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Author Topic: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot  (Read 15271 times)

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Elredeye

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    Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
    « on: August 12, 2017, 09:23:09 AM »
     My Asus will not boot. It loops from loading and diagnostic, attempting repair, but will not load OS. trying to save Documents through safe mode but can not access safe mode.

    Elredeye

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      Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
      « Reply #1 on: August 12, 2017, 10:45:28 AM »
      Machine stuck in "Diagnosing your PC". Asus support says to hit f4 during restart for safe mode, to no avail.

      Mark.



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      Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
      « Reply #2 on: August 12, 2017, 08:01:33 PM »
      how old?
      any click click click noises coming from the hard drive?

      you're going to have to remove the drive if you need personal files recovered.
      than you can try reinstalling the OS.

      Elredeye

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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #3 on: August 12, 2017, 09:06:02 PM »
        No noises. Has been attempting system restore for about 3 hrs. after finally loading troubleshoot option. don't know how to recover personal files if I remove drive. 

        Mark.



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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #4 on: August 12, 2017, 11:27:23 PM »
        sounds like a big question mark over the hard drive integrity. (sadly)

        your first hurdle is to recover your data (if at all possible) and since the PC isn't starting, that will entail removing its drive.
        if a desktop, removing the side cover will give you access to the drive.
        if a laptop, it will either have a separate access panel underneath, usually one for the drive and another for the memory slots, but this varies per make/model of laptop.
        some require the entire back plate to be removed while others have the drive sitting under the keyboard (for some god *censored* unexplained reason - please let me one day meet that designer!)

        once removed you can either insert it into another PC (if desktop) or put it into an external drive enclosure (if desktop or laptop).
        the drive goes into this external enclosure which in turn connects via USB to you other PC.  so obviously you'll need access to another PC.

        more often than not, drives fail enough that a PC won't boot from them, but not enough that they still can't have data retrieved.
        it's all going to depend on how it has 'died'.  if indeed it has died.  my first priority would be to safeguard my data, if that isn't important to you or you don't have anything you wouldn't care to lose, than I would move to the next step; reformatting and reload Windows from scratch.


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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #5 on: August 13, 2017, 10:41:23 AM »
        On You Tube you can find disassembly instructions for Asus X550C Notebook repair
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN7X5WXNRVM

        You want to test the hard drive, the RAM and the battery. Beyond that there is not a lot yum can do.



        DaveLembke



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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #6 on: August 13, 2017, 11:12:09 AM »
        Mark Stated:

        Quote
        you're going to have to remove the drive if you need personal files recovered.
        than you can try reinstalling the OS.

        Just wanted to add that removal might not be necessary to gain access to the data on that drive ... as for while the hard drive might be toast.... if its not toast and you want your data recovered without opening the laptop to remove the hard drive, if your able to make a bootable thumb drive of Linux MINT for example you can boot the system off of the USB port and then have a healthy Linux Mint OS running in a LIVE environment aka LIVE Distro where this USB stick acts like a hard drive for Linux to operate and does not require an installation to the system its used on to function. Then if the hard drive is healthy enough to mount the drive which it should do automatically, you then will be able to navigate to this hard drive and then if the file system isnt completely trashed you could plug in an additional USB thumb drive while also keeping the Linux USB drive inserted for the OS to function or external hard drive in addition to Linux USB stick and be able to copy the data to external media before you go with any attempt to reinstall an OS to that drive.

        I have used this method with many systems with drives that spun and had partial physical damage = bad sectors or just data corruption as well as even infected systems where people needed their data and I was able to clean up the problem with the platform immunity that Linux brings with it to be immune from malware targeted for Windows and requiring Windows to function. NOTE: If a drive is encrypted this wont work without a way to decrypt the data. Linux method of access to Windows system drives that cant boot themselves to a functional OS but able to boot the system to Linux suggestion works with drives that are non encrypted.

        Did you create the optional system recovery media on USB stick(s) or DVD-R's to be able to install a clean OS back to hard drive? Your going to need that if installing fresh to this drive or a replacement drive. If you never made this media, you will need to contact ASUS and possibly pay a fee for them to mail you a system recovery media set for this specific model.

        If the drive doesnt spin and you need the data, then it will need to go out to a data recovery center and they are pricey. If the drive spins and Linux cant mount it there are tools out there to get the data back, but I would suggest getting assistance from a professional hands on with your drive as for one oops can wipe out your data. I have a tool that works good for crashed drives that runs under Windows which is called GetdataBack NTFS. But it cost me $79.99 when i bought this software. It was able to recover data from a laptop drive with the clunk of death which is pretty impressive, but it took almost a week to assemble the data from damaged drive to a healthy drive for 5GB of data on a 8GB drive at my prior employer where a guy dropped his laptop while it was running.

        Hopefully you ran some backups to other drives either cloud storage or external devices so that your not risking a total loss if this drive doesnt want to work with you to give up its data.

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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #7 on: August 13, 2017, 11:28:54 AM »
        Here are links about how to put Linux Mint on o USB flash drive.
        just easy:
        https://linoxide.com/linux-how-to/install-linux-mint-18-usb-flash/
        more derail:
        http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/how-to-install-linux-mint-from-usb

        Other versions of  Linux also can do the job. Most will allow install to USB.

        Mark.



