Question Laptop won't boot from hard disk or even usb, goes into black screen instead

xiiliea

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May 18, 2015
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Hi, I have a laptop that goes into eternal black screen after the windows logo. I've tried booting into a USB to reinstall windows but it gives the same result: a black screen.

Here's what I've tried and none of them worked:
Enabled/disabled Launch CSM
Enabled/disabled Fast Startup
Enabled/disabled Secure Boot
Removed the CMOS battery for an hour and put it back
Hold F8 as the computer starts for safe mode (goes into black screen too)
Updated BIOS

Any idea what else could be wrong? I don't think it's the hard disk as it doesn't boot even if I try booting from USB? It's an Asus R303CA on Windows 8.1. Thanks.
 

xiiliea

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May 18, 2015
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4,520
If you can you get into the BIOS, change the boot order and select only the USB flash drive.

For some reason the USB drive doesn't show up in the boot sequence, but I can select it in the Save and Exit section, which I already tried. The last USB I tried was a Windows 10 installer usb which I made with Media Creation Tool, and it worked on another laptop, but not this.
 
For some reason the USB drive doesn't show up in the boot sequence, but I can select it in the Save and Exit section, which I already tried. The last USB I tried was a Windows 10 installer usb which I made with Media Creation Tool, and it worked on another laptop, but not this.
Your laptop does not see that USB as a bootable disk.
I suggest you try from a different USB port or try to create another Windows 10 bootable USB drive.
Make sure to leave Secure Boot & Secure Boot Control disabled.
Enable CSM and disable Fast Boot.
Also try switching from Legacy Boot to UEFI or select both if you have that choice. I think is under Boot device control on Asus laptops.
 

xiiliea

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May 18, 2015
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4,520
Your laptop does not see that USB as a bootable disk.
I suggest you try from a different USB port or try to create another Windows 10 bootable USB drive.
Make sure to leave Secure Boot & Secure Boot Control disabled.
Enable CSM and disable Fast Boot.
Also try switching from Legacy Boot to UEFI or select both if you have that choice. I think is under Boot device control on Asus laptops.

That isn't really the problem. Like I said, I can boot it from the Save and Exit section, which is what I did for the other laptop, and it worked there. So no reason why it shouldn't on this laptop.

I already fiddled with Secure Boot, CSM, and Fast Boot and no matter whether which is on or off it still doesn't work.
I can't enable CSM if Secure Boot is off. It just won't let me (skips the option when I press down arrow key). So I can only do Secure Boot On and CSM On at the same time. I already tried every combination, it just doesn't work.
And there is just no Legacy Boot option.
 
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...Like I said, I can boot it from the Save and Exit section, which is what I did for the other laptop, and it worked there. So no reason why it shouldn't on this laptop.
Is the other laptop the same model as the Asus laptop?
Depending how and where you created the Windows 10 bootable USB disk, it could be UEFI or Legacy and it might work in one system but it might not work in another.
Maybe posting a video of the BIOS while the USB flash drive is connected might give us an idea of the issue.
Unless there is something wrong with the system board.