Update (expired thread) = BSOD / ROM image / MSI

Hi guys!

Long time, no see - I've been quietly tinkering to rule out all options for fixing. My original thread is here:
BSOD with ROM Layout mismatch detected

In a nutshell, BSOD claim is 'ROM image not loaded / ROM image update denied'. I get various error codes, mostly for critical service failed.
I've tried: all boot options, changing MSI configurations, flushing/ BIOS update, reset button (MSI bottom button), rolling back updates, all other standard BSOD Win/fix steps, cross-checking using cmd (all files / drivers are intact, no errors or damaged files), Memtest (no errors), using Rufus/USB (cannot bypass system to access loaded Windows to back up files..).

So at this point I got 2 conclusions: there is no internal (software) damage & there is no way to load up Windows in whatever mode (to back-up files, then re-install windows..).

The only other thing I have not tried - and this may be MSI-specific, is this: MSI GL65 Leopard Laptop Repair/Cleaning/Upgrade Back Panel opening || Techbunny - YouTube apparently careful disassembly of the shell, dusting & wire-connection checking/re-connecting, could solve it..

Before I do this - has anyone experience? Or a suggestion what else I could try before doing it?

Please, please help or suggest. Where I'm at in the middle of nowhere, I cannot access IT help even if I tried.. I'm stuck with DIY solutions.

For whatever option, I'd (try to) first clone the disk and/or copy all the files to another location, even with XCOPY if you only need files although you don't have a complete list and/or you don't know where they're.

There're 3 things you could aim to recover in this situation. Each target has its own alternatives:

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1) Recover just some of the files. With "some" I mean things like: documents written/made by you or that you got from elsewhere (including source code), photos, videos, commercial documents (bills, instructions,...), some drivers (specially of peripherals like printers, cameras,...),... In general, everything that has the shape and form of a file and can be used in many computers (ideally, all). I won't consider the recovery of individual files that belong to Windows, directly or indirectly (some things called "drivers", "controllers", etc but that don't have use outside that Windows version or Windows in general, and that they don't usually "drive" any concrete replaceable hardware in the sense of a what a general driver does).

Many years ago I connected a SATA disk with an active OS installed. I did it through a SATA to USB converter including an external power source (one intended for this, no way similar to a regular PC PSU) to 99% sure the same computer that had other disk and was running the same Windows (just more updated), intending to recover ancient files or formatting it as secondary disk (I had free SATA ports but I didn't want to use them). Know what? The system booted up from the "USB" disk depite my efforts, because I had the BIOS prepared for booting from an USB stick (as a norm, the main hard disk always goes last in boot order, despite being the most important booting source).

I tell the above because I haven't been able to figure out if an OEM_licensed-modern_OS disk would "work" in other computer (maybe conditioned to the legacyBIOS/CSM/UEFI/MBR/GPT/secureBoot/Bitlocker/etc settings being the same). For aim 1) it isn't necessary to boot up the disk, just be able to browse its files, and copy yours to other locations, intending to use them in other system with a different install of whatever OS suits.

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2) Diagnose, recover, replace etc the laptop. OEM licenses are probably cheap enough to see if the laptop can work. You would need an empty disk too. I'd pay attention to the BIOS settings regarding legacyBIOS/CSM/UEFI/MBR/GPT/secureBoot/Bitlocker/etc .

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3) Diagnose and recover the Windows install in its full glory. If the laptop is broken, in another one. If the license was OEM, you would need another license and migration techniques or tools. Again, pay attention to the BIOS settings related to legacyBIOS/CSM/UEFI/MBR/GPT/secureBoot/Bitlocker/etc .

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Just in case you don't have this link:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Thanks a bunch for your reply at length, let me pose some questions back to you, just to make sure that I get it all the right way..

JLArranz said:

For whatever option, I'd (try to) first clone the disk and/or copy all the files to another location, even with XCOPY if you only need files although you don't have a complete list and/or you don't know where they're.

==== CAN YOU PLEASE LINK TO XCOPY TUTORIAL, IF YOU HAVE IT HANDY? I'm not sure it would help, as I couldn't use USB-boot (Rufus or Windows), so I could never go past the BSOD (F9 settings menu) to the stage to back-up files.. otherwise I would have done that & erased windows..

There're 3 things you could aim to recover in this situation. Each target has its own alternatives:

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I did it through a SATA to USB converter including an external power source ==== SOUND WICKED =)

The system booted up from the "USB" disk depite my efforts, because I had the BIOS prepared for booting from an USB stick (as a norm, the main hard disk always goes last in boot order, despite being the most important booting source).
==== I'VE TRIED THAT, NO LUCK.. though any suggestions what I can try in this context welcome, I'd happily try again..

