Boot issues

Solved
Grunc -  
flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   -
Hello,

Here is my configuration:
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Windows 7 64 bits
AMD X4 Phenom BE (3.4Ghz)
MSI 760GM motherboard
Seagate 1TB HDD (SATA)
Standard DVD drive (SATA)
Sapphire 7770 graphics card
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I am currently experiencing an issue at startup; here is exactly how the boot process unfolds:
-Full screen MSI screen (1 second)
-Blinking cursor (1 second)
-And here’s the issue: White cursor frozen (more centered than the usual blinking cursor) for over a minute
-Screen "2.2 T infinity" without the loading bar below
-The motherboard gives me the choice between the HDD or the CD/DVD drive
-After selecting the HDD, Windows finally starts

I have tried several things:
-I changed the boot order by removing the famous 2.2 infinity and booting directly from the HDD, but it was impossible to boot from it
-Attempted a Windows startup repair; it found no issues
-Changed the cables, SATA connectors, connection order, etc.
-Fiddled with a couple of settings in the BIOS (like switching from IDE to AHCI but then it says "no bootable device")

So I turn to you because I'm a bit out of options; I have other hypotheses but I'm not too sure:
When I look at the partitions on my HDD, I have in order 100MB healthy (system partition) (it forced me during formatting) then my system partition (swap file) and my data partition.
Could this partition be causing problems on the HDD during boot? On my old HDD, I didn’t have this, just system and data.
Can I merge it with the system partition using software like partition manager?

Then the 2.2T infinity, which seems specific to MSI (I can't find info on this thing), appears to be malfunctioning; is there a way to remove it and boot directly from the HDD?

Why does it ask me to boot either from the HDD or the DVD? In the boot order, I have 1 infinity, 2 the HDD, and 3 the DVD, so it should boot automatically without asking me. There may be an issue with the settings/compatibility with the HDD?

Thank you in advance to those who will take the time to look into this strange issue ^^

7 answers

Grunc
 
So if I put the Sata: 4M-ST1000 (so the HDD) in 1, when booting I get a black screen with a blinking dash.

In the boot sequence, I can set 4 orders, then below I have 2.2T infinity enabled or disabled, and with either option, I still get the blinking dash.

If I don’t set the 2.2T infinity to 1, I basically can't boot.
2
Grunc
 
The only peripherals connected via USB are my keyboard/mouse, my Wi-Fi dongle, and internally the multi-card reader and the front panel where nothing is plugged in.
It can't be the Wi-Fi dongle since it came after the issue.
1
flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   5 164
 
try without it is possible that the motherboard tries to boot from it
0
Grunc
 
Thank you for the response.
Indeed, it seems to be the cause of the issue; by disconnecting the two devices (keyboard and Wi-Fi), the PC boots normally, and the infamous stuck dash only lasts one to two seconds.
However, in the boot sequence, USB is not even listed (I have set 1 for infinity, 2 for HDD, and 3 for CDDVD).
What setting should I change to be able to boot with my devices connected?
Or should I just change the USB port, considering that my Wi-Fi dongle doesn't work on the "upper" ports (I have six at the back; it only works on the bottom ones or the front)?
0
flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   Ambassadeur 5 164
 
hi

Isn't it this partition that messes up the HDD during boot? On my old HDD, I just had system and data

no, it's not that, this 100 MB partition is installed by W7 for system recovery.

In the boot order, I have 1 infinity, 2 the HDD and 3 the DVD, it should boot by itself without asking me.

You can remove "1 infinity" from the line and put "HDD" as 1.

--
Hello to you
0
Grunc
 
I'm a little stuck... Would flashing the BIOS solve the issue, and if so, how should I proceed?
0
flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   Ambassadeur 5 164
 
Is there a USB stick plugged in by any chance??

--
Hello to you
0
flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   Ambassadeur 5 164
 
Well, we've made a big leap. The problem is identified.
After.....I don't know what to tell you, you need to try various combinations, in the BIOS, there might be another place to check, many motherboards have the boot order, but also the order of storage devices (and it's usually not in the same place), that's where "usb" might be found or it might not be written as clearly, anyway, you have to dig around.

It's often referred to as "hard disk drives" or "hard drive priority"
In this capture, you have the boot orders (1, 2, and 3 boot device), and below, "hard disk drives"


For the USB ports on the board, the same goes, you need to test all combinations.

Hello at your place
0
Grunc
 
Well, I've tried pretty much everything related to USB in the BIOS. The only thing that works is to set USB controller to disabled, but then none of the peripherals work, so I have to dig out an old keyboard to access the BIOS :D
There's not even USB in the boot list, nor hard disk drive, just infinity in the list.
And that dash is stuck for quite a while.
It seems like this issue with the dash is not isolated; it occurs with an MSI motherboard as seen here. I'm not sure if I can post the link, I'll remove it if needed:
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/troubleshooting/32417-windows-7-fails-boot-usb-controller-enabled-bios.html
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flo88 Posted messages 28475 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   5 164
 
Anyway, now you know exactly where the problem comes from.
Perhaps a BIOS update is available and fixes this bug (if it is one).
You need to check your BIOS version and see on the MSI website.
It's the last chance; if that doesn't solve the problem, you'll have to deal with it.
0