PC Won't Start Up Now

[manofmanynames]

Pleaaase someone help me! I don't know who to turn to and I'm not the most tech-savvy person out there, even though I've been an LTT viewer for years. You see, I was just trying to add a second, 2TB hard drive (my desktop has an SSD to boot up from, and another 1TB HDD) and all I literally did was just plug it in with the available power connector and a SATA cable I bought, as one is supposed to do, and now it won't do its usual thing and boot up, it just shows me this message when I power it on.

 

I'm gonna need this thing for work again soon, probably, and it's my only available PC. Won't someone please help guide me, somehow? 

[Hinjima]

3 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

Pleaaase someone help me! I don't know who to turn to and I'm not the most tech-savvy person out there, even though I've been an LTT viewer for years. You see, I was just trying to add a second, 2TB hard drive (my desktop has an SSD to boot up from, and another 1TB HDD) and all I literally did was just plug it in with the available power connector and a SATA cable I bought, as one is supposed to do, and now it won't do its usual thing and boot up, it just shows me this message when I power it on.

 

I'm gonna need this thing for work again soon, probably, and it's my only available PC. Won't someone please help guide me, somehow? 

Have you tried pressing ESC or F1?

[manofmanynames]

5 minutes ago, Hinjima said:

Have you tried pressing ESC or F1?

Yes I have. If I press F1, it just reboots back to this same screen, on both monitors. If I press ESC, nothing seems to happen, even if I hold it down. 

[1human]

12 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

Pleaaase someone help me! I don't know who to turn to and I'm not the most tech-savvy person out there, even though I've been an LTT viewer for years. You see, I was just trying to add a second, 2TB hard drive (my desktop has an SSD to boot up from, and another 1TB HDD) and all I literally did was just plug it in with the available power connector and a SATA cable I bought, as one is supposed to do, and now it won't do its usual thing and boot up, it just shows me this message when I power it on.

 

I'm gonna need this thing for work again soon, probably, and it's my only available PC. Won't someone please help guide me, somehow?

Have you disconnected the 2TB HDD and tried reverting to exactly what it was like before you added the HDD?

[manofmanynames]

Just now, 1human said:

Have you disconnected the 2TB HDD and tried reverting to exactly what it was like before you added the HDD?

Yes sir! I took it out and haven't put it back since. A moment ago I pressed F1 again and I got a screen that seemed to suggest that it thinks I don't have Windows anymore. I'm going to try to get it to show that again so I can photograph it and share it. But it asked me to insert my Windows disc in. That doesn't sound like good news to me, it sounds like it thinks I don't have Windows at all anymore, right? 

[Hinjima]

2 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

Yes I have. If I press F1, it just reboots back to this same screen, on both monitors. If I press ESC, nothing seems to happen, even if I hold it down. 

This could be an issue with the CMOS battery. Its a silver clock battery on the motherboard.

Try to reseat this.

[1human]

1 minute ago, manofmanynames said:

Yes sir! I took it out and haven't put it back since. A moment ago I pressed F1 again and I got a screen that seemed to suggest that it thinks I don't have Windows anymore. I'm going to try to get it to show that again so I can photograph it and share it. But it asked me to insert my Windows disc in. That doesn't sound like good news to me, it sounds like it thinks I don't have Windows at all anymore, right? 

Ensure all your other drives are securely connected and also check for a battery on the motherboard, if you can find one try pushing it back into place if it maybe got loose somehow.

[manofmanynames]

1 minute ago, manofmanynames said:

Yes sir! I took it out and haven't put it back since. A moment ago I pressed F1 again and I got a screen that seemed to suggest that it thinks I don't have Windows anymore. I'm going to try to get it to show that again so I can photograph it and share it. But it asked me to insert my Windows disc in. That doesn't sound like good news to me, it sounds like it thinks I don't have Windows at all anymore, right? 

 

[manofmanynames]

2 minutes ago, Hinjima said:

This could be an issue with the CMOS battery. Its a silver clock battery on the motherboard.

Try to reseat this.

Do I just remove it with my fingers? I tried pushing it down a few times earlier but didn't actually take it out. 

[1human]

1 minute ago, manofmanynames said:

 

 

 

When you see this, press F8.

[Hinjima]

Just now, manofmanynames said:

Do I just remove it with my fingers? I tried pushing it down a few times earlier but didn't actually take it out. 

It can be done.  There is a clip that might be tough to unlatch with your fingers, I usually use a screwdriver.

Be careful not to stab your motherboard.. I'v gone through it once with a screwdriver, it did not fix my problem

 

Pushing it down a few times should be enough however.

[manofmanynames]

4 minutes ago, 1human said:

 

When you see this, press F8.

It just takes me back to the screen that says "Windows Boot Manager" where I can press ENTER again to select the Operating System. 

