Sony Vaio dead after BIOS update!???? HELP!

I just attempted to update the BIOS of my VAIO S, the installation went ok according to the messages and I was invited to restart. Upon restarting the PC hangs at the initial VAIO Bios screen!!! I am not able to enter BIOS as F2 does not do anything. The pc hangs at this screen! I can only restart with Ctrl+Alt+Del or with the On button but it then again hangs at the same screen.

Any clue? What can be done!? Any tricks!?

 

if there would be atleast way to enter setup :/ i have no idea.. maybe its still possible reflash with floppy or USB Stick somehow? :/ this sounds like really big failure.

This is crazy and stupid, but, just try insert windows installation dvd and restart. My idea: maybe new BIOS hates old windows startup that was configured by old BIOS drivers?

 

I found where the problem is coming from - the BIOS or the PC does not like my HDD

Removing the HDD makes BIOS continue and show there is no bootable partition/HDD. I can also enter bios this way. Putting another HDD is also fine - again BIOS is operative and I can boot from a CD this way. Once I put the original HDD back - the PC freezes on BIOS and doesnt even boot from the CD even though I have set it up to do so!

I had the same problem half anyear ago with the same HDD when I was taking it out and in for data restoration purposes, somehow it fixed itself in 10minutes.

The HDD is Hitachi 7k500 and does work perfectly when connected internally or externally on another PC. Starts loadin right away! Also has no SMART warning.

What the F is that!???? What kind of compatibility issue is that!

 

I think i know whats wrong... i had very same issue, and i find out how to fix it, i also made tutorial. Well, ur hard drive is fine. I bet its AGAIN, the AHCI new technology forcing problem. Ur new BIOS are fine, dont think about downgrading them.

In ur case: i would remove the failing hard drive and put in the one that it makes mashine load, then enter bios, switch back to old IDE SATA mode and put in the old hard drive. All should boot up.
Then, i still recommend u to make ur hard drive work on AHCI SATA mode.

Heres is my tutorial, to explain what im talking about: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...s-already-installed-ide-mode.html#post7081409

I hope this fixes

 

Actually what I was doing was downgrading BIOS I have some complains about the new version so I wanted to try the old one once again (I have downgraded to it successfully before). But anyway this seems not to be the problem I guess.

However - I have no such option in BIOS - I have absolutely no influence over the SATA mode.....

 

I would like to try updating the BIOS to the newer version again though, but how do I do that without an OS? I tried creating a bootable mini XP CD, but it shows bluescreen while loading.... Any idea?

Of course I could install windows on another HDD and do it from there, but this will take an hour or two... is there any other way?

 

i have installed windows bunch of times, it takes about 45minutes or faster to install it. so i think, go and install to another hdd, it would be faster as just try not confirmed solutions and wasting time

 

OK, problem solved (I HOPE!!)

As people say - "Evil never comes alone" - there were 2 Problems:

1. The HDD obviously wasn't recognized by the BIOS (although this is also not entirely true - it did not act as if there is no HDD - it would just freeze!) - I assume a setting that I am not able to see... most likely similar to what BoxCat has experienced...

I installed Windows on another HDD which was being recognized and updated BIOS again to the version I was using before downgrading (I have been swithich those 2 BIOS versions couple of times before - never had such a problem!). Once back to the newer version, the original HDD was recognized! Yeeeii! Unfortunately though:

2. The computer started acting strangely - the next few times I tried (re)starting it - it would not even go to the BIOS screen - just goes on with a black screen and eventually switches itself off in a couple of seconds. I also experienced numerous BSODs before installing windows on the other HDD while trying for example to boot from a bootable Mini Win XP and so on.

I somehow managed to push the PC to boot from the Vaio's diagnostics DVD and ran the Hardware test. Not really surprisingly (will explain later why) - once it started testing the RAM, another BSOD occurred.

Preliminary: One of the RAM modules is just 5 days old!

I replaced the new module with the old one I still have and was able to successfully run diagnostics twice. Replaced back with the new module to try running diagnostics with it once again - didn't even go so far as a BSOD occurred while the Hardware Diagnostics utility was starting...


Conclusion: Some kind of BIOS problem (which I cannot explain myself entirely), combined with a bad RAM module to make things more saucy!!

I hope it is all behind me now - that HDD went in and out of the slot at least 100 times yesterday!

 

ok, i suggest u now to ask seller for RAM module replacement, its looks like this one is with a bug. U should get a replacement for free, since u just bought and its failing.

 

Of course - it is going back tomorrow.