Phoenix BIOS in Samsung Laptop - not working after uninstalling ubuntu

Hello Everyone ,

Laptop Model : Samsung NP300E5X - S03IN
BIOS: Phoenix

I have installed and reinstalled hundreds of pcs manytimes , but never came into situation like this.

I was using Windows 8 along with ubuntu 13.10 .It was in dual boot situation with GRUB loader. Means whenever i start my PC , it was asking which os to start..via GRUB loader.

I thought it was working flawlessly. But on a day , i needed to reinstall my Windows 8 . So i tried to boot with USB stick (containing windows 8 image) . but i was unable to enter in BIOS options. On Samsung model, phoenix bios uses F2 and F4 for Set-up and Recovery respectively. I tried F1 to F12 , delete , insert everything... ,but all in vain. But then i inserted CD of Windows 7 and it worked.

So while installing windows 7 , i cleared my whole hard-disk. means now there is neither ubuntu on hard-drive nor Windows 8 . and I completed installation of Windows 7.

So now i have windows 7 On my hard disk.

but now situation is worst. how ?

Take a look...

This folder contains all the images shown below :

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6HG9RJaUaZ7YzlCQkZlSVRQNjg&authuser=0

when i start my PC , i get something like this.but clicking F2 or F4 or any key never takes me to BIOS Settings.



If i don't press anything...i get something like this... (It's asking me to boot from Ubuntu which is now not on the disk....so if i select ubuntu ,it restarts laptop...and then same loop goes on. )









but from Image 1 , if i press F3 , it takes me to option to boot from CD , see the image.


if i don't press anything at here, it starts my windows7 ( NEWELY INSTALLED WINDOWS 7 ).



but i can't keep using it as i will never want to use CD everytime to start my pc.


My Goal
1 ) Reset BIOS
2 ) install ubuntu alongside windows 8 . ( No matter it uses GRUB or not . )


I think , it's problem with my BIOS. I have tried to update BIOS from Samsung's Official Update. Still no result.


But if you'r able to find out any update for it , please suggest.
I'm guessing updating my BIOS or ( on Resetting BIOS ) , i'll be able to enter in BIOS mode.

Should i update BIOS or flash it ?

Please help me.
Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to NBR.

It sounds like you might be suffering from the corruption of NVRAM which has hit several Samsung owners.

I'm not at my pc now, making linking difficult. If you check the Samsung Forum Sticky List, there is a link about when F-keys are not working and you cannot enter BIOS. Study that thread carefully.

 

Not too sure if it has been tried but maybe if you physically remove the HDD and Optical drive when it boots it will revert to, or give options, to enter bios?

 

Hey Dannemand ,

I'm looking for detailed solution from your side . because it's tough to understand whether there's problem in my harddisk or on BIOS .

I'm guessing that that GRUB loader affected my BIOS. Can you please clarify or impose any suggestion on that ?

Thanks for reply.

 

Hey TANWare ,

I haven't tried to remove my HDD or resetting BIOS anyhow.
Can you please say me what to do after removing HDD ?

I guess you'r saying that i should remove HDD and then i should try to access BIOS .? Is that the exact thing you want to mention ?

So, i'm going to try to remove HDD and then boot tomorrow as it's night time here. Nothing available.

Can anyone of you say me that image2 and image3 in my post appears are on BIOS or HDD ?
If it's on BIOS then resetting BIOS will probably Cure my problem. But what if it's on HDD ??

I'm hoping someone to answer this both...it will be great help to me.

Thanks for reply.

 

If your NVRAM is corrupted, there is a thread discussing how to clear it. On top of the Samsung forum is the Sticky List. It has a link called "F-keys not working at boot, cannot enter BIOS" or something like that. Follow that link.

 

Hey ,

I tried removing HDD , and laptop battery , but as i start it on power , it's just come up with two options "BOOT MENU " and other one is "APP MENU" .

Ubuntu is the only listed item under Boot MENU
APP MENU is empty. ( i read somewhere people were getting Startup there , choosing startup was taking them to the BIOS . but my luck isn't that big. APP MENU in my BIOS is empty.)

Can anyone please help ? i have been working on this problem for last 5 or six days. I'm Tired of it.

I bought Laptop on 01/04/2013 (1st April , 2013) . So i am thinking that my warranty period is over probably.

