acer az238w5 all in one stuck in never ending boot loop and cannot access anything.........

520Zilla

have a acer az238w5 all in one

When starting up, it will spin, then reboot, and end up on "Preparing automatic repair"

Things I have tried

-booting in Legacy mode

-booting to win 10 flash drive (which also just spins)

-Alt+f10 also just sits on the "please wait" and spins.

I am thinking I will need to try and open it and reseat the HDD is my next step unless anyone has suggestions?

William_mk2

@520Zilla

I understand you are using a acer az238w5 all in one computer.

Turn off the computer.

Unplug all the devices and cables including power cable. 

Press and hold the power button for 45 seconds. 

Connect all the cables back.  Please connect the power cable as the last one.  

Turn on the computer

Tap del 

Go to bios

press f9 - Load defaults - press yes

press f10 - save the changes - press yes

Computer should load the windows .. 

If it is still not working..

If the computer goes to automatic repair – diagnosing your pc.  If you see restart and advanced option

click on advanced options

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - advanced options 

click on system restore – click on your account – type the password 

chose an earlier date on which it was working fine.   Click on finish and yes

Computer will load into windows..

If the system restore is not working please try the following steps

If the computer goes to automatic repair – diagnosing your pc.  If you see restart and advanced option

click on advanced options

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - advanced options – chose startup settings – click on restart - It will show you a list of options. Please press no 5 on keyboard to go to safe mode with networking. It will go to login screen – type the password - It will show you the icons in safe mode.  Now shutdown and restart the computer to regular mode. 

If you are not able to go to safe mode with networking then please try the following steps.. 

If the computer goes to automatic repair – diagnosing your pc.  If you see restart and advanced option

click on advanced options

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc

click on keep my files ( only applications will be lost )  chose your account and type your password  - click on local reinstall - click on reset

It will be in progress 

If the keep my files option is not working 

If the computer goes to automatic repair – diagnosing your pc.  If you see restart and advanced option

click on advanced options

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc – click on remove everything – click on local reinstall – just remove my files – click on reset 

It will reinstall windows. 

You can also go to chose an option , continue , troubleshoot by holding the alt key + tapping f10 or alt gr + tapping f10 on the keyboard while turning on the computer.  Once you see the troubleshoot option, you can stop tapping the f10 and stop holding the alt key. 

If you are not able to see troublshoot, chose an option, continue on the screen please follow the steps given below.

Different ways of going into repair mode.  

I am really sorry for the inconvenience.  I will do my best to help you.  For me, it looks like a software issue, still we need to isolate the issue. 

My goal is to help you to get into repair mode. It will show you - chose an option, continue, troubleshoot, use a device.

Different ways of getting into repair mode:

When you start the computer, once it goes to automatic repair, diagnosing your pc , it will show you something like restart, advanced options. If you click on advanced option, it will go to repair mode where it will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot, use a device. If you are not able to get into repair mode, we might have to do a hard reset to get into repair mode.  Turn on the computer.  Once it goes beyond the acer logo, turn off the computer immediately by holding the power button.  Do this for 6 to 7 times.  Turn on the computer.  It will go to repair mode. 

If it is still not working you have to follow these steps. There are two alt keys on the keyboard. If you look at the bottom row of keyboard you can see the one on the left side of space bar and the other on the right side of space bar. The alt key on the right side will be looking like alt, alt gr or alt car. Turn off the computer. Hold the alt key on the left and tap f10 continuously.  It will go to repair mode. If it is not going to repair mode, turn off the computer. Turn on the computer. Hold the right alt key ( alt gr or alt car or alt ) and then tap f10 continuously.  It will go to repair mode. 

If you are still not able to get into repair mode then we might have to reinstall the windows. 

520Zilla

@William_mk2

Thank you for your response, I have tried all of these methods, and I cannot get the windows menu at all, to t-shoot or repair

Method 1: Turn off the computer., Unplug all the devices and cables including power cable. , Press and hold the power button for 45 seconds. , Connect all the cables back.  Please connect the power cable as the last one.  

This results in the same, tries to start up, then reboots and goes to "Perparing automatic repair"

Method 2: Turn on the computer, Tap del , Go to bios, press f9 - Load defaults - press yes, press f10 - save the changes - press yes, Computer should load the windows .. 

This results in the same, tries to start up, then reboots and goes to "Perparing automatic repair"

If the computer goes to automatic repair – diagnosing your pc.  If you see restart and advanced option

Cannot see anything with "Advanced options" as it does not give me any blue screens just the acer screen

You can also go to chose an option , continue , troubleshoot by holding the alt key + tapping f10 or alt gr + tapping f10 on the keyboard while turning on the computer.  Once you see the troubleshoot option, you can stop tapping the f10 and stop holding the alt key. 

This will give me a "please wait" screen that never stops spinning

 For me, it looks like a software issue, still we need to isolate the issue. 

Yes, I believe the same

If it is still not working you have to follow these steps. There are two alt keys on the keyboard. If you look at the bottom row of keyboard you can see the one on the left side of space bar and the other on the right side of space bar. The alt key on the right side will be looking like alt, alt gr or alt car. Turn off the computer. Hold the alt key on the left and tap f10 continuously.  It will go to repair mode. If it is not going to repair mode, turn off the computer. Turn on the computer. Hold the right alt key ( alt gr or alt car or alt ) and then tap f10 continuously.  It will go to repair mode. 

This will give me a "please wait" screen that never stops spinning

If you are still not able to get into repair mode then we might have to reinstall the windows. 

