ExoPC Slate shut down and won't come back on

I've got an ExoPC Slate Tablet running Windows 8.1 Pro 64. It's been working perfectly for about 1 1/2 years. Last night I decided to install Comodo Internet Security Pro onto it. Everything seemed to be going fine. It did the full install, including a couple reboots. Then I uninstalled another application and it asked me to reboot. So I started the restart process and the tablet got stuck at "Shutting Down" for about 10 minutes. After that I forced it off by holding the power button. Now, I've been trying to bring it back on but the screen never shows anything at all. I've let the battery drain and recharge, I've gone through the single blink and the 3 blinks. Nothing will make the screen activate again. I can't get into Setup, BIOS, nothing. Does anyone have any ideas?

Hi,

Usually like phones tablets have hot Keys.  So try these out.  Make sure its charged up, these hot keys can allow you to get into BIOS or any troubleshooting tools so at least you have a start point.

BIOS or tool

Press volume up & either Power or menu button. 

Diagnostic or BIOS

volume down and power or menu button.

On the Slate, there is a button on the back in one of the top corners.  Also try using that and power at the same time.

With all these options use different techniques such as.  Back button & Power & Volume up or Down.

Try just volume and back button

Or try all techniques again but hold for 3 to 5 seconds, sometime 30. 

Another way is by hooking a key board up to it, and using the FN+F4 at start up to get into the Win 8 boot menu.  But you will have to do this FAST and its tough.

Also, with Windows 8 & 8.1 when you boot it up and it fails to boot 3 or 5 times, it will auto restart into recovery mode.  Try that also.

Lastly, hook up a external DVD drive, and use your recovery disc you made to boot off of.  No recovery disc for that computer?  ANY windows 8.1 boot disc will work. 

Start with this, and we will move on from there.

Good luck

The only button on the ExoPC Slate is the power button on the back. There are no other hardware buttons at all. I have done powering off and on many times now (over 50 at least) using both the quick method (hold power button for 5 seconds until the single blue light blink) as well as the forced power off (holding power button for roughly 30 seconds), alternated between the two, tried doing each type of shutdown in succession several times each, and everything else I can think of. If I can see anything on the screen at all, I can easily get into the Windows 8 boot menu so timing is not an issue there ... except that there's nothing on the screen ... ever. I have tried booting with my Win 8 disc but the external USB DVD drive is not even being accessed. It spins up, but when there was a screen I would have to tap a spot to choose boot options then I could choose the DVD. But because the screen is not responding, I can't tap it. I've tried because I do know where the spot is, but it does not work.

Hi,

Usually like phones tablets have hot Keys.  So try these out.  Make sure its charged up, these hot keys can allow you to get into BIOS or any troubleshooting tools so at least you have a start point.

 

BIOS or tool

Press volume up & either Power or menu button. 

 

Diagnostic or BIOS

volume down and power or menu button.

 

On the Slate, there is a button on the back in one of the top corners.  Also try using that and power at the same time.

 

With all these options use different techniques such as.  Back button & Power & Volume up or Down.

Try just volume and back button

Or try all techniques again but hold for 3 to 5 seconds, sometime 30. 

 

Another way is by hooking a key board up to it, and using the FN+F4 at start up to get into the Win 8 boot menu.  But you will have to do this FAST and its tough.

Also, with Windows 8 & 8.1 when you boot it up and it fails to boot 3 or 5 times, it will auto restart into recovery mode.  Try that also.

 

Lastly, hook up a external DVD drive, and use your recovery disc you made to boot off of.  No recovery disc for that computer?  ANY windows 8.1 boot disc will work. 

 

Start with this, and we will move on from there.

Good luck

A short update .. I just plugged in a USB keyboard/trackball combo, and although it's not showing any power, as I'm doing the 30 second press, just before the light starts blinking 3 times, there is a about 1/10th of a second where the lights on the keyboard do come on. But I've tried holding down keys, tapping the trackball buttons, and anything else I can think of but nothing changes the screen state from black.

Edited by Bryan Mohr, 09 February 2014 - 07:30 AM.

OK,
For reference on my part, can you provide me with as much info (as your Ok giving out) on the Name, model, power supply, what equipment your attaching to it anything at all.  That way as I am getting you a solution we can know what we are working with.
 
Also, do you have or own the following:

• flash drive that you can plug into the tablet
• another computer with windows 7 or 8.x on it?
• backups, recoverys or other files from the tablet in any version

Please provide what you can, and anthing else that you have of note.

Also, if you have it or can remember what version of Comodo Internet Security Pro did you install,

and when you mentioned a program that you uninstalled.... What was the program, version etc.