For aim 1) it isn't necessary to boot up the disk, just be able to browse its files, and copy yours to other locations, intending to use them in other system with a different install of whatever OS suits.
==== YEAH I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT CAN'T ACCESS. About the closest thing was seeing cmd check all drivers/files to tell me that they are all intact (as BSOD claims critical failure). Flushing BIOS didn't solve it either, and no matter the boot mode that I choose.. I'm at a loss, because this is exactly what I'd want - to back-up critical files (most of them documents & media) to external USB, then erase the system, maybe then only install Lynux.. I'm pretty sure it was the Win update i've tried forcing to be able to rule out VPN glitches, this is when the laptop crashed & voila, I'm stuck on BSOD.

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2) Diagnose, recover, replace etc the laptop. OEM licenses are probably cheap enough to see if the laptop can work. You would need an empty disk too. I'd pay attention to the BIOS settings regarding legacyBIOS/CSM/UEFI/MBR/GPT/secureBoot/Bitlocker/etc .

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3) Diagnose and recover the Windows install in its full glory. If the laptop is broken, in another one. If the license was OEM, you would need another license and migration techniques or tools. Again, pay attention to the BIOS settings related to legacyBIOS/CSM/UEFI/MBR/GPT/secureBoot/Bitlocker/etc .

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Just in case you don't have this link:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

@Berton

I was meaning the say 500 GB, 1 TB, 240 GB etc where one has installed Windows, not the installing media. I didn't explain it well because I was thinking about "OS disks" (where you've installed the OS, not the installing media) vs "data disks" (not bootable disks used to just store files). We have a problem trying to recover files from a disk where Windows 10 has been installed (likely with an OEM license) AND interesting files have been recorded. The latter files are trapped for an issue that seems a mix of several of the following (possibly not all):

- The OEM_license of the disk Windows install does not even permit reading its files, except if attached to its computer that I'll call "Laptop One". We're not interested in booting the disk in a different computer, only access the files.

- "Laptop One" might be bricked.

- The Windows installation of the disk might have developed inability to boot up or to be accessed (from either "Laptop One", other computer in good shape, or both -any computer then-) for a bad software move that I'm only semi-understanding.

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@LDM2023

For the records:

drive: synonym of "disk", "volume", or "partition", depending.
driver: piece of software that provides given kinds of services, a common one is ability to use a piece of hardware (upon reading some of your phrases in the other thread, I understood that you might want to recover some of these, although I wasn't fully understanding and now I see what were you saying...)

XCOPY isn't any special utility, it's just a Windows command to copy files in ways that COPY cannot do. You can open a command prompt at any Windows (this is "in" from the times of DOS) and run XCOPY /? to see the complete instructions in the Windows language. The interesting options for what I was saying are /S and /E .

About the closest thing was seeing cmd check all drives/files to tell me that they are all intact (as BSOD claims critical failure). Flushing BIOS didn't solve it either, and no matter the boot mode that I choose..

I see it possible that the format of a disk partition or the format of the whole drive itself has developed errors. Maybe a partitions utility can help there. Previously to that, possibly you can clone the drive in what Macrium Reflect calls "forensic mode" (copy all sectors, even seemingly unused ones), other utilities can do that too although they might call it differently.

I'm still here! Sorry it takes me a wee while to get back to try/report progress. I'll comment right between your lines, so hopefully it's logical:

JLArranz said:

@Berton I was meaning the say 500 GB, 1 TB, 240 GB etc where one has installed Windows, not the installing media.
============== that's what I tried, except I used a slimmer 'weight' of 32GB USB pendrive. Installing/deleting as necessary - Windows boot; then Rufus; then Memtest.. no errors but could not boot whichever way. Btw, got a MSI 2TB which is why I really need to find a way to back-up the files from D-drive plus whatever I had in browser bookmarks / desktop files when it crashed (unsuccessful windows update... rolling windows back & bios flush didn't do it either...)


- The Windows installation of the disk might have developed inability to boot up or to be accessed (from either "Laptop One", other computer in good shape, or both -any computer then-) for a bad software move that I'm only semi-understanding.
============== how do you know/suspect when it's the case? how could one (sorry, I'm an idiot let's assume) access the computer-1 drives via computer-2 linked? (one I haven't tried, not sure if it's safe, in any case my computer-2 has no space to load up the files for back-up, only my external hard-drive..)

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@LDM2023

drive: synonym of "disk", "volume", or "partition", depending. ============== yup, those seem intact

driver: piece of software that provides given kinds of services, a common one is ability to use a piece of hardware (upon reading some of your phrases in the other thread, I understood that you might want to recover some of these, although I wasn't fully understanding and now I see what were you saying...) ============== yup, driver D as above; fck drive C aka windows, except for a few desktop files I wasn't able to back-up in unfortunate time.. (lesson to myself: never update windows prior to back-up.. and memo-2: stop using windows, switching to Linux - once I got my back-up, this is what I'd do..)

