Acer laptop not able to detect HDD on Bootup, Pleaseeee Help!!!

Shadow747
Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

Tinkerer

edited August 2023 in 2018 Archives
A client asked me to Format his W10 Acer laptop to Windows 7, so i went ahead and tried to make it bootup with a Live USB windows installer as i do with all pcs, but it wouldnt read the pendrive from Bios no matter what.. it doesnt even let me switch from UEFI to Legacy
So i removed the Hard drive and placed it in my Main benchmark pc and proceeded to format and make directly the HDD bootable with the windows installation files. after i did i turned the pc off, removed the main HDD, left only the laptop's HDD with the W7 installation files on it and turned it on, everything ran perfect, i even removed it and tested it again on another clients laptop and it worked fine as well.

---------Real problem starts here--------------

Now i put it back on The Acer laptop and it detects the HDD from the bios but when it boots up it simply says "No bootable device". I have absolutely no idea whats going on, it should work perfectly but it doesnt.. 
this is really making me pull my hair out and i dont want to tell the client i erased his OS without being able to install anything after

The Laptop model is a Acer Aspire ES15
Screenshot: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B4nVdq2nAvY/maxresdefault.jpg
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Answers

  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    I even tried converting the live usb to GPT but it still doesnt detect it
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    >>>it doesnt even let me switch from UEFI to Legacy>>>

    Sorry, this particular ES15 machine is apparently a UEFI bootstrapper without BIOS emulation --- the wave of the future things to come. Unfortunately, Win7 can only be installed onto an MBR partitioned HDD. A UEFI bootstrapper without BIOS emulation can't boot from or recognize an MBR partitioned HDD as bootable. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    JackE said:
    >>>it doesnt even let me switch from UEFI to Legacy>>>

    Sorry, this particular ES15 machine is apparently a UEFI bootstrapper without BIOS emulation --- the wave of the future things to come. Unfortunately, Win7 can only be installed onto an MBR partitioned HDD. A UEFI bootstrapper without BIOS emulation can't boot from or recognize an MBR partitioned HDD as bootable. Jack E/NJ
    Hi there jack. Thanks for coming by.
    I already tried to put the instalation files on the hdd which is mbr partitioned. I tested it on other pcs to see if it was done correctly.
    It works fine but in the acer laptop it simply says "no bootable device" it does at least detect the HDD from bios tho.
  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Hello?       .
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    Yes, the UEFI bootstrapper without BIOS emulation can identify a good physical drive by model & serial number & brand. But that's all. UEFI won't recognize the drive as being bootable with MBR partitioning. Win7 will only boot from an MBR partitioned drive, unlike Win8x and Win10 that will boot from either an MBR or GPT partitioned drive. Accordingly, Win7 cannot be installed on a UEFI-only bootstrapped machine. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Ooh. So this machine isnt able too boot windows 7?, if i put a hardrive or live usb with windows 8 instalation files will it boot
  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Its has to be windows 8 or 10 AND Partitioned and GPT to work?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    If the Win8x or Win10 HDD is GPT-partitioned NTFS-formatted, it might boot but the peripheral hardware might not work too well or at all if it's from another laptop. The Win8x iso installation stick should be GPT-partitioned FAT32-formatted. Use Rufus to make the iso install stick or you could use Microsoft's media creation method too. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10   You should probably try to stick with the WinVer that the machine originally came with Win10. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • You can try installing windows 7 in uefi mode by downloading an iso only x64! See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcjnl_9M68c
    However I have never tested this procedure and install a windows version lower than windows 8, it will be much more difficult or practically impossible, since, the current notebooks are no longer coming with the legacy function! Intel has already confirmed that from 2020 all its devices will only support uefi mode!

    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
    Aceite somente a resposta que ajudou a solucionar o seu problema! Please accept only the response that helped to solve your problem!
    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
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  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Ok i will try with windows 8, im already downloading it, muito obrigado coelho!
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    I'm not sure Win8x is best because your mainboard is licensed to run Win10. Not sure if Win8x will activate properly. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • wis
    wis Member Posts: 713 Seasoned Specialist WiFi Icon
    Installing Windows 7 on an ES 15 seems rather convoluted, despite this post. The only video I could find was this one in Russian. If you treat the running commentary as background music & concentrate on the images; it would help. The presenter appeared to have changed UEFI to Legacy mode (see video below) & had to install a bunch of Windows 7 compatible drivers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojW_UnN9enw

  • @Wis! His model unfortunately does not have the option to select bios legacy mode!

