"No Bootable Device, Hit any key." Cannot access BIOS. Won't boot from DVD. USB not a boot option.

CdnGuy

How can I either get into the BIOS or boot from a Live CD or Windows install disk?

Here's the background info:

Laptop: Acer TravelMate P273-MG-6608

OS: Windows 8.1

Actions leading up to the problem:

I tried to encrypt the HDD using BitLocker.

Upon reboot I get the error message, "No Bootable Device, Hit any key."

When I hit a key, I get a boot menu that lists the HDD, DVD drive, and Network Boot as options.

Booting from either of the HDD (of course) or DVD does not work.

The disks I've tried:

Acer System Restore Disk

Win 7 Restore Disk

UBCD

Hiren's

Ubuntu Install (Saw elsewhere on this forum that worked for someone.)

Methods I've tried to access the BIOS:

Powering on the laptop while holding down the F2 key.

Same while tapping the F2 key about once per second.

Same with Delete key.

Same with F10.

Same with Alt+F10

Same with F8.

Each method was tried several times with no success.

Measures taken:

Removed the HDD and connected it to a working computer. Doing this, I was able to recover all my files.

The drive settings appeared to all be correct. Drive letter C:, file format NTFS, primary partition, the recover partition was there as well.

Re-inserted the HDD into the original laptop - no success.

Formatted the primary partition on the HDD, put it in the laptop, same results.

Formatted the entire HDD, put in the laptop, same results.

What I see as options:

1. Format the HDD outside of Windows, say using Hiren's Boot CD and Gparted.

2. Doing that and imaging the drive with a Windows 8.1 or 7 ISO, if I can find one.

3. If I can get into the BIOS, I should be able to get the laptop to boot from something. Or turn UEFI off, which I suspect is part of the issue.

Any ideas on how I can get into the BIOS or get the laptop to boot from the HDD or a disk?

Accepted answers

CdnGuy

Solved.

I downloaded the needed BIOS file from:

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_2.08_A_A.zip?acerid=635114527449782829&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=TRAVELMATE&Step3=TRAVELMATE%20P273-MG&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_4

Once downloaded, I extracted the files from the .zip archive.

Then I low level formatted a USB flash drive with the FAT32 filesystem.

Once that was done, I copied the files from inside the archive to the USB flash drive.

With the USB drive inserted in the laptop, I powered it on while pressing ALT + Escape. This brough up the screen where I could choose to hit F2 for setup, or F12 for boot menu.

I pressed F2 and the BIOS admin screen came up. Then I yelled something like 'Hallelujah!'

I changed the primary boot device to the ODD, put in the first Factory Default Recover disk, and hit F10 to save and exit the BIOS.

The Acer splash screen came up, and the laptop booted in to the recovery disk. It should work from here.

I hope this helps someone in the future.

All comments

matthewharrison

Spam the F2 key as soon as the Acer splash screen comes up, don't be slow about it, haha.

Strange it won't boot from your discs. Change the boot order & put the disc first, although I assume that's what you're trying to do since you're trying to access BIOS.

CdnGuy

That's the thing...it never goes to the Acer splash screen.

I've tried F2 to get into BIOS at least 20 times, in different ways. It simply will not give me access to the BIOS.

I've tried other known BIOS access keys as well, such as most of the Function keys, and the Delete key.

I've also tried accessing the recovery partition using ALT+F10.

No success with any of those.

CdnGuy

Forging on, I'm cloning the ACER partition from a healthy system to the original laptop's HDD, via Clonezilla on Hiren's Boot CD. Worth a shot I guess.

I'll post back here how it goes.

IronFly

i would try to boot with a windows 8 or 8.1 bootable media and use the repair pc/troubleshoot/advanced options to enter the EFI BIOS:

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/20256-uefi-firmware-settings-boot-inside-windows-8-a.html

CdnGuy

Yep, tried that. It will not boot from Windows 8, 8.1, 7 - any bootable Linux-based DVD I've tried also. Nothing. Just the same, "No Bootable Device, Hit any key." error.

IronFly

Have you tried with an USB bootable media?

must be UEFI compatible or it will not boot.

Very strange behaviour.

CdnGuy

Hadn't tried that. I just assumed that since the boot menu it does give me, doesn't include USB options, that it wouldn't. Good suggestion.

I read elsewhere that maybe the BIOS needs to be flashed. Tried that from a bootable USB with the appropriate version of Insyde BIOS. I did manage to get a different problem. I'll take that as progress.

Now, it just has a cursor blinking in the top left corner, on a black screen. Hmmmm....

CdnGuy

Wouldn't boot from a bootable USB with an OS on it.

But it did take the BIOS flash after all. I should be able to recover it from here. I'll report back how it goes.

CdnGuy

Solved.

I downloaded the needed BIOS file from:

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_2.08_A_A.zip?acerid=635114527449782829&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=TRAVELMATE&Step3=TRAVELMATE%20P273-MG&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_4

Once downloaded, I extracted the files from the .zip archive.

Then I low level formatted a USB flash drive with the FAT32 filesystem.

Once that was done, I copied the files from inside the archive to the USB flash drive.

With the USB drive inserted in the laptop, I powered it on while pressing ALT + Escape. This brough up the screen where I could choose to hit F2 for setup, or F12 for boot menu.

I pressed F2 and the BIOS admin screen came up. Then I yelled something like 'Hallelujah!'

I changed the primary boot device to the ODD, put in the first Factory Default Recover disk, and hit F10 to save and exit the BIOS.

The Acer splash screen came up, and the laptop booted in to the recovery disk. It should work from here.

I hope this helps someone in the future.

Cristian92

ALT + Escape doesn't work for me...can you tell me the steps, software you have used to flash the BIOS, please ? I'm really trying to fix this problem for 2 weeks already. F1, F2, F8 doesn't work. I press the power button Acer logo for 2 seconds then "No bootable device " screen of death.

ptw

This was extremly helpful, but I cannot understand why it happened in the first place. Fortunately it happened when I was at hometo my ACER laptop and I was able to search and find your solution through my desktop PC, but if I had been abroad ( I ususally am) I wouldn't have had a clue. I always carry woith me the Windows recovery USB disc but this fault didn't even recognise it. So it would be useful to iunderstand a nbit more as to what was the likely cause and why the BIOS file fixed it.

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