I will check back in a hr or so, then again tomorrow. 

Reminder as we start this process please be patient, meaning if you can do not do anything unless I ask you too. 

IF you decide to do something, or take someone elses advice, update this post ASAP, with all details.  If you do not, then we will be chasing our tails trying to get you working again.

If you have any concerns, or questions please let me know.

thanks

It's just a stock ExoPC Slate (Not the 3G model). There is nothing currently connected except the stock power adapter. I do have flash drives, sd cards, external USB DVD drives, USB keyboards and trackballs that can all be used. But as I mentioned, there is nothing currently connected except the power adapter. I also have other computers running various types of Windows 7, as well as Windows 8 and Ubuntu. The version of Comodo installed was the latest version ... I downloaded it directly from comodo.com that same night. UltraVNC was the program that was removed. I don't recall the version of UltraVNC that was on it, it was not the most recent, but it had never caused any problems from day one.

I really don't think this is going to be a Windows problem though. I never see anything on the screen. No opening logo, no startup options, nothing that would normally show before the boot device is accessed.

OK,
For reference on my part, can you provide me with as much info (as your Ok giving out) on the Name, model, power supply, what equipment your attaching to it anything at all.  That way as I am getting you a solution we can know what we are working with.
 
Also, do you have or own the following:

• flash drive that you can plug into the tablet
• another computer with windows 7 or 8.x on it?
• backups, recoverys or other files from the tablet in any version

Please provide what you can, and anthing else that you have of note.

Also, if you have it or can remember what version of Comodo Internet Security Pro did you install,

and when you mentioned a program that you uninstalled.... What was the program, version etc.

 

I will check back in a hr or so, then again tomorrow. 

Reminder as we start this process please be patient, meaning if you can do not do anything unless I ask you too. 

IF you decide to do something, or take someone elses advice, update this post ASAP, with all details.  If you do not, then we will be chasing our tails trying to get you working again.

 

If you have any concerns, or questions please let me know.

thanks

Thank you for the fast reply.  I am glad you have additional equipment and flash drives.

One thing to consider when doing this, and I can only speak from my usage of other tablets with Windows 8.1, when using the recovery or Advanced Boot Options Windows 8 and 8.1 tend to work like a Unix system, in that when something is working or is typed correct it says nothing.

Here are some articles about using different recovery options in Windows 8 and 8.1.  Please record your results with each one IF you try anything.  These will give you a break down of the process and by seeing images of what SHOULD happen maybe it will help.  Read over these, and IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO ANYTHING PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND POST YOUR RESULTS.  If you do not, then I will ask you do to things that you might have completed already.  While you start on this I will continue to get you up and running.  

If you have any questions about anything let me know BEFORE YOU TRY IT.

We have more options but starting with the simple before we get complicated is always good.  Also, Do you have the data on your tablet backed up, there might come a point when we have to undo some things, if not we will get to that.

Windows 8 & 8.1 Guides

• Windows Vista Startup Repair (for knowledge base)
• Using Windows 8 Automatic Repair
• Windows 8 System Restore Guide
• Windows 8 Guide to Recovery Enviroment Prompt
• Windows 8 Startup Setting boot Menu

Again these are to educate and help, also to allow us to be on the same page when I ask about certain items.  If you have questions let me know.  I will check back in a hr.

thanks

So I did some digging and this is what I need from you to go forward.

• What is the name of your ExoPc Slate? 
• Meaning manufacture, name of product
• firm ware, software, and Serial Number/product number.
• base version and anything else you can provide

Why do I ask for this?

Well, the ExoPc system has a bunch of different versions and manufactures.  Depending on what country you are in, and version of device.  To further complicate the issue, the companies that made this product created devices with android or Unix or windows or with windows on top of unix etc.

Over all there might be solutions, but I will need more info.

If your DVD and keyboard is not getting power, make sure you disconnect them.  Meaning, with USB ports on smaller devices they tend to use the same USB hubs, and only have so much power to go around.  So, just try to plug in your DVD player and nothing else.  If that fails, do this:

• restart the tablet by pressing the back power button and the light sensor button on the front of the device located on the top left corner of the screen.  Its super hard to see and find but its there.
• This should either create a reboot, or make a ALT+CTRL+DEL function.  I also suspect that is the extra button I was talking about to press.  From what I read this sensor on the front still works when the touch screen is disabled.  So use this and try the solution for my first two posts as well after this.
• If the computer reboots wait and see if the DVD player comes on.  There might be no light the DVD player listen for the DVD.  Also with Windows 8 the screen will be black for up to 30 mins during recovery.  So wait, it took me 1 hr once to recover.
• If this does not work, unplug DVD and try another USB port, could be a power issue on the USB hub, look for USB hubs that have a + on them for power.  (if available)  Again do all of this WITHOUT MOUSE OR KEYBOARD CONNECTED.
• Also, depending on make and modle you can disconnect everything, shutdown the tablet.  Start the tablet and quickly press the sensor that is on the front from the above images.  (some say for a quick sec, some say 4 secs) this is how to get to boot/ recovery mode.  Again it all depends on make of device.

