · ‎09-26-2021

From the spec page for that model, I see that you also have a CD/DVD drive.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-pavilion-slimline-s5-1400-desktop-pc-series/5295965/model/52...

Since there are problems, try making a Live version of a different Linux OS, such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint, on a CD/DVD then see if that will boot up the PC and be able to see the hard drive.

Start tapping on "Esc" before actually starting the PC. Keep tapping Esc until a popup menu appears. Then pick F9 and select the CD/DVD drive for first boot item, and save - then boot. I know either of these two and know they will work and, if the drive is present and good, it will see the drive.

BTW: a good and bootable OS as source must be in the CD/DVD drive before making this choice. Same goes for the USB, a good and bootable OS as source must be in the USB drive before making the choice in the F9 menu.

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itsmyname · ‎09-26-2021

@Sparker03 -- Since the machine can work properly once booting up into windows, I will assume all hardware are good. seems BIOS problem.

It could be an intermittent problem with your 8-year-old motherboard, in that it caused one "black-out". It could be heat-related -- your motherboard works fine when it is "cold", but after using it for a while, it warms-up, and some circuit(s) on the motherboard malfunctions. After powering-down, it cools down, the motherboard soon returns to normal operation.

Look at the capacitors on the motherboard. For a motherboard of that vintage, look for a "Y" shape on the top. A failing capacitor will have a bulging top, and maybe some brown "rust" specks leaking out of the top. Unless you are an electronics technician, and have the knowledge and tools to replace the capacitor, your motherboard needs to be sent to an "end-of-life" electronic recycling centre.

Sparker03 · ‎09-27-2021

@Itsmyname. thank you for the suggestion. but I don't think the problem is caused by any hardware issue or heat-related.

1. My 8 years old machine was not used so much, around total 5 years out of 8 years it has stayed inside the box. The motherboard looks pretty new and clean. During running, CPU heatsink is cool and CPU fan is working, all components are looking good. I am a 20 years experienced hardware engineer, if any capacitor failure, it will be the first sight to capture my eyes.

2. Once the machine boots into windows (by resetting CMOS), it can run for days with no problem, but if I don't reset the CMOS, it will always boot into the black screen no matter how long the machine was shut down before.

Weird phenomenon of desktop booting need help

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