Cant access bios before Windows (Aspire 5600U "All in One")

justletmein
justletmein Member Posts: 4 New User
edited March 2024 in 2018 Archives
Friend has system mentioned in title.  HD seemed to be failing (via chkdsk that at times couldn't complete, and scanned via bootable media back when windows would try to load and I could interrupt it.)

Now I can't get BIOS to show or Windows to load.  From powered off, to pressing power...
1. white LED next to power button comes on
2. after 9 seconds, screen brightens from completely black to a powered/gray background (as if to show a BIOS splash screen, but doesnt)
3. there is what appears to be an icon or logo in the first instant of these 9 seconds (too briefly to tell what it is
3. after 2 seconds, the screen goes to what appears to be the powered off state
4. I've let it sit in this state for hours, with no change (power light on, screen appears off, fan running.)

At one point, I think with the keyboard/mouse usb adapter removed, there was a BIOS screen.  However, I haven't been able to replicate that.  It was complaining about no keyboard/mouse present.

This all started from errors/crashes/hangs/sluggishness while in Windows.  I backed up the data before drive errors became so prevalent that I did another scan and found more bad spots. This prompted drive clone and replacement.

Connected TV to HDMI ports on the back.  At one point, during the process above, the gray background had a logo in the center of this device's screen that looked like an input selection logo (like if you cycle through inputs on your TV, but was not the one from the TV).  At one point I saw an "invalid input signal" error message, so I thought rather than video-out ports (another screen/monitor, projector,etc), perhaps it was expecting input so I tried the video out from my Dish reciever (was handy).

Now, with either old drive or new clone installed, it is the same process numbered above.

Tried every key combo I could find suggested online, none are working.

Unable to at least replicate missing keyboard/mouse error message and option to enter BIOS

Answers