Pc Monitor/graphics Card Issue

[Old_Geezer]

Ok, I'm a little perplexed, maybe, hopefully, someone has an idea for why this has happened and as importantly how to fix it.

As part of my trying to set up an SSD drive as the new system disk, I removed all boot disks from the CMOS boot option menu, save for that which I identified as the SSD drive. I then tried a reboot, which was surprisingly successful; but I was suspicious and checked, only to find it must have illegally booted off the original C: drive anyway. It was the only one listed as bootable.

So I started a clone of the C: drive partition only, to the disk on the SSD, the one that should have booted the PC but couldn't have. Part way through the monitor screens went black. Now I know the cloning eventually finished as I was able to remotely access the PC and noted when it had done so.

I had hoped that the monitors would have started working ok then, but no. I thought a restart might help. It was a disaster. The PC stops very early on. I can't see what it's trying to show, as both the monitor screens remain black. Pressing various keys in the hope of moving things on didn't seem to do anything. As it's no longer booted up, remote access is lost.

I thought I'd try to check the graphics card but it never rains but it pours. The adapter in the displayport refused to budge. Eventually the adapter plug broke as I continued to try to remove it. (It had to be removed as I couldn't extract the card with it still in place.) I then tried to use a screwdriver to lever it out but it flexed the screwdriver rather than budge. Finally it decided to shift when I had a go with it with pliers.

Card removed, I looked it over and could see nothing wrong, so reinstalled it.

It's possibly a coincidence and has gone kaput at this time, but I'm loathe to believe it. The trouble is that I can't see what should be on the screen in order to progress. I'm not keen on spending a fortune on a new card with no guarentee of success.

Is there any way of making progress other than buying a new card ? There seems to be no default video socket from the motherboard. There is the ethernet socket, various USB, an SPDIF and a 1394. Or is there a way to reset the CMOS boot info without the monitor ?

It's all rather a puzzle.

Cheers.

[Old_Geezer]

Just swopped over the graphics card to use the one the suspected one replaced a year or two back. But no change. Fans whir, the screen shows HDMI1 in the top right corner (but it does that when the PC is powered down anyway). Nothing else ever seen. Doesn't seem to react to a number of different keypresses.

Is there a way to force the CMOS menu to be shown ? I think that I need to modify the boot order menu in case that's the issue, but I don't see how that doesn't come up by default anyway.

Another thing is that I need to seek out a cable keyboard as it's possible the wireless one isn't seen if the PC doesn't get booted. Apart from that I may need to find an unused flash drive and a trusted site to supply a file to install on it to make it bootable, and useful (if the PC bothers to look for a bootable flash drive anyway). Suggestions for such a trusted site, welcomed.

[Old_Geezer]

A new cabled USB keyboard didn't help. Still no response to keypresses. Nor did plugging in the newly created Win10 boot flash drive. Not that I've tried it on a working PC.

(I gave up trying to download the Ultimate Boot CD iso. The home site only had a torrent download option, which I'm uneasy trying to arrange on someone else's laptop, or mirror sites that didn't seem to have it, or, the one that I eventually tried and found it on, the antivirus blocked because it reckoned it contained something it didn't like.)

All so frustrating.

[Old_Geezer]

Took it to a local repair shop. First thing he tells me is that my none-bootable hard drive has failed. This wasn't something I'd realised; although it's full of old backed up stuff I rarely need to look at. He got the PC working and reckoned it must have been dust in the GPU socket as he'd checked that and it then started to show on his monitor. Certainly it is dusty inside although I have vacuumed it. Running it without the side panel probably not helping. But still found that difficult to picture.

Having got a bit fed up with this myself I agreed to him redoing the cloning and getting it all sorted. The more news. The SSD clone has booted up ok, but if the original bootable drive is connected, the PC changes boot data and will only boot up to it ! So it can not be reconnected. He suggests it should be reformatted. :-(

Then, on top of all that, the PC isn't letting him into the BIOS to change boot info but only into the Asus Express Gate menu. Which he says is useless.

Ho hum ...

[Bertrum]

Have you tried?
In “Settings” go to “Update & Security”
Select “Recovery”
Go to “Advanced Startup” and select “Restart Now”
Click on “Troubleshoot” then “Advanced Options”
Click on “UEFI Firmware Settings” and then “restart”
Your computer should boot to the BIOS

[Old_Geezer]

Hi.
It's still at repair shop at present. I may get it back tomorrow, or Friday, depending on how time, and things, go. When I last saw it I couldn't get to any menu. Are your suggestions part of the Express Gate ?

[Bertrum]

Computers made in the past few years can boot too quickly to listen for a key press at startup.

[Old_Geezer]

It's back. Working more or less. Need to get back home to connect to Internet though.