Solved After 3 years, a sudden "Reboot and Select proper Boot device"

[Maat]

After 3 years, a sudden "Reboot and Select proper Boot device"

Edit: solution found (KB3133977 update clobbers ASUS motherboards using Secure Boot)

Hi folks, tearing my hair out over this one. Win7 Pro PC was operating fine earlier in the day, no hardware changes in almost a year. Power it up later in the day and I get Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key.

• There is a single DVD drive and only the Samsung SSD drive, neither has changed
• Both DVD and SSD show up in my BIOS. No matter how I arrange the SSD, I get the Reboot and Select proper Boot Device
• I can boot from my Win 7 Pro (64) install DVD. Since I know the DVD cables work, I swapped both the DVD's power and SATA cable to the SSD, no joy, so cables and SATA port seem fine.
• Doing Repair from my Install disk fails; I get "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows." I moved a year ago, and my repair disk is missing.
• From cmd window via Install disk:
  • I can access C: and see my files just fine
    
  • Using bootrec:
    • /scanos does detect c:\windows
    • /fixmbr /fixboot /rebuildbcd will detect Windows and succeed across the board but still not correct the problem (see below)
  • Using diskpart:
    • I can see that my disk is GPT. GPT is new to me, I'm more familiar with MBR recovery. Does bootrec handle GPT too or is it just a relic now?
      
    • 'detail disk' shows the Samsung, but with Boot Disk : No. That seems wrong?
      
    • volume 1 c: shows up ok, 465GB, 202GB free
    • I can't 'active' the partition, I get 'selected disk is not a fixed MBR disk". Makes sense if it is GPT, but I don't know what to do with GPT to mark a partition bootable
  • Using chkdsk c:, no errors found

PC has been working fine leading up to this. I custom built it three years ago. Only thing of maybe interest is that a month or so ago I had tried to upgrade to Win 10, and had to abort due to an error (I can't recall specifics but it was some sort of a driver issue I didn't have time to sort out). The Windows install returned me to Win 7 without apparent problem. I'm not sure if this explains the 'Repair' error.

I've searched for help but I seem to be stuck:

• Fix the GPT - A technique I'm not familiar with, this is the first time I've dealt with a GPT and most of what I find on the net is MBR recovery advice
• "Repair 3 times" technique - But I can't repair, due to the Install disk's error above. How can I get around it?

I'd like to recover the data on the drive if possible. Thanks!

Edit: solution found (KB3133977 update clobbers ASUS motherboards using Secure Boot)

 

[markoso]

It's possible that your computer's BIOS is configured in legacy mode. You might need to enter into the BIOS Setup and enable UEFI boot support:
https://neosmart.net/wiki/enable-uefi-boot/
How to Set Windows 8 PC to Boot with Legacy BIOS Mode Instead of UEFI Mode | Password Recovery
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn640535(v=vs.85).aspx

UEFI mode requires the boot drive partitioned with GPT, while legacy or CSM mode can boot from MBR-partitioned hard drive only.

 

[MeOnMine]

Maat, welcome to SF.

Go here and look at post 2

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/248241-repair-windows-7-boot-menu-uefi.html

 

[Maat]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.

markoso: I will check when I get home, but I believe UEFI is enabled. Mobo is an Asus Sabertooth Z77 with the UEFI BIOS. In the BIOS there is a quick option for re-arranging the boot order, and there are four options. My DVD and my SSD are listed twice, once with a UEFI label and once without. All SSD arrangements result in the Reboot and Select proper device error (can boot from DVD just fine). I'll check under the Boot Menu though and see if the Boot flags are correct there at least, but IIRC they were set to 'Both'.

MeOnMine: thanks for the link. Re: 2nd post: I do not recall Windows Boot Manager being listed in my BIOS (see above). However, when booting to the Windows Install DVD its possible I had the non-UEFI legacy version selected or earlier in the priority sequence - perhaps that results in the This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible error when I try to Repair. I'll try again with UEFI-DVD selected.

 

[MeOnMine]

Yes, you said your HDD was formatted GPT this is because your OS is loaded in UEFI so that means you will not have MBR.
You must select UEFI version in all cases.
GPT has two system partitions per drive, one in the beginning and one at the end.
This is what tells BIOS where the OS is.
I am a systems builder however I still build in Legacy and not EFI so that means there are better experts here than me who can put you on a better path.

 

[NickTorres]

I'm having the same exact problem with my Windows 7 Pro and Samsung SSD. It's crazy. It happened overnight. If i find a fix i'll let you know.

 

[Maat]

Thanks Nick, likewise I'll share anything I find.

'UEFI and Legacy Mode' is selected in my BIOS. My memory served me incorrectly: the Samsung is listed as Windows Boot Manager in my BIOS. However I've already tried several times moving it to #1 in the boot order with no luck; I have also tried booting directly to it via selection in BIOS, no luck.

No luck: Downloading the Windows 7 Pro 64 bit ISO, burning a disk, and attempting to Repair. Same Repair error.

Luck: Forcing the boot mode to UEFI-only in BIOS and booting from my Win7 Install disk however got me into Repair recovery tool menu without the error. However, selecting Startup Repair detects no problems at all! It shows Windows 7 on (C: ) Samsung SSD, Startup Repair log shows 'Boot status indicates the OS booted successfully'.

