"Bricked?" HP Envy 8.1 / Boots to Logon; then BlueScreen

[ShyWriter]

Hi,

This is a very difficult problem to describe so please bear with me. I also won't be able to immediately answer questions or try stuff except once or twice a day from the wife's computer. OK; here goes..

 

I had a normal shutdown last night.

 

This AM I turned my computer on. I operate in/from the desktop mode so the initial screen was my normal screen:

 

 

I click on this and get my LOGIN screen:

 

 

Then I enter my logon code and get this screen.

 

 

I apologize for pix size as I had to take them with a camera and didn't have my normal tools from my other computer.

 

It stays on this blue screen forever. I can shutdown/restart from the power icon but everything repeats.

 

I have my original Win 8 HP Recovery disks but can not boot from the DVD as the only option with/without secure boot is APTDI (spelling) CD/DVD that is USB attached.

 

Unlike Vista, etc, I can not get a prompt to do a safe boot or system restore with F8.. According to research I've been doing, when Win 8.1 doesn't successfully boot, it's supposed to show a RECOVERY screen automatically. I don't get one.

 

So right now I can only boot from my HD and go thru what you see. And I can't deal with India tech support after 3 hours of getting a defective DVD replaced a week or so back.

 

I have to go do shopping and other chores. I'll be back later this evening..

 

Thanks in advance for anyone who tries to help.. and please pardon the delays in responding/trying..''

 

Steve

[Firefox]

Have you read through this stuff here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/enable-the-f8-key-in-windows-8/ there are other links there to check out too...

[ShyWriter]

Hi

I can only do what I said in my post. If I could get far enough in the boot/login process I could do all sorts of things. ALL I get is the 3 screens in the order I posted. The only mouse/keyboard control-inputs I have is the power icon (Shutdown-Restart-Sleep) or the input box for my password (or if I click on my avatar in the blue-screen it takes me back to login green screen). I can use the F2 and the F10 keys during boot but neither are helpful. The system appears to never get far enough along in the boot-up to hand over full control to the operating system so ALT-CTRL-DEL does nothing nor does the DVD momentarily light when a DVD/CD is inserted. From F10 and F2 I know the bios knows they're there or whatever is between the bios and the OS. VERY strange problem.

 

I have a four year warranty on it (One HP in effect/ 3-more in extended for later) BUT after talking to India about my faulty DVD unit last time and it taking 3 hours, I have zero faith in phone support from HP.. And I haven't gotten to the point of trying their forums yet.

 

Cute story on my defective DVD call to HP (India).. First sentence out of the guys mouth was, "Take your recovery CDs and...." I told him #1 "NO" and #2 "Install them on what?? The only DVD player is BAD!!

 

*sigh*

 

I appreciate the help (private) and public.. I'm open to any suggestion that doesn't involve the OS command line I can't get to because the boot never loads the system to that point.

 

Steve

[ShyWriter]

PS: The Bleeping Computer stuff is interesting and I will do the F8 bit when/if I ever get the OS loaded that far.

 

I'll be back in the morning - Thanks again

[Amethyst]

Maybe something here may apply to your situation...?

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/open-advanced-startup-options-windows-8.htm

That "shift-restart" might get you to a screen where you could roll back to a known good configuration. I don't know, windows 8 seems to be of a flavour beyond my ability to deal with anything major. I'm sticking with 8 rather than trying to go to 8.1 for now. If it ain't broke...

Good luck!

[CWB]

i dunno man ... i would call an "HP repair center" and try to get it fixed under warranty . at least you would be sending it to someplace in the states .

another possibility is to reset the bios and hope that the default boot sequence is the optical device . on some machines the bios reset does not require tearing the whole comp apart (think little push button switches on the motherboard accessable from the bottom via a small hole) .

the ATAPI thing may just be a leftover description for the cd/dvd player ... does the little green light on the player blink during boot up ?

[ShyWriter]

Maybe something here may apply to your situation...?

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/open-advanced-startup-options-windows-8.htm

That "shift-restart" might get you to a screen where you could roll back to a known good configuration. I don't know, windows 8 seems to be of a flavour beyond my ability to deal with anything major. I'm sticking with 8 rather than trying to go to 8.1 for now. If it ain't broke...

Good luck!

 

I tried that yesterday; it just does a ring-around-the-rosy and I wind up with the same blue screen I posted.  I am getting a good tutorial on the Win8/8.1 system by reading all these articles tho'.

[ShyWriter]

i dunno man ... i would call an "HP repair center" and try to get it fixed under warranty . at least you would be sending it to someplace in the states .

another possibility is to reset the bios and hope that the default boot sequence is the optical device . on some machines the bios reset does not require tearing the whole comp apart (think little push button switches on the motherboard accessable from the bottom via a small hole) .

the ATAPI thing may just be a leftover description for the cd/dvd player ... does the little green light on the player blink during boot up ?

 

After much looking last night I finally figured out the CD/DVD unit uses the same light as HD on the panel to show activity. It doesn't have the normal CD?DVD light when a disc is being read or written.

 

I went through all the HP F2 testing options last night (they test the MB, DRIVES, DVD, MEMORY, etc) and all the hardware passed as usable.

 

Just for info purposed, to boot from a regular CD?DVD in Win8.1 one has to go into F10 and unable "Secure Boot" option and enable Legacy option. Did that, got T-shirt and certificate to prove it - no dice

 

What I need is a Bootable Memory Stick which the new secure boot allows.

 

What I find interesting is when I did diagnostics on the DVD drive, one has to put media in for read/write testing. I pop the DVD drive , add the disk and nothing happened until I got insert media (did nothing but leave it in the drive) and hit OK on the screen. Then worked like a champ.

