Troubleshooting Windows Advanced Startup on a PC with Wiped BIOS

Troubleshooting Windows Advanced Startup with a Wiped BIOS on an Old PC

When your friend approached you with an old PC based on the 4th generation Intel Z87 motherboard, asking for an evaluation of its possible resale value, you probably thought it would be a quick and easy task. However, to your surprise, you encountered a significant issue: the PC was having a hard time booting up. After some investigation, you discovered that the BIOS had been wiped.

What is BIOS and why was it wiped?

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware that bridges the gap between your PC's hardware and the operating system. Sometimes, it can get erased due to various reasons, including a power surge or a failed BIOS update. In this case, your friend's PC is unable to boot correctly because it can't load the necessary boot instructions from the BIOS. Let's dive into how to troubleshoot this problem using Windows Advanced Startup.

Accessing the Windows Advanced Startup Screen

To troubleshoot the wiped BIOS issue, you need to access the Windows Advanced Startup screen. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Turn on the PC.
2. Press the Power button to turn off the PC.
3. Press the Power button again to turn on the PC. As soon as you see the manufacturer logo, press and hold the Shift key.
4. Release the Shift key when you see the Choose an option screen.

Resetting the BIOS Configuration

Accessing Windows Advanced Startup allows you to modify some BIOS settings. In this case, you need to reset the configuration to its default settings.

1. From the Choose an option screen, click on Troubleshoot.
2. Click on Advanced options.
3. Click on UEFI Firmware Settings.
4. Finally, click on Restart.

Once the system reboots into the BIOS setup, locate the Reset to Default or Load Optimized Defaults settings and apply them. Save the changes and exit the BIOS.

Windows Will Not Boot

If the PC doesn't boot into Windows after resetting the BIOS configuration, it's time to try booting from a USB or DVD. For this, you will need a Windows installation media.

1. Create a Windows installation media using a tool like Microsoft's Media Creation Tool.
2. Boot the PC from the USB or DVD media by accessing the boot menu or changing boot order in the BIOS setup.
3. Once you see the Windows setup screen, select Repair your computer.
4. Click on Troubleshoot.
5. Click on Advanced options.
6. Click on Automatic Repair.

After the automatic repair is completed, restart the PC and check if Windows boots correctly. If not, consider the following troubleshooting steps.

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If Windows still won't boot, you can try resetting Windows or using the Command Prompt to troubleshoot further. These actions will result in data loss, so ensure you have backed up any necessary files before proceeding.

• Reset Windows:
  1. Click on Troubleshoot.
  2. Click on Reset this PC.
  3. Select either Keep my files or Remove everything.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset.
• Troubleshoot using the Command Prompt:
  1. Click on Troubleshoot.
  2. Click on Advanced options.
  3. Click on Command Prompt.
  4. Type the necessary commands to repair system files and restart the PC.
  5. Here is a Microsoft resource with a list of troubleshooting commands.

Summary and References

In this article, you've learned how to troubleshoot a Windows advanced startup issue caused by a wiped BIOS on an old PC with a 4th generation Intel Z87 motherboard. You have accessed the Windows advanced startup, reset BIOS settings, booted from media, and executed a Windows automatic repair. In cases where Windows won't boot, you can perform a Windows reset or use the Command Prompt to troubleshoot further.

• Resetting Windows: Microsoft Support
• Using the Command Prompt for troubleshooting: Microsoft Command Prompt Resource
• Media Creation Tool: Microsoft Media Creation Tool