    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
    Aceite somente a resposta que ajudou a solucionar o seu problema! Please accept only the response that helped to solve your problem!
    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
    ProductKey clique aqui para descobrir o serial do windows! click here to discover the windows serial!
    Para usuários da comunidade inglesa, espanhola, francesa e alemã, usarei o google tradutor! :)
    For users of the English, Spanish, French and German community, I will be using google translator! :) 
  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Ok so i tried booting up the pc with both Windows 8 and windows 10 instalation files, tested on other pcs, even converted to gpt and it STILL doesnt work, what the hell is wrong with this laptop??? D:
  • FelGate
    FelGate Member Posts: 61 Devotee WiFi Icon
    @Shadow747 First and Foremost. Windows 7 doesn't Support UEFI. Second, when making USB installer for Windows 8 or Windows 10. Make sure your ISO is a bootable ISO if you are using Rufus for UEFI-GPT Partition and other ISO mounting softwares. Third, 32bit/x86 doesn't support UEFI, so don't use ISO that is All in one x86&x64 since Installation media Includes x86 system. Use appropriate Windows Edition ISO for that laptop. Eg. Windows 10 Home Single Language/Windows 10 Home. Because there are laptops that even if you format your HDD, your license is engraved deep inside its Bios. So, installation with other Versions like Pro/Enterprise/Education would just be denied and might not be activated and if forced, it will just become a pirated Windows when your License is Home Single Language or Home.. **I tried this by fully Formatting my Windows laptop and Install MacOS in it. When I tried to Install Windows back. My laptop know what Windows version she will install.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    >>>A client asked me to Format his W10 Acer laptop >>>Ok so i tried booting up the pc with both Windows 8 and windows 10 instalation files, tested on other pcs, even converted to gpt and it STILL doesnt work, what the hell is wrong with this laptop???>>>

    (1) What is the full model number ES1-5??.  (2) What did you use to format the drive and change the partitioning? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Commodore_1995#
    Commodore_1995# ACE Posts: 98,349 Trailblazer
    edited October 2018
    See if this file helps you:
    I recommend you explain to your customer that the notebook comes with a serial of windows 10 recorded on the bios! You can even install windows, but as colleague @JackE said, the current models are being produced to work on windows 10!
    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
    Aceite somente a resposta que ajudou a solucionar o seu problema! Please accept only the response that helped to solve your problem!
    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
    ProductKey clique aqui para descobrir o serial do windows! click here to discover the windows serial!
    Para usuários da comunidade inglesa, espanhola, francesa e alemã, usarei o google tradutor! :)
    For users of the English, Spanish, French and German community, I will be using google translator! :) 
  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    JackE said:
    >>>A client asked me to Format his W10 Acer laptop >>>Ok so i tried booting up the pc with both Windows 8 and windows 10 instalation files, tested on other pcs, even converted to gpt and it STILL doesnt work, what the hell is wrong with this laptop???>>>

    (1) What is the full model number ES1-5??.  (2) What did you use to format the drive and change the partitioning? Jack E/NJ

    1: ES1533C3Q8
    2:Windows partition manager to format and partition and EASE US partition manager pro to convert mbr to gpt
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,184 Trailblazer
    Can you still get into the BIOS menu by tapping F2 on a cold boot? If yes, go to the security tab and set a supervisor password. Don't forget it. F10 to save settings and exit. Cold boot again tapping F2 to get back into the BIOS menu with the supervisor password. Go to the boot tab. Can you now change UEFI to legacy mode with a supervisor password? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shadow747
    Shadow747 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    JackE said:
    Can you still get into the BIOS menu by tapping F2 on a cold boot? If yes, go to the security tab and set a supervisor password. Don't forget it. F10 to save settings and exit. Cold boot again tapping F2 to get back into the BIOS menu with the supervisor password. Go to the boot tab. Can you now change UEFI to legacy mode with a supervisor password? Jack E/NJ
    Ya, ive tried that before, the only thing i can change is secure boot, which ive disabled already, i can even press F12 to go directly to a boot manager but it doesnt detect the live usb either anyways