Aspire SW5-011 "Windows failed to start" error and no USB devise will be recognised for boot, Help ?

Kazushi

Hi

My Aspire SW5-011 will not boot with a "Windows failed to start" error and no USB devise recognized to proceed to recovery or re installation of windows.

I've tried usb bootable sticks, usd bootable dvds, win 7, win 10, even linux bootable dvd/usb sticks, even the built in SD. Nothing. Tried both keyboard and mini usb, nothing.

Bios setup can be accessed, but can't find anything that helps. F12 reports "windows boot manager" manager which only ends up on "windows failed to start" error.

I changed the boot priority on Bios, but same results, "windows failed to start" error...

This Aspire has barely been used, it's been sitting on a shelf for some 5 years since I purchased it (warranty long expired), no HD changes, no SW upgraded, it just

stopped working...

Anyone out there can help ?

JackE

Thanks for reporting back on your success. The need for setting a supervisor password and then disabling secure boot relates to automatically fixing the hidden efi partition which apparently got messed up somehow, probably an update. In secure boot mode, this partition usually can't be fixed automatically. Jack E/NJ

JackE

First allow the laptop to fully charge with a blue charge LED before trying to turn it on. Then go back into the BIOS to make sure the F12 and D2D options are both enable in the BIOS Main tab. Then save BIOS settings and exit. If the machine still won't boot, press and hold power button for about 5 seconds or until the laptop shuts off. Then turn it back on and immediately press and hold the ALT key while tapping the F10 key. A recovery screen should appear to allow you to reset the laptop. Jack E/NJ

Kazushi

Recovery mode starts and a "error code 0xc000025"; A required device connected cant be find is displayed.

And the cycle begins again. I tried recovery with every possible usb combination, cd, dvd, stick, win 7, win 8, and linux.

The Acer community is my last resort...

JackE

The emmc drive is GPT partitioned. The F12 startup boot option menu with Win7 installation won't be shown for GPT emmc. The Linux stick should be recognized in the F12 boot option menu if it was setup with a ubuntu iso and Rufus for UEFI bootstrapper.  What was the original factory-installed Windows version? Win10 or Win8.x? Jack E/NJ

Kazushi

I haven't tried ubuntu, so this morning I gave lubuntu a try (that's what i had on hand) but couldn't get past

the error page. However here's where it gets interesting.

While the lubuntu dvd was spinning I restarted with alt+ctrl+del a couple of times and the Aspire booted.

I immediately started a reset processes to hopefully fix the boot problem.

At first I got the error display and after a dozen or so alt+ctrl+del the spinner and the resetting counter

started to count down (the Lubuntu disk was again spinning, was the Aspire accessing the disk ?).

Installation completed, booted normally, and then I restarted to get the error display again...

Following more restarts, the "automatic repair" kicked in (this is a new one, never got this before),

I did a "startup repair" which failed, and I'm back to the error display...

BTW it's win10 Home installed.

BTW2 How do you turn safe boot off on this device ?

JackE

>>>While the lubuntu dvd was spinning>>>

This won't work!!! You must boot from a USB installation pendrive with the DVD iso prepared with Rufus, not an external USB DVD. You can turn off secure boot by first setting and save a BIOS password. Then re-enter BIOS with the password to turn off secure boot. Jack E/NJ

Kazushi

USB boot just doesn't work. Tried all possible combinations of OS (ubuntu included), media and usb port, "System doesn't have any USB option"...

updated BIOS, it didn't do any good. I tried all fixes available in the recovery section, all failed.

Windows Boot Manager "failed to boot" error is the first thing I see every time I boot, if I alt+ctrl+del enough times (it may be one up to five times)

it will boot to windows...

JackE

You need to repeat some steps one by one.

(1) First make sure the BIOS Main tab has the F12 and D2D boot options enabled. Then enter and save a BIOS supervisor passwors in the Security tab. Then save settings and exit the BIOS menu. Then reenter the BIOS menu with your supervisor password and disable secure boot. Save settings and exit again.

(2) Then prepare a 32-bit Win8.1 USB installation pendrive using Microsoft's media creation tool. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

(3) Insert the Win8.1 pendrive into the dock's USB port. Then turn the machine on and IMMEDIATELY start tapping the F12 key. A menu should appear to allow you to boot from the pendrive. If not, you must purchase a microUSB-2-USB adapter so you can try to boot from the pad's micro USB port instead.

Jack E/NJ

Kazushi

Thanks for the help, disabling secure boot seems to have solved the problem.

Device now boots normally.

I wonder what part of win10 booting "secure boot" didn't like...

JackE

Thanks for reporting back on your success. The need for setting a supervisor password and then disabling secure boot relates to automatically fixing the hidden efi partition which apparently got messed up somehow, probably an update. In secure boot mode, this partition usually can't be fixed automatically. Jack E/NJ