XCOPY isn't any special utility, it's just a Windows command to copy files in ways that COPY cannot do. You can open a command prompt at any Windows (this is "in" from the times of DOS) and run XCOPY /? to see the complete instructions in the Windows language. The interesting options for what I was saying are /S and /E .
============== ooooooooooh, gotta do it! It ought to work in command prompt in F9 boot menu, right? Gotta research, let's assume guidelines for dummies.. if you got good reference or link for 'how-to', please please please share. =/


I see it possible that the format of a disk partition or the format of the whole drive itself has developed errors. Maybe a partitions utility can help there. Previously to that, possibly you can clone the drive in what Macrium Reflect calls "forensic mode" (copy all sectors, even seemingly unused ones), other utilities can do that too although they might call it differently.

============== any reference or links for how-to? I understand what you're telling me, I just need to find a step-by-step to see if I can make it work (and not mess it up further).. at this point I don't care as long as I get to copy the files (and then reinstall Windows, or even straight up Linux). To my knowledge, I've not partitioned the drivers in any way, it's simple/standard access (and Memtest as well as cmd check tells me all is intact)

============== that's what I tried, except I used a slimmer 'weight' of 32GB USB pendrive. Installing/deleting as necessary - Windows boot; then Rufus; then Memtest.. no errors but could not boot whichever way. Btw, got a MSI 2TB which is why I really need to find a way to back-up the files from D-drive plus whatever I had in browser bookmarks / desktop files when it crashed (unsuccessful windows update... rolling windows back & bios flush didn't do it either...)

I'm not expert in booting from pendrives (or are you trying other thing with that 32->29GB pendrive?; some Windows installs could fit there, let alone if you only want to recover some files), whenever I can I record a CD or DVD and boot from there, but I've seen frequently the advice of not using Rufus for Windows, and record a "proper" or "direct" installing media instead using own Windows means (there must be a tutorial here, I know neither this procedure nor Rufus; for the records, I've never had a laptop, I have 3 desktops and a mini-PC here, the latter doesn't have optical drive but it wasn't necessary, because Windows installed and activated automatically w/o issues as stated by the maker, upon connecting it to Internet and peripherals and turning it on the first time).

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============== how do you know/suspect when it's the case? how could one (sorry, I'm an idiot let's assume) access the computer-1 drives via computer-2 linked? (one I haven't tried, not sure if it's safe, in any case my computer-2 has no space to load up the files for back-up, only my external hard-drive..)
============== yup, driver D as above; fck drive C aka windows, except for a few desktop files I wasn't able to back-up in unfortunate time.. (lesson to myself: never update windows prior to back-up.. and memo-2: stop using windows, switching to Linux - once I got my back-up, this is what I'd do..)

I'm meaning detaching the possibly problematic disk from possibly problematic computer 1, and attaching it to computer 2 as secondary disk, better through an USB adapter. If you need or want to use the 2 TB disk, attach it to computer 2 too. You will have to find yourself which letters belong to each disk or partition, and copy the files as you want.

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XCOPY isn't any special utility, it's just a Windows command to copy files in ways that COPY cannot do. You can open a command prompt at any Windows (this is "in" from the times of DOS) and run XCOPY /? to see the complete instructions in the Windows language. The interesting options for what I was saying are /S and /E .
============== ooooooooooh, gotta do it! It ought to work in command prompt in F9 boot menu, right? Gotta research, let's assume guidelines for dummies.. if you got good reference or link for 'how-to', please please please share. =/

There're people that work with learnt procedures, and others that need concepts. I'm from the latter and I always distrust "blind procedures", that in this case are plain impossible. If you succeed attaching the source and destination disks to computer 2 and getting all the partitions' contents visible under Windows, you won't need the command prompt. I repeat, XCOPY isn't any miraculous super-program, it's just an evolved version of COPY. In case you cannot access the disk graphically but you get all partitions and disks available to any command prompt, run XCOPY /? first, and read /S and /E options, that allow copying folders including subfolders and sub-subfolders etc with only one command. If needed, XCOPY is C:\Windows\System32\xcopy.exe in any Windows install.

For files or folders in your problematic C: partition (that will have other letter in computer 2, no matter if in graphical Windows or in a command prompt), you might encounter problems with permissions and/or hidden files.

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============== any reference or links for how-to? I understand what you're telling me, I just need to find a step-by-step to see if I can make it work (and not mess it up further).. at this point I don't care as long as I get to copy the files (and then reinstall Windows, or even straight up Linux). To my knowledge, I've not partitioned the drivers in any way, it's simple/standard access (and Memtest as well as cmd check tells me all is intact)

Please stop using any English word that begins with "driv" and never ever write "driver" unless you know what you're speaking about. Use "disk" or "partition" instead.

According to your previous paragraphs, the problematic disk has two partitions, that you call C: and D: respectively. Only take into account that those letters will change if you manage to connect the disk to other computer as secondary disk (not-booting disk).