Acer Swift 3 (Model no. SF315-41-R9S1) boot failure and unable to repair or reinstall fresh OS.

amarever

@billsey
Thank you for taking time to reply. 😊
Yes. I too had the same doubt that there was no partition reserved for EFI.
I can't comment on the need of  FREE_DOS on the computer which is owned by someone else. May be it came with only Free DOS out of the box.
I think the default boot mode is configured in LEGACY / CSM. Please check out this image of F12 Boot Menu of Lenovo desktop PC. 

JackE

(1) You must enter the BIOS menu with F2 boot and change to UEFI bootstrap from Legacy overlay.

(2) The Win10 boot installation stick must be GPT partition scheme or prepared using Microsoft's USB media creation tool

(3) The WesternDigital HDD must be changed from MBR to GPT partitioning using Diskpart tool from the advanced command prompt options in the Win10 boot installation stick.

(4) Then the Win10 boot stick will see the WesternDigital and install

amarever

@JackE
Thanks for taking time to assist me! 😊
To be honest, I am confused about the steps you have given above. Still I am trying to explain the issue for more clarity. 

(1) You must enter the BIOS menu with F2 boot and change to UEFI bootstrap from Legacy overlay.

This model acer laptop is set to UEFI boot mode by default and can't be even changed to legacy. (aren't you talking about the Lenovo PC? 🤔 I used it for creating bootable USB and it didn't allow me do it in the GPT partition using MCT)

(2) The Win10 boot installation stick must be GPT partition scheme or prepared using Microsoft's USB media creation tool

I tried with a stick that was prepared using RUFUS selecting GPT + NTFS options. But no result...same blue screen with error. Windows set up doesn't start. 

(3) The WesternDigital HDD must be changed from MBR to GPT partitioning using Diskpart tool from the advanced command prompt options in the Win10 boot installation stick.

How shall l do this? The windows set up doesn't initialize in the first place. So I am not able to access advanced command prompt either through screen interface or pressing Shift + F10.. Also I don't think the WD HDD would be in MBR style. I didn't check it so far. 

(4) Then the Win10 boot stick will see the WesternDigital and install.

Win10 boot stick doesn't install on HDD or SSD which remains a mystery till now. 😲

amarever

JackE said:

@egydiocoelho >>>>Download version 1511 of windows 10 and try to recover the efi partition: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000124331/how-to-repair-the-efi-bootloader-on-a-gpt-hdd-for-windows-7-8-8-1-and-10-on-your-dell-pc

>>>>

Try @egydiocoelho suggestion and use the v1511 iso. It's one of the last Win10 versions from which the EFI partition can be fixed/modified. All later versions seem to lock you out so far, courtesy Microsoft.

@ja@JackE
Now I have prepared a bootable stick with Win10  - v1511 (3rd Release date 04/2016) using RUFUS.
Selections: 1) Partition Scheme - >GPT. 
                     2) File System - > FAT32
If this is ok, please revert, so I can get it shipped from my friend.

JackE

>>>Now I have prepared a bootable stick with Win10  - v1511 (3rd Release date 04/2016) using RUFUS. Selections: 1) Partition Scheme - >GPT. 
 2) File System - > FAT32>>>
 If this is ok, please revert, so I can get it shipped from my friend.>>>>

I'm not quite sure what you're actually doing. So let me be clear.

For a UEFI booting machine, the Windows boot installation USB must be GPT scheme, FAT32 format,

For a UEFI-CSM or Legacy BIOS booting machine, the Windows boot installation USB must be MBR scheme, FAT32 format

amarever

@JackE
Thanks for your quick response 😊
Ok. I made the previous one in GPT-NTFS. (recommended by Rufus) 
Now i have made a stick in GPT-FAT32 with Win 10 v1511. (The stick is yet to arrive. I will update you once I am done) 

JackE

>>>>Now i have made a stick in GPT-FAT32 with Win 10 v1511. (The stick is yet to arrive. I will update you once I am done) >>>

Just to be clear,  this stick should boot a UEFI booting machine. It will NOT boot a Legacy BIOS booting maching.
 

amarever

@JackE
Ok. My laptop is UEFI booting model (Acer) . I am troubleshooting this laptop only and I am going to use this flash drive (GPT-FAT32) on this machine only. 
I posted some images of a different computer (Lenovo AIO) previously. That is nothing but i had shown how I was preparing the USB stick and what issue I was facing then. That could've created the confusion here. 