[1human]

Just now, manofmanynames said:

It just takes me back to the screen that says "Windows Boot Manager" where I can press ENTER again to select the Operating System. 

Ok that's not great.. is there any important information on this computer that does not have a backup anywhere else

 

[manofmanynames]

8 minutes ago, Hinjima said:

It can be done.  There is a clip that might be tough to unlatch with your fingers, I usually use a screwdriver.

Be careful not to stab your motherboard.. I'v gone through it once with a screwdriver, it did not fix my problem

 

Pushing it down a few times should be enough however.

I've tried pushing it down a few times more. As of now I'm afraid to touch anything more for fear of messing things up further. How could this happen?! All I did was put in a hard drive! If I had known I would have this issue, I wouldn't have done it... 

[manofmanynames]

4 minutes ago, 1human said:

Ok that's not great.. is there any important information on this computer that does not have a backup anywhere else

 

My video game streams, which I do care about, but that's about it. Though I could redownload those all from YouTube if I really needed to, even if the quality of them was a little worse. But organizing them all again would take time. 

[Hinjima]

2 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

I've tried pushing it down a few times more. As of now I'm afraid to touch anything more for fear of messing things up further. How could this happen?! All I did was put in a hard drive! If I had known I would have this issue, I wouldn't have done it... 

Computers do be computers... They fuck up sometimes.

I would highly recommend to wait until tomorrow when more people have had the chance to hop in here and help.

Right now is late in the US and its 3AM here in Norway and Europe.  I think people with more knowledge in this area will stop by tomorrow.

 

I dont think the data on your current drives are lost or affected.

[1human]

1 minute ago, manofmanynames said:

My video game streams, which I do care about, but that's about it. Though I could redownload those all from YouTube if I really needed to, even if the quality of them was a little worse. But organizing them all again would take time. 

Are your video game streams on the 1TB HDD or the boot SSD, for this process we'll only be modifying the files on the SSD. Even then, this process is intended to keep all your personal files, a backup is just in case something does go wrong.

 

Do you have a free USB stick with at least 8GB and another computer you can borrow from someone temporarily (think maybe 30 minutes maximum to borrow a computer)

[manofmanynames]

9 minutes ago, 1human said:

Ok that's not great.. is there any important information on this computer that does not have a backup anywhere else

 

Have any advice or suggestions for me now that I'm here? 

[manofmanynames]

1 minute ago, 1human said:

Are your video game streams on the 1TB HDD or the boot SSD, for this process we'll only be modifying the files on the SSD. Even then, this process is intended to keep all your personal files, a backup is just in case something does go wrong.

 

Do you have a free USB stick with at least 8GB and another computer you can borrow from someone temporarily (think maybe 30 minutes maximum to borrow a computer)

I do have a USB stick or two and I could use my sister's laptop, sure, if I have to. But do please let me know if I can do anything from the menu I just shared. 

[1human]

Just now, manofmanynames said:

Have any advice or suggestions for me now that I'm here? 

 

I would try System Recovery, there should be a recovery partition on the SSD that may be able to help.

[manofmanynames]

1 minute ago, 1human said:

 

I would try System Recovery, there should be a recovery partition on the SSD that may be able to help.

I did just select it, but it takes me back to just F1 for Booting. Uuuuuugh. What have I doooone? 

[manofmanynames]

6 minutes ago, Hinjima said:

Computers do be computers... They fuck up sometimes.

I would highly recommend to wait until tomorrow when more people have had the chance to hop in here and help.

Right now is late in the US and its 3AM here in Norway and Europe.  I think people with more knowledge in this area will stop by tomorrow.

 

I dont think the data on your current drives are lost or affected.

Yeah I'm not worried about my data, I just want the damn thing to work again. I wish I hadn't tried this. I'm not great at fixing tech, as much as I love electronics. 

[1human]

2 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

I did just select it, but it takes me back to just F1 for Booting.

try reconnecting your SSD, and check the SATA cables on the motherboard to the SSD. Make sure your power cables are connected properly to the SSD.

[Hinjima]

5 minutes ago, manofmanynames said:

Yeah I'm not worried about my data, I just want the damn thing to work again. I wish I hadn't tried this. I'm not great at fixing tech, as much as I love electronics. 

It can all be fixed and I am not too worried about this.  Just gotta do the right steps  

I am definitely not thinking clearly as I desperately need sleep.

 

@1humanIs giving you some great things to try.
 

I will pop by tomorrow and check on your progress.

Remember to check back tomorrow.

[manofmanynames]

5 minutes ago, 1human said:

try reconnecting your SSD, and check the SATA cables on the motherboard to the SSD. Make sure your power cables are connected properly to the SSD.

Seems like it's all fine. I was able to run some diagnostics on it and it even says everything is good to go. You suggested the USB drive and the other PC, so I'm guessing you'd have me try putting Windowns on the drive to then get it into this one, right? I've never done that process before, but I'm willing to try it.