# Asus 200E Stuck in automatic repair loop, won't recognise external DVD-ROM



## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Hi,

I have an Asus S200E laptop which started life as a Windows 8 machine and was subsequently upgraded to Windows 8.1 about 3 months ago.

It's now stuck in the 'Diagnosing your PC - Automatic Repair' loop and I can't force it to break out.

I have a recovery thumb drive that was created when the machine was new (running Windows 8). I have enabled Launch CSM and disabled Secure Boot Control in the BIOS and eventually the BIOS will recognise the recovery drive. I can then select it as the first boot option (as USB 2.0 DISK PMAP, not the UEFI option) and it boots.

So far so good, but the recovery options don't seem to give me any useful options. It can't find any system restore files (though I'm certain they exist on the disk). I don't know how to locate a system image to recover, and the Startup Settings option doesn't appear so I can't get to Safe Mode.

I'm guessing that the 8.1 upgrade has wiped the recovery partition that the thumb drive is looking for.

The command line option is accessible.

I am also unable to get the BIOS to recognise an external DVDROM drive, so I'm unable to re-install windows or boot into Linux.

Since it's a laptop, removing the hard disk or the battery is not straightforward.

My last resort is to try and create a bootable linux thumb drive that would at least allow me to recover the files before it goes into the skip. 

If anyone has any other comments, or suggestions for other things to try, I'd be very grateful.

Kind regards,

Pete


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1. Welcome to Tech Support Guy
2. Sorry you have waited a little while for a reply - do you still need help please


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Thanks Macboatmaster,

Yes, I'm still stuck. I was able to boot the laptop with a linux flash drive. It has mounted all the partitions except for two; one is the main windows installation which it recognises as a corrupt NTFS partition, and the other is a small unrecognised partition. I'm guessing this is something to do with UEFI.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

For a recovery drive to recognise the partitions on a UEFI computer the boot to the recovery drive must be a UEFI boot, as when it is booted legacy - it will not recognise the partitions

you cannot use Refresh or Reset Your PC features if Windows is installed on a drive with GPT (not MBR) partition table until you force "UEFI only" boot setting in BIOS/EFI. Windows 8 and 8.1 will not detect GPT partition alignment correctly if BIOS booting is enabled.

Additionally although you will have the basic repair facilities the recovery drive made in 8 cannot be used to repair 8.1
do not try to use Windows 8.1 Recovery Drive for repairing Windows 8, and vice versa

again except in the basic repair operations

Sometimes you can break this repair loop by powering off - disconnect power and disconnect battery - laptop battery.
Hold down power button for a full 20 seconds and reconnect AC only then try

Occasionally the loop can be broken by entering setup - BIOS and changing drive mode
The behaviour can also be an indicator that Windows 8/8.1 does not have required drivers for a disk controller. You can then enter UEFI and set your disk controller mode (aka SATA mode, RAID mode) to _Standard_ (aka Standard IDE or SATA, Legacy) instead of _AHCI_ or _RAID_ *(take note of the original setting first!).* This will often ensure that Windows knows which drivers to use for booting from the system drive.

RESET BIOS (UEFI) to UEFI boot - to get a boot from the recovery drive you may have to disable SECURE BOOT but do not enable legacy boot - still use UEFI boot

Try then the power reset first.
Then try the controller mode

if that does not work reset controller mode as was and proceed to cmd prompt
when you get to cmd prompt
it will I think be an
X:\Sources> 
prompt

Change that to C:
by typing C:
and pressing enter.
then type dir
and press enter
this confirms that the letter of the drive has not been changed by the recovery prompt as sometimes occurs
when you are satisfied that you are in the lettered drive that is your Windows installation
type
chkdsk /r
press enter
if it reports that the drive cannot be checked until all open handles are closed agree that and proceed

See where you go from there please - if it is a no go - when you post back I will send you another possible way forward


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Thanks for your help and apologies for not replying sooner. 

Power reset is tricky - this laptop doesn't have a removeable battery, so I would need to dismantle the case and either unplug or unsolder the battery. I haven't tried to do that yet.

The disk controller mode trick didn't work.

I reset my BIOS to UEFI: USB and booted off the recovery drive. When I type c: at the command prompt to change to the C drive, I get 'The disk structure is corrupt and unreadable' .


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I am not talking about the CMOS battery - I mean the normal laptop battery, that powers it when disconnected from AC


Is there anything else that you have not mentioned that has occurred here - the disk structure is corrupt and unreadable MAY be indicative of a jolt or knock whilst the laptop was running


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

So am I - the main battery on an Asus S200E cannot be removed without taking the bottom of the case off! I may have a go this evening when I've a bit more time.

I'm not aware of any jogs or knocks - the laptop sits on the desk most of the time, was powered down one night and wouldn't restart the following day.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

OK sorry about that , had not heard of such an arrangement
Please go back to the cmd prompt
and at the X prompt
type
*bcdedit | find "osdevice"*

*you must include the quotes*
*so it bcdedit (space)*
*| that is the pipe above the \ to the left of Z on shift and space after*
*then find and space*
*then " above 2*
*I am sure you have that now and then press enter*


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

The result of running that command is:

osdevice partition=C:


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I do not think this will take us very far but at that X Prompt
try

*chkdsk /f C: *


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Output of chkdsk :c /f is

Corrupt master file table. Windows will attempt to recover master file table from disk.
Windows cannot recover master file table from disk. CHKDSK aborted.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I thought that may be the response
Before we proceed have you changed back controller mode when it did not work - if NOT please do so now to whatever it was set at

Then back at cmd prompt X try this

*bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled NO*

note please the { shift on [ to right of P

see if you get a confirmation - operation completed successfully

Do you have the facility to burn a disk image on to a DVD - sorry just remembered no dvd drive


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Response - The operation completed successfully

I can burn an image to a DVD. What I can't seem to do is get the BIOS to recognise the external DVDROM as a boot option (there's no internal DVDROM or CDROM).