JackE

OK. Thanks.

amarever

JackE said:

>>>>Now i have made a stick in GPT-FAT32 with Win 10 v1511. (The stick is yet to arrive. I will update you once I am done) >>>

Just to be clear,  this stick should boot a UEFI booting machine. It will NOT boot a Legacy BIOS booting maching.
 

Hi @egydiocoelho, @billsey and @JackE
Greetings to you! 
I tried with v1511 of Windows 10 bootable flash drive. But I am getting the same blue screen after ACER logo (image below)... 
Software used: RUFUS
Partition Scheme: GPT 
File System : FAT32
Your response will be much appreciated. 

JackE

This suggests an HDD hardware failure.  Boot from the stick again. Choose the advanced or troubleshooting option. We want to get to the command prompt from the boot stick to try to repair it. The command prompt will be a black screen with white characters and blinking underscore looking something like this  X : \~\ >_

amarever

JackE said:

This suggests an HDD hardware failure.  Boot from the stick again. Choose the advanced or troubleshooting option. We want to get to the command prompt from the boot stick to try to repair it. The command prompt will be a black screen with white characters and blinking underscore looking something like this  X : \~\ >_

@JackE
Thanks!
Kindly go through the entire thread, sir, 
I am not able to reach to comment prompt in any means!
Already bought a new SSD and tried with it. but in vain. 
None of the options provided in the error screen works!
Repeated shut down and start up process to enter into Recovery Environment (where I can access advanced troubleshooting options) doesn't work either!
Is this a symptom of any other hardware issue? 😑

JackE

Are you tapping F12 key on startup to boot from the USB stick?

amarever

JackE said:

Are you tapping F12 key on startup to boot from the USB stick?

@JackE
I am tapping F2 first to verify if the USB drive is showing. in BIOS settings and to place it in the top of priority list (also to enable F12 boot menu and to disable secure boot options there).
Then I exit with saving changes. 
The laptop starts up and I tap F12  now.
This brings the boot menu on screen and I ensure that the selected USB drive is highlighted here. 
I press enter to continue booting.
Now acer logo appears for appx.15 seconds. Then the blue screen comes up. The F8 or ENTER keys don't fetch anything. Only the ESC key fetches UEFI settings screen.
The laptop powers off itself exactly after 1 minute if I don't press any key. 

Note: I tried with SECURE BOOT both ENABLED and DISABLED. In Enabled mode  the following screen appears....

JackE

(1) To disable secure boot you must first set and save a BIOS supervisor password.

(2) Then shut the machine off and then F2 to re-enter the BIOS with the supervisor passwordd to disable secure boot and save the setting.

(3) Then shut the machine off again

(4) Then turn it back on and IMMEDIATELY start tapping the F12 key (not F2)

(5) A menu should appear to allow you to boot from the USB stick without getting security boot failure notice

amarever

@JackE
I had already set supervisor password ever since I started troubleshooting this laptop. (to toggle between enabled and disabled in order to check the boot up in both conditions).
I followed all that you have said... Like first F2 and then F12.... Directly F12... and without pressing any key.... (in all the cases, the USB is set as the default boot drive). But nothing worked out. 
In secured boot ENABLED, Win latest version always shows BOOT DEVICE FAIL. But v.1511 brings the blue screen as in Disabled mode. 

JackE

>>>Win latest version always shows BOOT DEVICE FAIL. But v.1511 brings the blue screen>>>

The boot device fail message means that the device that failed is in fact the USB pendrive.

amarever

@JackE
But with the same pen drive, the blue screen appears when booting up in disabled SECURE BOOT mode..
i have 3 pen drives with latest versions in 2 and v1511 in 3rd pendrive. All pendrives can't be faulty together. 

JackE

Then maybe it's the USB ports? If you don't get a menu with options to install or troubleshot---but always get an boot device error---then the BIOS simply can't read, recognize or otherwise access the USB boot device. Try temporarily disconnecting the SSD to see if it will boot from the USB stick.

amarever

Tried without SSD / HDD and both. Not booting