Stuck in boot loop. Can't see BIOS

[Tim888]

After several months without problems I now have a boot loop I cannot get out of. I suspect it has to do with the blue screen I got briefly yesterday after my foot hit the side of the case. I rebooted at that time without problems. It sat off overnight and then began the boot loop issue.

I tried to boot from the installation CD but, after getting to Safe Mode it froze. Then it no longer recognized the CD.

I tried ESC, F2, and F8 throughout the loop but no luck.

How can I get it to boot off the CD if the bios isn't accessible?

Win7 Ultimate
ASRock P45T

Thanks

[JWK]

Re: Stuck in boot loop. Can't see BIOS

... I suspect it has to do with the blue screen I got briefly yesterday after my foot hit the side of the case...

Depending on just how mighty of a "thump" you struck your case with, you may want to pop it open and check some or all of the following connections to your motherboard:

-the CMOS battery (almost always round, shiny, squat, and silver)
-the BIOS memory module (typically square or rectangular, seated in a custom-fit socket, and often has a version number sticker affixed - often towards the lower right-hand corner on ATX boards)
-ATA/SATA/Floppy cables, both on the motheboard and device side, as well as the respective power connections to the devices themselves
-seating of memory modules (though retention tabs are intended to keep them securely in place once locked, some DIMMS' notches allow just enough play that they can behave abnormally if not fully depressed into their respective sockets)
-expansion card seating (video, sound card, network card, SATA controllers, etc., can all result in abnormal behaviour, lead to hard locks, or cause the motherboard shut the system down to prevent physical damage if not seated properly)

and lastly, if none of the preceding were of any assistance, you may wish to ensure that your CPU heatsink and fan haven't come loose or somehow rocked or twisted. One of the absolute worst-case scenarios is to have a CPU heatsink damage the cpu core (difficult, but not impossible, on newer Intel chips with integrated heat spreaders that help to distribute the loading across a larger, more durable surface), socket, or surrounding area on the motherboard. Unfortunately, it is a very real possibility with many heavier heatsink designs (think: those made out of pure copper, or using large numbers of heatpipes, etc. to extend a large heatsink away from the CPU, causing greater leverage on their baseplates and mounting points, as well as having very high physical inertia that would cause tremendous stresses in any case of sudden physical movement).

In general, if you ever notice a blue screen following any physical trauma to your computer (be it a physical jolt, a power surge, etc.), try to get as much information from it as you can. If it is a program error due to bad data, you may have a problem with your hard drive or its connections. If it is a system memory adressing error, you may have a problem with your RAM. Things of that sort, which can help you to narrow down and identify potential problem areas for troubleshooting purposes, should problems progress.

Oh, I forgot to mention this at first, but one of the easiest things to check is: how securely is the power cord connected to the power supply? Silly, I know, and often taken for granted, but if it got knocked even slightly loose, your power supply might be having a bit of a hissy fit and throwing bad voltage at your motherboard, causing it to go haywire. You might just want to double-check that before you really start getting your hands dirty. :)

Good luck!

[Tim888]

Re: Stuck in boot loop. Can't see BIOS

I turns out that it was a loose connection. I found two that could be pressed together better and it booted just fine.

Thanks so much for your help.

Tim888

[JWK]

Re: Stuck in boot loop. Can't see BIOS

I turns out that it was a loose connection. I found two that could be pressed together better and it booted just fine.

Thanks so much for your help.

Tim888

It's always handy when it turns out to be the little things that you can remember and try quickly. It's always silly when it's the little things it takes forever to narrow down. Glad it worked out well for you! :)