operating system - msi.com2012-0605-0357-015458@ts… · 6 | hdd trouble shooting procedure c....

1 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

Operating System

Prepared by msi NB FAE Team︱Version: 2.0 ︱Date: 2011/3/1


Document History

Version Issued by Issue Date Comments

1.0 Jefferson Chu 2010/12/29 First release

2.0 Jefferson Chu 2011/3/1 Flow Chart ‘s and

Description’s Modification


FLOW CHART: OPERATING SYSTEM Trouble Shooting Guide for MSI Notebook

Press “Click ME” for high quality


FLOWCHART WALKTHROUGH

A. Information Gathering Gather as much information from the customer as you can, including symptoms, error messages, computer history, and the user’s actions at the time of the failure.

B. Update Bios and EC Firmware Majority of the bugs are being solved by updating bios or ec firmware, therefore please guide users to flash BIOS and EC using the SOP provided below. Then, check whether the issue has been resolved, if not process to the next step.

Requirements:

- Bootable flash drive

- System bios (check MSI official website www.msi.com and download the corresponding bios for

your system

For Example:

1. Go to www.msi.com

2. On the upper right side, you can see a search bar, and then type in model name like GT729

3. Go to bios tab download the bios

4. Verify the current version of your system bios, perhaps you already have the latest one.

Step 1: Press “DEL” key upon boot up Step 2: Go to “Main” tab Step 3: Select “System Information”

http://www.msi.com/

http://www.msi.com/


Bios flashing procedure Note: Please make sure that your system is plugged in (running AC mode) Step 1: Unpack the download bios compressed file to your bootable flash drive. Step 2: Upon boot up press function key “F11” continuously until you enter the boot device option:

Step 3: When system enters DOS mode, look for the bios file (where it is located), and then run “flash.bat” (Without the quotes) Step 4: Shut down after flashing process is complete. Some bios has their command with auto shutdown. Step 5: Unplug both battery and AC adapter. Step 6: Wait for 10 seconds or longer. Step 7: Plug in battery or AC adapter to power on system. Step 8: Load BIOS default value, then press F10 to save it and exit.


C. Operating System verification It is very important to verify “how’s the operating system being installed”. Is it manually or system pre-loaded (HDD image) before proceeding to the next step. If the operating system is manually installed then please proceed to Step E for Issue Validation, while proceed to Step D for Perform F3 recovery if system is using system pre-load/HDD image.

For advance users, they can try to perform Windows Safe mode to check if drivers or 3rd part software

cause the issue.

Perform Windows Safe Mode

During system restarts, when the POST (memory checking) screen comes up, press F8 repeatedly - This will bring you to the Windows advanced options menu. In the Windows advanced options menu, choose safe mode. Then, under My computer device manager select the device driver being installed and uninstall it.

Note: Safe mode loads Windows OS with a minimal set of drivers and no automatically loaded software. If faulty software or drivers is the cause, safe mode should load correctly. If safe mode works well, then try to do eliminating method among the drivers installed until the user finds the driver that caused the problem. However, user can always try to perform last Known good configuration.


D. Perform F3 Recovery If the operating installed is running pre-loaded OS (factory HDD image), there’s a very big possibility that the OS problem can be fixed by performing F3 recovery. How to Perform F3 Recovery

Step 1: Backup your important data into an external hard drive before performing recovery. Then restart system. Step 2: Press the function key “F3” upon boot up when the message appears shown on photo #2. Step 3: Select [MSI Recovery Manager] to perform the System Recovery Function. {#3} Step 4: Press [OK] to continue System Recovery Function. {#4} Step 5: Press [Cancel] to stop System Recovery Function. {# 5} Step 6: The System Recovery Function is now under process. {# 6} Step 7: The System is now successfully recovered. {# 7} Step 8: Press [OK] to restart the system. {# 8} Note: If your notebook doesn't have preload HDD image, it doesn't have F3 System Recovery Function. To read the SOP in other languages, please download the file from the link located below. http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=faq2show&faq_no=2198

http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=faq2show&faq_no=2198


E. Issue Validation The 2 most common widely encountered issues are corrupted MBR (Master Boot Record) and missing NTLDR. Therefore, if these issues are the symptoms of the problems then you may proceed to the procedures provided below.