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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #8 on: August 13, 2017, 03:11:45 PM »
        and just to state the obvious - backup, Backup, BACKUP.  :)

        patio

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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #9 on: August 13, 2017, 03:36:58 PM »
        Quote
        Just wanted to add that removal might not be necessary to gain access to the data on that drive ... as for while the hard drive might be toast.... if its not toast and you want your data recovered without opening the laptop to remove the hard drive, if your able to make a bootable thumb drive of Linux MINT for example you can boot the system off of the USB port and then have a healthy Linux Mint OS running in a LIVE environment aka LIVE Distro where this USB stick acts like a hard drive for Linux to operate and does not require an installation to the system its used on to function. Then if the hard drive is healthy enough to mount the drive which it should do automatically, you then will be able to navigate to this hard drive and then if the file system isnt completely trashed you could plug in an additional USB thumb drive while also keeping the Linux USB drive inserted for the OS to function or external hard drive in addition to Linux USB stick and be able to copy the data to external media before you go with any attempt to reinstall an OS to that drive.

        This is a huge assumption since we dont know the health of the HDD...
        " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

        DaveLembke



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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #10 on: August 13, 2017, 04:42:03 PM »
         ;D

        No guarantees that the data would be recoverable, hence the drive could be "toast". Just stating the facts that Linux "could" be used as a means to accessing the data and copying the data to another healthy drive if the drive is healthy enough without drive removal and without having to buy a drive dock or external enclosure or even having to add the drive to a different computer to recover data.

        What I shared was mainly in regards to ( correcting ) Marks statement of " you're going to have to remove the drive if you need personal files recovered" of which that's NOT the only option for accessing data on a troubled drive, and so I threw the Linux Live OS option out there as a means that doesnt require a person to remove a hard drive or in some laptops have to dismantle the system including removal of main board to swap drives as my ASUS X401A is a poor design for memory and hard drive replacement or upgrade. So others who might come across this are aware of the Linux Live OS option vs only way of getting data off a drive like this being removal and adding it into a healthy system as a slave drive or connecting to a USB drive dock or external enclosure to take a chance on data recovery as Mark was suggesting.

         :)

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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #11 on: August 14, 2017, 12:54:17 AM »
        DaveLembke,
        You idea is good. If he can boot from a Linux USB device, it would indicate that most of the laptop is working and the issue is likely the Hard Drive and/or the operating system.
        The USB boot is the less intrusive test tool. An even if the HDD is good, a backup would be a good idea.
        From my own experience the Windows recovery system is a high risk tool. It has the knack  of sometimes making things worse.

        DaveLembke



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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #12 on: August 14, 2017, 01:35:40 PM »
        Quote
        From my own experience the Windows recovery system is a high risk tool. It has the knack  of sometimes making things worse.

        This is usually when people dont read all options and fully understand what will happen and with wrong selection made then their data gets wiped out when the drive gets formatted. Not a process that should be rushed and quick clicked if you want to keep your data from getting wiped out.  ;D

        And yes, the USB method would also test the rest of the computer to verify that its not something else and thus limited to SATA drive controller or Hard drive, with hard drive being the most likely cause of the problem as for drive controllers rarely die .... unless liquids spilled into a laptop or physically damaged from a fall or getting crushed from stepped or sat on etc.

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        Re: Asus X550C Notebook will not boot
        « Reply #13 on: August 14, 2017, 09:22:21 PM »
        At the risk of being cute,  what was in the coffee? Sugar? Milk?
        Was any attempt made to remove residue after the coffee spill?
        Here are links with some ideas:
        Use a hair dryer:
        http://lifehacker.com/5440670/how-to-save-your-laptop-from-spills
        Quote
        There's generally no need to completely disassemble the laptop because they're designed with an eye toward ventilation. Make sure to keep the lid open as it dries out, though, so air can circulate around the keyboard.
        Another:
        https://betanews.com/2016/12/16/coffee-soda-water-spill-laptop-what-need-to-know-do/
        Quote
        First of all, it is important to know that you need to power off your device immediately after the spill. Do not power it back on until you have cleaned it. I cannot stress this enough. If you rush it, you could fry the internals and then it's game over. So, prepare yourself for being without your laptop for at least a couple of days. Unplug the power cable and remove the battery, if possible.
        Here is a more complete method:
        http://www.pcworld.com/article/3067332/hardware/when-water-coffee-or-liquid-spills-on-your-laptop-do-this.html
        They warn that you have to really work to get the material out.
        What they do not tell you is that you may have to remove the motherboard and clean it with a solvent and let it dry. You my wish to hire somebody to do this.

        Alcohol can be used, be it is flammable.  Yet it is my personal preference.  Read on.

        A technician might use  Trichloroethylene , which is very toxic.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroethylene
        Quote
        The chemical compound trichloroethylene is a halocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent. It is a clear non-flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It should not be confused with the similar 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is commonly known as chlorothene.
        Note that is can remove water and dissolve oils.
        Quote
        Trichloroethylene is an effective solvent for a variety of organic materials.
        When it was first widely produced in the 1920s, trichloroethylene's major use was to extract vegetable oils from plant materials such as soy, coconut, and palm. Other uses in the food industry included coffee decaffeination and the preparation of flavoring extracts from hops and spices. It has also been used for drying out the last bit of water for production of 100% ethanol.
        So yes, it does the job. But it is very, very toxic and should only be use by a qualified technician.  Or use a newer solvent that does not have such toxic dangers.
        http://www.turi.org/Our_Work/Cleaning_Laboratory/Past_Projects/Trichloroethylene-and-Chlorinated-Solvents-Reduction/Ten_Tips_for_Replacing_Trichloroethylene_TCE

        Hope you fix it without going to such an extreme.  :)
        As a last resort, sell it for parts.