So I've learned:

• The 'This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible...' error is based on needing to boot the Win 7 Install Disk in UEFI mode, to match my hard drive
• my ASUS BIOS appears to be flaky at booting into UEFI. Using the Basic menu to order the drive icons to place the UEFI drives first did not work. I had to go into Advanced options, select UEFI Only under Boot->CMS, and then finally boot from the install DVD to get past the version error in Recovery Options

Sadly, I still am not sure what to do to fix the actual boot issue. Even with UEFI-Only set in BIOS, the disk does not boot - oddly, instead of the Reboot and Select proper device, it now boots directly into BIOS menu.

I have a Hirens boot CD burnt and it has a lovely variety of sharp looking knives on it; so I'm going to be doing some research on which of these might be able to help with a UEFI boot issue.

Any UEFI boot debug advice welcome!

 

[NickTorres]

I got tired of googling and I couldn't find any fix myself so I broke down and bought Easy Recovery Essentials and successfully ran the autorepair. When my computer restarted I was still getting an error and was pretty bummed that I had wasted 39 bucks. But, once I popped my windows disk back in and booted to that, Chkdsk ran and my drive worked again! I was able to boot. Now I'm trying to make a backup and system image! I can't guarantee that this will work for you but it seems like we had a very similar issue (like I said, I also have an ASUS Mobo and Samsung SSD with Win7).

Anyway, best of luck, hope you find a fix soon!

 

[Maat]

Cheers Nick. When I ran chkdsk I confess I ran it without /f and simply scanned the output for errors. I will try again with /f just to be sure when I get home tonight. When you said "When my computer restarted I was still getting an error", do you mean the Reboot and Select proper Device... error? How did you get chkdsk to run from the Win Install disk, via shift-F10 to get a command window, then manually?

Googling for a solution has been rather depressing; virtually all the guides out there for UEFI are for installing or reformatting, and not really a word on recovery. The drive appears to be just fine outside of the failure to boot so I'm really reluctant to just reformat and reinstall. The Hirens Boot CD appeared to be no help for UEFI.

 

[NickTorres]

I was getting another new error, instead of the "reboot and insert" error it was a "system32\winload.efi 0xC0000428" error. This was after I booted the Easy Recovery Essentials and ran the repair. I didn't know where to go from there, I was bummed, then I booted to the Windows 7 disc I had made just to try to use it's repair function again and rather than booting to the disc, my screen started running chkdsk on my C drive and then suddenly there I was at my usual login screen. Somehow, the computer had restored to the last point before the error occured. I'm still not quite sure how this happened and I'm not 100 percent sure I'm out of the woods. That's why I'm making a backup and restore point now.

I've gotta restart after my backup finishes and i'm so nervous it's going to stop working again!

 

[Laith]

Can you please use the checking for errors option on the 'repair my computer' tab on the install disk?

 

[Maat]

Hi Laith, I don't get that option from my Win 7 install disk. I had to Google 'Repair my computer', I see some references to 'Repair your Computer' that's available if I F8 to Advanced Boot Options, but mine doesn't offer it.

Chkdsk /f was no luck, fwiw.

 

[Laith]

When you choose your language and region in install, click next. After that in the bottom left corner you will see an option called 'Repair my computer' click that and in the box it displays click "Check for errors".

 

[NickTorres]

i spoke too soon, it's only booting from the windows disc!

 

[Laith]

Which means it's booting from your harddrive? I'm confused.

 

[Maat]

Sorry to hear that Nick.

Laith, from 'Repair your Computer' it leads me to a dialog box to choose my drive and OS (C:, Windows 7, Samsung), and a choice to use Recovery Tools or restore from earlier image. When I select the recovery tools option, I get the System Recovery Options with Startup Repair, System Restore, System Image Recovery, etc. There is no option to 'Check for Errors'? I have been selecting Startup Repair, which returns quickly with 'could not detect a problem'.

 

[Laith]

Select your OS drive and snap a picture of the options.

 

[Maat]

It's the same as the dialog box shown at this link, except "Microsoft Windows on (C: ) Samsung"

What are the system recovery options in Windows? - Windows Help

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
This update might be the cause
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133977
It was released as a Recommended update and pretty much is why Recommend updates should be avoided
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthre...Secure-Boot-Violation-Asus-Maximus-VII-Ranger

 

[Maat]

Bogey splashed, ThrashZone. Cheers!

Summary: Microsoft update KB3133977 clobbered ASUS mobo's that use Microsoft Secure Boot by default. The workaround is to disable Secure Boot.

After Googling a bit, I found the following guide on Asus forums that was an excellent description and walkthrough. It's essentially the same instructions as post #6 at the link Thrash posted, but with pictures of the BIOS. https://www.asus.com/nz/support/FAQ/1016356/

It did not work for me at first - the additional step I had to take was to go under the option above Secure Boot, called CSM (Compatibility Support Module), and under "Boot Device Control", change "UEFI + Legacy" to "UEFI Only".

Thank you to all the folks that helped! Nick, fingers crossed this brings you out of the woods as well!