Predator 17 g9-793-78cm cycling at boot screen

rmfeldtz
rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

Tinkerer

edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
i was using my system the other night and it randomly rebooted. issue is it will not get past the predator splash. I have done the following
1. made a recovery usb from another system (i bought one for my self and my wife)
   when booting the system to the usb in legacy boot i can get the windows 10 logo but the system either reboots or gives a BSOD and gives Machine check error and reboots
2. made a fresh rebuild of win 10 on another USB form ms site. 
   when attempting to boot to usb system restarts no win 10 logo. known working system will boot to the usb
3. if i allow normal boot in legacy i get a grub recovery but my options for disks are (hd0) (hd1) (hd1,gpt1) (hd1,gpt2) (hd1,gpt3) (hd1,gpt4) none work when trying to set boot and prefix
4. replaced RAM on system (major PITA) bios also sees ram as functional
tried m.2 disks in known working system and it booted os and i was able to login and access desktop. tried known working .m2 in bad system and it did the same boot loop.
5. reset CMOS. used pin hole and while replacing RAM i removed battery and hit power button several times then replaced battery.

I would like to try to flash the bios but have no idea how or which bios files to apply from the support site. i don't see any options in BIOS to import updates and not sure how to boot to a usb to apply update any suggestions would be helpful.
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Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    Suggest NOT trying a BIOS flash!!! The BIOS firmware doesn't seem to be the issue here. Were both or just one of the HDDs ***originally*** factory-installed under Win10 GPT partitioning? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • sri369
    sri369 ACE Posts: 2,804 Pathfinder
    rmfeldtz said:
    I would like to try to flash the bios but have no idea how or which bios files to apply from the support site. i don't see any options in BIOS to import updates and not sure how to boot to a usb to apply update any suggestions would be helpful.
    When in doubt on applying BIOS updates, do NOT do it! Take it to Acer center and let them do it for you.

    All other things you can try out as much as you want.
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  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    both m.2 drives (2x128) were installed by acer and are running in RAID to form  256 drive. when i installed them both in another system they booted with no issue. im guessing they use some sort of linux distro to handle the RAID controller
  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    also i tried contacting ACER and they will not do any work on it since it is over 30 days old. they suggested i take it to Staples...um no.
  • Queen6
    Queen6 Member Posts: 319 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon
    edited June 2018
    Try resetting the battery, if this works then proceed to update the BIOS to 1.13 or 1.14.  It's not a big deal, just close all applications and run the file from Acer, The file must be for your specific model, you can use the support portal with the model number or serial number to be sure of the right file. Ensure the mains power is plugged in and battery fully charged.

    When you run the file the system will reboot, follow the instructions and exercise patience as the process takes several minutes.  If unsure stop and ask...

    https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/34843/~/acer-internal-battery-reset.


    I believe this is related to the recent update of Windows 10 to 1803 with multiple Acer models requiring BIOS update. Problem is your system is more complex as it has the duel SATA SSD's in RAID 0.

    Q-6
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    >>>also i tried contacting ACER and they will not do any work on it since it is over 30 days old. they suggested i take it to Staples...um no. >>>

    This is unacceptable. What ACER contact did you make anyway?  Even if you purchased it there, Staples now has a only a 2-week return policy. If your system is still within warranty period --- usually 1 year --- then go here https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support   and arrange for warranty service ASAP! https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support .  Don't waste any more time trying to fix this. Jack E/NJ 


    Jack E/NJ

  • sri369
    sri369 ACE Posts: 2,804 Pathfinder
    What @JackE said is right. There is a 1 year warranty that Acer respects, and provides. They can't and would not deny. Don't go via Staples. Did you try contacting support on this site itself? I contacted via here (mine is about 2 months old), and Acer already shipped out my OEM Windows USB.
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  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    @Queen6 i cant install the bios update as i cannot get into windows. I made a bootable usb and installed freedos, then extracted bios update 1.4 unfortunately all the files are not able to be run in dos according to the error. additionally i reset the battery and cmos and removed the cmos battery as well. issue still persists
    @JackE i bought the laptop march last year from newegg as a refurb. there is no warranty left. as it only came with 30 days.
    @sri369 as stated in my original troubleshooting i have a complete restore disk with win 10 and a standard win 10 image from Microsoft. i cant boot to either of them.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    >>> i installed them both in another system they booted with no issue>>>
    @rmfeldtz Can you access the BIOS menu? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Queen6
    Queen6 Member Posts: 319 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon
    edited June 2018
    rmfeldtz said:
    @Queen6 i cant install the bios update as i cannot get into windows. I made a bootable usb and installed freedos, then extracted bios update 1.4 unfortunately all the files are not able to be run in dos according to the error. additionally i reset the battery and cmos and removed the cmos battery as well. issue still persists
    @JackE i bought the laptop march last year from newegg as a refurb. there is no warranty left. as it only came with 30 days.
    @sri369 as stated in my original troubleshooting i have a complete restore disk with win 10 and a standard win 10 image from Microsoft. i cant boot to either of them.
    Try running the downloaded BIOS_114.exe file from FreeDos not the extracted *.FD files, first be 100% is the correct file for your notebook, wrong BIOS may brick the notebook.

    Q-6
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    Sorry, I advise against it right now because of the way this issue arose and because 100% file certainty doesn't mean 0% bricking certainty. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Queen6
    Queen6 Member Posts: 319 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon
    JackE said:
    Sorry, I advise against it right now because of the way this issue arose and because 100% file certainty doesn't mean 0% bricking certainty. Jack E/NJ
    Agreed it's a risk, equally the issue lies below Windows as the SSD's boot in a different notebook.  Other than this I'm out of suggestions.

    Q-6
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    @Queen6 >>>SSD's boot in a different notebook. >>>

    True too. While RAID0s aren't rare, still seems unusual to have another laptop laying around to test the array. The way this suddenly and randomly happened suggests a hardware failure unless the Win10Update was going on at the same time without realizing it. Sure would like to see if the BIOS even sees the array like the other laptop apparently does. Jack E/NJ        

    Jack E/NJ

  • Queen6
    Queen6 Member Posts: 319 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon
    edited June 2018
    @JackE
    OP's wife has an identical notebook so he can test his SSD's which boot to W10 Desktop without issue, his wife's notebook and her known good SSD's in his own system exhibit the same failure to boot. Which makes me think something is awry below the OS, BIOS.  Agree hardware failure is possible, equally doesn't appear to the RAID SSD's as they boot fine in his wife's system.

    Off topic: TBH RAID 0 on notebooks is more trouble than it's worth IMHO, given the R&W of SSD's now. 

    Q-6
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    Yeah, OK I overlooked that.  Agree on arrays. It's a waste. I'd try to break it. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    yes BIOS sees the array. bios version is 1.1
  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    screenshot of bios 
  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    @queen6 i tried running the BIOS_114.exe in freedos it just says test
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,067 Trailblazer
    edited June 2018
    OK. Go back into the BIOS menu and simply save settings and exit. What happens? If nothing, go back into the BIOS menu and check that D2D option is enabled. Save and exit. Press and hold power button for 5 secs till machine completely shuts off. Turn it back on and ****immediately**** press and hold the ALT key while tapping the F10 key. A recovery screen should appear to let you reset the machine to factory fresh as shown in the video below. Jack E/NJ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzLJRAZldA

    Jack E/NJ

  • rmfeldtz
    rmfeldtz Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    i put the system back ti UEFI boot, saved and restarted and i see Preparing Automatic repair for about 5 min and it reboots to "Predator" and boot cycles