How to Recover System MBR?

For Windows XP – boot.ini For Windows Vista & 7 – BCD Step 1: Insert your Windows OS disc into the CD/DVD/BD drive. Step 2: Press function key “F11” upon boot up the select boot from CD/DVD/BD drive. Step 3: At the welcome screen, press R for recovery/repair (for Windows XP); use mouse to click “Repair your computer”.


For Windows XP Step 4: Once prompted for the password, enter the Admin password and press enter. Step 5: Once at the command prompt, type bootcfg /rebuild to start the rebuild process. Step 6: Once you have completed the rebuild, you can go back at the prompt and type exit to reboot the computer. Step 7: Windows boot.ini is now rebuild. For Windows Vista & 7 Step 4: Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. Step 5: In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. Step 6: Type Bootrec.exe, and then press ENTER. Step 7: Windows Vista or 7 BCD is now rebuild. Note If rebuilding the BCD does not resolve the startup issue, you can export and delete the BCD, and then run this option again. By doing this, you make sure that the BCD is completely rebuilt. To do this, type the following commands at the Windows RE command prompt:

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup c: cd boot attrib bcd -s -h -r ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old bootrec /RebuildBcd

http://www.computerhope.com/bootcfg.htm


How to Recover System NTLDR?

Step 1: Insert your Windows OS disc into the CD/DVD/BD drive. Step 2: Press function key “F11” upon boot up the select boot from CD/DVD/BD drive. Step 3: At the welcome screen, press R for recovery/repair (for Windows XP); use mouse to click “Repair your computer”.


For Windows XP Step 4: Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter. Step 5: You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password. Step 6: Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter, which in this case is "e." This letter may be different on your computer. copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\ copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\ Step 7: Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.

For Windows Vista & 7 Step 4: Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. Step 5: In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. Step 6: Type bootrec /FixBoot, and then press ENTER. Step 7: Windows Vista or 7 NTLDR is now rebuild.

F. Re-Install OS It is strongly advisable to perform clean OS reinstall if there’s nothing can be done at all. This is mostly applicable for the units that came in Free-DOS.

G. Inform user to prepare system for RMA Inform user to prepare the system for RMA when all the above recommendation cannot resolve the problem.

H. RMA Database Verification Verify if the issue experienced can be found in the RMA website www.rmagcs.com.tw , then apply repair solution if necessary.

I. Swap HDD Swap HDD to ensure that the problem is with the corrupted HDD image. If symptom persists, RMA can try to change the entire HDD. Otherwise change the system’s motherboard.

J. Swap MB Change the system’s motherboard as last resort. If problem continue to persist, report issue to FAE.

K. Report to FAE Report issue to your corresponding FAE if issue still remain unsolved. Provide full description as much as possible.

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/root.htm

http://www.rmagcs.com.tw/


SCOPE & LIMITATIONS All issues concerned with Windows OS (XP, Vista and 7)

RMA trouble shooting procedures are not defined in detailed such as installation of

HDD due to availability of the tools found in www.rmagcs.com.tw

http://www.rmagcs.com.tw/


REFERENCES http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/Boot_Configuration_Data.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4836283_repair-mbr-windows.html

http://healthymethod.blogspot.com/2010/12/ntldr-is-missing.html

http://fixingmycomputer.com/

http://www.vistaclues.com/computer-wont-start-how-to-fix-startup-problems/

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

http://peterkellner.net/2010/02/09/fix-windows7-bootloader/

http://www.sysdigg.com/fix-ntldr-is-missing-in-windows-vista

operating system - msi.com2012-0605-0357-015458@ts… · 6 | hdd trouble shooting procedure c....

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