BIOS no longer accessible after using Acronis

[FunkMaster_J]

We've got a load (15) of Toshiba laptops that have been imaged using the Acronis True Image software, and all (pretty much) no longer have accessible BIOS'.

 

Not experienced this before (used Acronis for a few years), we set all the laptops to image in one go. After the image was applied we then went to setup BitLocker only to find it wouldn't run. Assuming it could be that BitLocker couldn't change the TPM status, we tried to get into the BIOS which is where we got stuck.

 

Pressing F2 on boot, the laptop will just restart at the point when the BIOS should display.

 

We've tried updating the BIOS, also no luck, and tried a Windows program to read the BIOS, but it returned with unreadable characters (basically, it didn't read the BIOS).

 

One laptop has been sent back as we thought it was the laptop that was broken (it had the same problem as we have now), and it's motherboard had to be replaced.

 

Not entirely sure how imaging a drive can effect the BIOS this way, we even set a password on the BIOS to see if that stopped it from happening.

 

As far as using the laptop once Windows has started, its absolutely fine. Nothing wrong.

 

Anyone with an idea?

[pete]

What happens if you hit F12 (as you'd normally use to netboot / boot from other media) - does that work? Does entering the bios setup from the boot other media prompt result in the same problem?

 

(Assume Toshibas have the option of entering the Bios via F12)

[featured_spectre]

I was going to suggest flashing the BIOS in windows, if that fails, take the CMOS battery out and replace it.

[FunkMaster_J]

Major apologies for not replying to this.

 

Tried pressing the usual F keys that would cause the BIOS to kick in, but the usual thing that happens is the laptop restarts.

 

We tried flashing the BIOS in Windows too, and that had no effect.

 

The laptops have been sent off to Toshiba, and they claim that it's our software that breaks the BIOS :S ... so (after some Googling) I found lots of other home users have had the same problem after setting a Supervisor password for the BIOS.

So I tried setting the Supervisor password on a laptop that had not been imaged ... and it stopped the BIOS from being accessible! I do believe thats a fault of Toshiba?

There's a utility that comes with the Toshiba laptops that can access/change the supervisor password. After having a fiddle with that, the laptop starts up fine and can get into the BIOS

 

Damned Toshiba! They wanted to charge us to get our laptops back that are broken because of them :S

[Don__1]

Which model of laptop was this with?