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

OK that error we have on the MFT can sometimes be caused by running third party disk utilities - defraggers cleaners etc - have you done please - not in any manner being critical - many people make the mistake
It is a known fact that some of these programs do corrupt the MFT


On this laptop besides the unusal battery arrangement is the HDD similarly inaccessible or can that be got at easily


Come out of the recovery environment and boot it normally and see what happens


How VITAL is the data on it to you


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Thanks for your patience.

I haven't used any defraggers, cleaners, malware cleansers or anything like that - haven't needed to. All it's done is run Avast, Office, Outlook and Sage Line 50. 

Fortunately we have good backups so the data isn't an issue.

When booting normally, things have changed: I now get a blue 'Recovery' screen, telling me that my PC needs to be repaired and identifies WINDOWS\system32\winload.efi 

It gives 3 options but only 'Esc' does anything, that takes me back into recovery mode. At least the 'Diagnosing your PC" loop has gone.

The HDD is also under the back cover.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

AND the BIOS is now definitely configured UEFI


What is the version please of Windows 8.1 - 64 bit and what eg Pro 
Also in UEFI is the boot device the Windows Boot Manager as that is what 8.1 boots from, not the hard drive as listed in boot options - of course it is still from the hard drive as that is where the boot files are - but not from the hard drive listed as a device
The boot partition in Windows 8.1 is a FAT partition not a NTFS partition UEFI can read NTFS but it cannot boot from it
See screenshot
This screenshot is ONLY an example and there is no assurance that your UEFI screen will look the same
If it is not configured Windows Boot Manager then the firmware will not see that boot partition and will attempt boot from the hard drive as the device 


When you come back I will give you a download and you can then make yourself a USB flash pen to boot from


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Yes, BIOS is UEFI.

It's Windows 8.1 32-bit, not Pro, not Enterprise (the 'home edition' tag seems to have been dropped) .

In UEFI the boot device is the Windows Boot Manager, same as your screenshot.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Ok make yourself a Windows 8.1 install media on usb
You can then boot from that and after setting language etc click Repair Your Computer

With a little luck that may offer the additional options, you are not achieving on the 8 recovery flash pen

If not you may install from there and be on 8.1 - it will recognise your embedded key in the firmware

The alternative is to invoke the recovery partition on the hard drive presuming it has such and revert back to 8

You will have to consult the user manual for that - but it is normally - when you cannot access windows an F key at boot

Here is the create media for windows 8.1
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
When you click create media you set your language choose the edition in your case 8.1
and then you select 64 bit

I know the DVD works and offers repair your computer and recognises the key embedded in the firmware for a full install. However I do not know how the USB drive works.
IT MAYBE that the USB facility on the link above is NOT a bootable USB if that is the case 
I suggest AFTER saving the ISO you follow this procedure
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
OPTION 2 using Rufus

If this fails and you have access to another Windows 8.1 64 bit computer then I suggest you create recovery media on that computer and try it on yours
As I mentioned earlier the repair of 8.1 using a recovery/repair media created on 8 does not offer all the repair options


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

Sorry that took a while longer than it should have.

Thanks for the link. I created a Windows 8.1 32-bit usb drive . 

I couldn't boot it from the UEFI option - that just put it back into the Automatic Repair - Diagnosing your PC loop.

I did boot it from the drive without UEFI. The repair option didn't give me anything I could use to carry out a repair. Trying a full install also failed: the installer started up OK but wouldn't allow me to install on any of the partitions because they are GPT partitions, presumably because it wasn't booted through UEFI.

My other systems are all Windows 8.1 64-bit but the Asus is 32-bit.

I can repartition the disk and install windows 8.1 on an MBR partition, rather than UEFI, but I doubt that the installer will detect the product key. Will give it a go and see what happens.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I do not think that will work
On page 78 of your user manual it states that pressing F9 during post will then allow you to access Troubleshoot, advanced options, and System Image recovery
Although it is unclear it seems to suggest that this may include the recovery from the hard drive recovery partition.


I am sorry that I missed it was 32 bit on post 17


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## DeadS2090E (Dec 13, 2014)

The system image recovery fails because it can't find an image. 

It asks for a backup disk or the last DVD from a backup set but won't recognise the thumb drive. 

I am given to understand that the upgrade from 8.0 to 8.1 effectively trashes the Recovery partition.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

That was certainly not within my knowledge - if the upgrade was the free via Windows Store it should NOT have done

*Note*


If you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition, resetting your PC will restore Windows 8. You'll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the reset has finished. 
I agree that booting from the legacy option will not recognise the GPT partition table
What I cannot understand is why it would not boot from the UEFI option

Were it to be me I would return to cmd prompt as we were in before and run these cmds
*diskpart
**list disk* (this will give you a listing of the disks on your system)
*select disk #* (select the disk you want to clean, for example *select disk 0*)
*clean* (running the clean command will delete all partitions on the disk)
*exit*

*HOWEVER *as you will appreciate that is a very final step and there is no going back
I would then attempt the install again
*

*


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