If neither works use a USB to load a bootable image to a flash drive.

• Link to Windows 8 USB boot drive  You will have to use another computer
• again it takes time to work, only connect this USB drive, and use the same restart procedures as above.

To get your files and folders off the device try connecting it to another computer.  Usually Windows will try to connect it as a Flash drive or Hard Drive.  Meaning if we have to do a total re install, at least you have the files.

Issues:

Depending on your device make and all that it could be

• BIOS error that requires new drivers
• touchscreen drivers needed
• write error during shutdown of windows
• maleware that loads before boot and locks out the system
• registry issues from programs or shutdown
• issues resulting from shutdown when Windows updates were running
• Drivers and BIOS not upgraded correctly before installing Windows 8.1

Again, I will not know this until I get more info from you.  Also, if your tablet is not a offical type (meaing you get it from a guy who hacked it) then when Windows 8 or 8.1 interfaces with the tablet it creates all types of errors that cause too many issues to list.

Hope this helps some, and let me know what you find out.

thank you

I appreciate the help and of course I know all about the recovery environment, fixing the mbr, activating different partitions, etc.... But what I think you might not be understanding is that there is NEVER anything shown on the screen from the moment the power button is pressed. Never a cursor, no ExoPC logo, no boot options, nothing. It is just a black screen. So there is no way I can access the RE.

The name is the ExoPC Slate (Slate is the model). I am in the US. They had 4 different versions of the tablet. They all ran Windows 7 touch with an Exo specialized UI on top of it when I got it. I wiped the drive and installed Windows 8 on the day it was released and it ran flawlessly (well, except the forward facing camera, but that's not a big deal). The only differences between the 4 were a 32gb or 64gb SSD drive (I have the 64gb) and without or without a 3G/GPS modem installed (mine does not). You may be thinking of the ExoUI Interface which is cross platform. But this model ExoPC Slate was originally THE Microsoft tablet before they ditched it in favor of doing the Surface.

Covering the light sensor while trying the various routines with the power button had no change in effect. But you can't really "press" the light sensor. It can be covered of course, but there is no way to depress it.

No, this was not hacked or anything like that. It was brand new in the sealed box when I purchased it. And again, it worked great up until this point.

I am thinking it may be a BIOS issue because I've seen similar behavior on a dv7 that I resurrected using a boot floppy with the bios installeron it. Pressing a key combination allowed the dv7 to pass all other startup processing and boot directly to the floppy without needing to see the screen. The difference there was that there was power to the usb ports.

Edit: Looks like I was wrong about the USB ports. They are getting power. But I still can't get the tablet to boot from it ... well, at least I don't think it is. There's still nothing on the screen.

Here's a link to exactly what it is: http://www.ciaravibe.com/vibe-support-en.html The only difference is the brand name stamped on it.

 

Thank you for the fast reply.  I am glad you have additional equipment and flash drives.

One thing to consider when doing this, and I can only speak from my usage of other tablets with Windows 8.1, when using the recovery or Advanced Boot Options Windows 8 and 8.1 tend to work like a Unix system, in that when something is working or is typed correct it says nothing.

 

Here are some articles about using different recovery options in Windows 8 and 8.1.  Please record your results with each one IF you try anything.  These will give you a break down of the process and by seeing images of what SHOULD happen maybe it will help.  Read over these, and IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO ANYTHING PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND POST YOUR RESULTS.  If you do not, then I will ask you do to things that you might have completed already.  While you start on this I will continue to get you up and running.  

If you have any questions about anything let me know BEFORE YOU TRY IT.

 

We have more options but starting with the simple before we get complicated is always good.  Also, Do you have the data on your tablet backed up, there might come a point when we have to undo some things, if not we will get to that.

 

Windows 8 & 8.1 Guides

• Windows Vista Startup Repair (for knowledge base)
• Using Windows 8 Automatic Repair
• Windows 8 System Restore Guide
• Windows 8 Guide to Recovery Enviroment Prompt
• Windows 8 Startup Setting boot Menu

Again these are to educate and help, also to allow us to be on the same page when I ask about certain items.  If you have questions let me know.  I will check back in a hr.

thanks

 

How to automatically repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair

 

Edited by Bryan Mohr, 10 February 2014 - 08:15 PM.

