ASUS Q325UAR Secure Boot Issue

[IdiotInCharge]

Here's a fun one.

Here is the laptop in question.

Special details: it's Windows 10 Home x64, and Bitlocker is enabled on the main partition
This happened while the laptop was left on hibernate in a bag. It came up with 99% battery with the error above, and the BIOS has been fully functional.

What I've tried:
-disabling Secure Boot
-selecting the drive as the boot option rather than the Windows install on the drive
-clearing the Secure Boot keys back to setup

These have resulted in either the system being stuck at the ASUS logo or asking for a boot drive.

I've also tried:
-booting a Windows 10 USB install image, Secure Boot must be disabled for this- Selecting 'Recover' or 'Install' both result in Setup not loading
-booting a Linux Live distro and using gparted to delete the partitions- gparted cannot make changes to the partitions to delete them
-Updating to the latest BIOS firmware, from 2.02 to 3.03, which resulted in no UEFI changes and the same symptoms


Getting into X on the live image pretty much confirms that the hardware itself is fine. I have full input and can connect to WIFI. I can view the system partitions bar the Bitlocker partition. I understand that I can use unbitlocker to access it, but I'm not worried about that- I'll resetup the laptop if needed, but I need to get Windows working first!


Where I'm uneducated is Secure Boot. I don't know how it interacts with Windows 10 and is related to Bitlocker etc. I do have the Bitlocker recovery key if that will be needed to recover the system.

I've submitted a ticket to ASUS, and I'm stuck. Any ideas?

 

[IdiotInCharge]

Further updates and conclusion (for those searching):

Basically, the internal SSD was 'frozen', presumably by the UEFI Secure Boot module. I didn't really get an explanation nor was ASUS Support of any help- and they did try!- so that's my best guess. With the internal drive unalterable and unbootable, no user-level software remedy is available. I considered yanking the drive myself with the support of a friend familiar with the disassembly of these types of devices and with the appropriate tools, but ASUS Support was clear that such action would void the warranty, and at the same time would not confirm whether the system would boot with a different drive installed. I was however able to copy all of the decrypted contents to an external drive using a command line utility available on the Windows install image in conjunction with the encryption key stored by Microsoft.

This left an RMA as the only remedy, so I initiated the process without issue and sent to ASUS (on my dime). It took them just over two weeks to send it back. I've only just had the chance to check it out, but it does boot straight and quickly into Windows, and the repair sheet lists the drive as having been replaced. The laptop is clean and the return packaging is at least as good as the retail packaging.

[also for those searching, this is the same laptop as the UX370UA, just a Best Buy-specific SKU]

 

[Vengance_01]

Guessing something built into the drive or a tpm chip went bad..

 

[IdiotInCharge]

Guessing something built into the drive or a tpm chip went bad..

I agree. Unfortunately, that makes the problem rather user unserviceable at the moment, at least with the warranty intact.