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    Can't access BIOS after clean installing Windows 8.1

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Starlight5, Oct 22, 2015.

  1. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    After clean installing Windows 8.1, I am unable to access BIOS by any means except removing all HDDs, booting from USB flash drive and killing time&date setting via cmospwd -k (sadly does not affect anything else), then rebooting and finally it allows me into BIOS when I'm offered to either continue booting or correct time&date; otherwise, it simply ignores both F2 key for BIOS and F12 key for boot menu, and boots to Windows no matter what. Boot menu appears only without any devices installed, it contains only Windows boot manager in Boot section, and completely empty Applications section.

    The machine is Fujitsu T901; I cannot reflash BIOS because the one available on Fujitsu website is older than already installed, and refuses to flash. BIOS is Phoenix SecureCore; Fast boot, TPM module, AMT are all disabled.

    Please help me in my quest for resolving this issue!
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
    Starlight5, Oct 22, 2015
    #1
  2. rfielder

    rfielder Notebook Consultant

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    I have a P770, so not the same. Ran Win7, Win 8, Win8.1, and now Win10. Did not encounter anything like that.

    I don't understand how it could. The BIOS operates before Windows becomes active, so I don't see how this is possible.

    If you find a solution, please post. This sounds linteresting.
     
    rfielder, Oct 23, 2015
    #2
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  3. TANWare

    TANWare Just This Side of Senile, I think. Super Moderator

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    Samsung's do about the same thing with Updates to W8.1. They did it upgrading to W8.0 as well. Most of the best posts on the subject though are through that manufacturers support forum as these issues tend to be much more hardware specific related to the UEFI bios of that machine, essentially the nvram gets corrupted.

    I do not know your machines capability but if you can get an emergency bios recovery done, even with the older version, that may do it for you.
     
    TANWare, Oct 23, 2015
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  4. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    Guess I'll have to clear CMOS the old-school way. Sadly, it will require disassembling the whole thing. =\ Had similar problem on my T734 but managed to get into BIOS somehow and enable CSM, and voila no more problems.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
    Starlight5, Oct 23, 2015
    #4
  5. jaybee83

    jaybee83 Biotech-Doc

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    might sound silly, but easy trick: hold down shift when clicking on restart machine, thatll bring you into troubleshooting menu. there ull get the option to "change uefi firmware settings" which is a fancy way of saying "would u like to boot into bios?" voila thats it :)

    Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2015
    jaybee83, Oct 23, 2015
    #5
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  6. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    jaybee83, there is no such option; I tried every little trick I have in my bag, and everything I could google, to no avail - well, expect killing CMOS using cmospwd which actually kills system clock only, but lets me enter BIOS as described in earlier post.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
    Starlight5, Oct 23, 2015
    #6
  7. jaybee83

    jaybee83 Biotech-Doc

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    really? where exactly does ur approach fail?
     
    jaybee83, Oct 24, 2015
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  8. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    jaybee83, Change UEFI firmware settings option is absent from Troubleshooting menu, or is there something else you were referring to?
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
    Starlight5, Oct 24, 2015
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  9. jaybee83

    jaybee83 Biotech-Doc

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    aaah, yes, thats what i was referring to! weird that its missing...?

    Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
     
    jaybee83, Oct 25, 2015
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  10. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    Since the problem results in just one more thing to do during maintenance, I left it as is. =\
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
    Starlight5, Oct 28, 2015
    #10