Have you given up on me czarboom?

sorry, been away.  So you got USB power right?  If that is so we can try a few different programs. 

First option is to grab a boot disk from anyother WIn 8 computer and use that (USB boot is also included here too).  That is assuming that you have enough power to get the DVD to work.  If not, there are some tools you can use to boot from.

First off is a great tool by Kaspersky that uses a GUI that can allow you to get into windows.  I have used this before on more than one dead computer.  Here is the link to the download.  PLEASE READ THE HOW TO BEFORE YOU DO IT.  

Picking the right options is super important.

What it will do is give you something that will allow your computer to boot.  Its a safe mode type semi windows gui.  But it will allow you to grab your data off of it, and if you read a bit, you MIGHT beable to sneak a system disk out.  Kaspersky Rescue 10    

The Q&A for no boot and windows issues is here   FAQ Kaspersky Rescue 10

Another option is the good people at Pendrivelinux.com   These guys have TONS of tools for everything.  IF you grab multiboot USB creator  This can allow you to create a multiboot drive to boot from.  I think you might have a multiboot drive setup.  And something between 7 8 or 8, 8.1 didnt encode right or got a write error in it.  Either way use this with the .iso from Kaspersky Rescue 10 to make a multibook options for recovery if that is the case.

Start there and see if that is the case.  You can also grab a boot disc from another windows 8, and mount it to a USB or DVD.  USB option is here

If the boot is still not allowing these programs to run then a GREAT Boot repair/and drive repair tool is

TestDisk  and you can grab it here

Just remember, if you try a DVD player and you cant get power to it, see if you got one that you plug into the wall for power. 

If you dont try the Flash Drive, uses less juice.  When you do this try different ports, and if your getting power issues, just plug in the USB. 

I would like to know something.  When you start the computer, do you get any screen, IE the manufacture Flash, or a quick Windows screen?  Or do you start it up and just black, no prompt no nothing.

good luck and sorry, works been crazy.

thanks for waiting

The link is one of the 5 or 6 sites I found for that product, but made by different manufactures.  Some in England, Australia and on and on. 

They seem to be multi boot devices.  This might be the cause of the issue.  Meaning it was in the process of writing and either stopped or hung and broke.  Either way we got options.  Try the above, and see if you can plug that into another computer.  Let me know if you can as say a USB and see the drives.  If you can do that we can do some more things as well.

good luck, and if you have anything you want to know before you do something ask please. 

one last thing.  Have you tried to connect the vibe to a external monitor.

I ask, because the exopc /slate uses a custom GUI.  It has a exopc UI.  being duel boot if it fails the device is on, but the screen might not work.  Connect a exteral monitor if you have one and see if it works.  Just a thought.  So take all I said and let me know

Nothing on screen ... ever. Black from the moment it is powered on until it is powered off. Never a flash, never a cursor, never a logo. Nothing. Just black. No matter if I use all these different boot disks, or the usb flash disk (and yes, I have a multiboot usb flash that was created using the tool from pendrivelinux).

There is no way to get this tablet to act as a host so I cannot read the drives from another machine without opening it up and removing the drive, then buying an adapter to read it in one of my desktops or something.

It is NOT a multi-boot. I'm not exactly sure what device your looking at but it does not sound like it's the ExoPC Slate. You are probably seeing one of the later tablets that has multi-boot functionality where one of the boot options loads the ExoUI. That is not the same device.

I have not yet connected an external monitor because I only have hdmi out on this tablet and none of my monitors have hdmi inputs.

Also, keep in mind that the ExoUI is no longer installed on this tablet. It is purely a Windows 8.1 tablet now.

Edit: I have connected the tablet to an external monitor using a HDMI to DVI converter ... no picture on the external either. Although I can't be certain that the DVI adapter is working properly because I tried connecting my phone with it as well and nothing showed.

Edited by Bryan Mohr, 13 February 2014 - 01:39 PM.

hey

Just to be sure we are on the same page this is what you have right?

ExoPc Slate

The HDMI to DVI converters are hookie at best.  The hdmi doesnt lock well.  Try holding it in, or look for another DVI Port.  They are very weak in that regard.  I think your monitor might be out or during the shutdown windows 8 ate (no pun intended) your monitors drivers/ Kerrnal / API/ whatever. 

So what I would think is to get the device on a working monitor set up.  Each time you switch connection make sure you power down and reboot the device.  Let me know if the link is the right product. 

thanks