Optimus IV Boot up problems

[sirbb]

Hi,

I have an Optimus IV which has been running superbly for the last 2+ years. Yesterday, at 4.30pm, it developed a BSOD and all the Microsoft software that I have installed refused to run with an error about a driver failure (all other software works fine). There had been no driver updates and no software changes made to the computer during yesterday - it just happened out of the blue. Thankfully I back up every day with Macrium Reflect, so I decided to restore the computer back to the night before.

My problem is when I run the WinPE Rescue Media, it boots fine (either from a USB stick or from the boot menu - it doesn't seem to make a difference) but as soon as WinPE Windows has opened, the computer just reboots using the system hard disk and into the original version of Windows. This is despite the fact that the system hard disk has been disabled (as has everything other boot media apart from the WinPE media in the BIOS) so that the computer supposedly only runs from the WinPE media. The BIOS seems to be being overridden by something . . . . . I have tried every permutation of the boot menu and made several different WinPE sticks but still no luck.

Is this a BIOS problem or a Macrium problem?

Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated!

Thanks.

Sirbb

 

[ubuysa]

It sounds like a hardware problem to me. It's interesting that it boots the Reflect recovery media OK and then fails, that sound like a hardware issue (possibly RAM). Try booting the original WIndows install DVD and see whether it reboots from that. If it does I'd be pretty sure it's hardware.

If you get the Windows installation DVD to boot ok go into the repair option and run the RAM diagnostic test. Also open a command prompt and enter the command "chkdsk /r" to check your hard disk filesytem and the disk surface for errors.

 

[sirbb]

Thanks very much ubuysa for the response.

I have tried your suggestions and there don't seem to be any problems detected with the hardware - the Windows Installation disc booted fine and all the tests ran fine too. A bit strange . . . . back to the drawing board then.

 

[ubuysa]

Thanks very much ubuysa for the response.

I have tried your suggestions and there don't seem to be any problems detected with the hardware - the Windows Installation disc booted fine and all the tests ran fine too. A bit strange . . . . back to the drawing board then.

It could be a problem with the Macrium boot image you have, did you test it after you created it, and did it boot ok then?

I'd be tempted to "borrow" or get the use of another PC and make a new Macrium Reflect boot disk, since your Windows DVD boots ok I'd make a boot DVD rather than a USB stick. See whether that works.