PREPARING AUTOMATIC REPAIR Aspire ES1-531

Hi there. I'm trying to help someone who has an Aspire ES1-531 but can't load windows because it keeps going into Preparing Automatic Repair and then goes blank. I've tried a couple of techniques to bring up recovery options, alt f10 and forcefully powering down several times but to no avail. I've also tried a usb boot disc but even tho' I have Boot Priority set to USB it still goes into Preparing Automatic Repair. I enabled F12 boot menu but when I try that the only option available to me is Windows Boot Manager. No other boot options show up in F12 boot menu. Anyone have any ideas on how I can resolve this??

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JackE

Did you first set a BIOS supervisor password? Save settings and exit. Then re-enter the BIOS menu with the password and disable secure boot, and rearrange the boot order. Also make sure the F12 and D2D boot options are still enabled. Then try the ALT+F10 cold boot recovery again. Don't wait for the ACER logo to appear before press ALt and tapping F10. Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

Thanks JackE, it will probable be tomorrow but I'll give that a try

When I do I'll post and let you know what happened.

PTRKLLY

No luck JackE, the darn thing will not give me a recovery screen. It still goes into Preparing Automatic Repair.

JackE

>>>. I've also tried a usb boot disc>>>

Is this a GPT partitioned or MBR partitioned stick? MBR won't work. You must use rufus to create a GPT FAT32 stick with the Windows iso. Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

I'll have to check that out, thanks again.

PTRKLLY

OK, I don't have another Aspire to create a boot disc from so I tried from my own Acer Gateway. It looked promising because now I can pick Boot from USB from the F12 window but the Aspire just goes into a blank screen. Preparing Automatic Repair doesn't come up either, just blank screen.

JackE

If your Gateway is working, you can create the GPT boot stick from it using RUFUS. What is the Gateway model? It may have a Legacy BIOS with MBR HDD. So it should see an MBR boot stick. But not the ES1 should NOT. Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

I'm not a pro at this myself but I take it Rufus is software so I'll look that up & download it. I don't know the mod# of the gateway off hand but I'll take note for the next time I post. Appreciate your help with this

JackE

Download RUFUS from https://rufus.ie/ The Gateway model number or age will likely tell us the mode. If it had factory Win7 or earlier, it's legacy mode that will recognize an MBR usb boot stick. The ES1 is UEFI mode that won't recognize the stick.

Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

JackE my gateway is Mod# NE56R. I've downloaded Rufus and have it set to Boot Selection UEFI:NTFS, Partition Scheme GPT and Target System UEFI (non CMS), am I ready to start?

JackE

Not yet. You got an in between model that could've come with Win7 or Win8. Shut down your machine. Then start it back up and immediately start tapping the F2 or esc key to enter the BIOS menu. Go to the Boot tab. Do you see the words UEFI or Legacy anywhere? Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

You'll have to forgive my untimely responses, I'm doing this for a friend when I get a spare minute and it's not easy to find one most days. on my gateway it say's Network boot BRCM MBA Slot 0200 v15.0.11

PTRKLLY

No UEFI or Legacy to be seen

JackE

OK, using RUFUS on a GPT FAT32 stick, install the Win10 iso from the Microsoft site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home You also have the option on the Microsoft site to create the installation stick for the ES1 without Rufus. Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

I downloaded the ISO file and have rufus creating the boot disc as we speak. Fingers and toes crossed LOL

PTRKLLY

No luck JackE. I made the boot disc with Rufus-nothing, then I tried Microsoft media creation-nothing, tried Rufus again making sure it was set to GPT Fat32 but still nothing. I hear a little click when it tries to boot, screen brightens slightly and just hangs on blank screen. Am I wasting my time on this one??

JackE

Are the BIOS boot tab settings still set to security boot disabled, UEFI mode and USB stick as first in the boot order? Jack E/NJ

PTRKLLY

Yes, I also tried booting from USB using F12 but just black screen.

PTRKLLY

I was going through the Bios setup again and noticed on the MAIN page it says GPT Partition Recovery: (None) Would that have anything to do with the trouble I'm having getting this Aspire to boot??

PTRKLLY

I once fixed an old Dell Inspiron for my wife using ubuntu so I gave it a try on the Acer Aspire It loads for a second then goes blank just like the windows boot disc. Bugs the heck out of me not knowing why this is happening!! LOL

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