I cannot reinstall, as even booting from a windows boot flash drive it spins, and will not give me install options

ragsak28

Hi @520Zilla

You can try to do a reset to check if that makes any difference.

How Factory Reset Your PC using Acer Reset key

1. Press the Power key for 5 seconds to power off Acer computer completely. Then restart the computer and press Alt + F10 when its logo shows up.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Reset your PC.
3. Click Next, then select Just remove my files.
4. Press Reset to begin the recovery.

NOTE: But you will loose all the data.

Hope it will help you in some way.

520Zilla

@ragsak28

1. Press the Power key for 5 seconds to power off Acer computer completely. Then restart the computer and press Alt + F10 when its logo shows up.

When I push Alt + F10 it says "Please wait" and has the spinning wheel forever, never loads a Menu

William_mk2

@520Zilla

If you are not able to go to repair mode, we might have to do a hard reset to get into repair mode.  Turn on the computer.  Once you see the acer logo, turn off the computer immediately by holding the power button.  Do this for 6 to 7 times.  Turn on the computer.  It will go to repair mode. 

Repair mode is a troubleshooting mode where you see chose an option, continue , troubleshoot. Once you go to repair mode we can try steps like system restore, safe mode with networking, startup repair, refresh, reset etc..

Please try the hard reset multiple time till you get into repair mode.

If it is still not working please tap del while turning on the computer. It will go to bios. Please check whether the hdd is detected in the bios. Please go to the info menu next to main. Below hdd0 model name , hdd1 model name , hdd0 serial no, hdd1 serial no, it will show you the details. If you are able to see none on hdd0 and hdd1 that means hdd is not detected. If you are able to see the hdd info then hdd is detected.

If the hdd is detected then the last step is to reinstall windows using Windows 10 usb flash drive or Acer recovery media.

If you contact Acer you can get the recovery media which is designed for your computer or else you can download windows 10 from another working computer using a 8 gb blank usb flash drive.  

Please visit the website - support.acer.com - chose your country - click on shop.  scroll down - click on eRecovery media on the bottom of page.  Enter the snid no - you can place the order for recovery media.  It might be a set of disks or recovery usb flash drive.  Alternatively, on the top right corner you can find the phone no to contact Acer store.  You can also order it from Acer store. 

Recovery media is a unique media which is designed only for your computer.  It cannot be used on any other computer.  It comes with drivers and applications which is designed for your computer.  

Try this method..

On a different working computer. 

Go to the website 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/windows10

Below the info Create Windows 10 installation media

click on download tool now.. 

It will download the windows media creation tool - click on media creation file on the lower left corner.

Insert a blank 8 gb flash drive 

it will download and install the windows 10 on the blank flash drive.. 

Now insert the flash drive on the broken computer

Boot it using flash drive..

click on install

chose custom

on where do you want to install windows screen - remove all the partitions

It will become like one single unallocated space  

There is no need to format it.. 

chose the unallocated space 

click on next 

It will install the operating system. 

520Zilla

@William_mk2

If you are not able to go to repair mode, we might have to do a hard reset to get into repair mode. 

I have turned the power on and off 20+ times and it never goes into repair mode, on start up it toggles from the acer boot page, to the acer "Preparing automatic repair" which I think is it trying to go into Recovery/Repair mode but it never does

I think at this point I just need a new harddrive and a fresh install. All hope is lost for this one.

Try this method.

Now insert the flash drive on the broken computer

I made a usb boot drive from my other computer, and the Acer boots to the windows screen with the spinning forever circle, never gets to a menu

William_mk2

@520Zilla

Before you boot the computer using usb flash drive , you need to change the settings on bios.

Tap del, please go to bios while turning on the computer.

You will see Info, main, security, authentication , boot , exit

Go to main

f12 boot menu - disabled - please press enter on disabled - change it to enabled

Go to boot tab next to main on the top

change the settings to

Boot mode : uefi

secure boot : enabled

f10 - save the changes

Connect the flash drive, tap f12 while turning on the computer. It will show you the usb flash drive on the boot menu

chose it and press enter. It will load using the usb flash drive .

If you are not able to see the usb flash drive on the boot menu

Go to bios

Go to boot tab next to main on the top

Boot mode : uefi

secure boot : enabled ( change it to disabled If you are not able to change it to disabled you might have to set up a supervisor password on bios. )

save the changes and try to tap f12 while turning on the computer. Chose the usb flash drive and press enter on the boot menu.

My final suggestion is..

If you contact Acer you can get the recovery media which is designed for your computer or else you can download windows 10 from another working computer using a 8 gb blank usb flash drive.  

Please visit the website - support.acer.com - chose your country - click on shop.  scroll down - click on eRecovery media on the bottom of page.  Enter the snid no - you can place the order for recovery media.  It might be a set of disks or recovery usb flash drive.  Alternatively, on the top right corner you can find the phone no to contact Acer store.  You can also order it from Acer store. 

Recovery media is a unique media which is designed only for your computer.  It cannot be used on any other computer.  It comes with drivers and applications which is designed for your computer.  

billsey

Likely the drive is failing so the repair process isn't able to do anything. My guess is when you attempt to boot on a Windows 10 install flash drive you are missing a step or two. Get into the BIOS and verify that Secure Boot is disabled and the F12 Boot Menu is enabled. Save and exit. Plug your W10 install drive in and bring it up pressing the F12 key instead of going into the BIOS. From the resulting menu choose your flash drive and it should boot into the installer environment without trying any sort of repair. From the installer go to the second screen and choose the Repair options. From there navigate to the command prompt and use that to look at your drive. We can step you through that process if needed...