 

I agree; it needs to go back to HP *but* it'll take HOURS trying to get a RMA/permission while India Tech Support goes through all their scripts. I'll wait until Tuesday - miss Monday morning rush - before I call - definitely no weekend support talking (trainees - takes all day to work through scripts)

 

I'm going to use wife's Win7 computer several times a day until then.

 

Later

 

PS: They only support the software for 30 days and I guess that means any OS problems as well??

[Amethyst]

There are a few functions shown here, do any of these work?

 

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-hidden-hotspots-in-windows-81.html

 

(Just grabbing at straws here.)

[CWB]

hmmm ...

it may be that the HD is a tiny bit "corrupted" and this may be due to the onset of drive failure (think hitch-in-yer-get-along) .

so , i can understand the need for cursory checks (he says euphemistically) by low-calorie tech support .

 

not to speak ill of someone and their abilities (on both ends of the phone line) ... you could request from HP a tech support center not located "elsewhere" ...

explain that you are an elderly person and you have trouble understanding english spoken with a thick accent .

the above is actually true in basis ... it aint good or bad , it is just the way it is .

over the years (at work) i have been/was handed the phone when it came to dealing with "thick accents" .

[Maurice Naggar]

So Steve.....

You managed to work some with the DVD. What about Windows ? Usable or not ?

Did you make a "recovery drive" yet? { DVD, CD, USB }

[ShyWriter]

So Steve.....

You managed to work some with the DVD. What about Windows ? Usable or not ?

Did you make a "recovery drive" yet? { DVD, CD, USB }

 

Hi Maurice,

No disrespect to anyone but from reading responses to my posts, you guys understand English and are technically smart and even you don't seem to understand that my computer DOESN'T DO ANYTHING but what I said/showed in my original post. So imagine me and India tech support again. :(

 

PLEASE REMEMBER: This machine came with Win8 (Recovery DVDS - 4 ) but has been "upgraded to 8.1

 

1) I made Recovery Discs when I first got the computer. Win8 - only one recovery set allowed.

2) In F2 diagnostics everything in hardware passes; plus CPU, MEMORY, MB, DRIVES

3) In a normal boot attempt I get screen #1 (post 1) which waits for a keyboard/mouse click.

4) *click*

5) Which brings up the LOGON screen #2 (post 1)

6) PW entered

7) Which brings up screen #3 (post 1)

8) Options here are via the POWER icon or my Avatar shown on screen #3 (post 1)

9) A) Power options are SHUTDOWN | RESTART | SLEEP - All do as expected

9) B) Clicking on Avatar brings me back to screen #2 / LOGON

• I can not get a CMD prompt (or I have a plethora of things I could try)
• CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing
• I can not boot from the DVD even enabling LEGACY options in F10 BOOT order/options
• If I insert a Recovery disc it just sets there.. A music disc; the same
• I tried yanking power both during boot up, as well as at screen #3 stage, to try to force a Win8 Recovery screen - NO JOY

 

During BOOT, I can use both F2 (brings me to hardware diagnostics) and/or F10 (which gives me BIOS options..)

 

• It appears that if I had a Win 8.1 Boot USB stick, I could try other options.

 

Side note; In all my reading (thanks to all that gave me links to various Boards) I understand that when a Win8.1 fails it's supposed to bring up a RECOVERY SCREEN which gives options. I don't get one; either the OS never gets that far or the registry is corrupted or failed.

 

I truly expect the only option is HP sending me a Factory-Imaged HD to replace the one I have.. Or sending my unit back and getting a refurbished one in return.

 

The likelihood of either of the above happening with me India is Zero.. I suspect when it comes down to it, it's going to be labeled a "software" problem which HP only warrants for 30 (90?) days - I'm past that. From 70 years of previous life experiences I have the sinking feeling I'm going to wind up "eating" this computer still with factory warranty/3 years extended warranty, which I can't afford, and buying another (Not from HP) which I also can't afford. I won't be calling HP support until Tuesday because the weekend is full of script trainees and probably no level 2 or level 3 technicians. And Monday is always busy.. Yep; Tuesday sounds like a good day to have an exasperated, red-faced, vein-bulging heart attack while on the phone with India.. :unsure:

 

Will check in tonight and again,

THANK YOU to all that are putting those brain cells and experience on this problem for me.

Steve

[ShyWriter]

There are a few functions shown here, do any of these work?

 

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-hidden-hotspots-in-windows-81.html

 

(Just grabbing at straws here.)

 

Thanks Amethyst - Yeah; I'm aware of those but doing any of then on the screens I have available do nothing. (I use some of those normally so I know what is "supposed" to happen.. Unfortunately, nothing at this time.

[Amethyst]

You know, ShyWriter, rather than it coming down to buying a new computer, why don't you take it to a local computer repair place (after trying HP first...they are still supposed to cover hardware issues, if that's what it is)?  They should be able to somehow get it to boot from a disc drive so you can use the recovery media you have.  Or they might have 8.1 on a usb stick so you can try some other options.  I know this isn't desirable, but it still beats trashing this computer and having to buy a new one.  

[ShyWriter]

@Amethyst - Maurice is going to fix me up with a Recoverable USB Stick so I may be able to get to a System Restore point (and a Recovery Screen) yet - MANY THANKS to all.. I'm closing this topic until I try his fix / deal with HP if his fix doesn't work.. Thanks again ALL!

 

A little smile starting to form from happiness.. *grin*

[ShyWriter]

This problem has been resolved with a bunch of help from my friends here; A special shout out to Maurice Naggar for going above and beyond in assisting me.

 

Thank ALL of you,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Steve

 

Topic Closed by ShyWriter / 11-27-2013