My MSI laptop won't boot into BIOS anymore

Hi,

Today I tried to boot into BIOS but the only thing I get is a black screen like this. With a NOT blinking white dash.



Everything works correctly, both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. I haven't done anything since the last time I booted into BIOS, I really don't remember when was the last time.

How should I fix it?

 

is the display's backlight on? do you see charging lights? have you tried booting on just the power brick with the battery removed? reset CMOS? what do you mean "everything works correctly" (i.e. W7 and W8.1)? does that mean prior to today?

 

The display backlight is on.

Charging lights? The laptop charges as it should.

What do you mean with booting on just the power brick?

Haven't reseted cmos, don't really know how to do it in a laptop.

I mean, both O.S.'s work and boot correctly NOW and before, nothing weird or strange.

Thanks for your help!

 

so you can boot into windows, is what you're saying -- but you're trying to get to the BIOS and can't because there's nothing but a black screen during POST. is that right? what function key would you normally press to access the BIOS?

(BTW, charging lights are the little, sometimes green, sometimes orange, sometimes blue LEDs that indicate the machine's power state, whether it's charging, etc. the OP made it seem like your issue was much more critical than it apparently is, that's why i asked.)

 

Yeah, thats right. When the MSI logo appears, I press "del" key. And then it should go to the BIOS menu.


In fact, if I press that key it seems to try accessing BIOS, but it stays on that black screen with white steady dash when it should go to the BIOS menu.

 

i would try resetting the CMOS. you can probably find a walkthrough by googling it with the model number.

 

have you recently updated the BIOS or any drivers just before this happened?

 

Not just before. I flashed the MSI official BIOS release one month ago, with a bootable USB following its official tutorial.

Everything worked perfect, booting bios as it should boot till now. Just tried entering bios and it shows that black screen.

 

I don't find out how to reset cmos. Have you got any idea about how to do it?

 

By the way, it is a 2013 MSI GE60.

 

is your pc new, still under warranty?
if not open it up find the CMOS battery remove it, wait 1 minute replace it, reassemble the laptop and reboot, it should clear the CMOS easily.

Can you find the former BIOS version, I think you need to downgrade it.

 

The laptop is two months old...

Are there more options I could try? How can I flash bios again without getting into bios?

 

Try unplugging and removing the battery, hold the power button down for over a minute. Reinstall battery and AC, try to boot into BIOS.
You could also try getting to a boot menu sometimes F12.

Just thought I'd throw in something to try short of disassembling the laptop.

 

your BIOS is actually fine otherwise you couldn't start the laptop, its probably a hidden feature in the latest update to protect users in modifying it.
However I found this thread that explains more about it, hope it helps:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/msi...os-settings-without-flashing-modded-bios.html

 

But.... How can this be possible? I haven't done anything special these days...

I'll give it a try...

Thanks

 

I have changed a boot option (to boot from a bootable USB that was plugged) by pressing F11 and now it doesn't even boot to windows...

What a mesh...

I think the only way for fixing this is reseting that cmos. Does anybody know how to do it in a MSI ge60?

 

if you try to reset CMOS you have to open the backside of your laptop, and as it is a new laptop you might lose the warranty.
however there are 3 ways:
1- enter BIOS and some where in the utility section there is "reset BIOS settings"
2- replace the jumper on the motherboard (could be tough if it is soldered)
3- replace the battery (its the easiest way in your case) its somewhere on the motherboard a silver circle battery, take it out and then replace it, restart.

 

This is what I can see under the laptop.

Where is that battery? I think is the easiest way...

Could it be this part?

 

you probably have to remove the fan cooler, or maybe more, it is somewhere there

 

look at this page, it might be surrounded by some plastic cover

How to replace the CMOS battery.

 

isn't that it right there, center frame, wrapped in the electrical tape? (says "3.0V" on it? )

 

So, I think it is that one covered with that black plastic in the second photo. Isn't it?

 

yes. .......

 

it might be, but you need to find the silver plate, in my laptop is not covered with anything, but give it a try and see

 

It must be that one.

Is it possible to unplug it without taking out the battery?

I can't find out how to take out that battery.

 

it could be..., take a small screwdriver and unwrap that black plastic, if its there easily remove it and take it out, wait a while, reinsert it, restart the laptop

 

did you do a EC reset after flashing the BIOS? i would try it either way before going any further. a CMOS reset might not even be necessary.

 

I would prefer not to break that plastic... If it is possible.

I wonder if there is any posibility to disconnect that battery, from some connector I mean.

That white one seems to be the connector. Now, I must think about how to unplug it...

 

it's electrical tape.

 

if I were you I deliver it to the workshop and let them sort it out, that plastic wrap could lose your warranty in the future if you need a repairment
you can not disconnect it as the bottom side is soldered to the circuit board

 

So that's all... If is soldered there is nothing to do with it.

 

you can not do it as you don't know how to do it

 

haha, do the EC reset.

Sent from my Lumia 1520 using Tapatalk

 

Just tried it... Nothing happens.

Msi boot logo... Nothing to do with the laptop.

 

you let it sit for ten minutes?

Sent from my Lumia 1520 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, without success, sadly.

What do you think I should do?

Tomorrow I'm calling MSI, maybe they could help me...

 

f11 or f12 and boot back into windows 8.1, go to the side bar and click on settings -> change PC settings -> update and recovery -> recovery -> advanced startup

from there you should restart into the recovery mode and go somewhere down the line of more options/advanced options until you see the "change UEFI settings/enter UEFI firmware settings", you can then enter the BIOS and see what you did wrong

alternatively, just pull that CMOS battery cable and all other power sources, then reseat them and power up and check if you can enter the bios with either f2 or del upon pressing the power button

if all else fails, remove ALL drives including the harddrive and the optical drive, then powering up the device might bring you to the BIOS menu

if you want to flash another BIOS/UEFI, the biggest problem you have now might be the fact that secure boot or fast boot or even both are enabled which prevents you from booting into the USB stick in order to perform the flashing process

 

The main problem is that I don't know how to pull that CMOS without breaking the cover...

The laptop is completely locked, I mean, no key is working. No way to access Windows or anything.

Everything happens because of the stupid thing I did selecting the "boot from USB" option.

 

you'd have to pull the yellow tape covering the CMOS wire and use a small screw driver to pull the wire and let the socket disconnect, getting it back in is another questioin

does F8 to F12 not work upon power up? if you can get into the boot option.....

 

so you can't boot into windows now at all is what you're saying? and pressing delete or one of the function keys at POST to get to the BIOS and/or boot menu does nothing now? you really need to reset CMOS.

you said you moved USB to the top of the boot order, correct? if it's a matter of the screen not displaying anything but it's actually working, then it'd default to "No bootable media found, press any key to try again" after trying to boot from USB with nothing there. do you have bootable USB media? insert that and then try to boot into recovery mode like qweryuiop suggested.

 

I'm sending it to MSI. I have phoned them and they suggested me to send it for fixing it in guarranty, maybe they are fixing it without charges... Who knows.


I find too difficult removing that cmos battery without making a mess.

Anyways I really aprecciate your help. Thanks.