Labi

BTW: didn't intend to imply any criticism re battery replacement advice: just frustration at my lack of understanding re the basics of BIOS which are stymying progress towards resolving the original problem. Labi.

Hi Ken/Rustys: I'm back to test your patience again after a long wait for the CMOS battery to arrive from Germany! After going to the trouble of tracking down the replacement battery, it seems not to have made any difference to performance. Sorry to kick-off with yet another conundrum but what is most strange is that the battery appears not to affect the BIOS screen at all. The time & date which I had altered manually continues to show the correct info whether or not the battery is connected. In short, I can't tell if the battery is live as nothing in the BIOS - or it's behaviour - changes, after the new battery is plugged-in? But anyway, I still get exactly the same message as before when I switch on - "reboot and select proper boot device...." etc. and yes, the HD is shown under 'Boot Option Priorities' as Boot option no.1. So far I haven't downloaded Linux Mint/Ubuntu to a USB. I'm not quite sure what to do with it TBH. Is it to replace my Windows 8.1 OS permanently? If so, why not just copy a new version of 8.1 which, after all, I'm more familiar with? Are there any settings in"Start Easy Flash" under 'Advanced' in the BIOS screen that I should check/adjust before giving up on my old HD...? Best, Labi.

Hi Ken/Rustys Found out today I'd ordered (and received) the wrong part! Difficult to get the required size battery it seems. Have appealed to Asus for help: awaiting a response. Watch this space! Best, Labi.

Thanks Team for your combined efforts. Can't find CMOS battery locally so will have to resort to Amazon (think it safer to pass on 'used' from EBay!) May take a day or two to arrive. Update re outcome will follow idc... Thanks again.. Labi.

Hi Ken Can you tell me where I can get the replacement from please? Cheapest I've seen on Amazon is over £7.00! Yes, there is a USB port on Asus. In the BIOS under "Advanced" is - "USB configuration" - "Legacy USB Support -----[Enabled] I assume that means there is an option to boot from external device....(?) Labi.

Ken Looks like I'll have to order the part. It's more than a simple battery: there's also a wire and connector attachment too. The battery is very small - shirt button size - contained in a plastic sleeve which doesn't come off. Anyway: BIOS details - "System date [Mon 02/23/2009] (The system time clock is running). Labi.

Ken Ok. So date & time should automatically reset subject only to battery condition...? Labi.

Ken Still no joy. BIOS does now recognise the HD. (Result!) Under BOOT - I find "Launch CSM [enabled] & Boot Option no.1 ------[PO. Toshiba ........]" "Secure Boot Control is "Disabled". (Date & time will need resetting) Can't work out if RAM connections are soldered or clip on/push-fit. In the circumstances think I will resist trying to remove. It looks clean enough.....(?) With HD in place, the same message appears every time I switch on - "Reboot & select proper boot device...." F9 makes no difference. Labi.

Update: Have checked BIOS and found that Secure Boot is already disabled & CSM Enabled. F9 isn't opening the Recovery options screen so perhaps the only thing left to try is operation Ubuntu Mint...?! Labi.

Hi Ken Back home and working on installing HD in Asus atm. Now find a new message after rebooting...... "Reboot and select proper Boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key". I haven't reset the BIOS yet, as you suggested earlier. Was expecting to go straight there as usual after booting tbh... Don't want to upset anything so will leave the screen showing the message above pending your wise counsel! Thanks Labi.

Ken Job done! F: volume/partition is no more. E: has been expanded to fill the unallocated space. No change in the way Win7 machine opens with USB connected, though. Operation Asus must wait until I return home later this week. I'll let you know how it goes soon... Thanks, Labi.

Ken I think it's safe to say the F: partition must have been created in error and it now only contains deleted files in the trash bin anyway...for some reason. So; yes, I would like to delete it and return the HD to its previous state after which I'll try to boot Win7 machine from the HD one more time, in case there's some mysterious improvement in its condition! Meanwhile, operation Asus will have to wait until I get home in a few days time!! Labi.

Update: Have now managed to convert GPT to MBR and perform 'rebuild MBR' option, too! (Don't ask!!) However, Win7 machine does not open from the HD connected via USB even though USB is prioritised in the BIOS. The good news: data is still intact despite the earlier abortive attempts to alter the HD structure using EaseUs software! Am away from home atm so can't try the HD in my Asus - but I'm not confident that it's going to fire up quite honestly since Win7 BIOS seems not to find it. Are there any other tests I could run in the meantime to check OS function....? Labi.

Update: I just tried to run the convert programme again. Didn't get the options box this time though. It seems I have to click on 'Apply'at the top of the screen - although there are no helpful on screen prompts to advise the steps involved? Finally, I returned to the screen after waiting a long time and clicked on 'apply', more in hope than expectation. Then I got the option to shut down so changes could be applied. I clicked 'yes' and waited for the laptop to reboot but it stalled during the reboot before windows could open and I had to abort the procedure. Might have been a one off glitch so will try again in the morning. Watch this space.....! Labi.

Ken "EaseUS Partition Master can directly convert GPT disk to MBR disk without any data loss (hard disk with system installed is not supported)" This statement from your link seems to contradict my experience of EaseUs Partition Master, otherwise why would I receive a 'choice' message implying that to continue with the conversion GPT to MBR would result in disk information being lost? From memory, there is also an option to create a copy of the disk drive using the EaseUs programme. What if I copied drive E: first and then went ahead with the conversion. Would the saved data transfer back to the converted HD....? Just a thought.... I tried the Command you suggested to access System Restore. It works but it seems the machine is recognising itself - not drive E: even though I input the letter E: at the prompt to begin with. The list of Restore points makes this clear because it references the deleted file WinLocker as well as Adobe Reader - both of which I deleted in an attempt to resolve the Copy/Paste issue plaguing us earlier on this machine, so it's definitely not looking at drive E: for some reason. Also, the available RP's only go back as far as 29 April. Sorry to keep posing questions rather than answers.. Labi.