 

I am now at a PC, which makes linking easier. The thread I have been trying to make you read for the last two days is the one linked below. Start by reading the summary in post #7, but DO read the entire thread, since more knowledge was added after that summary was written.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/762595-samsung-series-7-np700z5c-s03ca-my-last-hope.html

Based on what you describe, I am almost certain your computer suffers from a problem which unfortunately has been common with Samsung laptops, particularly (but not only) on UEFI models which have had Linux installed. It causes corruption to the NVRAM, preventing access to BIOS settings, making F-keys unworkable during startup, and preventing Boot Priority from working correctly.

In cases where the OS has been wiped, this infliction can effectively cause a laptop to be bricked, since there is no way to install another OS. In the past, we have had to refer members with this problem to Samsung repair, who will replace the motherboard -- very costly when not covered by warranty. See the thread linked below if you want some idea of how extensive this problem has been:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/706510-samsung-laptops-bricked-using-uefi.html

After almost two years, and literally hundreds of hours spent by myself and others here trying to help members salvage their computers, member Fitztorius and a few others managed to find a new solution just a few months ago, and we finally have a procedure that allows many of those semi-bricked laptops to be revived. It involves either re-flashing your BIOS or directly clearing its NVRAM using the BIOS flashing utility.

Again, it is described in that thread I referred to, with a summary in post #7. It requires some technical understanding, but with your background I think that should not be a problem. It also requires some work to read and understand the problem and the procedure; then to locate, download and extract BIOS files for your model, and create a working WinPE USB stick (compatible with either UEFI or CSM mode, depending on what your computer is set to).

There is also a procedure by member urkopineda posted towards the end of the thread, which allows the BIOS to be re-flashed directly from a USB stick (even without WinPE or other OS) by pressing CTRL + HOME when powering it on.

I don't think there is an easier way -- other than paying someone to do it or paying Samsung to replace the motherboard.

 

Follow Dannemand's suggestions. My trick of removing the HDD was to try a forced NVram clear by changing devices, apparently this does not work. Essentially havin the new bios and/or clearing nvram both reset the nvram giving you the system back. I am surprised that there is not a bootable cd/dvd of either windows or Linux that will not allow us to reset nvram or at least enter into uefi nut then again secure boot may not allow this either. Essentially securing the system so much that even we can't get in to fix it.

 

@TANWare: In fact, your advice to remove the HDD was spot on (as usual). Even if it doesn't break the spell outright, it's usually a necessary step in these cases to booting the external device.

 

I understand nvram holding to see Linux with the drive in. Even with it out I can see where uefi would still load the option but with no device at all the system should not just loop or load up a NO OS message once selected but at that point at least go to the bios page thinking at least a device is broken. Samsungs lack of placing in such an effect is their own fault and therefore they should pay to fix the systems.

My thought process here is if the drive were to become defective it should not then require a motherboard replacement to get the system running again. This with UEFI and/or secure boot, or not. I can understand them not being responsible for data loss, not system (under warranty or expired). This IMHO is a defect and if no replacement(s)/fix(s) there should be a recall with full reimbursement! Not just a proration either as now everyone has to setup the new systems, pay for suites etc..

Edit; My system would not be eligible as it has the UEFI compatible bios and these issues do not exist. So it is just a select few systems out there.

 

I agree, Samsung should make owners whole when this issue hits. And they DID when it first began in late 2012/early 2013, in a few cases even outside warranty. But later I understand they tightened their policy -- or maybe it all depends on which customer service rep one happens to get and how well one makes his case.

Your theory that disconnecting the main drive will break the spell has indeed been borne out in reported cases (quite a few by now). It allows a USB flash drive to be booted, regardless of Boot Priority and Fast BIOS settings. But many members still fall into the trap of creating USB devices in the good old MBR/NTFS format (often using Microsoft's ISO/USB tool) while UEFI can only boot GPT/FAT32. Getting a correctly formatted USB stick is usually the first step.

And being able to boot an external device (and in some cases even successfully re-installing Windows) doesn't in itself fix the underlying problem of the corrupted NVRAM: F2, F4, F10 etc still don't work during startup, and Boot Priority is still acting funny. But those flashing commands to clear the NVRAM seem to uniformly handle it.

Series 5 and 7 models with ExpressCache have an additional gotcha if the ESP (EFI System Partition) ends up on the iSSD: Even though it isn't visible during boot, the iSSD's presence seems to still prevent BIOS from looking at external devices for a boot partition. We have had a few cases where this effectively bricked the laptop, as there was no way to make it boot anything (and thus to clear the NVRAM).

Member urkopineda's procedure in that thread I linked is a promising super-fix: It bypasses the need to boot any OS, forcing a flash directly from the USB stick. But we need more input and experience to make it a broadly applicable procedure.